Yu Yu Hakusho: An Alternate Reality
by Last of the Star Makers
Summary: What if Shinobu Sensui had one more bad guy? And what if Kurama's classmate got caught up in the whole saving the world mess? Starting in the midst of the Chapter Black Saga, Episode 73 of the anime, join CrisicMelody and Star's on-going roleplay full of action, adventure, and a little romance along the way. There's probably gonna be fun too. We think so. AU. OC/Kurama, OC/Hiei.
1. Chapter Black Saga :: Episode 73

**Author's Notes:** Greetings and Salutations Yu Yu Hakusho lovers! Last of the Star Makers here, bringing to you the roleplay my dear friend CrisicMelody and I have been working on for a little under a year now!

A special hello to anyone from Quizilla, of course. For those that don't know, the site went down Oct. 1st, 2014 and I know for a lot of us oldies here at FF that's where we got our start.

To anyone who is following me (and subsequently reading this) for the sake of previous fanfics of mine, I, uh, obviously haven't been working on them. Eheh. My most recent endeavor, the Tobuscus fanfic, started to dwindle out when CM and I began writing on this story because most of my time was spent writing and thinking about the RP rather than our beloved -Buscus. Also, I had a giant portion of a story I was working on in the Doc Manager here on FF and I lost everything because I left the document untouched over the ninety days FF allows and it made me extremely upset so I "left" FF for a while because I was so ticked off with the site/myself.

**THINGS TO KNOW:**

1. THIS STORY CONTAINS ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.

Lots and lots of them in fact.  
>Most "importantly" are the two female characters CM and I have inserted:<br>Sensui starts out with an extra bad guy, CM's character, Akari.  
>Kurama's classmate, Toriko, myStar's character, gets caught up into the battle with Sensui.

2. THIS STORY CONTAINS ORIGINAL STORY/STORY ARCS (though it takes until chapter four to get there).

We basically maintain that the story arcs (and characters) up to this point are pretty much the same as before, and if we want to be specific things only go from behind the scenes to actually influencing the direction of the anime about Episode 73 "The Doctor's Disease" (The Stalking, Demonic Hand of the Doctor) where the gang first encounters Kamiya, which is coincidentally where we pick up here on this first chapter. For a while some of the dialogue, as well as the story, will follow right along with the original, and some of it may even be lifted directly from the anime itself. We, of course, do not lay claim to such 'liftings' as they are copyrighted to the original story anyway. Until we launch away from the original story line, there may be some (often large) moments of jumping forward in time, where nothing needs inserted in the original as nothing deviates from it, but by the third chapter, we reach the Alternate Universe and where our story really starts to take off.

3. THIS STORY IS A ROLE-PLAY AND IS IN ITS ORIGINAL FORMAT (but if I didn't think it worked as a story, trust me when I say I wouldn't have posted it). 

There has been absolutely no adjustments made to the format of our role-play! What you see here is exactly how we handle it in our back and forth, and I think it lends itself rather well to being a cohesive story that any outsider can easily understand. Granted, we each use a different font in GoogleDocs, but that doesn't translate to FF. The symbols we use, however, do. Mostly. See the "Symbols Guide" below for specifics.

4. THIS STORY IS ON-GOING.

CM and I are still writing on this story/role-play even as you're reading this. In fact, we have over thirty-two thousand pages (yes, that's 32,000) in GoogleDocs and counting. I hope you'll join us for the long haul as we explore more thoroughly the world(s) of YYH and the denizens within!

...

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

__...__

Both CM and I would like to thank you for taking the time to check our story out. We are very excited to finally be sharing a story we have both come to love and adore and we hope that you will enjoy reading it as much as we are enjoying writing it.

And now, without further ado, I present to you for that YYH itch you've been needing to scratch: An Alternate Reality.

* * *

><p>Orange, almost coppery curls bounced on the girl's shoulders as she padded silently around the waiting area. Hazel-brown eyes searched the white-tiled room in an aggressive manner, searching for the man she needed to speak to, yet he was nowhere in sight. It was almost time for his phase of the this grand plan, and as soon as it started, there would be hell in this hospital.<p>

She moved for a chair on the far side of the room, watching the humans calmly go about their business without a clue in the world to the upcoming events.

Such _naivety_. How could the human race overlook the entire demon populace, as if such a species didn't exist? Surely they weren't all so blind as to not _notice_? Perhaps it was denial.

Akari again glanced at her watch. Mentally, she consulted the schedule.

As if on cue, the front doors to the hospital slid open, and in walked a small group of five. She sneered to herself and watched the small group, noticing that one of the males was shaken up, sweating profusely, whining under his breath to the others around him. It didn't take more than a few minutes for one of the group, the older woman, to glance around, even looking in Akari's direction for a mere moment before turning back to the injured person who clutched at the sides of his head.

The hazel-eyed girl stood and silently moved towards the corridors.

"Miss, can I help you with something?" a passing nurse asked when Akari didn't seem to notice her presence. She paused only briefly.

"No, I'm just visiting a friend is all. Thank you," Akari reassured, putting on her kindest facade before turning and walking down the corridor. It didn't take long to find the office of Kamiya, otherwise known to her as Doctor, and she didn't even knock, simply pushing the door open and traipsing inside. "They're here," she announced in an even tone, glancing at the nurse that was standing to the side only briefly before turning to look at the man who stood across the room,, "and they're ready to see you now, Doctor."

The man smiled and adjusted his glasses, turning to look at the girl. "Good, let's get started." And in a matter of moments, she felt his territory open up and take over the hospital, the chill down her spine hard to miss as his energy enveloped her as well. "Make sure to stay out of my way, Akari. The boy is mine."

"Yes, yes. You've staked your claim. I'm only a _distraction_." she replied tartly as she turned and walked out the door, ignoring the insects that began to form and fly in pairs through the halls. In no time at all, this hospital would be filled with them, and she would be having the time of her _life, _and the rag-tag detective team wouldn't even know what hit them.. _*****_

~!**!~

Toriko gingerly pressed her fingertips to her forehead, squinting a bit as she brushed the bump underneath several swathes of bandages near the top of her head and caused a spike of pain to shoot across her face.

The door to her hospital room opened and Toriko fumbled for the thick glasses she had laid down on the table next to the bed, shoving them on her face so that her green eyes might be blurred and hidden behind them.

"Inyoku, Toriko? How is everything, Miss?" The intruder walked up to the girl who sat propped up with pillows, the sheets of the bed pulled up to her waist.

When Toriko looked up through the lenses of her glasses, she saw the nurse in white sashay into the room, one hand around a clipboard and the other holding a pen.

"E-everything's fine." Toriko stammered, just as quickly lowering her gaze once she saw who had entered the room.

The nurse gently put a hand across Toriko's forehead to check for a fever, brushing her hand underneath a portion of the girl's dark hair, and then wrote something down on her clipboard.

"I'm sure it is, sweetie. The school just wanted to make sure you didn't have a concussion, so they sent you in."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"You don't need anything?"

"No, ma'am. Th-thank you, ma'am." Toriko pushed her glasses farther up her nose, but still stared down at her hands that she rested on the sheets over her lap.

"We'll just be keeping you here for the next hour or so and then you can check out, alright?"

Toriko nodded and the nurse continued scratching a few more notes onto her clipboard as she left the room.

Heaving a large sigh, Toriko slipped her glasses off her face and put them down in her lap, rubbing her eyes with both hands before reaching up to make sure her hair was still mostly in the tight bun at the back of her head.

Being non-human, the hospital visit had been nerve-wracking enough. Her teacher drove her all the way over here and stayed long enough to make sure the damage was nothing serious, so there wasn't anything Toriko could have done in the matter, but had they attempted to check her heart or blood-pressure...

Toriko shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of thoughts of things that could have been, though the action caused her to grunt uncomfortably.

It was just like her to not be watching where she went. The football fields were along her route home, but the book she had been reading kept her head down and she wandered into one of the iron bars that held up the goal's net. Unfortunately, her teacher saw the whole thing and rushed her to the hospital without so much as a by-your-leave. Her non-human state would have allowed for quick healing, but for fear of revealing her true nature, Toriko felt obliged to do as her teacher-

Toriko sat up straight in bed, yanked harshly from her introspective thoughts, as a wave of energy passed through her room and caused her to freeze in place for a moment. The entire room felt different, but as she scanned it carefully, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary other than...the _feeling_.

Slipping out from under the sheets, Toriko carefully climbed out of bed and worked her feet into her shoes, knowing that the energy she felt was not normal and not wishing to stay any longer than necessary in an atmosphere such as this one.

She opened the door to her room just wide enough to peek an eye through the crack, and found her floor to be deserted, lacking any sound or movement other than her own. She wondered briefly how long she had been sitting there that no one else was around. She stepped out into the extremely empty hallway, not feeling particularly brave, but looking for the fastest way out of the building, and remembering that an elevator brought her to this floor so surely it could take her back out again...3

~!**!~

Akari stood in the middle of the third floor's hallway, watching groups of insects buzz about frantically. darting from place to place while awaiting orders from Kamiya. She even reached out and grasped one, holding it in her palm and using her opposite index finger to stroke the small insect down its center. It quivered with anticipation and then, along with the rest, it shot away from her, buzzing at a loud volume as it flew away from her, and down every flight of stairs in the building.

Moments passed by where the only sound on this floor was the distant hum of insects and the occasional nurse leaving a room, at first seeming like nothing was out of the norm. She waited semi-patiently, until she saw the insects fly by her again and into every room, through every crack in the walls and under the doors, infecting anyone they could.

That meant phase one was complete, and Doctor was beginning to separate the team for his own sick little game. She cracked her knuckles and waited, reveling in the sound of the buzzing. In the sound of the plan _really_ getting into action.

When she could hear footsteps coming up the nearby stairways, she slowly began to meander forward with eyes following the walls, as if she were merely looking for a specific room number. As expected, around the corner came two individuals**:** The spirit detective and the little old, withered woman who had been by him in the waiting room.

"Excuse me," she called, getting their attention with ease. "Do you happen to know which floor is the two-hundred rooms? I'm looking for two-hundred and fourteen."

As anticipated, both pulled to a halt a few feet in front of her, eyeing her up and down. "Go, I'll handle this," the old woman said to Yusuke, and the Spirit Detective nodded and turned away, continuing by her without pause. The old woman- Genkai, she knew the woman's name to be- met Akari's even gaze with a heavy stare. "I suggest you find a better place to be other than the hallways. It's getting dangerous in here; didn't you know there is a madman on the loose?"

Akari found copious amounts of amusement from her warning. The woman was clearly too caught up in the territory to recognize a demon's energy right in front of her. None of this reached her eyes as she responded, however. "No I hadn't," she said slowly, raising a confused brow, "but you aren't a doctor, so how would you know?"

"Look, I don't care-"

Akari grinned as the woman paused, her eyes widening to saucers and glazing over, appearing distant as if lost in thought.

"Heh, I should have known." The woman paused, as if calculating something, and Akari took the moment to step around the woman. To her surprise, the woman followed her movement, cutting off her path and even readying for an attack.

_Intuitive. Wise. _Akari noted those two details carefully. Her power wasn't being used to its full extent, but she didn't want to truly fight the woman who would surely win in a battle of strength and wits. So Akari did as she normally would: She amped up the intensity of her illusion, the image that the woman was seeing before her eyes a false one, and then backed away a few steps.

"That won't get you too far, child." The woman easily adjusted, eyes closing and feet preparing for a strike.

Akari heard an explosion upstairs, breaking glass, and saw a flash of light through the nearby windows.

_That's my cue._

The girl sneered and turned her eyes to the old woman again, who had yet to move. "I don't have time to play anymore. Perhaps I'll see you again." With that, Akari turned and dashed down the corridor and past the nearest elevator, only releasing her energy from the old woman when her feet touched the next floor down.

Now, she would have to be sure Yusuke Urameshi killed Kamiya, and quite honestly, she didn't care. She hated the man and would not dare interfere with the fight in any way. _*****_

~!**!~

Toriko's growing sense of dread was not comforted by the fact that she ran into no one in the hallways. Out of nowhere, she heard glass shatter from somewhere below her and she jumped in fright, throwing her arm up to cover her eyes as brilliant blue light blinded her. When it dissipated, she watched a gigantic bullet of spirit energy shoot off into the distance.

_"Well, that's certainly not something you see every day." _She returned to her wanderings, even more keen to escape. She eventually turned the correct corner and spotted the elevators, making her way over and pushing the 'down' button, wondering why on earth she got put all the way on the eighth floor at the top of the hospital.

"Toriko?"

At the sound of her name, she turned to see Kurama running towards her from the other end of the hall. He stopped just as he reached her.

"Are you okay?" He nodded his head towards her bandages.

Toriko scooted her glasses farther up her nose with a finger, "Mostly."

"Why are you-" Kurama cut himself off and they both whipped around to stare at the elevator door. When Kurama saw Keiko and Shizuru diving out of the elevator with Puu, he grabbed Toriko around her waist and pulled her to the side out of the way of their fall, lashing out with his rose whip at the bugs apparently chasing the other two out of their elevator.

When the coast was clear, Kurama released his hold of Toriko's waist and she readjusted her glasses.

"What are earth are _you _two doing here?" Kurama asked of the new pair.3

~!**!~

Akari ran the last two flights to the last floor, slowing down as her feet touched the white tiles of the platform of the stairs. For now, it seemed Yusuke and Kamiya were not on this floor.

She glanced around, looking for any sign of the fight and finding none. She was about to turn around and go back up the steps when she heard yelling, accompanied by cackling. Insects buzzed all around, but above that it was much too easy to identify Yusuke Urameshi's battle shout and Doctor's maniacal laughter. She turned and slowly made her way down the hallway to the East Wing, taking to the shadows of a corner to observe the fight without being noticed.

She laid eyes on the detective, whose eyes were dark and angry and no longer patient with the man he so obviously would have to kill in order to save his friends.

She watched as Kamiya tried to bribe the detective, actually appearing scared for his life despite his 'immortality'. Akari eyed the vials of liquid he was producing, displaying for Yusuke to see, and she understood. Sure enough, it looked like an antidote to almost anything, but from here she could smell the sugar that was mixed with the water.

_What are you doing, fool? No one would buy that trick, _she thought to herself with a scowl on her lips. She was especially surprised when the detective stepped forward a little, disbelief bubbling to the surface and pulling her copper eyebrows upward.

There was _no way_ he was that stupid.

For a moment, she believed Doctor would get away with killing the detective and began preparing herself for figuring a way to dump the body, to fend off the others in the building that she had seen earlier and very likely more who had arrived. After all, no spiritual being could have missed the blast from the detective.

A loud shout suddenly echoed down the hall from a nearby source and the she-demon turned her eyes to the floor before her. A man, the same man who had come in with the group. who had been injured, was crawling on the floor not ten feet from her with a hand extended to the detective. "Don't do it! It's glucose, sugar water! He's going to kill you if you get close enough!"

Akari moved to hide around the corner again and pulled her demonic energy tighter to her core, avoiding the attention of the detective if he decided to turn and look at the mind reader. Needless to say, she was relieved when the conversation picked up in the middle of the hall, telling her she had gone unnoticed by any but the man crawling nearby.

"Y-Yusuke," the man called out in a weak voice, obviously trying to get the detective's attention again. Akari acted, knowing he would reveal her position if he spoke another word, and she reached around the corner she'd been hiding behind to grab at his ankle and pull him around the corner with her, stuffing a hand in his mouth to silence any sound he made and then wrapping her fingers around his trachea, proceeding killing him the quietest way possible so that _she_ would not be killed too.

He gargled, trying to talk around her fist as her other hand closed around his throat roughly, and she merely sneered at him. "Sweet dreams bub," she whispered as his eyes rolled back into the back of his head.

By the time she stood again and rubbed the saliva from her hand onto the wall, Doctor was receiving a beating from Yusuke, one of his eyes swollen and red. She glanced at the lifeless person slumped against the wall, and sneered. If she could just-

Breaking glass caught her attention and her head popped around the corner so hazel eyes could see Doctor, who was flying through the windows and crashing to the dirt outside. She watched him convulse, choke, and then ultimately go still.

_And that's my cue to get out of here. __*****_

~!**!~

"The hole will be open in only three weeks?" Toriko pursed her lips thoughtfully.

Kurama nodded.

The red-haired classmate had insisted on walking Toriko home himself after the events at the hospital, worried about her injury despite her reassurances. This led to questions she posed about the events she'd been privy to, which Kurama answered as best he could.

"I wondered about all the bugs flying around." She admitted. "So, what's being done about it?"

"Spirit World is attempting to locate exactly where the hole is being opened, but the real question that has everyone stumped is who the mastermind of the operation is."

Toriko eyed Kurama as they walked, "And you have no guesses? Uncharacteristic of you, Kurama."

He simply smiled at her, but couldn't resist the bait, "I most certainly have my own feelings on the matter, but it will have to wait until tomorrow before I can truly pursue the answer I seek."

They arrived at her doorstep and the both of them paused, Toriko staring at the ground intensely.

"Kurama..." She hesitated, and Kurama patiently waited for her to continue, "I-I want to help. I don't know what I can do, but promise me something." She finally met his eyes through her thick lenses, her fists tight at her sides and her expression full of determination, "Promise me that when the time comes, I'll be there with you to stop the end of the world."

This desperate energy that Kurama felt coming off of her softened his gaze. The girl in front of him that he knew, the one that would have just as soon ran from a fight then started it, suddenly had a sense of purpose coursing through her every fiber, and he did not think it was his place to dissuade it.

"I will come for you, Toriko. When the time is right, I promise I will come for you."3

~!**!~

Akari turned on her heel and glanced around herself, finding her eyes going to the ceiling and the cameras that were in periodic intervals along the walls, small red lights blinking to indicate that they were working and recording each event. She growled to herself and moved as quickly as possible, almost not catching the sound of others in the same hallway as herself and thus speeding up her silent pace.

She stepped into a darkened room and slid the door so it was merely ajar to watch the trio walk by.

Kazuma Kuwabara, the orange-haired boy whose energy was grabbing her attention, was accompanied by a blue-haired woman with a wooden oar in her hand and a dark-haired boy she hadn't seen with the gang often enough to know his name. She assessed the situation, watching the trio as they passed by the dead body of their mind-reading acquaintance.

They must have thought he was only unconscious, or perhaps he hadn't even been seen. Either way, it made it much easier for her to sneak out of the room and through the hospital, slipping into the front office inconspicuously. With a sneer, she eyed the many small screens, taking particular interest in the one that showed Doctor laying outside with the small woman she had seen earlier hovering over him. It seemed Kamiya would live after all.

_Oh well._

Without further ado, she stepped away from the entire security system and held her hand out to it, palm facing the mechanics and her energy fluctuating to coat the room in darkness. The shadows in the corners moved and engulfed the electrical equipment, seeping through the keyboards and speakers and the database, and destroyed every bit of video from the day's events.

She didn't need the human police searching for her as well. It would simply be _too _bothersome.

Once she was satisfied with her handiwork, her ears picked up the sound of the exploding cameras all throughout the hallways and people screaming from the commotion in fear of another attack.

Akari merely sauntered her way out the doors, leaving the hospital behind as she searched the nearby rooftops for Sensui. _*****_

~!**!~

Kurama did not appear at school the next day, though his absence did not come as a surprise to Toriko, especially after the words they exchanged on her doorstep.

She found herself distracted throughout her classes by thoughts of the promise she asked Kurama to hold. Would he really come for her? The question was always followed closely by, and what on earth would she do when he did? And what had possessed her to say such a thing in the first place? If it came down to a fight, she would be next to useless, though she supposed she _could_ figure out how to put one punch after the other. For all the good it would do.

As she had no after-school club to attend, Toriko rushed home with a sudden idea. While Kurama was not there for her to ask his assistance in honing her powers, she still had another option, one that she found herself using more and more lately when he was not around.

She tossed her bag onto the floor at the entrance of her home and slipped her shoes off as soon as she got in the door.

"Maneshi!" She called pleasantly, "Maneshi, where are you?"

Toriko took off her glasses and let down her hair, placing her glasses carefully on top of her book bag before stepping into the living room.

"Maneeeshi!" She called again, peeking over into the kitchen to her left. Still not finding what she searched for, Toriko moved for the stairs, going up them and stepping into the first door on her left.

On her bed, curled into a neat and tidy ball, a completely black-furred cat stretched as she entered the room, regarding her by opening his blue eye before closing it and settling back in for more sleep.

"There you are." Toriko put her hands on her hips. "Come here."

The cat did not so much as move.

"I said, come here!" Toriko demanded more insistently.

He yawned at her, and stretched again, but did nothing more.

Toriko tapped her foot impatiently, then sighed and sank to her knees on the floor, staring intently at Maneshi.

After a minute his ear flicked, and he opened his brown eye this time, Toriko finally catching his gaze. At first, nothing happened, the two beings locked in the stare down.

It was roughly three years ago while walking home during the winter season that Toriko came across the black cat now in her bedroom. She had stopped in the middle of the walkway to take her glasses off and wipe away the fog when a tiny mew caught her ear and she looked up at the wall, meeting a small kitten's gaze. He hunched over in the cold with one blue eye and one brown eye. She hadn't meant to look at him, but she did, and as they stared at each other, he lifted his little nose and caught a whiff of her hair on the wind. He mewed inquisitively at her again, coiling up and springing for her shoulder, landing precisely and beginning to rub his head into the bun that already threatened to come down while she walked.

Toriko did not move from where she knelt in the doorway of her bedroom. If she had learned one thing over attempting to recreate the conditions of that day three years ago, it was to be extremely patient. Animals were not the same as humans, and where a wrong move with a human could land her in deep trouble, here the worst fear she had was making Maneshi annoyed by her efforts.

Without breaking the gaze, Toriko tossed her hair over her shoulders, feeling the gesture tap into some form of energy without her meaning it to and making her scalp tingle. She felt something different come over her gaze, and her lips moved.

"Come here." She called sweetly, sounding much different than before.

Maneshi opened both eyes and lifted his head, unblinking.

Toriko's eyes should have dried out and forced her to blink, but the same tingling that spread across the skin underneath her hair now trickled over her eyes. Once more without meaning to, she slowly raised a hand and crooked a finger at the cat, accompanying the gesture with, "Come here."

Slowly, Maneshi uncurled his fluid body and rose up, her beckoning becoming too much to resist. Surely she would rub his tummy and give him treats and caress his ears and he loved it when she caressed his ears because it felt so good and-

"Come, Maneshi."

In her voice he heard all of those things, in her eyes he saw them: all of the desires that she could fulfill that he wanted her to fulfill. She probably even had catnip.

"Maneshi."

He stepped forward and leapt down from the bed, prancing towards her with his head high.

The success of her endeavor finally overcame her and when he got close enough, she grabbed for the cat in her glee, breaking the spell as she held him close and cheered at herself in a sing-song voice, "I did it, I did it!"

The cat flicked his ears back at her sudden outburst, but the unspoken promises she made lingered over his ears and he indulged her for that moment.

Toriko stood up and carried the cat to the kitchen where she fed and petted him while he ate.

~!**!~

"Who is this? What is she doing here?" Genkai demanded as Kurama walked in the door with a girl the old woman did not recognize.

"I-I am Inyoku, Toriko, ma'am." Toriko bowed to the crotchety old lady, pushing her glasses back up her nose when she stood back up.

"She's here to help." Kurama vouched. "She knows about what's going on and I promised she could lend her assistance."

"Hm." Genkai narrowed her eyes at the girl, reaching out through her spirit wave to test her might, doubly surprised to find that the rather normal-looking school girl was a demon. And an old one at that.

She exchanged an anxious glance with Kurama, who correctly read the concern in her eyes and only smiled as if to remind her of _himself_.

"Well. I guess we can take all the help we can get. Come on in, Toriko." Genkai stepped out of the way.

~!**!~

The group around the table looked anxiously at Koenma as the adult-form of the toddler-prince gravely explained the situation.

Introductions had been made between Toriko and the others and she glanced about at those gathered, running their names through her mind again in an attempt to solidify them in her memory. The one she sat across from had called himself 'Yusuke.'

At the exact moment Toriko looked out the window and wondered why a group of people would be staring at them from the building across the way, both Kurama and Yusuke sensed they were being watched maliciously and whipped around in their chairs.

"We're not alone." Yusuke declared.3

~!**!~

For the most part, Akari had lain low for the past few days, merely running small errands here and there and keeping watch over the dealings of Sensui's men. She bore witness the bout between Kuwabara and Mitarai, even letting everything play out on its own and finding herself rather intrigued by the interaction. The way the boy treated his enemy with care, even so much as dragging Sea Man along with his own injured friends away from their battle scene had left her rather curious.

While she had thought about grabbing Mitarai and making sure he was back with Sensui, she had a feeling that it wasn't how the man would want it to go. So, she merely let Kuwabara take Sea Man, and she reported back to Sensui.

He had been ultimately pleased with what she had revealed to him. "We've found our person, it seems," he had spoken to Itsuki, who had only opened a single eye to acknowledge Sensui's words before he went back to meditating, expanding the tunnel. "Well done, Akari. You reacted just as I hoped you would. Now, we can track down the team without you running after them. Now, we will wait."

That had been a day or two ago.

Now, she was walking to the top of a rather tall building, preparing to meet with Sensui and Sniper. Her hands were in her jean pockets as she meandered, slowly making her way up the stairs until she opened up the door to the roof. She paused to catch the eyes of both men, Sensui and Sniper merely watching her, Sniper appearing as if he didn't think she was necessary to this task.

"Apparently, they've had a new addition to the group today, and Koenma has joined the ranks. It's the perfect day, Akari. You and Sniper will be put to the test, and I expect you to perform well."

A sneer pulled a single corner of her thin lips upwards and she nodded. "You know how much I hate standing around. I look forward to this."

"Then come here." Sensui turned his back to her, to look down at the apartment complexes below. "Tell me, what do you suppose they are saying?"

Akari walked forward to the railing of the roof, finding the uncurtained window of the apartment he gestured to easily. She eyed the group that was sitting around the table, and her eyes focused on their moving lips, her ears listening for any sound she might be able to pick up over the sounds of the busy city.

"The girl's a demon, and it appears only one of them knows her well enough to trust her," Akari grumbled, her sneer disappearing as she concentrated. She didn't get too much more from the conversation before a few members of the group were looking towards her and her team. She raised a brow at the eyes of the spectators. "They can't surely be so surprised to see us?"

"They thought they were safe, but Sea Man lead us right to them." Sensui replied, his voice calm and collected. Akari glanced at the men on both sides of her before turning her eyes back to the people in the apartment window. There hadn't been a word uttered, but she saw from the corner of her eye, Sniper moved. He outstretched his arms, taking aim at first at the main group. Then, he shifted his body just a bit, his gaze turning just a fraction and his hand shifting just the same.

Her eyes followed his, and she saw Sea Man sitting on a bed with two women sitting inside the same room. Yet, she kept a calm composure, even smiling wickedly as she turned back to see the reactions of the others near the sliding glass doors in the first room. "Let the games begin," she whispered, her words accented nicely with the sound of Sniper's ammunition whistling through the air. _*****_

"It's him!" Yusuke exclaimed, he and Kurama jumping out of their seats and rushing to the glass doors. "He's listening!"

They watched as the one in the red jacket lifted his hand and Kuwabara jumped out of his seat to dash towards the other room.

"They're after Matari!" He made a beeline for the other room and threw the door open, running violently down the hallway.

Toriko got up and stood on the other side of Kurama, staring intently through her glasses at the three standing on the roof beyond.

"Who are they?" She wanted to know.

"The tall one is Shinobu Sensui." Koenma provided, coming up with Genkai to stand behind them all.

"I believe the one in red is Sniper. That accounts for five of the seven we've heard about." His brow turned down as he regarded the female with them.

"And the girl?" Toriko asked.

"I dunno." Yusuke answered, "We haven't heard anything about her. Think she's Gourmet or Gamemaster, Kurama?"

"I think she's none of the above."

"What?"

"I think she's their ace in the hole, as it were." Kurama glanced down briefly at Toriko before turning back to watch those on the roof, "I'm glad you decided to join us. If we are surprised by their added number, perhaps your presence will do the same for them."

"M-maybe." She stammered at the unwarranted praise, pushing her glasses farther up her nose in her nervousness. _"I just hope I can be of some use when the time comes."_

Suddenly, Yusuke ran out of the apartment, yelling something at Kuwabara as he tried to catch up with him.3

The sound of the die pieces shooting through glass and lodging into the wall of the apartment was music to her ears, though she noticed that Sea Man had been pushed out of the way. There was a part of her, though a very small part of her, that was _glad_. The kid didn't know what was going on, didn't know of Sensui's actual plans in it all.

In fact, no one seemed to have figured out that they would die except herself and Doctor. She didn't even think Sniper had a _single _clue, but she pushed the thoughts away and turned her eyes to the spectators, raising a brow at the words she barely caught from their lips. Her chin lifted in the air a little at the group, lips keeping that same wicked smile that turned her eyes dark.

_I like that._

_The __**Ace**__._

Suddenly, Sensui was speaking and turning away, drawing her attention and turning her expression into a more muted smirk. She listened carefully, having not heard this explanation of Kuwabara's energy before now, of the energy he was seeking. "It's called the Jigen Tou, also known as a dimensional sword. It cuts through physically created space-time, territories, and that includes the most ambiguous territory of all**:** the Kekkai Barrier that divides the worlds." Akari's smirk thinned out as she pursed her lips. _So he is going to capture the boy for his energy, even though it's so unstable?_

"And how do we plan on utilizing that?" she inquired.

"Easily. We have Gourmet." With that, he turned and to exit the rooftop, pausing briefly and saying only a few more parting words. "Keep Kuwabara alive at all costs. Use your own judgement for killing the others."

Akari smirked and nodded simultaneously with Sniper, and then he and herself followed suit until they were all three standing in the street, Akari a bit behind the two men for observation's sake. And it didn't take long for Yusuke and Kuwabara to make their grand appearance as well.

"Well that was fast," she vaguely heard the detective mumble. "Let's do this." _*****_

The group ran forward when Sensui kicked Yusuke away the second time, Kurama communicating his fears about the two Spirit Detectives being too alike to the rest.

When Sensui kicked the ball of spirit energy off into the distance, Kurama exclaimed, "Isn't that Yusuke's apartment?!"

Sensui blocked Kuwabara's attempt to run to his sister's aide.

"I'm no good here. I know nothing of battles. I'll be of more use helping at Yusuke's apartment." Toriko murmured to Kurama, "I'll head there as soon as I get a chance."

Kurama nodded slightly, to indicate he heard her.

Yusuke went neck and neck with Sensui to allow someone to get past, getting himself kicked into a building in the process and chasing after Sensui when he took off with Kurama and Kuwabara following, Toriko, Koenma, and Genkai dashing off to return to Yusuke's apartment.3

Akari watched the scene from a short distance for a bit, not even noticing Sniper's disappearance to antagonize the defenseless part of the group, the non-fighters that were staying with Sea Man. She felt a bit... bored with simply standing there, watching Sensui be the prime fighter.

Of course, she knew it was necessary, so she watched and waited.

When he kicked his orb towards the apartment, she knew that was Game Master's and Gourmet's cues, and she took it for hers as well. Even as she heard the team of spirit detectives scramble to figure a way to get to the injured or likely dead members of their team, she turned and walked the opposite direction, going over the route mapped out in her mind.

A small laugh escaped her lips as she disappeared into the passing crowd, mingling with the humans who were oblivious to the danger nearby.

For a few minutes, that's all she did. Wander.

She skipped to rooftops- despite her hatred of heights- to get a view of where the plan was at certain points and when she would be needed, eventually running into Sniper, who merely nodded when she said it was close to time for him to get busy. As soon as he sped off, she blended in with the passersby again, silently following the chase that she had crossed paths with and watching Sensui play his little game with Yusuke, who clearly had _no _chance of winning. Sensui wasn't even _trying_.

She stood outside the building, watching the silhouettes dash back and forth, listening to the shouts of irritation and challenging of one another.

And then, Sensui was dropping to the ground, glass cascading around him as he made his descent to the sidewalk below before taking off again, the demoness following him all the way to the overpass where Sniper was supposed to show.

Akari took her sweet time joining the crowd that had gathered around Sensui, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama atop the bridge, and when she did join in she waited silently, easily standing behind a tall man to keep herself from view. _*****_

The group and Sensui exchanged words, Sensui biding his time until he could hear the roar of Sniper's engine coming closer."_Ah, Sniper, good timing." _"Farewell." Sensui sped off with Kuwabara and Yusuke in hot pursuit.

"After him!" The Spirit Detective yelled, giving chase.

As Kurama made a move to follow them, Sniper shot up into the air, ramping into the street with his motorcycle, cutting the red-haired kitsune from his friends.

Seated on his bike, Sniper raised a flattened hand, preparing to flick whatever ammo rested there towards Kurama. Kurama pulled his rose whip up higher towards his face defensively.

"You can't do that with these innocents standing around." His voice wavered, unsure if this 'Sniper' fellow would heed him and positive that he could not save every human that stood gawking at the scenario unfolding before them should Sniper decide to fire.3

Akari glanced around herself, taking in the group of people around her that were watching the scene so intently. Her eyes landed on a woman who stood nearby, cooing her crying child. Akari smiled and stepped forward, her expression deceptively cheerful and kind. "Excuse me, but for this particular stunt that we are filming, I'd like to request your child to be in this scene. I know it's last minute, but it would really help us out," she said calmly, her smile reassuring.

The woman eyed her nervously, then looked at the scene on the other side of the crowd. Her small brain must have taken the story as true, because she nodded and handed her still-crying child to Akari. The demon smiled even wider, "Thank you. She will be handed back as soon as the scene is over," she reassured before turning and wading to the front of the crowd, toddler on her hip.

Sniper was watching the redhead, aiming his ammunition at Kurama. He opened his mouth to speak, but Akari spoke over him. "Sniper, you go on ahead. You have something else to take care of." When the boy's eyes turned on her, eyeing her as if he didn't like her ordering him around, she merely nodded at him, urging him to go. "I have this."

Sniper nodded, and within seconds, he was speeding away, leaving Akari standing before Kurama with a hiccoughing child resting at her hip. She waited, watching him for a moment before glancing to the child. "They're so small, the humans. Fragile. I don't see how you put up with them," she cooed, running a thumb over the child's cheek and allowing its small hand to encircle her index finger. "Tell me, how _do _you tolerate this stench and their naivety?" _*****_

Kurama regarded this newcomer with a wary gaze, unsure of her motives, but certain that he could not attack her without damaging the child. He knew without a doubt that she simply represented a distraction, another sidestep from the real plan that Sensui orchestrated carefully. But why? Why are they forcing them apart? Were they after Yusuke?

While he never lowered his stance, Kurama tread carefully, extra cautious at the sight of the babe she held, despite the apparent ease with which she coddled it.

"I have found that their merits lie deeper than just their smell and their intelligence." His voice rang out calmly over the tension of the staring crowd, his every thought following the path of Kuwabara and Yusuke before him.3

Akari raised a brow at his words, her smile twisting to a sneer. The only merits that the humans had that she'd seen in her _lifetime _was the day Sensui had shown up at the Black Black Club and killed everyone inside, aside from herself. She couldn't decide if Kurama was genuine on his defense or simply trying to reason with her to step aside.

"Interesting point of view you have there," she said, her voice laced with irritation. She opened her mouth to say more, but movement behind Kurama caught her attention. Her eyes darted to a girl who had surfaced from the crowd, calling out. "Kurama!" she yelled, as if she didn't even notice Akari's presence. The demoness acted, though she didn't even have to move a single muscle.

The girl's eyes widened and her entire body stiffened, halting in place. Her body began to tremble, and then she clutched at her head with her hands, dropping the creature she had been holding. A scream ripped from her throat, yelling out the detective's name. Akari's smile widened. "Ah, the person you care for most is the detective. How sweet," she cooed, her own eyes dark with amusement. After all, this particular illusion was her favorite; where the victim got to witness the death of the person closest to them, slowly and painfully.

In the distance, she could hear the squealing of the truck's tires. Soon, she would be taking her leave. _*****_

Kurama's body tensed, but he resisted the urge to break his gaze from the demon before him. Keiko's cry and the girl's response gave him all the information he needed to know.

"Whatever you are doing to her mind, she is not your concern." He stated firmly, "Your fight is with me and it would not bode well for you to involve any others in our exchange."3

Akari's eyes turned to slits at Kurama's threat, but she kept the air around her light, to convey that she was not going to engage in physical strikes against him. It was easy to see that he understood her purpose, her real objective. "It's no fun that way," she murmured, bringing the child to her face as she heard the getaway vehicle round the corner of the nearest intersection.

"Tell me, what will you decide: my death or the child's?" Her smile turned dangerous and she moved, simply moving at a demonic speed to the edge of the bridge and dropping the child. She snickered before she followed suit, leaving enough room between her and the child that he wouldn't be able to strike her and save the child simultaneously. *

Kurama sped down the nearby stairwell to the street, glancing at Keiko heaving for oxygen as he ran past, his decision made before the demon posed it.

He jumped into the air over the cars speeding down the highway even as he heard the desperate scream of the mother on the overpass now above his head. He brandished his whip at a light-pole near where the demon and child left the ground, feeling it wrap firmly about the metal and catch his weight so as to change his trajectory just enough that his arc led him to neatly plucking the wailing infant from its freefall in mid-air, his path continuing up and back over the edge of the overpass where he neatly landed on one knee and recalled his whip to his side.

The inconsolable child now firmly held in one arm, he turned back to the side of the bridge to watch the demon's fate.3

Akari smiled as she dropped through the air, the wind whipping her curls past her face. For a single moment, her heart fluttered at the prospect of the moving vehicles underneath, a moment of fear making her have second-thoughts about this plan. However, her feet landed neatly on the truck that was speeding by, and she smiled with relief as she eyed the tailgate's edge. Her hazel eyes lifted to see Kurama on the bridge, watching.

"Nice speaking with you. Let's do this again sometime," she called with a wave, knowing he would hear her with ease. Her energy snapped back to her core, leaving the human girl on the bridge without the illusion of her friend's death.

She turned back and glanced at Sensui, who nodded in approval and turned to say something to Gourmet. Satisfied, Akari relaxed, lowering herself to simply sitting on the edge of the open tailgate to watch the scenery pass by her. _*****_

* * *

><p><em>End notes are going to be in italics just so that they are usually set apart from the end of the chapter.<em>

_I would of course love to hear thoughts about the story via reviews or PMs!_

_For anyone that uses GoogleDocs for their roleplaying (or fanfic writing!) needs, I have found that copying and pasting from there into a LibreOffice doc (free download) will keep your formatting (like italics) intact, and then from there you can save said doc, THEN upload the LibreOffice doc to the Doc Manager on FF. This will ensure that all of your formatting will be retained so you don't have to go back through to make sure it's all there!_

_RIP Quizilla (2002-2014), which is where I first published my original YYH fanfics (as quizzes of course!) over a decade ago, and which is also where CM and I first met less than a year ago!_

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star, yes-I-know-that's-Toby's-outro-it-became-habit-with-my-previous-Tobuscus-fanfic-deal-with-it


	2. Episode 81 - Let the Games Begin

**Author's Notes:** Hello once again for the first time, Audience!

I've always tried to use culture-appropriate names or surnames in any story that I've written (and CM has done so as well for our RP), and as a general rule each name I choose is for a very specific reason, because the name means something specific. I am actually used to using terms like 'Makai' and 'Ningenkai,' but CM was used to the English terms so we went ahead with the English equivalents for that sort of thing (Demon World and Human World in the above examples).

In any case, when a new term/word/name is introduced—and it has a meaning—I will be inserting those at the end of the chapter. Even for familiar ones like 'Kuwabara' of which some people may already know the meaning. I'm starting this at the end of this second chapter as the notes on the first were already pretty long, but here will be included those names that were introduced in the first chapter.

Full names will be in the order "last, first" as that is the typical order you will hear in Japanese. Unless indicated otherwise, any translations I get are typically from jisho dot org, and if the YYH wiki has a different translation I will list that as well.

If I miss any along the way, feel free to point it out!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.__  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>__

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Shinobu Sensui has been using Akari for distraction work, and she has her first major encounter with Kurama on an overpass which ends with her escaping onto a passing truck.

Kurama's classmate, Inyoku Toriko, asked the redhead to let her help in the fight against Sensui in whatever way she could.

And now, our favorite gang has come up against Gamemaster in his virtual world made real!

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Read on to find out!

* * *

><p>Kurama pulled the conversation back to the matter at hand, "Nevermind him, we need to develop a strategy. Now, who among us has played Goblin City?"<p>

Yusuke, Kaito, and Mitarai all spoke up and Toriko chimed in after with, "I-I play."

For the first time since joining their group, Toriko felt that she might be able to contribute something to their cause. When it came right down to it, her presence had felt to her more a burden than a boon, despite Genkai's constant reminders to everyone that they could use all the help they could get.

"Great! That already makes five of us, including myself."

"Make that six." Genkai corrected.

"What, Hiei, no time for video games?" Yusuke teased the only member of their group that had not spoken up.

"Hn." Hiei turned and began walking away from the group across to the side with the screen, where he hoped things would be quieter, calling out as he went, "I know as much of games as I do of hugs and puppies and care for them even less." He sat down with his back against the wall several meters to the left of the screen, "Wake me for the end of the world."

"Alright. Who has actually beaten the game?"

Mitarai did not speak up and Yusuke admitted to being stumped somewhere in the middle. Toriko hesitated, but once Genkai indicated her two successes, answered as well, "I only win about half the time."

Kaito quickly spoke of his seventy-six percent success rate, which Kurama echoed.

"I imagine we each have our game of specialty, so let us see where the dice fall." Kurama and the rest turned to watched the spinning slot-machine.

"Sports. Tennis. Level ten. Which one of you is up for a round of tennis?" The Gamemaster smirked across the room at the little group of would-be players.

Toriko's heart leapt into her throat. This was her game!

"May I?" She asked quietly.

"Level ten is the highest difficulty for this section. Are you sure, Toriko?" Kurama did not want the girl to feel obligated if she was not sure. He had never seen her pick up a tennis ball, much less play any video games. She tended to avoid that sort of thing at school. Perhaps her spare time was spent mastering the sports section of Goblin City. He didn't actually know.

Toriko nodded, pushing her glasses farther up her nose, and Kurama did not stop her when she moved towards the playing area, sensing the determination in her steps and remembering her words to him in front of her house. He knew she needed to feel useful and he silently rooted for his small friend.

"Oh? The little girl has decided to come play?" The Gamemaster sneered, "I figured you spent your time playing with dollies and makeup."

Toriko stepped up to the controls, ignoring his snide remarks. She regarded the Sports Goblin with a bit of surprise when the A.I. extended a hand for her to take in good form.

"Single player! Best of Five! Whoever wins three sets first wins the match!"

Toriko's eyes widened when the tennis court became real before her very eyes, the joystick in her hands morphing into a tennis racket and the controls disappearing.

"What the hell?" Yusuke exclaimed, "What's going on?"

Toriko blocked out the voices that began chattering behind her about the full immersion of the game, gripping the racket tighter and bending her knees as the Sports Goblin appeared on the other side of the court and served.

"_I hope she knows what she's doing." _Kurama clenched his teeth, still unsure of Toriko's athletic abilities.

The ball passed back and forth between the pair of competitors until the Sports Goblin was forced to send a lob over the net. Toriko's eyes flashed and she ran forward, jumping up and grunting as she sent a spike whirling back over to the other side of the court, neatly landing it in bounds two meters out of the Sport Goblin's reach.

She alighted lightly back onto the court, pushing her falling glasses back up her nose.

"And the first point goes to the challenger." Gamemaster almost sounded impressed, "The score is fifteen-love."

Toriko looked up to see the tiny human sitting in his robes at the referee's seat.

"Too bad you look terrible in those glasses. They do nothing to help out your plain appearance!"

As Toriko frowned at him, she heard the Sports Goblin serve again, Gamemaster's distraction forcing her to scramble for the far corner of the court, barely managing to keep the ball in play. As she and the Sports Goblin continued returning back and forth, the Gamemaster kept talking.

"You must be practically blind without them, look at how thick they are! I can't believe you don't just wear contacts. You really must have no idea how ugly you look while wearing them."

His taunting continued, and as he railed on her appearance during the set, Yusuke protested angrily at Gamemaster's distractive talking while Kaito informed him that this behavior was normal for the character.

"Six to One. First set, Toriko."

The serve changed to Toriko, and the Gamemaster's hateful badgering continued.

"Your eyes must be something disgusting to look at if you keep them hiding behind those awful things."

The second set proved much harder, as Toriko expected, and she would have been loathe to admit it, but the Gamemaster's running commentary was steadily prickling under her skin, even as she dove back and forth across the court to make saving plays. Despite her efforts, the second set went to the Sports Goblin, but she pulled out the third by two points.

At the beginning of the fourth set, Toriko stood breathing heavily as she held the ball for the first serve, feeling the sweat across her body leaving a slick sheen that glistened over her skin. She took little notice of the tingling sensation that started at the top of her head and spread down to her very toes, but her hair had begun to come loose from her tight bun, bits of it plastered to her neck and forehead, and she did notice that.

Toriko reached up with the back of the hand that held the ball and moved her wet bangs off of her face, feeling a drop of sweat falling down from her hairline over her glasses. She didn't have time to wipe them off and threw the ball into the air for the serve, making contact in the middle of her racket with as much strength as she could muster, sending it whistling across the court to the other side of the net where the Sport Goblin returned her hit and they started to battle once more.3

Hiei sat on the side, ankles crossed and arms resting across his chest lazily. His eyes were closed, being bored by the games that he knew absolutely nothing about. He was on the verge of sleep, or at least he made it seem so, but his senses were slowly relaying information to him. He listened to his surroundings and let his ears tell him where everyone was. Everything was as he figured it would be, until his nose began tingling. He twitched his nose just a bit and adjusted the way he sat only slightly.

After a few moments, he grew just a tad irritated with the odd sensation in his nose, and he took a moment to register the scent that was catching him so off guard. It was a rather sweet smell, unlike most scents he experienced in this world. His eyes slid open, taking a swift look around the room to find the source. At first, he felt rather calm, nothing more than curious.

However, as the smell strengthened just a bit more over the minutes, his eyes found Toriko. His crimson irises found the glistening beads of sweat on her skin and the strands of hair that were falling from the bun she had so neatly in place. He found himself watching her every move, every twitch of her muscles, as if it were something rather interesting and he would gain something from watching her play this ridiculous game. Even as her hand ran across her forehead, his eyes followed the motion. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to watch her motions, all he knew was that he was curious, and his eyes naturally followed her movements. Almost as if… he were in a trance. *

At the last point of the set, Toriko leapt across the court to try and catch a devastating spike that the Sport Goblin sent careening at the corner opposite her position. Just as she reached out with her racket stretched to its farthest, the beads of sweat that had caught at the top of the frames of her glasses streaked down over the front, costing her vision on the ball and also the point, putting Sport Goblin two ahead of her and losing her the set.

"Oh, too bad you don't have perfect vision. I hope it doesn't end up costing you the game." Gamemaster smiled a smug little grin from his post.

Toriko's rage had been building at a slow simmer with each deprecating comment the Gamemaster aimed at her, and at his last words that rage boiled up and out of her system. She ripped the glasses from her face and tossed them to her left, the sound of the frames scraping and against the ground as they clattered out of the game court she stood in and into the room beyond. She made no indication as to whether she felt concerned about the well-being of the thick lenses, though the pair was hardy and took no damage.

Toriko glared across the court at the A.I. that flashed his pearly whites in her direction as he bounced the tennis ball onto the floor several times. A portion of her hair fell over her eyes as she scowled. Her rage still at the forefront of her emotions, she ripped the ponytail holder that held her hair in place at the back of her head with as much force as she did to her glasses, causing the many bobby-pins she meticulously placed in the back of her hair every morning to pop out and fall to the floor with several tiny plops of sound. Her eyes never leaving the Sport Goblin, she tossed the elastic band aside towards her glasses, landing it neatly between the temples of the frames. She swept her foot behind her in such a way that all the bobby pins she lost skittered across the floor to join them. Her black hair now in a bit of a fuzzy disarray around her head, she pulled one set of fingers up her forehead to push it out of her face, the sweat around her hairline wet enough to keep it there.

Her entire body twinged and prickled and she felt a glimmer cascade over her eyes and settle there, shimmering across the surface of them.

The Sport Goblin still bounced his ball steadily, but a movement she did not expect coming from her left made her twitch and seek out the source with her green eyes almost fizzling about her in head as she did so. She caught Hiei's gaze outside of the playing area and held his crimson stare for a moment before releasing it to turn back to the game when her opponent made his serve.3

Hiei watched the girl from his spot on the floor, every muscle movement being registered in his brain and taken in, noted as if important. An odd feeling swept over him for the briefest of moments before being buried by curiosity. He looked away for a mere moment before the enticing smell brought his eyes back to the girl, watching as she missed the ball. Her breathing was berated, her heart rate erratic. Sweat continued to fall down the lines of her face.

And then he noticed her irritation reaching its peak, her muscles tightening and a scowl triumphing, taking over her features much more noticeably. He raised a brow, momentarily amused by the fact that she seemed so sensitive by a simple child's ramblings. However, a distraction was provided. She flung her glasses aside, momentarily making his eyes follow the lenses, unsure of how he thought of that. His thoughts centered around the doubt that she would be able to see without them. He turned back to watch the girl again, and found his eyes following the flow of her damp hair. The light that seemed to emanate from the sky he knew wasn't real shined on her locks, captivating his attention.

And then, their eyes met. Curiosity peaked, and he raised a calm brow. A sneer formed for a mere moment before she turned away, and he adjusted his sitting position again so he was once again leaning against the wall; when had he leaned away from it? He stretched his arms over his head and laced his fingers behind his cranium, letting them support his skull. His body stretched out just a tad, and he found himself content to see how this ruled out. After all, this was a good time to see how Kurama's friend shaped out. _*****_

With her glasses off and all other distractions removed, Toriko had no problem giving in to the buzz in which her body was submerged at that point. Her eyes flashed at every serve the Sport Goblin threw at her, her smile becoming wickedly sweet in the midst of the action and her fairly plain features taking on a more wicked, alluring aura. She could feel the absolute pleasure of the game down to her very pores, and just for the fun of it, kept the score neck and neck for several rounds, finally pulling ahead by two and sealing her victory.

"Game, set, match, winner! Toriko!" The announcer declared.

Toriko stood in the center of the court, her smile vicious while she watched the Sport Goblin phase out. She threw her racket towards the net and it disappeared along with the tennis court, pulling her back into reality, the console she started the game at appearing a couple of meters behind her.

She turned to Gamemaster, eyes narrowing, "You would do wise not to taunt a woman on her looks next time, boy." Her voice was low and full, almost sultry even in her anger.

The Gamemaster seemed nonchalant at her threat, waving her away and refusing to make eye contact with the winner as he jumped down to prepare for the next game.

Kurama regarded Toriko in a new light at that moment, wondering where she had played tennis with that much prowess before now as the rest of the group collectively provided the appropriate praise for her victory.

The others he stood with were not close enough to notice the change that he saw had come over her when she turned to walk towards her glasses, but in all the time that he had known her, he had not seen her without them and the strangeness of the sight overtook him. The features of her profile seemed more angular and sharp in the moment he caught them before her hair fell down to shadow her face when she bent over to gather her discards, and he glanced around at everyone nearby, worried that perhaps she had lost control of her powers and concerned at the scenario that might take place.

As Toriko made her way over to her glasses, the adrenaline pumping in her veins and the tingling sensation that prickled her skin faded, making her head pound. She squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned over to gather up the small pile she made, making for certain that she did not look in any other direction than the wall she made for after getting her things.

She settled down with her back against the wall, sat criss-cross, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her free hand, putting everything else down next to her to tend to cleaning her glasses with the bottom edge of her shirt. Putting the glasses back over her eyes, she quickly began gathering her hair together and pinning it back into place, unsure how it had gotten down at all as the last set of the match was fuzzy in her mind, but a very sudden sense of fear hurrying her attempts to smooth it down and restore it to its normal tight bun.3

Hiei watched the game intently, crimson eyes tracking the movements of Toriko. He found himself impressed by the change, amused by the anger she displayed, and the transition that that anger had created, from quietly trying to keep up to simply drawing out the game, playing along as she pleased. It amused the fire demon to what felt like no end, and he couldn't quite help the raised brow of approval in her direction, whether she saw it or not. It was so easy to see that she had this in her favor now, just as she wanted it to be. Her confidence was higher, her movements smoother and her expression more determined. Her reactions to the Gamemaster were priceless to him, and it seemed to fuel her energy even more, fuel her need to show him who the real game master was in that match.

So, when the game ended with the desired outcome for everyone on the Urameshi team, as the group liked to call themselves, he wasn't surprised. In fact, he was rather impressed, though to the point of him letting his eyes slide shut for a mere moment. He acknowledged her effort, replaying a few points in his own mind's eye before they slid open, again finding the girl who seemed to have caught his full attention with her display. He followed her slow movements, eyeing her as she retrieved the objects that she had merely discarded moments ago. He couldn't quite understand the need she seemed to feel to have them with her, but he did find it amusing and curious. Even as she separated herself from the group, he found amusement in her actions.

He stayed where he was for a moment, contemplating the past few minutes until a thought seemingly popped into his head, and he was moving, as if on impulse. He gave a small sound that resembled a scoff, but a calmer sound, and pushed away from the wall. He ignored the team deciding who would go next, the Game Master spinning the machine to reveal the next game. He had his eyes set on one person, and he moved. His feet carried him across the room until he stood over Toriko, eyeing her for a moment. Then, he scoffed and shut his eyes, opening his mouth for his comment, "So you aren't as useless as you make yourself out to be." He paused after saying those words and eyed her once more before deciding. He shifted, pressing his back against the wall until, after a moment, he simply slid to the floor, though in a way that didn't appear he did as such. He stretched his legs out before himself and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes closed. "You might be of use after all," he commented sarcastically, though his tone was quiet and not at all lethal. *

Toriko nearly jumped out of her skin when the spiky-haired demon drew her from the introspective re-assemblage of her hairdo. She had not even noticed him draw close, her mind so involved in completing her task as quickly as possible for reasons that she did not fully understand.

The former buzzing of her body and the heady feeling that had accompanied it were nearly gone now, and as a result he felt very close. In fact, as he slid to the floor, his leg brushed hers and she again almost flinched in fright. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to swallow the lump in her throat to give him some sort of response.

"Th-thank you." She finally managed to blurt, stammering and staring at the floor in front of her, head still slightly bent as she worked on her hair.

The demon next to her, 'Hiei' as she recalled, had been a source of fascination for her ever since she first heard about him from Kurama many years ago, though up to this point she never laid eyes on him.

She often found herself examining him from a distance when she felt sure he was not looking ever since he had joined up with the group-he'd never so much as acknowledged her presence until this very minute-and she did so again now, drinking in his dark hair with white marking across the front and the angular curve of his jaw. Physically she found herself very attracted to him, though she personally felt plain sitting there next to him, and she still somehow managed to be strangely excited by his closeness and the mere fact that he spoke to her even through the awkwardness of her feelings.

Toriko shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear her thoughts, looking back down at the floor, "_What am I? Some teenaged school girl?" _

~!**!~

As the battle with Gamemaster came to a close, Genkai ordered their previous plan to be resumed, that being Mitarai, Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke forging ahead as the first strike team.

Kaito picked up the limp body of Amanuma and began to follow Genkai back out of the cave. When the old lady turned back to motion to Toriko, the demon shook her head and followed the others.

The abrupt change in Kurama's demeanor troubled her core, and she felt the need to remain nearby, though she hadn't the faintest idea why.

When they walked through the cave system towards their final destination, Toriko listened eagerly as Hiei and Yusuke exchanged words on Kurama's mental condition, watching the red-head walking in front of them with ever-increasing worry.3

~!**!~

Akari sat on the arm of Sensui's chair, eyeing the screen with bored eyes. It was a war movie, not the normal video he showed them. The Chapter Black tape was one she had enjoyed watching; it had given her enough fuel to continue going through with this, even when she had her doubts here and there. It gave her the rage, the resolve she needed to continue striving forward without looking back, without questioning the man who had saved her life so many years ago. However, now, she was merely sitting, waiting. There was no more running around to do. She was stuck here, waiting to become of _actual _use, to be allowed to do what _she_ wanted while at the same time doing what he _needed_ her to do.

The sound of footsteps echoed into the cavern from the mouth of the cave and slowly Akari shifted to eye the team that had shown themselves, quiet and determined. Kuwabara tried yelling over the cloth that bound his mouth to the rag-tag team, but his voice was muffled, restrained.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted once his eyes alighted on the boy, earning much enthusiasm from the spectators on the other side of the tunnel. Demons grumbled and growled and reached, trying to make a grab for the captured human boy.

"Get me off this boat!" Kuwabara managed to enunciate around his cloth gag.

Akari didn't react to the team, not even when Hiei began explaining the level of danger that this tunnel would give. He went on to say that the mere _stench _could kill a human, which made Akari raise a brow; if the detective had thought this would be _easy_, he was much dimmer than she had originally thought.

Even as Sensui spoke up to Yusuke, she didn't react with anything more than a glance at the people. She watched the entire exchange, from Sensui reporting that they had half an hour to stop him, to stop the demons reaching through the tunnel in an attempt to grasp Kuwabara. And her eyes followed the man as he slowly stood, moving to face the group.

The instant Sensui brought up Game Master's death, her body tensed and her eyes dropped to the floor, her mind racing. Aminuma hadn't had a clue, just as she had thought. _He was just a kid._

She became lost in thought for a minute, until movement caught the demoness's attention and brought her eyes up again.

Akari watched as Gourmet stepped forward, smiling in a calm manner as he took to facing the gang. She frowned slightly, remembering what Sensui had informed her of. While she didn't care for her teammates too much, she didn't like this side of Sensui he so openly displayed. He was no longer _pretending _to be the good guy, throwing his team into situations that lead to their deaths.

"It's your choice. If you refuse, I'll deflect any other attack you throw by using Kuwabara as a human shield."

Instinctively, Akari stood and joined Itsuki, Sensui, and Gourmet. She stood closest to the yamanate, waiting for the answer of the team. Silence ensued for a few moments before Gourmet stepped forward, smiling gleefully as if he knew he would win.

However, before she knew it, she found herself eyeing Kurama, who had stepped forward. His gaze was hard, steely, as he stood before Gourmet, a single rose in his hand.

Time stilled as the entire cave silenced.

And then the fox demon moved. His arm lashed out in a blurred flurry, and then the air was filled with the smell of blood. Human blood, and the smell of the elder Toguro underneath. Her nose wrinkled at the stench, not surprised when Kurama called out to the only living Toguro.

Akari turned her eyes to Sensui. He was smiling, glad that this had turned out just as he had wanted.

Toguro laughed, though Akari wasn't sure what he was laughing at. His maniacal voice made her ears ring, and she found herself pulling her gaze up to watch the exchange. "The poor fool didn't even know what hit him! I was the one controlling him!" His laugh echoed some more, ringing for a while. Then, he suddenly stopped. "I will console you a bit though. Your friend didn't suffer the pain of being consumed. No, he was already dead, in the hospital! Our little Ace over there did just as she pleased, killing the person who would have revealed her dirty little secret, and she would have had to fight Yusuke! But the poor girl was afraid, and killed the only person who knew of her thoughts, her whereabouts, and then ran away!"

Akari growled, the skin on her head crawling with anger. "Telling tales will get you nowhere, Toguro," she called to him, earning another laugh.

"Even now, she's afraid, but I bet you can't see it, can you?" He laughed again, his mouth as wide as it could go. He opened his mouth to say more, but to her surprise, Kurama spoke up, cutting him off.

"That is enough." The redhead's voice was so laced with anger, with determination, with hate, that even Akari found herself silencing, waiting to see what he would do next. The redhead moved, circling like a fox enclosing in on its prey. "You've survived for far too long." Kurama took two more concise steps, his eyes darkening from where Akari could see them. "And now it ends."

Toguro laughed, taunting Kurama. "Then _finish me!" _he yelled, his laughter following suit like always. Akari's skin crawled and she found herself rubbing her scalp, her fingertips brushing across lumps of scarred flesh where her demonic canine ears used to be.

She had yelled that very same thing to Sakiyo before he had ordered the removal of all demonic traits that were visible to the naked eye. Before she'd lost her ears, her tail, her whiskers. Before she'd been tossed into-

_No_.

Even as Toguro continued babbling, Akari found herself shrinking away, old memories surfacing and threatening to overwhelm her in the moment. The atmosphere was filled with the very same murderous intent, though it was quiet, that had been shown towards her back then.

For a while, she kept her head down and her eyes hidden behind her bangs, pushing at the very memories she had been throwing away for ten years. And after a while, boiling anger roiled through her, replacing the fear and doubt she had been feeling moments ago. She would not befall to this atmosphere again.

When she lifted her head again, her eyes were darkened, hardened with emotions she no longer bothered to hide. She watched the smoke that swirled around and around, preventing her from watching any of the remaining battle between Kurama and Toguro. She watched intently anyways, waiting for any sign that Kurama was either taken out, or Toguro being thrown around. She didn't trust her ears this time; she knew better than that.

As suspected, Kurama stepped from the smoke, alive and unharmed. She resisted the urge to make a comment, but instead she moved to stand alongside Sensui, to distract the team if they glanced this way. "Akari," Sensui called under his breath for her attention, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. She turned to him, inspecting the look on his face. She knew what he meant.

Next, it was her turn. _*****_

Once Kurama exacted a bit of revenge upon the Older Toguro, Toriko felt his aura calm down and she sighed to herself in relief, quietly moving away from the group as they continued their exchange with Sensui to go perch on a small outcropping of rock that jutted out from the wall to their right, feeling useless and out of place. She pulled one knee up with her hands and rested her chin on the top of it, staring across the water at the large, black hole suspended in the air over a boat.

An empty boat.

A boat she up until that moment had thought held Kuwabara.

A sudden shadow cast itself over her eyes and she looked up, a small gasp of surprise escaping her lips. All she could do was stare at the tied-up red-head as he completed his perfect arc across the water by slamming into her face.

She managed to turn her head enough to the side before he collided with her that when he hit, her glasses went flying off farther to the right and skittered across the ground. Their bodies tangled together and kept going, colliding with the large boulder behind them and breaking it into pieces from the force of their collision, leaving Kuwabara and Toriko mixed up amidst the broken pieces of rock.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted.

"Toriko!" Kurama cried out as well.

The entire group ran to the right, Hiei speeding past the pair in the wreckage to pick something up off the ground, and getting back to Toriko before the others even made it over, a shiny something in his hand.

Toriko groaned, dazed, a large rock jutting uncomfortably into her spine and bits of debris littering the rest of her body. She put a hand up to her head and suddenly realized her glasses were no longer on her face. She started scrambling to get up and managed to a seated position and stare at the ground looking for her glasses just as she felt another shadow falling across her.

"Here." A voice said, two black boots appearing in front of her.

Tentatively, Toriko started to raise her eyes slowly until she saw a hand holding out her glasses. She snatched them away and shoved them on her face.

"Move out of the way next time." The voice sounded irritated, but the hand that previously held her glasses extended with the intent to help her stand.

She took it and found herself easily lifted to her feet just as Kurama ran up, Yusuke going past to check on Kuwabara.

"Are you alright?" Kurama wanted to know.

Toriko nodded, lowering her head a bit and recognizing Hiei as the one who retrieved her glasses and helped her get up.

Kurama nodded and moved over to Kuwabara, "What happened?"

"Th-thank you." Toriko made a small bow at Hiei.

"Hn." He intoned. "Don't mention it." With that, he turned away to Kuwabara as well.

Toriko started to dust herself off and joined the others as Kuwabara tried to explain how he'd gotten launched out of the boat.3

Akari took that moment when the enemy was busy to turn and inspect Kurama's work. _The sinning tree, huh? _she thought, eyeing the plant wearily. Part of her found herself glad that she had gotten away earlier that day, using the life of a human child as bait so she wouldn't become victim of the whip that seemed so favored. However, it seems that the whip would have been much more merciful than _that tree_. She was _not _looking forward to this, if it went as she wanted it to.

It was then that she realized: _If/when I beat Yusuke, I'll be tired, and the next opponent will be dished out. Or, Kuwabara will break through, using that power of his, and then it would be me versus four. _

Her eyes trailed back to the team that were obviously unsuspecting of the creature that was now moving beneath them, practically a shadow. _If Yusuke dies, then I will have to continue fighting. I will, sooner or later, have to fight Kurama, whom, without full strength I will not be able to win against. _

Her breath hitched just as the Uraotoko opened his mouth underneath the grouped together team near Kuwabara, swallowing each and every member. As the dimensional beast moved so he was on the far wall of the cavern, he spit out the detective, who landed in the water of the lake.

_I'll just have to be careful then._

As the boy emerged, sputtering and coughing up water, Akari found her fingers twitched with anticipation and her mind raced; she'd have to fight him hand to hand and save her energy for the rest. She would have to be conservative, and very careful about her own steps.

That was it, she decided. She would fight Yusuke without using any of her spiritual energy, and then she would do the same, if possible, with the next fighter, until she absolutely had to use her energy.

_Surely I won't have to fight them __**all**_… _will I?_

As Yusuke stood across from her, wiping the water from his face, she moved. She stepped towards him, her expression blank and unreadable. "Yusuke, it's a pleasure." Her tone was light and airy. Pleasant even. Her lips turned to a smile that was easygoing, but her eyes turned hard and steely. "I've been waiting for a chance to test your strength. And your luck. From what I've heard, you're a rather interesting character. Dullard, yet smart. Robust, yet impulsive. Good, yet rebellious. I've been curious about those rumors, Yusuke Urameshi. Care to satisfy my curiosity?"

"That is way too many big words, pal." Yusuke replied, eyeing her in an almost bored fashion. His shirt and jeans were dripping with water, shoes squishing with the liquid.

Akari sneered. "You need to brush up on your vocabulary. Here, let me put it simply: You're a fool. A Dunce. Yet, you have power. No tactic, but plenty of energy."

"You're being really nice, asking permission to fight."

Akari threw her head back and laughed, hiding the turmoil of emotions that began to trickle into her consciousness. "Asking? Hardly." And then, she moved.

Akari, using the speed that was natural to her, dashed forward and right into the detective's face to get up close and into his personal space. She swung, and with the doe-eyed expression lingering on his face, Yusuke dodged. She continued to swing at him, landing punches here and there until he landed on his backside, looking up at her as she stood over him. "This is supposed to be my _challenge_?" *

Yusuke regarded the girl with an amused expression as he stood up and dusted off his blue-jeans, "Well, I don't mean to be a prick, but I don't fight with girls." He stood up straight and put his hands on his hips, "Now, if you'd be so kind as to move out of the way, I've got a bone to pick with your boss-man over there."

When Yusuke tried to walk past, Akari came at him again, and again he dodged.

"Look, it's nothing personal!" Yusuke tried to explain as she kept trying to hit him and he continued dodging, "You're a chick! I won't hit a girl, demon or no! Kuwabara would kill me!"3

Akari stood with her feet planted, never moving from in front of Yusuke. Her face changed from slightly pleasant and taunting to an expression of irritation. She _hated _when men said things like that; even demon men said this, and she'd heard it her entire life. It's always either "I won't fight a girl," or "you're too fragile/weak, and not worth my time".

Her mouth continued to have the corners pull down, her eyes watching the detective who seemed unphased by her reaction. "I'm not sorry to say, Yusuke, but I'm not moving aside." For once, she didn't snap at someone for their words. Actually, she felt... calm. "You have to deal with my _annoying _presence until I'm laying on the ground and unable to fight." As soon as she finished with the words, she flexed her muscles a bit and charged again, swinging at his face, kicking at his gut, trying everything in her power to make him understand that she was not moving aside. _*****_

Yusuke grunted as he blocked each hit, looking for an opening and leaping back away from her after her first few attacks. He called out over the girl's shoulder to Sensui.

"Call your girl offa me, yah coward! You're sending her to do your dirty work and I'm not going to satisfy your perverse desire to see me smack some random chick around! Fight me like a man!" Yusuke made a frustrated noise and tried to run past the girl in front of him to get to Sensui, "What did you do with my friends?!"3

Akari felt irritation, disdain, and impatience all at once. She didn't understand why the detective felt as if fighting her was unpleasant, as though it was at some sort of personal level. Her eyebrows twitched, both in irritation and confusion.

She didn't like the feel of Sensui's eyes on her, boring into her back. Though he didn't speak or call out to her, she could sense the impatient air around him. She growled, clenched her teeth, and took a step away from Yusuke as he called to Sensui.

She didn't have a choice. He wasn't taking her seriously, by any means.

"I forgot to ask, detective," she began, her tone curious. "How's that girl of yours?" Her expression twisted, turning into the same sickly smile she had shown to Kurama when she had first stepped in his way at the bridge. "She's quite a naive girl, you know. She completely ignored a demonic threat earlier today… Care to know how that went?" Her eyes became alighted with mischief, her teeth becoming shown through her lopsided grin. "She has a lovely voice." She may not have a choice, but this was the last resort she had until she had to use her energy. She only hoped the taunting would be enough.

...Otherwise she'd be out of ideas. _*****_

At the mention of Keiko, Yusuke's eyes snapped right back to the girl and regarded her in a darker light.

"If you've done something to Keiko, I will end you, girl or not." He narrowed his eyes, his voice low and dangerous.3

Akari felt an immense amount of satisfaction at the response she received, the detective finally seeming to give her a sufficient amount of attention and seeming much more likely to fight. She waited before answering, for a moment regarding the echoing words of Kurama in her head from earlier that day.

"_...it would not bode well for you to involve any others in our exchange," _he had said.

Her mind considered the thought for a moment, wondering just how careful she _should _tread. Gauging Yusuke's hardened, darkened irises, she knew that she was treading very thin ice. She could feel the truth behind his words, but she knew what had to be done. Her expression became clear of all emotions, showing she took his words seriously, but had no intention of backing down.

Because he _had_ to go down, so she could move on to…

Kurama or Hiei.

_Yeah, that sounds right._

...Except it made her pause for a second.

_No, actually. That doesn't sound like a good idea and.._

She cleared her mind all at once with a wave of her hand.

"How touching, the detective is protective of a single female. Too bad it took me bringing up her situation for you to listen to me…" Her eyes watched him carefully, her mouth lightly pursing her lips together. If she could help it, only her words would get his attention, just in case.

But in her soul, she knew that it would not be the case. He wouldn't strike unless he had _proof _of harm. While her skin absolutely crawled at the thought, she found adrenaline beginning to course through her veins, almost in warning and preparation of the next moments. "Are you sure you wish to know, detective?" _*****_

"If you've so much as TOUCHED Keiko with those slimy hands of yours, I'm gonna hafta kick your ass!" Yusuke yelled at her, his fists tightening at his sides.3

Akari took in the changes that came over the boy before her, her expression mildly calm and slightly amused, as if he had just told an older joke that had lost its touch. As she had suspected, he didn't strike on mere words. So, she sighed. "I guess you leave me no choice." Her eyes glazed over, taking on an odd sheen of light, just as his would, as she immersed him and herself in the illusion.

Much like Gamemaster's territory, everything around them seemed real, though only she and Yusuke would see. The first image she conjured was her memory of the moment on the bridge, starting where Keiko, as he had called her, ran in from the crowd. She let him witness the blood-curdling scream of the girl, though instead of her merely clutching her head, she was portrayed to fall on the ground, to her knees, crying, screaming for Yusuke. Of course, she allowed Yusuke to hear Kurama's comment, but as soon as the redhead was done talking, Akari let the image fade, bringing them into a new room.

The walls were darkened with shadows, their color unsure in the iffy lighting. Across from her and on the wall to the right of the detective hung a female, her wrists bound by the chains that kept her a foot from the ground, her toes just missing the dirt below her. Her bowed face was filthy, covered with dirt and grime, and smudges of dried blood, accompanied and finished off by dried rivers where her tears had fallen over what must have been hours ago. "Yusuke," the girl whispered, her voice weak and pleading.

"Isn't she marvelous," Akari taunted, her expression now deadly and dark as she moved to the girl, standing beside the hanging victim. Her hand pulled lightly on the torn and tattered dress the girl wore, bringing the detective's attention to the lacerations that covered the girl's once smooth skin. Dried blood caked the front of her torso, the scarlet substance still oozing from the numerous wounds down the girl's arm, across her collarbone, along her stomach, and various other places. The demon lightly trailed a finger over the sleeping girl's face, shocking her into snapping her head up. Her normally vividly cheerful, soft eyes were wide with terror, her face much too pale to be healthy. Akari smiled wickedly as the girl's eyes shifted from her to the detective, causing the pupils to overcome the irises entirely. "Y-Yusuke! Run!"

Akari sneered, not even looking at the detective as her hand flexed, forming the shadow of a blade, another one of her talents, and she lightly touched the girl's cheek with it. The girl shivered before she shut her eyes. "Sorry doll," Akari said, her expression no longer amused, only dark and dangerous as she plunged the blade into the girl's side. The walls shook from the force of the scream, of the agony that Akary could taste in the false air. The shadow weapon dissipated in the girl's wound, leaving it open to bleed out some more as Akari conjured another, taking a moment to toy with the blade in her hands before she pointed it to the girl again, contemplating the next strike. _How long until he reacts…?_ *

"You BITCH!" Yusuke closed the distance between them with impossible speed before she could get any further, yelling incoherently as he pulled his fist back and drove it solidly into the side of the demon-torturer's face.

The force of his blow lifted her off her feet and sent her scattering backwards across the dirt floor of the cavern.

The world around Yusuke blinked for a moment and he suddenly found that Keiko was no where to be seen, and he was with Sensui, Itsuki, and the fallen demon back in the depths of the Demon's Door Cave. This change of venue did not seem to phase him as he only had eyes for the one who tortured his best friend, and the time or place in which he beat the demon into the ground did not matter.

He shot across the room as she continued sliding and bouncing farther away from his hit, making it to her in record time and popping her into the air with an uppercut to her stomach as one of her turns allowed.3

Akari had no time to react other than turning her head towards the detective, only having time to catch the murderous intent in his gaze before he struck The blow rocked her to the very soul as her energy snapped away from the boy, making the illusion dissipate in a matter of milliseconds. In the blink of an eye, her control had been ripped from her, and with it came the realization and fear.

She tried to land on her feet, but her scattered thoughts and slightly blurred vision left her unable to do much aside from avoiding landing dangerously, avoiding a broken bone or two. She watched her spinning surroundings in disbelief, her mind blank with shock.

_No one… has been able to break my illusions… _she thought, stunned to the point of being unable to move or think properly. Yet, the matter didn't phase Yusuke, she found out. He was striking her again in a flash, his fist connecting dangerously with her abdomen, causing her to taste the coppery liquid she spat up as her body rocketed upwards with the momentum. _This isn't right… How could he have done something like break an illusion?! It's unheard of!_

Her thoughts were suddenly a million miles an hour as her body twisted in the air and she attempted another landing on the ground, this time only managing to land on her knees with an arm covering her pained abdomen. She attempted to stand and move away again, but she found herself unable to think, unable to create movement with her body.

_Sensui knew, _her conscious whispered to her, causing her eyes to widen. Ice cold fear trickled through her body, paling her face and causing her to shake even slightly. _He planned for this. That's why he wanted me on the bridge, to meet the girl… _

As her brain wrapped around the concept, she found herself only watching Yusuke as he charged again, unable to move, his motions as if in slow motion as her mind raced again. _Sensui would never have killed you himself, but the Spirit Detective kills demons for a living. He is leaving your blood for Yusuke's hands._

As her conscious began to whisper the truth to her numb mind, she felt desperation swell in her chest and she moved, her feet wobbly as she stood, not moving more than a few inches from where she had landed.

Whether it be out of shock or simple madness from the prospect that she had underestimated Sensui, Akari found her lips tilting up at one of the corners as Yusuke reached her again.

_I was only ever a pawn… He counted on me to do this, and he's counting on Yusuke to win, just as I had when Yusuke fought Doctor._

_I… I'm going to die here. __*****_

Yusuke dashed forward after Akari, seeing red, his vision tunneled in at the demon girl and ignoring anything around him. His fists flew as he yelled and pummeled her harder than anyone he had ever fought before, and the girl wasn't even responding, wasn't even able to defend herself, the sight of Keiko maddening him beyond all reason.

Sensui and Itsuki merely watched as the boy beat Akari to death, their eyes unchanging as the events unfurled before them.

Finally, after Akari's eyes began to grow deadened to the world, the blood on her face starting to dry, Itsuki waved a hand and reached into a portal, pulling a very surprised Keiko through and into the cavern with them.

"Yusuke!" She shouted, suddenly very nervous about how close she stood to the two tall strangers. She took a step forward, and then another, and when they didn't stop her she ran for Yusuke.

At his name, and a familiar voice calling it, Yusuke's punches slowed and then ceased. Keiko dropped to her knees beside where Yusuke had straddled Akari and he fell over off of her into Keiko's arms, his eyes wide and glassy.

"K-Keiko?"

"Yusuke."

"Keiko, what…?"

"Shh, it's okay now. I'm here."

Yusuke allowed himself to be held by her warm embrace, his entire body limp with the shock of seeing her intact and well.

"What a touching reunion." Sensui commented.

Remembering the other two in the room with them, Yusuke stood, his mind clear, bringing Keiko up to stand with him.

Sensui nodded to Itsuki and the yamanate side-stepped into another portal, reappearing silently behind Yusuke, extricating Keiko from his grasp, and just as quickly disappearing again.

Yusuke didn't even have a chance to react except by yelling into the room, "What the- GET BACK HERE YOU CREEP! WHERE'D YOU TAKE KEIKO?"

"She'll be safe. Itsuki will take good care of her, just as he's taking good care of the rest of your friends. I don't want you to have any distractions during our little skirmish." The former Spirit Detective walked over to where the body of Akari laid on the ground and kicked it out of the way so that the fighting area would be clear.3

* * *

><p><em>Had to have Mitarai not be good at tennis in our version so Toriko could accidentally catch Hiei's attention. ^-^ And made Gamemaster's power virtually bring the game to life, for aformentioned reason. Also had Yusuke a little bit more prejudice about not hitting girls. He isn't particularly as insistent about it in the anime (that's Kuwabara), but for our purposes here, he needed to be.<em>

_**From Chapter One:**_

Akari - **1: **light; illumination; glow; gleam; **2: **lamp; light

Inyoku, Toriko  
><span> Inyoku: lust  
>Toriko: <strong>1: <strong>captive; prisoner; **2: **victim (of love, etc.); slave (to one's lust, etc.)

Urameshi, Yusuke  
>Urameshi: (as urameshii) reproachful; hateful; bitter -<br>Yusuke: no meaning

Genkai - (jisho) strict guard (wiki) Sea of Illusion

Kamiya - paper store; paper merchant; paper seller; papermaking; papermaker

Kurama - no meaning

Kuwabara, Kazuma  
><span> Kuwabara: mulberry field (if repeated as kuwabarakuwabara) charm to ward off lightning and misfortune; knock on wood; touch wood; absit omen!  
>Kazuma: Male given name or forename<p>

Maneshi - copy cat

Mitarai - is a family or surname

Sensui, Shinobu  
><span> Sensui: fountain; miniature lake  
>Shinobu:<strong>1: <strong>to conceal oneself; to hide; **2: **to endure

_**From Chapter Two:**_

Kaito - Kite

Hiei - (wiki) Flying Shadow

Amanuma - no meaning

Itsuki - no meaning

Toguro - coil

Keiko - practice; practise; training; study

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	3. Episode 85 - Spirit Detective Showdown

**A/N:** Hello once again, Audience!

We skip pretty quickly here from episodes 85 through 88. And when I say 'pretty quickly' I mean within the first 40 lines of the chapter, ha! This is where the parallel with the original story takes off and we hit the true point of 'Alternate Universe' in which one little thing changes (you'll see within those first 40 lines what exactly changes) and it launches us into where our story truly starts!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

_As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
>Unless it's used in a sentence like <em>this<em>, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko accompanied Kurama and the others into the depths of Demon's Door Cave  
>where Akari finally came face-to-face (and fist-to-face) with Yusuke<br>after taking her illusion involving Keiko perhaps a little _too _far.

In an effort to assure him the girl was safe, Sensui had Itsuki bring Keiko to the scene,  
>only to whisk her away into the Uraotoko...<p>

* * *

><p>Itsuki appeared in front of Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Seaman, and Toriko with his hands on Keiko's shoulders. He shoved her forward at the group and she floated towards them until she collided with Kurama who held her in place.<p>

After exchanging words with them about not wanting to fight and telling them of Sensui's past, the Uraotoko opened its eyes and everyone was able to peer down as the Spirit Detectives, past and present, stared one another down.

~!**!~

The fighting between Sensui and Yusuke wore on as the boy went through Minoru and Kazuya, the latter of Sensui's personality finally getting Yusuke in a compromising position and nearly blowing his head off.

"Shinobu!" Koenma called, getting Kazuya to lower his gun for a moment. "Let him go."

"Shinobu ain't here."

"N-nice timing." Yusuke managed to say.

As the three exchanged words, Yusuke powered up his spirit gun and shot it just as Kazuya managed to kick him away.

Koenma and Kazuya stared one another down, Kazuya starting to explain exactly what was going on in Shinobu's head, split-personalities and all.

Yusuke recovered in due time, knocking Koenma out, and finally managed to call out Shinobu, whose sacred energy proved to be too much for the boy.

Koenma finally saw his opportunity, when Shinobu held the pacifier in his hand, and activated the Ma Fū Kan spell. The cage that formed around the Spirit Detective of ages past contained his powerful sacred energy and decimated all of the low-class demons attempting to get out of the gate. The blinding blue light cause everyone to look away as the Ma Fū Kan filled the entire cavern with its awesome aura.

"Shinobu! No!" Itsuki shouted, clenching his hands together, the first time the demon had grown concerned about the going-ons since the beginning of their operation.

"What's his problem?" Kuwabara yelled at the others, the noise of the Ma Fū Kan drowning out all but the loudest of speech.

"He's dying." Itsuki said under his breath, "He would have been dead in two months anyway and it's all he wanted but to die in Demon World. If it has come to this...I will take him there myself. To die in peace." The green-haired demon blipped out of the Uraotoko and into the cage that Shinobu found himself unable to get free of, even though the interior of the cage had begun glowing a golden color.

Wrapping his arms around the tall, lanky man, Itsuki murmured reassurances into the dying Shinobu's ear and took the both of them out of sight.

Koenma stood with his mouth hanging open, the cage still in place and energy connecting him with it, but no form or shape inside the cage.

"WHAT?" Yusuke yelled, "I WAS READY TO DIE AND EVERYTHING!"

And Koenma had been ready to be the former Spirit Detective's eternal jailer.

Koenma grimaced, the strength of the Ma Fū Kan still flowing before him. "_I can't waste it, then. I've got to send it on before it becomes too much!" _

Pulling his arm back to his side, Koenma grunted as he gathered his thoughts, then yelled and shot his arm forward again, this time aiming for the hole that lead into Demon World.

The Ma Fū Kan expanded and netted itself across the entire hole, gathering the Human World dimensional fold around itself and leaving no trace that the hole ever existed.

Breathing heavily, Koenma slowly lowered his arm as the hole disappeared, his pacifier hanging in mid-air at the location until the very last drop of the hole was gone before splashing down into the water, its work finished.

The ones left inside the Uraotoko stood in shock until Kuwabara found himself.

"That's it? You mean we're...done?" He almost couldn't believe it.

"I...I believe so. To be honest, I did not exactly expect this result." Kurama admitted.

"Ha, ha! Well I didn't doubt it for a moment! I knew we were going to win!"

"You're a fool." Hiei growled.

"I hate to be the one to bring this up," Seaman started to speak, "But how exactly were we planning on getting out of here?" 3

Akari lay on the side, facing the rock walls of the cavern, barely conscious. Her eyes were open but she didn't quite see the surface in front of her, her mind rapidly going numb and all thoughts fading. She had listened to the past few minutes with as much energy as she could, only barely recognizing what was going on as her mind was becoming more and more clouded by the second. Her energy was tapering slowly as the darkness threatened to consume her, though she resisted with everything in her power.

_This is exactly how he wanted it, _she thought numbly, her eyes sliding closed in her own defeat. _Of course he wouldn't have let me live. _

Her mind let those thoughts slip away as her ears listened to the sudden silence in the cave. Dimly, she made out the voices of the people trapped by Uraotoko, though she wasn't sure if she was imagining their conversation or simply zoning into something to keep her conscious.

In the back of her mind, she knew they were trapped within the shadowy dimensional beast, but it took a few moments for her brain to actually _realize _that concept. At the same time, she realized that she had been left here alone, one of the remaining few from the actual group still alive, even if barely so. _And not for long. _

Sensui had left her to die, even kicked her aside like a piece of trash on the side of a road. _I was never important. Never an Ace…_

Just another pawn.

_Itsuki is with Sensui. Uraotoko is still here, despite his loyalty._

_Why? _

Akari attempted to move, to roll over, but she only managed a small sound of pain that she doubted even the demons would hear. She made the same attempt again, but only managed to let her arm fall from her side and hit the dirt ground, causing more pain to rocket through her being and the darkness at the edges of her vision to explode into stars, which were replaced with more darkness than before. The pain was remarkably similar to her days with the Black Black Club, yet she knew it was nothing like then. Nothing compared to the scars that marked her now exposed arms and shoulders, and the few scars that were seen through rips and tears in her shirt.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. _I may have caused a lot of turmoil, and Sensui may be gone and leaving me to die, but… _

Her eyes slid open once more and she gave a small sigh. _No one deserves to be shackled forever, especially to someone who isn't coming back… He deserves the freedom I never gave myself…_

_As do the rest. It's the least I can do before I die._

Akari took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of reopening wounds and throbbing pain of broken bones, her mind focusing on the very last of her energy, deciding that instead of it working to heal her, it would be used as a sort of apology. She closed her eyes again and created one last illusion, immersing herself and Uraotoko in the illusion.

The image was simple; Akari stood in front of the lake, unharmed and smiling at Uraotoko. Her hazel eyes were soft despite the anger she had harbored for over a decade. She had reached her resolve, and she had come to terms with her own state of being. With her own demise.

Now, she would do the last thing she could to show that she regretted the past decade.

"Hello again, friend," she said to the shadow beast, who turned his eyes onto her in what seemed to be surprise. It's eyes shifted to her body that lay in the background, something she hadn't filtered out of her vision. "I don't have much time, so I'll be quick." She took a deep breath, feeling the energy she was using tapering off much quicker than she had anticipated.

"Itsuki is gone now, so you no longer need to stay here. You are not controlled by him anymore. You can return to your life doing as you please. You deserve it." She paused at the sound the dimensional beast made in curiosity. She tilted her head only a bit to convey that she was paying attention.

He made another sound that sounded like nothing but babbling, but Akari knew it was an older form of shadow dialect.

"Yes, I'm saying that you are free to go," she clarified, but quickly held up a hand. "However, before you go, may I ask a parting favor?" He lifted a corner of his lips to convey his response. "Please release your captives before you go. It is the last thing I ask of you."

Uraotoko opened his mouth, his words inquiring of the next time they'd talk. Akari merely smiled, though her expression was forced. "Soon, friend. Soon."

And with that, she waved as the rest of her energy dissipated, making the illusion basically collapse and disappear, as if it had never existed.

Back where she lay, Akari felt her lips turn into the very smile she had shown the dimensional beast as his voice echoed in the cavern with his release of the people he held. And then, all was dark, and Akari was left floating in a sea of numb blackness. _*****_

~!**!~

Toddler Koenma shuffled together a group of the papers on his desk in an attempt to straighten them, "Well, nothing ever stays quiet for long, but I would definitely say the success of this mission ought to give us some peace for a while. Great work, team."

Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Hiei stood around Koenma's office back in Spirit World, Toriko standing awkwardly behind them all, not sure of what to make of the situation or her surroundings.

"How's it coming, Botan?" He leaned over the front of the desk to try and get a look at the blue-haired Grim Reaper who sat on the ground with the body of the girl demon they brought with them out of the cavern.

"She's very injured, Koenma-sir." Botan's voice sounded strained. "But I think I'm getting through."

"Good. Let me know as soon as she starts to open her eyes."

"Why'd we hafta bring _her_ with us." Kuwabara grumbled, "It's not like she's done us any favors."

"On the contrary, Kuwabara," Kurama said quietly, "I believe she is the reason the Uraotoko let us out in the first place. And that's more of a favor than either Hiei or I did for you at the time Koenma decided to instate us as part of your team."

"Yeah, but, at least you were doing something to try and help your mom." Kuwabara continued. "All _she's_ done is antagonize us for no good reason."

"No reason that _you're_ aware of, fool." Hiei sneered.

"Wait, she's gonna be part of the team?" Yusuke protested.

"I believe that is the only logical reason as to why Koenma would have had us grab the body before we left." Kurama eyed Koenma now, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well, um, yes." Koenma laughed nervously, "Even demons need a chance at redemption every now and then, eh?"

Toriko perked up at his words, regarding the toddler-prince in a different light.

"Okay." Botan finally heaved a large breath, lowering her arms. "I think she's coming around. Give it another minute or two."

George stumbled through the walls of the office carrying a chair and rope, "I'm not really sure why you needed this stuff, Koenma-sir. But here it is!"

"Took you long enough!" Koenma scowled, "Now, get the girl and tie her up." He gestured at the demon still passed out on the floor.

George looked back and forth from Koenma to the girl, "Do what?"

"Pick up the girl," Koenma said slowly, his temper rising, "Put her in the chair, and tie her to it."

George made soft noises of protest as he moved towards the girl, "Sometimes I just don't understand you, Koenma-sir."

"You aren't _supposed _to understand me, ogre. You're just supposed to follow orders."

"Yes, sir." George was easily able to lift the girl and place the chair down in front of Koenma's desk, putting her in it and tying her up as her head lolled around in the moments before waking.

"Now, everyone, come here," Koenma motioned for all those in the room to come forward, "Where she will see you when you wake up. On either side of the desk now, thank you. Yes, that's it." He encouraged them as they did so, "And put on your best frowny-face. Let's see what she does when she wakes up." He shifted his own expression to neutral and waited for the demon to open her eyes. 3

Akari felt odd, drifting in this state of darkness the way she was. She didn't have any thoughts that were meaningful, only small thoughts about things such as the time, how long she'd been like this, and others. Her most recent thought was the only one she lingered on:

_This isn't how the rumors of death go._

She wasn't sure what she had expected, but definitely something other than this. The rumors of her life flashing before her eyes seemed nothing more than that, rumors. However, she did know one thing that wasn't happening, and it left her confused.

There was a Spirit World, everyone knew that. Everyone also knew that once you died, you would visit King Enma's son for placement. Yet, here she was, floating in this odd state of being that even she didn't know how to define. She didn't feel as if this were _death_, but was it really life either?

All at once she could feel the discomfort of a continuous twinge of pain through her body and, internally, she winced.

_Wait, there isn't pain in death, is there? _She tried looking around herself, but still she only found darkness with the occasional twitch of her muscles and the oddest sensation of something tightening around her abdomen, arms, and her wrists. She felt awareness creeping in and became aware of the restrictions, which brought her to realizing she hadn't actually died after all.

Slowly, she began hearing a voice. It was a small voice, and it sounded rather funny to her. She couldn't make out any words, but soon enough, she was able to feel the sensation of artificial light on her eyelids, warming them only slightly. Several things hit her at once, all ranging from pain caused by the position she was sitting to curiosity of the voice she could now clearly make words from. It was only a few words, but it was clear that someone was waiting on someone else to awaken. Was it her being waited on, or someone else?

Akari took slow stock of herself before making any movements, any indication that she was awake. She found that for the most part, she had been healed of any dire wounds, which left her a bit confused and, admittedly, breathless with shock. Her head pounded only slightly, and she found she was not fond of the material she was bound by to the chair she only just realized she was sitting in.

Finally thinking it was time to figure out what was going on, she let her eyes slide open. Immediately her eyes burned from the intense lighting, causing her to blink rapidly until her vision cleared. The silence in the room made her look up, lifting her head to meet the eyes of several people. For a moment, she merely met their gazes, and then her thoughts caught up to her and she realized where she was. _Oh hell. I'm not dead. _Her expression shifted from confused to sudden neutrality, feigning the calm she didn't feel even in the slightest. _This… sucks. _She had accepted her death, even welcomed it, and now here she sat, bound by ropes to a chair, very much alive and feeling discomfort. Part of her was angry for having been robbed of her own acceptance, but another part of her felt… grateful. For the moment, she wasn't exactly sure which part of her won over, so she merely feigned calm...

Finally, she spoke.

"You know, if you're going to tie someone up, at least make sure they can tie a decent knot," she said, wiggling her arms to show the loose ropes. However, she made no move to rid herself of them. After all, she was outnumbered and felt much too tired to do anything. "Also, there's no point in tying someone who is without energy."

Slowly, she met the gaze of the red-eyed demon, Hiei, who was staring at her with flashing orbs, as if her words had issued a challenge. Then her eyes roved, meeting everyone's gaze in turn before meeting the toddler's gaze. "I assume you are Koenma," she inquired, raising a brow as she slid lower into her chair, more for her own comfort's sake than anything else. "While most would appreciate the gesture of life, I find that I do not much appreciate being brought back for something of this nature. Even if I wanted to fight, I'm outnumbered and have nothing to fight with." *****

Not wishing to appear badly in front of this potential new recruit, Koenma resisted given George a good whack for not tying the demon up properly, but he could feel his jaw clenching around his pacifier and a vein somewhere near his forehead twitching with annoyance.

"You're not here for a fight." Koenma began, "Or at the very least, not here to fight with us."

"Though I'm sure we could provide you a weapon if you have a death wish." Hiei scowled.

Koenma raised a hand to stay Hiei from further remarking. "No, I'm afraid you don't really have a choice in the matter. I had you brought back and you owe me the debt of your life. In exchange, you are going to serve with Yusuke alongside the others in his job as a Spirit Detective."

At that news, the room erupted into arguments, with Yusuke being the loudest protester along with Kuwabara. Botan voiced her opinion along with George, but the three other demons remained quiet, Hiei closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall in the midst of matters that did not pertain directly to him, and Kurama never moving his gaze from the demon in the chair, his expression giving away nothing of his feelings on the matter.

Toriko didn't really understand any of what was going on, as even her thoughts of Spirit World lay far back in the recesses of her mind among other darker secrets she tried desperately to suppress.

The thing most worrisome to her at the moment was the close proximity of Hiei, who stood on the same side that her, Kurama, and Botan had moved, with George, Kuwabara, and Yusuke on the other side of Koenma. After his strange behavior in the Game Master's cavern, Toriko felt grateful for his lack of interest in her as she hadn't really known what to do at the time. If things had gone her way, she would have been safely back at home as soon as the whole situation with Sensui had been cleaned up. Still, she regarded him tentatively out of the corner of her glasses, careful that he did not see her watching. 3

Akari listened to the commands of Koenma, for a few minutes her brain unregistering the meanings behind them. She simply watched him with a raised brow, choosing to ignore the comment from Hiei and the sudden shouting from the two human boys in the room. If she had had demon ears, they likely would have been turned backwards in irritation and pain from the volume change in the room. And, once her mind too caught up with the conversation, realizing the meaning behind Koenma's words, her expression shifted.

Hiei took note in the change in the female who sat tied in the chair. He found himself quietly amused at the expression that blossomed across her features: a mixture of surprise, confusion, anger, and several other emotions. Her lips had turned downwards and her eyebrows had pulled together, her eyes widening to saucers. Her body had tensed in her slouched position, and he thought he saw the skin near her forehead move at about the time the two fools began yelling at Koenma. _Almost as if she had ears atop her head. _his mind whispered, and he glanced over at Kurama, curious if his comrade had caught the motion. As his eyes shifted, he realized Toriko was standing silently beside him, her eyes cut to the corners. He merely stared at her for a moment before giving a scoff and turning his attention back to the girl who had begun shifting in her chair, obviously unhappy.

"Let me get this straight," Akari spoke, though she doubted Koenma heard her over the loud protests in the room. "You healed me to simply have me as a slave?" Her stomach churned, her mind calling forth the very same thoughts she had had about Sensui a few weeks ago: _This is not how it's supposed to go. This isn't right. I do not accept this. _She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the prince as her own thoughts repeated themselves, her own words of being used the same way again striking her anger. "If that is the only reason, then perhaps you should have let me die, because I have no desire to serve someone merely because they believe they did me a favor by saving my life."

"That can be easily arranged," Hiei spoke up again, not caring what Koenma said this time. He felt that this was useless and a waste of time.

Akari merely glanced at him, but didn't meet his gaze before turning a hard stare back to Koenma, trying to hide the shake from her voice as she spoke again. "I am not a mere pawn for your desired use." *****

The noise in the room died down as the demon continued speaking and by the end of her speech, Koenma's eyes were narrowed, having heard every word, "If that is truly how you feel, then I will personally arrange for your death post-haste."

He cleared his throat, "Let me make it perfectly clear that I _**do not need you**__._ As you can see," here he gestured to indicate either side of him, "I have more than enough employees in my service, and my offer to you is not one of necessity, but rather one of compassion. As it stands," Koenma shuffled through some of the papers on his desk, "The penalties against you for assisting Sensui in his mad plot to destroy the earth as we know it lands you some pretty hard time in Hell upon your death. If you are interested in the position that I am offering you, perhaps we can come to an agreement of some sort as to the length of that time, to the point of negating it entirely should you work hard and earn it."

Here he looked back up at her, "However, if you mean to throw my words back in my face, may I remind you that you _**are**_ speaking with the Prince of the Spirit World, and while I have given you some slack up to this point because of the uniqueness in your case, my mercy is not everlasting and it is at my behest to withdraw my offer at any time I see fit."

He produced a writing utensil from somewhere and pushed both it and a sheet of paper in her direction towards the end of his desk.

"This is a contract stating that when you have served your time under me in an equivalent amount as to negate the demands of Hell on your person, you will be free to do as you please. It also states than any wrongdoings committed during your time as my employee will still count against you, and after the third misdemeanor on your part, the contract will be null and void, releasing you from the protection of the Spirit World, as well as my service, and immediately forfeiting your soul into Hell for the duration of your sentence as it stands now plus the three strikes against you. It also goes on to say that once the contract has been fulfilled, you will be free to do as you please, no longer under protection of Spirit World or myself, with a clean slate. All former crimes forgotten. At that point, any wrongdoings will of course tally up once more against you in preparation for your death and you could obviously land yourself right back where you started should you choose to do so. As a gestured of good faith..." Here Koenma pulled back the contract and signed it first, "I am officially obligated to stick to the letter of the contract as it stands now should you choose to accept."

He pushed it back to the edge of the desk and steepled his fingers to await her answer, "Are you interested? Or should I prepare for your immediate departure to Hell?" 3

Akari immediately silenced herself when Koenma spoke up, his tone and expression very easily conveying that she had struck a nerve with her words. Normally, she would have sneered in a situation similar to this, but at this moment in time, she did not feel very amused about the reaction she had received, especially as the prince went on about the possible duration of her time she would spend in Hell, if she so desired it. That had struck a chord in her being, causing her to listen to every word he spoke and re-evaluate her position and her thoughts on the matter. Which would she prefer? Hell for a very unmeasurable amount of time (or at least it would feel like), or simple service for a few years until she was home free? As he continued to lecture, getting his point across very easily to the female, she found herself sitting up much straighter and working out of the loose ropes that bound her to the chair in which she sat. When she was comfortably unbound and sitting on the very edge of the chair, she let her eyes follow the motion of his pen as Koenma himself signed the contract, and she silently began reconsidering her thoughts.

On one hand, she had practically already died, but this would be the second time in her life she had been cheated of death. But, would it be the second time she be used as a pawn to simply be thrown away at the end of their game? Would this time yield the same results as the last time she found herself in a situation rather similar? Would it be worth it?

_You're already sitting here, alive. _she told herself, her lips twitching as the gears in her mind twisted in thought, her eyes glued to the paper in front of her. _The Prince of Spirit world cannot merely use someone and them have them erased, like Sensui could. But, how long would I be under his every command? How long would I serve his every whim? Surely no longer than the life of the two humans of the group, right? _

Koenma's question brought her back into the room mentally, and her brown eyes shifted from the paper to the two humans who stood on the side. They were rather young humans, but as a demon, the lifespan of a human went by much faster than it appeared it would. It wouldn't even be a dent in the time that could span across a demon's life. She shifted her gaze to the other members of the team, eyeing them as her mind came to its own conclusion that completely went against her earlier statements. No matter how much she didn't like being saved simply to become a member of the very team she had antagonized, she found that the idea of Hell was much less appealing.

Her eyes met Koenma's, her expression slowly reverting to calm once more. "All I have to do is respond to your every whim, and then I am free? No catch, no loophole?" By now, her expression gave no trace of her thoughts, of her feelings. She gave a brief sound that, normally, would have resembled a sigh, but she cut the sound off before it had been completed. She stood and stretched her weak and tired muscles, her lips sealed to keep any sound from leaving them. And then she merely stepped forward and leaned over the paper, forcing herself to sign the contract swiftly before her mind changed itself. As soon as the last letter was formed, she let the pen fall to the wooden surface and she stood up straight once more, ignoring any lingering twinges of pain. "Now what, _**sir**__?" __*** **_

Koenma immediately perked up and reached for the pen and paper, inspecting the name at the bottom briefly before handing them both over to George for safekeeping.

"Well, for the moment, you're free to go! My employees occasionally get to have a vacation-"

"Going back to school does not a vacation equal." Yusuke grumbled.

"Yeah." Kuwabara chimed.

"A vacation," Koenma glared at the boys, "From my services. From the protection of Human World. To get back to your lives." He turned to the demon in front of his desk, "Akari, is it? You'll be free to wander about Human World as you please, though your access to the Demon World is obviously barred, as stated in the contract. When I require you, I will get in contact with you, most usually through Botan, here." He gestured at the blue-haired Grim Reaper beside him. "But for now, I think the aftermath of Sensui's rampage will take care of itself. Do you have any other questions before Botan takes you all back?"3

Akari stayed silent, even after Koenma explained the 'vacation' that his team normally took. The only thing that rang in her mind, but she didn't say aloud, was _where would I go? _She hadn't exactly done much in the Human world. When it came to the subject of where to stay, Sensui always kept her close by; she practically lived with him and Itsuki. She had remained indoors for the longest of time, simply to gain his trust that she wouldn't cause him any problems. And then, when the leash had been loosened, she had still stayed nearby, never really leaving the apartment he had resided in unless he asked a favor of her.

At Koenma's words of Sensui's aftermath, it took everything for her not to cringe. Instead, she simply crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head no, that she had no questions. She'd figure it out on her own, and in the meantime, would stray as far as the prince would allow her. _I suppose I could become more acquainted with the Human world. Perhaps even mingle with the human populace until it is no longer necessary… _*

~!**!~

Settling back into a routine was a lot harder than Toriko thought it would be. Her class work seemed a little duller, her classmates even more so. She avoided any of them as much as possible, and they all seemed to respond as much the same, staying farther away from her than usual. Even when she, on the rare occasion, worked on furthering her abilities with Kurama, her progress seemed frustratingly slow, her fear of truly seducing him still keeping a powerful hold on her body and mind, locking her energy away at every turn. After that one beautifully satisfying moment with her cat, Maneshi, she never seemed to be able to capture his attention again, getting stuck with severe glares he sent in her direction any time she tried.

It was on one such particular day, when both a session with Kurama and then her solo attempts with Maneshi had left her in a much deeper depression even than usual, that she had been forced to shop for groceries if she wanted to eat anything for dinner, having put off the chore for as long as possible as was her usual habit. Her depression was not so overwhelming that she could not move from one spot, and on the contrary she found herself ravishingly hungry, coming out of the store with more bags and packages than was likely necessary, her stomach roiling and squeezing in protest as the sights and sounds of the grocery had left her in an even more agitated state of hunger than before. It wasn't as if the bags were particularly heavy, she wasn't human after all, but her small stature did pose a slight problem in how well she could see around her parcels, so much so that she didn't see the man until she already ran into him.

"Whoops!" His pleasantly tenor voice spoke up as they collided.

Toriko managed to keep a good hold on most of the food, but a few toppled off the top and she made a noise of dissatisfaction as she felt their weight shifting out of her grasp.

Fluidly, the gentleman in front of her swept the falling packages into his arms.

"My apologies!" He cried, sending a half-bow in her direction, the packages securely contained in one arm, "I was so busy enjoying the beautiful day that I was not watching where I was going. I hope you're not injured?"

Toriko's glasses had gotten askew somewhere in the shuffle and she kept her eyes at the ground until she could shift the parcels she still held around enough to slip them back up her face, finally looking up to take in the man now beside her.

His expression was one of concern as she had not answered his question yet, and she shook her head, slightly in awe of his platinum blonde hair and vibrant purple eyes and feeling speechless next to him.

"That's wonderful! I'm so glad." He stood at least a foot taller than her, though the food she held almost reached his chin. "Allow me to assist you." Before Toriko could make any indication to the contrary, he relieved her of at least the top half of the groceries. "I hope you don't have far to go!"

Toriko shook her head again, feeling very uncomfortable with social situations in general and even more so with this almost over-exuberant stranger.

"Lead the way then!"

For some reason, the fact that she didn't seem to need to say anything to him comforted her, if only a little, and she started to continue down the sidewalk, the man falling into step beside her.

Toriko concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, but the man seemed more inclined to chatter on, and he did so.

"Are you cooking for your whole family? That's a lovely gesture for you to buy the groceries and cook the meal. Didn't anyone else offer to go with you? This seems like a terribly large amount of food. Is it for the whole week? That probably is the more efficient way to shop. Looks like enough food for a whole week at least!"

Toriko only half-listened as he yammered on, appearing no more or less satisfied when she did not attempt to interrupt him with answers to his questions, not even pausing in between each one to take a breath before jumping off onto the next thing that came to mind.

He didn't even appear to notice when Toriko got up to her front door and put her packages down by her side to fish the keys out of her pocket, though after unlocking it she hesitated and he did finally take notice.

"Oh! We're here!" He frowned a bit. "Do you live by yourself?"

She nodded, turning the knob to open the door just enough that she would be able to elbow her way in while her hands were full, turning to him and casting her eyes down at the ground, but holding her arms out for the groceries he held.

The man had grown quiet just long enough for the silence to seem strange after his non-stop nonsensical jabber from their run-in until now.

His brow was turned down over his purple eyes, though Toriko sensed only concern and not any malice in his expression.

"Do you go to school?"

"Meiou High." Toriko said quietly.

The look he gave her was unreadable, but she held out her arms more adamantly.

"Oh!" He laughed and broke his somber expression, "Yes, sorry. I wasn't expecting you to invite a complete stranger into your home." He gently gave the groceries back, "And very smart of you too." He winked. "You're a very pretty girl."

Toriko swiftly turned away from him as a blush shot up her neck to her cheeks, easing her front door open as quickly as possible.

The man just laughed at her again and gave a wave as he started to turn to walk back down to the sidewalk.

Toriko whipped back around just as suddenly, almost losing control of her packages again.

"Th-thank you!" She called, feeling obligated to maintain some semblance of Human World normality.

He waved again from the end of her walkway, "Just promise me you won't buy as many groceries next time!" He grinned and continued down the sidewalk before she could respond.

Toriko stepped quickly inside the door to put the groceries down, picking up the pile she sat down first and bringing them in as well, shutting the door behind her and locking it before slipping off her shoes and scurrying to the kitchen to begin putting things away. 3

For the past couple of weeks, things had been peaceful, just as Koenma had said it would be. The humans had continued about their clueless lives and the team had all but disbanded, getting back to whatever they were doing before the end of the world scenario that had been forced upon them. Like usual, Hiei had been simply roaming around, sometimes staying in the warehouses south of town and sometimes just wandering through the shadows of the town.

Occasionally, like today, his curiosity would get the better of him, and he'd take a look at what everyone else was up to. He'd watch the humans filter in and out of large buildings that Kurama had referred to as schools, looking like nothing more than livestock as they came and went. He would reside in one of the trees that skirted the school grounds and watch, seeing if he could figure out the daily routine of some of the people inside and, occasionally, see what the members of Team Urameshi were up to. Eventually, he'd end up bored out of his mind and walk away, only to return when nothing else piqued his interest.

For instance, at this very moment, he was stretched languidly on one of the branches of a tall tree nearby a house of a familiar person. His eyes were closed and he was on the brink of slumber when the hubbub of the human life picked up, the noise on the streets increasing in volume as groups of children ran amok and, with their friends, made evening plans that in no way involved whatever they were supposed to be doing. He hadn't moved other than opening a single eye to watch the groups of people. He'd taken to sitting in the spot recently, more on a whim than for any specific reason.

For a while, he simply stared, as if he were, for once, interested in their desires, their thoughts, their means of amusement. However, the concept perished as he saw Toriko lumber down the sidewalk, a couple of bags in her arms and an unfamiliar person by her side, obviously helping her carry the heavy load. At first, he thought nothing of it; he had seen this at least a hundred times with the humans. While most people would walk by a girl who had too much to carry, there was almost always one person who thought to be the hero and offer their strength, their assistance.

But something bothered him. So much so that he moved just a fraction to sit up, back against the bark of the tree and both eyes keenly watching the male, energy hidden like always. He was chattering, like any human would do. However, he silenced abruptly, and that caught Hiei's attention much more than anything else. His ruby eyes were narrowed as he witnessed the blond's lavender irises moving to the ground.

_Purple is not common on this plane of existence. Not even with false coloring techniques. _He watched carefully, momentarily considering what could happen next; it was odd how he felt no threat from the male who seemed so disappointed in not being invited inside. So, even as he retreated, Hiei kept his eyes close on the person until he was out of sight.

~!**!~

Akari had been doing the same thing for the past few days. She'd been too pent up in the building she had taken over to stay any longer. After all, she didn't much care for sitting in one place anymore. So, she walked the streets, amongst the humans. They seemed uncaring of her existence, as if she actually belonged or perhaps wasn't even there. But occasionally, she would be stopped and questioned, always by men in uniforms who had seen her pass by multiple times. Each time, she had successfully waved them away with a calm explanation of searching for a certain store, and they would point her in the direction they thought she needed to be.

As she walked, she kept a close eye out for those men, making sure she slipped unnoticed out of their sight. Once, she wandered into an alley where a group of men had assembled, and each had told her to get a move on. When she had done as instructed, clearly uninterested, they had taken it as some sort of challenge. They had charged, spitting threats about her telling no one about what she saw, or they'd "end her life". She'd been tempted to fight them, but just as the thought had crossed her mind had Koenma's words echoed in her ears. Instead, she had merely disappeared from their sight, turning and running around the corner before she jumped high onto the rooftops. At least it hadn't been larger than a one-story building. Afterward, she had taken a short nap in the park, unbothered.

Now, she walked the street with a companion on her heels. She glanced back at the canine and eyed the pup wearily as it wagged its tail and yipped at her, its tongue lolling to the side. She gave a sigh; she'd been trying to get rid of it for some time. Yet it always ended up right behind her. "You're hopeless," she grumbled to the dog, earning another yip. Perhaps if she went into the nearest store, it would leave an-

"Hey! No pets in the shops!" A man called to her, making her stop halfway through the glass door of a clothing store. "You should read the signs before entering," the man continued as he approached. As soon as Akari laid eyes on him, she felt irritation blossom in her entire being. "Didn't I see you yesterday?"

Akari released a small sigh; the same police officer twice in a row? What luck she had. "Yes sir. People do leave their homes, correct?"

The look on his face was nothing more than false calm, his eyes betraying the slight exasperation. "Yes, except you're out during school hours. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "You're too young to be out of school."

"I was sent on an errand."

"Where's your uniform?"

"I've changed."

"What school do you attend?"

"Does it matter?"

"Do your parents know you're out on your own?"

"I live alone," Akari retorted, her irritation now completely evident in her tone and expression. She had never been a fan of the 20 questions game.

"Where do you live?"

"Currently on the outskirts of town. I walk each day."

"I think you're lying to me."

"I believe you are paranoid."

At that, the veins in his neck protruded, yet his expression stayed ever-so-calm anyways. "If you are not lying, then take me to your school so I can make sure that you were indeed sent for an errand. If you cannot do that, then I will be forced to-"

"Why trouble yourself? I am a mere child on an errand that could have been done by now. You're wasting both mine and your time."

The man clenched his teeth and took a step forward, now visibly showing his anger with her. "You are disrespecting an officer. It would be easier if you simply give me the information I asked for instead of dodging my questions."

Akari had finally had enough. For the moment, she didn't think Koenma would care if she simply used her energy to walk away from a situation, so she met his gaze full on. In her mind, she pictured the simplest of illusions: him standing before her, talking. And when she was sure it had taken effect, she stepped around him. Or at least, she had tried to. Instead, she ended up grabbed at the elbow and pulled back to where she had been standing, a growling dog at her side and an angry human in front of her. "I'm not done asking questions." _*****_

"Akari! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Kurama jogged the last couple of steps to end up beside the demon girl. He continued addressing her once he stood at her side, "I'm so sorry I was late coming to get you." He straightened to his full height and turned to the man. "Is there a problem here, sir?"

Akari felt her entire being tense as her mind processed what had happened, and she didn't have much time to think before Kurama was beside her, talking not only to her, but the officer as well. She only glanced at him, her expression quickly going blank and calm before she turned back to the officer, her mind making quick calculations. There was no way another person, another _human _had broken an illusion, not that quickly.

"You know this young lady?" The officer had released his grip and turned to Kurama, his expression still conveying irritation. "Mind explaining a few things for me? Students out before classes are over is prohibited." Akira scoffed and met his gaze again, trying once more to use her illusions, this time not breaking the eye contact. No reaction occurred, and he kept talking. "Are you family?"

Akira frowned and turned her head to the side, away from both people near her. "Hardly." she grumbled, not hiding her sulking. _What is wrong with me? _

~!**!~

Hiei eyed the small house for a moment, gears turning in his brain before he moved. In one swift motion, he was standing on the ground, looking around himself before turning back to the house. He eyed each window, each door, before he found one that would suffice. Like he would with any other team member, Hiei simply let himself in. How? Well, he simply hopped up onto the nearest window and sat on the windowsill, testing the glass and shaking his head slightly when it gave way, allowing him to slide inside. He glanced around the small bedroom only briefly before shutting the glass window and leaving the room. It didn't take him long to find his way downstairs, walking into the kitchen where he could hear Toriko bustling about.

"Care to enlighten me on your most recent guest?" he called, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stood in the threshold that separated her kitchen from her living room. *****

Toriko jumped at the sound of the male voice behind her, unexpectedly interrupting her focus and causing her hand with the knife to slip, slicing the side of her thumb open. She balled the thumb up in a fist to try and stop the blood that had already begun to spill over her skin a bit and whipped around, eyes widening as she recognized Hiei, though her fear did not decrease any at the recognition. Her one hand tightened absently over the knife she held as their eyes locked, Toriko feeling her energy shimmering over her uncovered eyes and tingling across her scalp.

"What do you want? How did you get in here?" Her voice was laced with the same energy, compelling him to answer, but she shivered and the moment died, the nakedness of her eyes in front of a near-stranger pulling her thoughts completely away from her questions so that she scrambled behind her for her glasses.

She finally turned away when she could not at first find them to place the knife next to the cutting board and snatch up the glasses, hurrying to slip them on over her eyes before facing Hiei again, a bit of her calm restored as she stood hidden behind the frames of her glasses once more.3

* * *

><p><em>Changed the strength of the Ma Fū Kan so that there would be no doubt about Sensui becoming captured in it, which lead to Itsuki losing his mind a bit and running off with the former Spirit Detective. As a result, Yusuke does not die (which means his Mazoku blood is not activated) and the subsequent Alternate Reality takes a different path than the canon universe. May I be the first to officially welcome you to our story!<em>

_Anyone who cares about the logistics of the spell (I'm one who cares, personally) Koenma's using: In the anime, it doesn't properly contain Sensui because Koenma used it to revive Gamemaster and thus reduced the power of it (all part of Sensui's plan). In our version I like to think that somehow Koenma and Kaito (who was carrying Amanuma) missed each other so Koenma did not get the chance to bring the boy back, though I would say Koenma later files a bit of paperwork to make sure Amanuma returns to the living or something. Mostly for Kurama's sanity if not our favorite Prince's at the very least, heheh._

Minoru - to bear fruit; to ripen

Kazuya - mass-produced arrows; arrows for target practice

Koenma – King Enma Junior  
>King Enma (or Emma in Buddist terms) is also called Yama (king of the world of the dead, who judges the dead)<p>

Ma Fū Kan – (wiki) Demon Seal Ring

Uraotoko – (wiki) a living dimension demon

Botan - button  
>or<br>**1: **tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa); moutan;  
><strong>2: <strong>wild boar (meat)

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	4. (AU) Captured Saga :: Episode 89

**A/N:** Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

There will be no update tomorrow because of it being the holidays in my country and I will be out of town! Expect daily updates to pick up again the next evening!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

_As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
>Unless it's used in a sentence like <em>this<em>, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Koenma's Ma Fū Kan spell almost jailed Shinobu Sensui,  
>but at the last moment Itsuki escaped with the dying antagonist,<br>robbing Yusuke of his fight, but drawing the Chapter Black Saga to a close  
>as Koenma transferred the spell onto the hole to Demon World and successfully closed it.<p>

A day or so later and Toriko is followed home after grocery shopping by a mysterious stranger,  
>one that Hiei finds suspect and subsequently drops unannounced into Toriko's home to interrogate her about,<br>surprising her into slicing a knife through her thumb at his abrupt appearance.

~!**!~

Koenma has forged a contract with Akari that puts her in his employ as a Spirit Detective, much like Kurama  
>and Hiei, and releases her into Human World until he has need of her, but being as she looks so young,<br>a nosy human has caught her 'out of school,' and with her illusions not working it is Kurama  
>who steps up to intervene...<p>

* * *

><p>"We are not related." Kurama found himself responding more quickly than he intended, though his distaste at the thought remained completely hidden within his mind.<p>

"She is a new student at Meiou High School, and it was my responsibility to fetch her at home as she just moved into the area and does not know her way around. I am sorry to say that I neglected that duty and have been summarily punished by her teachers for it with rigorous after-school assignments, one of them being to catch her up on the work that she missed in the meantime. I apologize for any inconvenience upon your person, sir, but we need to return to the school grounds post-haste."

Kurama grabbed Akari's arm firmly, and as he turned to drag her with him, he hoped his glare at her would be sufficient enough to silence any protests she thought to make at their predicament, knowing their chances of slipping away would hinge on her willingness to cooperate through their charade.

"Come along, Akari. Let me explain the streets again."3

Akari held back the urge to rip her arm away from Kurama when he grabbed her, taking her off guard since she hadn't been paying much attention. She let him guide her, catching his glare and meeting it with equal intensity. Her irritation would have normally caused her to give a smart remark, but her mind was too stuck on what had happened to let her speak at all. So, she instead turned her eyes forward. She pulled on her energy, testing the hold she had on it. It seemed fine, completely able to be utilized. So why hadn't an illusion worked? Before long, she found herself grumbling aloud, incomplete sentences galore. "Perhaps it was…. No, that's not it…" Her eyes shifted periodically until she turned her gaze back to the male beside her, deciding she'd simply add to the burning bridge between them and test it again. Yet, she hesitated, and changed her mind. Instead, she tried it on a passing human child, who only continued skipping down the street merrily. Her eyebrows etched together and her eyes turned to the ground. She flexed her fingers, trying to discreetly toy with her own shadow. When she felt the power run through her body, she knew her shadow was morphed, even if just a little. _This isn't right. _As soon as she noticed that Kurama had lead her away from the officer, she pulled her arm away from him. "I appreciate your gesture, but I had the situation under control." She said as her eyes found another human, trying for the third time to create an illusion, which easily was seen to have been a failure. "I didn't ask for assistance."

She glanced down as the dog from a few moments ago hopped, his paws scratching against her calf as he yipped at her again. She sighed, closing her eyes in irritation. There was just no ridding her of the pest, and now she was with the redhead. It just wasn't her day.

~!**!~

Hiei felt slight amusement at Toriko's reaction, but not enough to show any evidence whatsoever to his inner emotions. He eyed her, eyes roving to the cut on her hand as the smell hit his nose. Rustic, metallic. A quieter smell compared to that of the blood of a demon. His eyes roved upwards to meet hers, surprised to see vibrant green orbs meeting his gaze. He held that gaze quietly, finding himself unable to break eye contact once she had spoken.

Immediately, he opened his mouth to answer, feeling as if he had no reason to hold back, no reason to not enlighten her of his entrance into the home in which she resided. "To your first inquiry, I noticed the male who walked you home. He's unnatural compared to the normal human do-gooder. I'm asking if you know him." He paused, watching her turn and fumble for her glasses. He followed her motions, momentarily wondering why she fumbled so desperately for the overly thick lenses. "Two, you left a window open." He didn't specify which one, since she didn't ask, but as he watched the female, a small part of him wondered why he had told her that when, had anyone else asked him, he would've simply brushed it off and waited for them to answer him first. *****

"I have no idea who he was." Toriko pushed her glasses farther up her face with the finger of her uninjured hand, answering his question with as much straightforwardness as he allowed her in a gesture of goodwill.

"I didn't ask for his help." She spat more angrily than she intended, "Nor did I particularly want it. Or need it." She coughed and regained her composure, her former depression bubbling out of her as anger. "Humans don't understand that as a general rule, I've found. So I just let him do as he wished." She shrugged.

Her eyes flickered towards the stairs at the other end of the kitchen beyond the cabinet Hiei stood near, her mind briefly working through the four rooms and bathroom upstairs. She never went in any besides her bedroom, and the bathroom's window was much too small for even her or Hiei to get through, narrowing down the options to the window in her room, which she ruefully remembered leaving open the majority of the time out of neglect, even when it rained. The fresh air kept the room a least a little less stuffy than she felt inside the house, a feeling she carried over from her days before Human World, she was sure, but a feeling she never chose to question for fear of an answer.

"Do you usually enter people's homes unannounced? Or is it just going to be something you reserve especially for me?" She turned back to her cutting board, not expecting an answer from the glowering fire demon behind her, glaring at her balled up fist and squeezing it tight briefly before opening it, glad to see that her non-human state had healed the wound quite nicely and she ran the digit under water and wiped it on her apron, returning to the strawberries whose stems she was removing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Hiei had not moved, his arms folded over his chest.

"If you aren't leaving, grab me the bucket out of the freezer?" She nodded her head towards the refrigerator to her left, reaching above herself for a second bowl, on a whim intending to make a second ice cream dessert for Hiei, going back to cutting more strawberries so that the both of them would have enough.

~!**!~

Kurama took little notice of Akari's mumblings, refusing to release his grip on her arm until they were around the next corner of the block and out of sight of the man who stopped her.

At that point, he released her and straightened the jacket of his uniform, brushing off some invisible dirt from the hem and eyeing the dog who followed them with careful consideration.

"You're welcome." He provided without prompting, looking her up and down. "I do not think Koenma took into consideration how young you would appear to those of this World, otherwise he would have ensured your enrollment into a school of some sort. Hiei tends to keep to himself well enough, and could just wipe the mind of anyone bothering him if he decided to get caught. You must be having trouble with your illusions to not be able to slip away in a similar matter. That poses a problem."

He considered her again, "I would suggest you either permanently lie low or see to getting into a school." He paused. "If you choose the later, I suppose I could get you into Meiou High School rather easily. Though at the moment the only opening I can think of would be in my class, so we'd be forced to see each other every day. Toriko as well." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you're interested?"3

Akari's eyes narrowed at his ease of deduction of her situation; she never did well with people who seemed so easily able to figure her out. Out of habit, she merely shrugged a shoulder. "Even if I used an illusion, it wouldn't erase their memory. That sort of thing is not in my power." She had been told of this person's brain capacity, even witnessed it a bit in the cavern a few weeks ago, but she hadn't quite considered that she'd be dealing with it. "You expect me to simply sit inside four walls that happened to be cramped with people, all of whom I care less than nothing about?" Her retort wasn't anything special, nothing really out of the normality for her. However, her need to get away felt as if she was rushing herself, not thinking things through properly. "Why stay cooped up, indoors, when I can roam and do whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like?" She paused, offering a small sneer. "Don't worry, that doesn't include throwing children into traffic."

Again, she paused, thinking to herself. If she roamed, she'd be able to figure out what was happening with her energy. However, if she enrolled into a school, not only would she be around people she didn't care much for, but she'd have plenty of people to test on. Plenty of humans who were plenty susceptible to illusions, because of their own way they illusioned themselves from time to time. She ran her hand through her hair, as if doing so would brush away her headache and clear her mind. _I don't much like lying low either. That would mean completely isolating myself, in a warehouse or perhaps an old building, like I did last week. That's why I took to wandering in the first place. _She huffed. Getting enrolled into a school was not ideal, but staying inside was even less appealing. _It's all about what's less appealing now, huh? _"Would you prefer to keep watch over me, in your own territory? Don't get me wrong, it's not something I enjoy, but I'm practically bored out of my mind." Her eyes rolled first to the sky, then down to the dog at her ankles. It watched her as if it were waiting on her, as if she had something to offer. "Surely it will entertain me enough to…. _**keep me out of trouble, **_no?" The dog barked and hopped around her, causing a small sound of frustration. _Leave, _she thought as she glared at the animal, which, surprisingly, responded with a whine and a tucked tail. Its ears lowered and she stared even harder at it until it gave one last protesting whine and sat on its haunches. She cursed under her breath and turned an annoyed gaze to the redhead. "As much as I would prefer to not stay in your company, being in a place where I can observe humans and not be bored sounds much more appealing. Looks like we'll have to deal with each other more often than desired, unless you can manage a different school, but I doubt that."

~!**!~

Hiei raised a brow at Toriko's question. "Why go through the trouble of making one person feel special?" He retorted, more out of dry humor than to actually answer her question, though it did 'kill two birds with one stone', as the humans often said. He hadn't felt need to respond to her statements about the humans because, well, adding to them was pointless. His view of this plane of existence was surely easy to see, unless the person were a complete dolt. He cared not for the humans or this world, but for now, he had no reason to… what was the word he was looking for? Strike out against them, maybe? Hm, it didn't seem fit.

He stood in his spot, feet planted as he watched her curiously. Her hand moved with precision and skill, as if she'd done this particular thing a million times in her life. Of course, Hiei was fully aware of her demon blood, but not particularly her past. She hadn't seemed the cooking type. After all, she had hidden her gaze with lenses so thick, he had assumed they impaired her vision, rather than helped at all. As the thought crossed his mind, he began watching to see if such a thing was true. It seemed not, as her hand steadily moved the blade over the small fruit, slicing them into small bits with ease. How little he knew of her almost frustrated him, but at the same time, he didn't care enough to pry. He didn't care enough to snoop- at least, not as much as he had when he had seen Kurama. He watched her carefully, as if doing so would crack the code behind her, tell him everything he needed to know about this person who had so recently lumped herself in with the team.

Okay, maybe he was more curious than he let himself believe.

When she tossed a demand at him, he scoffed, for a moment acting as if she had no reign over him. However, he found himself complying. He turned and walked to the freezer, fetching the object she had asked for and setting it beside her before moving away. He planted himself comfortably in a chair, as if he had done so before, and took to looking around speculatively. "What on earth is that odor protruding from that…. thing?" he asked suddenly as his ruby gaze turned to the fruits. They smelled… odd. He wasn't sure what to think of them, their smell was so unique. It burned his nostrils, but interested him at the same time. _*** **_

For some reason, Toriko found herself more at ease around the crimson-eyed male, her mind not constantly reminding her that she was a danger to him seeing as how she knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Her nervous stammer hadn't manifested as of yet. It usually did because her thoughts were so hell-bent on protecting everyone else from herself that she hardly had time to consider her words before finding that she was expected to speak.

"You mean the strawberries?" She wanted to know, picking a whole one up and taking an experimental sniff. While her senses weren't quite at human level, after years of disuse and being forced to constantly be around the creatures who infested the planet with their wet sheep smell, they had dulled so she didn't go insane.

She tossed one over her shoulder at him without pausing to look. "Try it."

She cracked open the bucket of ice cream and scooped it into the bowls, giving them both a generous portion and then scattering the strawberries over the top, garnishing it with another, whole strawberry on the side of the scoops.

Toriko pulled out an extra spoon to slip into the extra bowl, gathering the two servings into a balance on her left arm while shutting the bucket and clicking the lid on tightly. The bucket went into the freezer as she reached Hiei in the chair at the table shortly thereafter and plopped a bowl in front of him.

Carrying her own into the chair across from him and promptly sitting down, she began to devour the dessert with fervor, not caring in the slightest what Hiei thought at that moment, her mind's depression compelling her to eat.

~!**!~

Kurama did not respond to Akari goading him with a comment about throwing a child into traffic, which he assumed she did strictly for his reaction.

"My suggestion at you entering Meiou High is less for my personal gain at getting to observe you in a closed environment, as invigorating as I'm sure that would be," He did nothing to hide his dry amusement at her even thinking that was his intention with the offer, "And more a thought as to your pending employment with Koenma. I would do it only because I believe he would have had me do it in the first place were his mind on task, not because I think that forcing you to be cooped up all day is the ideal solution to your problem."

Here he sighed slightly, "As to getting you into a different school, Meiou enrollment would certainly take up less of my time as the paperwork will be an extra breeze and it is unlikely you will not be accepted since you will be doing so at my behest." Here he moved off back in the direction of the school, assuming she would follow, "Just don't expect me to do your homework."3

A small sound of irritation managed to escape Akari's lips for what felt like the thousandth time today. As he droned on and on, or at least that's what it seemed to her, Akari felt tempted to simply walk away. Yet his comment had her standin there, crossing her arms over her chest, lightly tapping her fingers on her arms. She wasn't sure how she thought of this person matching her sarcasm and figuring her out, and then offering to enrol her in the school he attended. He almost seemed as if he was everywhere, a personality almost too large to comprehend- caring to those he worked with and completely cold with those he didn't, yet still seeming to offer assistance. She didn't know how to handle it just yet. So she stuck with what she knew. "Who knows, maybe you'll get a show," she sneered, shrugging her shoulders again. She disregarded anything else he said about enrollment, only having half listened anyways, but as soon as he turned to walk away, she raised a brow. _It isn't that he trusts me, but that he trusts his own capabilities. _This whisper from her conscious brought curiosity with it. Not many times before had she seen someone turn their back on someone who was considered an enemy, or disliked and distrusted in the very least. She huffed another big breath of air and decided to follow, as she assumed he wanted her to do.

She stayed silent a bit, watching his back as he casually strolled down the sidewalk. Part of her wanted to pick him apart, figure out what bothered him and use it, but another part of her recalled the cavern at Demon Door's Cave and shivered internally at the memory. She had sensed his demon energy from the start, yet it seemed no one had known what type of demon he was.

Suddenly, her brain caught up with her, registering the words he had said at least a whole minute earlier. Her expression turned sour, though her lips were curved upwards in mocking amusement. "Please, like I'd ask your help on simple paperwork." She paused, moving just a bit quicker to get only a tad closer, but not enough to be within arm's length of the redhead. "You're putting yourself on a pretty high pedestal, don't you think? You aren't a God."

~!**!~

Hiei raised a brow and glanced at the red fruit in her hand. He scrutinized it from the short distance and found that, at that moment, he wasn't interested in the food. At all. So, when she tossed it to him, he merely caught it out of instinct and stared at it. Again, he didn't know what to make of it, the smell or the appearance. He picked a seed from the outer layer and looked it over with a raised brow of uncertainty. He sniffed it again before giving in to curiosity.

Hiei sunk his teeth into the smallest bite possible, only taking a moment to figure out that it wasn't exactly an enticing treat, but it wasn't something he disliked either. He took another bite, this time taking a mouthful of the red object, and thinking harder about the taste. Bitter, yet kind of sweet. Odd, definitely. Different than anything else he'd eaten before. But he found himself popping the rest of it into his mouth with indifference. Once he had swallowed it, he registered that maybe he actually enjoyed the taste. So, when Toriko slid into a seat across from him and slid a bowl to him filled with the little red fruit called Strawberry, he picked a small piece out and ate it alone while his eyes and nose surveyed the frozen lump of cream-colored something in front of him. He raised a brow and looked up at Toriko, waiting for an explanation about what she had offered him. While he waited, he clasped the spoon and took a small sample of the frozen treat, carefully slipping the spoon into his mouth for the small sample.

The taste was almost an entire shock to Hiei. It was cold and sweet, something he hadn't exactly expected. It froze his teeth and throat, making him give a small cough of surprise and to glare at the bowl, as if it had actually harmed him. And then he turned accusing eyes onto Toriko, silently demanding an explanation for the shock of cold. _*** **_

Ravenously making her way through the treat, Toriko did not look up until she had scraped the end of her spoon at the very bottom in the hopes of getting the last liquid remains of the ice cream into her mouth.

As she sat back from the bowl into her chair, she pushed her glasses up from where they had fallen farther down her nose while she bent over the ice cream, only now taking stock of Hiei and his demanding glare.

"If you don't like it, I'm eating it." She made as if to reach over and take the bowl from him.

~!**!~

Kurama allowed his mouth to twitch into a small smile at Akari's remark, knowing she spoke only out of ignorance on the matter and not allowing himself to become ruffled at her comment.

"A demon not a god among humans?" Kurama mused, "Well, certainly not anyone lower than B Class." He knew perfectly well that her demon class was likely at the low end of the B spectrum at the very least, but he felt as if her arrogance on the matter needed to be met on equal ground or she would never learn. 3

Akari raised a brow at the redhead, unsure of how to react. Several thoughts came to mind, but she refrained for a moment before huffing. Then a sneer formed on her features. Amusement filtered through to the forefront of her mind and dominated her thoughts for a moment. The longer she kept her mouth shut, the wider her grin grew until she snickered aloud. "It's nice to think you're clever. Nice joke though. It actually made me laugh." She forced her hands into the pockets of her jeans as she walked, her expression swiftly shifting. "I'm not sure what you're playing at, but I am no lower than a B class. I thought that was evident, since not many people can create illusions for dimensional beasts." She paused, eyes narrowing at the back of his head. "Maybe I should've let him leave. It'd save me of this trouble, dealing with someone like you. Frankly, you piss me off."

The dog at her heels, which she had forgotten, growled in the direction of the redhead and she rounded on it, waving a hand at it in the calmest way possible. "Shoo, you pest." She hadn't realized that she'd said it in a low voice until s growl vibrated in her chest and the animal tucked tail and walked away. Without thinking much about it, she turned and continued walking, huffing lightly. "And quite frankly, as much as people say you're the smart one on the team of the new detective, I find your thought process closed off and bothersome." Another huff. "_Below B class, my ass."_

~!**!~

Hiei watched Toriko devour her bowlful of the extremely cold treat with a small glare, waiting expectantly. By the time she had raised her eyes to his, he had a bit of strawberry in his mouth, taking the safe route. While his mouth no longer stung from the odd sensation of the overly cold cream, he didn't chance another bite.

However, when she reached for his bowl, his glare darkened and he moved it just out of her reach, merely making his point by grabbing another strawberry bit and popping it into his mouth. He didn't threaten her, by any means, but he wasn't going to waste the strawberries she had cut up, especially since he found himself liking them the more he ate them. "What is this ridiculous substance," he inquired as he poked at the ice cream, watching it move around. Curiously, he chanced another bite, this time finding that it didn't cause sudden pain to his teeth or throat. At least, not to the intensity as before. It was withstandable now that he expected it.

He found that the sugary substance appealed to his taste, causing him to not only take another bite, but to actually almost _crave _the next one before he finished the current spoonful. And, when he decided to try something else and add the strawberry to the cream, he felt the perfect blend of taste. Before he knew it, he was staring at an empty bowl, curiously waiting for an explanation. _What is it and why do I crave more? __*** **_

"The humans call it 'ice cream.'" Toriko explained, "Though it always seemed more like 'sweet snow' to me. I think perhaps they use a type of dairy in the mixture and name it such." She found herself smiling at him as he stared at his bowl, recognizing his expression as she often wore it herself in regards to the dessert.

Before he could say another word, she swept their bowls up off to the counter with the intention of giving them both another serving.

"Do you want more strawberries too?" She called as she fetched the bucket once more from its place in the freezer and returned to the countertop to grab the ice cream scoop.

~!**!~

"Do not mistake me," Kurama said darkly as they continued down the sidewalk, "I find your presence as enjoyable as I did Elder Toguro's. And almost as trying. I don't think you yet realize how much I _do_ know about you, nor how open my mind truly is, but allow me to give you the smallest unadulterated taste of my non-judgemental observations."

He made a small motion to indicate the dog that slowly moved away from them in defeat. "You act as if you have no idea why that dog immediately took a liking to you, and yet I would have thought scars as deep as yours would be a constant reminder as to his avid interest in your person."

He went on without waiting for her reaction, "So, if you're done testing my thought processes, I suggest we get to the school quickly before the teachers leave for the day and we are stuck in one another's company tomorrow once more. I don't think either of us wish to remain in the other's presence for a minute longer than necessary."3

Akari felt the change in the redhead in front of her, felt the change in the air around him, and immediately the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she narrowed her eyes even further. The moment he began speaking, she felt a stir in her stomach that told her she'd picked a fight she wouldn't win. She'd gotten under his skin, just as she'd been trying to do all along, and his response was a complete blow. Her stomach churned and instinctively a hand moved to the top of her head, her fingertips tracing the scars atop her head. She snarled out of mere instinct, feeling backed into a corner even though she had put herself there. Her lips twitched, threatening to pull back over her teeth in an even louder threat that said he had crossed a very thin line. Yet, at the same time, another emotion pulled at the forefront of her mind, echoing in the very recesses of her mind. _I'd forgotten what it feels like, communicating with someone who cares not for my past nor my future. _She wasn't sure what the emotion was; shame or embarrassment, possibly, but her anger shadowed it entirely. Every inch of her being wanted to strike, wanted to show him that she did not enjoy a game of personal attacks, but she refrained, only allowing her snarl to fade off.

She took a deep breath and forced a calm expression, though her tone was anything but unwavering. "It's too bad I can't show you that pain. I'd gladly do so, though I'm sure not only would I end up in a fight that I am not naive enough to instigate, but I'd lose my life in the process. While you may not believe so, I do have things I wish to do, and being near any of you and your team is not on the agenda." She stuffed her balled fists into her pockets again, not really realizing she had been clenching them hard enough to draw blood until that moment. She felt the slightest bit of temptation to bring up the boy he had killed, Game Master, but something told her to refrain. And that is exactly what she did: silenced herself. If possible, she wouldn't say another word.

~!**!~

Hiei didn't react when the bowl was taken from him aside from following Toriko's motions. His mind lulled over the words that made up the name of the treat: _Ice cream, _he thought as he watched her grab the bucket from the freezer again. Like she had said, he didn't agree with the name. As she had indicated, it reminded him of sweetened snow. And he found himself fond of such a thing, such a concept. It had appealed to his taste buds and had tickled his throat once he got accustomed to the cold.

As Toriko spoke, he raised a brow at her, as if the question was unnecessary. Of course, he didn't expect her to see it with her back to him, so he responded with a simple response of what he thought, what he had expected. "Don't they go together?"

In truth, he had thought that the strawberries were _supposed _to go with the sweet snow. He had assumed that the strawberries were made for this very purpose: to accompany the sweet taste and slightly contradict it, yet add to the flavor at the same time. Obviously, he didn't know as much as he had thought he did. _*** **_

Toriko felt a trifle confused at Hiei's question, scooping more ice cream into their bowls. "You mean all the time? No." She began slicing the tops off more strawberries, feeling too impatient to enjoy more of the treat to do any more than slice them in half this time. "Though I suppose that means you want more?"

~!**!~

"I would not wish your circumstances on anyone." Kurama said truthfully after taking a large breath in an attempt to clear his emotions. "And I appreciate you not completely throwing my words back in my face. I did not mean to belittle your situation. I hope that your time under Koenma seems to pass in the blink of an eye." And he meant it.

Neither of them said a word as they made their way the next few blocks to the school. Kurama led her onto the grounds and wove his way through the corridors to where he knew the principal would be at this hour.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," Kurama started to say when the older man did not take notice of them at his door immediately.

"Minamino!" The principal's face brightened, "What brings you here? Please, come in, sit down. Who's your friend?"

"Her name is Akari, sir. She would like to be enrolled at the school."

The principal sized the girl up for a moment, "Well, if she's here at your request, I don't see why we can't get the paperwork done. Let me dig around here and find it for you. You can attend immediately?" He aimed the last question at Akari as he got up to dig through one of the file cabinets.

Kurama glanced at Akari out of the corner of his eyes and nodded slightly to her in case she was not sure how to answer.3

Akari hadn't said anything to Kurama's words that were, in her opinion, as close to an apology as she would get, not that she wanted one. She had earned a comment, but hadn't been quick enough to expect something of that magnitude. So, she disregarded his words entirely and walked in silence the rest of the way. She took careful mental note of how to get to the building, and even more careful note of the inside when he lead her through the doors.

By the time they were in a small office, Akari had her expression under complete control, her hands at her sides calmly and her breathing normal all over again, as if nothing had happened on the trek up here. She stood to the side, close to the door in case she decided to change her mind.

Yet, when the elder man turned to her and inquired of her availability, she met his gaze evenly and nodded. "Of course. I've just arrived in town, so I'm searching for a school, and this one was recommended. I can appear as soon as you'll have me." She spared no glance to Kurama as she watched the man rifle through files upon files of work, the sound almost irritating her. "If I may ask, what time do classes begin?" she inquired, deciding to at least act like she was from a different area, more as a cover than anything else.

~!**!~

Hiei speculated the new information as he listened to her scoop copious amounts of ice cream into the bowls, his eyes following the motion curiously. It came out of the tub just as easily as he had thought it would, the substance being soft enough to simply abide by the whims of the person who desired it. When he heard her question, he closed his eyes calmly, as if he were suddenly tired, but in reality he was picturing the sweets from Demon world, all of which were nothing compared to this. "Indeed," was his lone response. He wasn't sure what he enjoyed more: the fruit or the sweet snow. _*****_

When Toriko turned around with their bowls and caught Hiei in his moment of thought, she paused in mid-step, appreciating the curve of his cheek and the line of his jaw, finding his appearance quite enjoyable and tilting her head slightly to the side as she stared, unabashedly appreciating the handsomeness of his face while he was not able to look back.

~!**!~

"You will be expected to be in your homeroom at eight-thirty a.m. sharp." The man found the pages he looked for and plopped them down on the side of the desk nearest to her.

"If you decide to pursue some of our extracurricular club activities, some of them have morning practices that require you to be on the grounds as early as seven, though I'm sure they'll tell you that should you be interested."

He sat back down behind the desk, "I imagine Minamino has already informed you that the only opening we have at the moment is in his class, so I'll leave it up to him to show you around. He's more than up for the task. I won't worry about your application being submitted before your attendance. If Minamino here vouches for you, I can't imagine finding a better student to fill the space. Just bring it with you in the morning and hand it directly to me. I'll take care of things from my end and make sure it's official before you set foot on the grounds tomorrow."3

Akari watched the man, nodding when it felt necessary here and there. Occasionally, she made a sound that meant she was listening, but her eyes were elsewhere, taking in the items in and on his desk as he had rifled through everything. However, as soon as the papers slapped onto the surface, she stepped forward with a small smile. "I'm sure," she began, part of her hating what she was about to say, "that Minamino is one of your top students." She felt that she'd complimented him, but it was the only way she could say she acknowledged what the man was saying about accepting her. It took everything in her power to keep a calm smile in place, so much so that she felt a bit of heat in her cheeks. "I'll have this to you first thing," she said calmly, glancing at the paperwork as she picked it up. Her eyes roved over them quickly, gathering some information before looking up again. "I look forward to the classes you have to offer." For a moment, she recalled a couple of kids walking down the street the day before, talking about a very specific school, and she mimicked their words easily. "I've heard much about this school and its high ranks. It will definitely be interesting."

The man smiled at her and suddenly held out a small bag, opening it up to reveal clothing materials. "There are several sizes in here. Take these home, and wear the one that fits you best to school tomorrow."

Akari nodded and accepted the bag, glancing inside for a brief moment. "Thank you." She glanced at the clock on the wall, as if it were significant to check the time. "Now, please excuse me, but I have somewhere else to run to really fast. Thank you for your time." For once, she offered her hand to be shaken and gave a small bow before turning and leaving the room, not caring to wait on Kurama, or _Minamino, _as the man had called him.

~!**!~

Hiei had glanced down without meaning to when he began recalling the different sweets in the demon world. He called several images in his mind of different treats he had indulged in during his free time there, whether he had stolen it or actually earned it did not matter. They had each had their own flavor, their own texture, and he had liked a few of them.

But none of them compared to the substance he found himself suddenly looking up and searching for. Instead, his eyes met Toriko's, and he watched her almost curiously. Her head was turned at an odd angle, as if trying to see something in a different light, and her lips were slightly parted in thought. He raised a brow at her.

"Is there something of interest I can help you with?" he asked, his tone even, as if he wasn't amused by something so small as the way she was watching him. _*** **_

Her eyes roved his profile, still appreciating the cut of his face, and when he turned to look at her, she didn't seem to register that there was anything wrong with how she let her eyes roam over his features, his crimson eyes giving away his real thoughts on the way she looked at him.

Safely behind the thick lenses of her glasses, a slight buzz trickled across her eyes and thrilled through her body as she continued for a moment longer to take in his lips, his hair, one set of fingers encircling a bowl twitching as the brief thought of running them through the spikes flashed over her mind before he spoke and broke the spell she placed on herself.

Just enough of the tingle in her body remained in that next second that she blurted out before she could think, "No. You are simply a remarkably attractive creature and I was briefly distracted."

Her own words sent the tingle dropping out of her toes suddenly and she lowered her gaze, a great nervousness replacing any sense of pleasure looking at him had consumed her with as she did so. "I-I'm sorry." She breathed as she put the bowl down in front of him in a clatter, immediately lowering herself into the chair next to him and burying herself into eating the ice cream as if it would distract her from the awkwardness she felt right then.

~!**!~

Kurama nodded briefly at the principal who just smiled as the redhead swiftly turned and followed Akari out the door, easily able to keep pace with her brusque speed as she found her way outside of the school.

"I admit I'm impressed." He intoned when they made it through the main doors. "I was going to offer to walk you here in the morning, but it appears you are quite capable of handling yourself. See in you class."3

Akari walked calmly through the halls, using small checkpoints she had noted as she passed on her way to the front doors. She ran a hand through her curls and took a deep breath, more than aware of Kurama following behind. And as soon as she stepped foot outside and he spoke, she paused for a mere moment. For a second, she glanced over her shoulder at him, her expression bored. "You didn't expect me to live with Sensui for a decade and not figure out how to make sure I got around, did you? Now _that _would be a stupid assumption." With that, she turned and walked away, hands stretched into the air almost languidly as she left the school gates and headed due north, her mind on getting back to the building she had taken to occupying at night. In her mind, she pictured the things she needed to fill out the paperwork, and for once, she felt a bit of satisfaction at saving something Sensui had done for her. _At least the ID and Social Security Card will be useful, unlike everything else. _she thought as she walked, arms dropping to swing by her sides.

~!**!~

Hiei watched her curiously, all trace of amusement slowly slipping from him as she didn't answer right away. He noted that she didn't move even in inch aside from a few muscle twitches and her eyes, if he was seeing through the lenses correctly. And then his eyes were brought to her twitching hand, and momentarily he felt suspicion. However, the next emotion that came over him was shock; her words left him, at first, stunned and at a loss for words, though his expression gave none of that away. He simply kept a calm atmosphere around himself as he stared at the female who now stuttered an apology out as she slid a bowl to him. Not even the right bowl, but he didn't point it out; he didn't care much about germs- he'd live in a hell if he did care. Instead, he scoffed and picked at the strawberries, eating them first before continuing on with the soft, sweet snow. "Perhaps you should think before you speak, if you're that embarrassed," he said suddenly, not letting his face nor tone give away any of his thoughts on the words she had said to him. In truth, he didn't know how to respond, but he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself. So he played it off and acted as if he didn't care one way or the either.. _*****_

"But it's true!" She protested, unsure if he thought she was embarrassed for saying something she did think was truth. Which wasn't the case.

She didn't look up from her bowl either way, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying very hard to continue to say what was on her mind as he always did.

A wash of her energy roiled over her entire body, uncalled for, and she found herself speaking miraculously the words at the tip of her tongue without hesitation, spilling out into the air, "You're a very fine specimen of demon, obviously fire-type, though most people couldn't tell that just by looking at you, and your eyes are a fascinating shade of crimson, even if I'm not quite sure why you decided to have aesthetic surgery to add an extra eye, but I'm sure it's just as handsome as the rest of you, though I agree with you decision to keep it hidden while here in Human World as I'm sure it would draw more than a few looks."

She paused to take a breath and her energy swooped back out of her, leaving her a little breathless and turning her cheeks pink as she remembered what exactly she said.3

~!**!~

Akari had walked rather swiftly, as if getting the paperwork done was top priority. However, the moment she stepped into the fully furnished house and her nose caught a huge whiff of the stuffy, dirty air that moved when the wind did, she merely stood for a moment. Then, without thinking twice about it, she tossed the papers unceremoniously onto a nearby surface- a coffee table- and left all over again. She had returned to the park bench where she had taken to use for her afternoon naps when she wanted nothing better than such a thing. And, for a short moment, she lay there in peace, no children around or anything of the sort. She wouldn't sleep, but she felt as if laying here would help her sort her emotions from earlier, help her work through them and them forget them.

Indeed, as she had thought earlier, the redhead's comment had not only angered her, but made her feel ashamed. In the eyes of a demon, their physical traits were everything. Without the things that identified one as a demon, one was almost considered human. It was something Kings in the demon realm established for their servants- disobey and you lose something of your demon skin. It was a symbol of shame, of ignorance being paid off with pain and shame for everyone to see. It was-

Akari's eyes snapped open at the sudden pressure that was added to her stomach, her frayed emotions causing her nerves to become a mirror, and for a second she thought she would have to fight. However, she met soft brown eyes of a small puppy- the same pup she had thought she had gotten rid of- and she immediately sighed a breath of relief. For a few moments, she watched him get comfortable until he was curled on her abdomen, eyes watching her as he laid his chin on his paws. After a moment, Akari sighed again and ran her hand along his soft, thick, light brown fur, and he moved a paw as if to meet her gesture, showing the white on his chest as he gave a small sound that made her smile, for the first time in a very long time, a soft and genuine smile. "You're so small. Tell me, how do _you _make it in this world? Surely you have no owner…." When the dog only responded with a turn of its head, she sighed and rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes. "It's alright. You can stay. I won't harm you."

~!**!~

Hiei had stuffed a spoonful of the sweet snow into his mouth just as Toriko began speaking up again. For a moment, her voice wavered, and then she became completely sure of herself and said her next words with strong dedication. And for a moment, he was more than slightly amused, his sneer being the only hint of such emotions. However, as soon as she began naming what type of demon he was and brought up his third eye, his sneer practically dissolved into the air and he began paying very close attention to every move she made from muscle twitches to deliberate motions of her hands. It was possible Kurama had enlightened her on those facts, except for the way she introduced her knowledge of such things.

Finally, when she commented on how 'beautiful' his Jagan would be, his amusement returned tenfold before shifting again to complete seriousness. He didn't respond right away; no, he was measuring her energy and how it continued to fluctuate. As he eyed her with another spoonful of Ice cream in his mouth, he thought of the various ways she would have figured that all out without anyone telling him. Sure, demons with red eyes normally are fire wielders, but that is only the case with about 75% of the populace with red eyes. Perhaps she had figured it out simply by watching? He wasn't sure, but he opened his mouth anyways.

"If you so believe that my third eye is so beautiful, then you obviously need more time to observe." His tone was even as he stood from his chair and moved to the counter, placing his empty bowl where she had been standing when he first arrived. He considered showing her, but did nothing of the sort. Instead he turned to face her again, eyes dark, though he felt no anger, only slight irritation. "Indeed it has its value, but beautiful is not the word. I do not do anything that pertains to how I look merely because that is a waste of my time. I have no idea what Prosthetic Surgery is, but I can assure you that I have never experienced it, since it seems directly involved with how one looks. I hold no interest in experimenting with my looks, and I never will." _*** **_

Toriko tilted her head to the side as he spoke, though her face still stared deeply into her bowl as if it would reveal the darkest secrets of the universe and she had only to stare. When she spoke again, her voice was much quieter, more even, feeling more herself than she had in the last several moments.

"Why would every part of you _not _be attractive? Even an additional eye?" She shook her head, "I cannot speak for the humans that I find myself surrounded with even after all this time, because I do not see them for what they are, but even in my misplaced memory I can recall no non-human ever having not been so." She finally looked up off into the distance, "Even as twisted as their spirit may be, they are still..." She faded off, feeling her entire body tense as she vaguely touched memories that scared her, as any remembrance of time past tended to do.

_Worthy of love._

She turned around to face him, bringing her bowl with her as she stood and crossed the room, coming up next to him to take his bowl and shifting a few steps to the right to place it and hers in the sink, turning on the water and letting it pour and fill the bowls.

"And I never used the word, 'beautiful.' That was a word of your own conjuring. Though I suppose a swordsman would be familiar with the term, as a blade can be considered very pleasing to the eye." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, just as quickly turning her gaze back to the sink, grabbing a scrubber to rid the bowls of stray food, though her eyes had softened a good deal and she regarded the bowls with a sort of kindness not meant for them.

"I did not mean to presume you were the type to adjust your appearance out of sake of vanity. There are many humans who do so, and not a few non-humans who do the same. The two are not so different, really." She had stopped her business of cleaning and was looking off into the distance again.3

Hiei stayed where he had placed himself, even leaning against the counter in a lazy manner as his eyes calmly followed Toriko when she moved as well. He raised a brow at her words of his eye once more, this time out of curiosity rather than incredulity. He didn't interrupt her as she continued to speak, his mind taking in her words and considering them carefully. He found it odd for a demon to compliment everyone as a whole. It was so unlike anything he'd heard before. Normally a demon would ridicule other demons for not being as fair as they should be, or as fair as the person issuing the insult. Normal demons would think themselves above everyone else in the department of looks, but she seemed to think everyone and everything had worth when it came to that department. His mind ticked through the possible reasons behind her view, but none of them seemed to fit in with her personality. At all. So he settled for simply listening, wondering if she'd drop a hint somewhere subtle where she thought he wouldn't notice. But as her lips continued to move and her words continued on, he found himself unable to figure her out- at least to the depth he wanted to. He shifted his weight just a tad and stood upright, as if he were about to take his leave.

"Perhaps," he said casually, his voice even and betraying no emotions, "one day you will witness it." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cloak and turned to face her from where he now stood by the table. His curiosity kept him planted there, whereas normally he would have left much sooner. Much, _much _sooner. However, for now, he felt the need to linger, as if something would come to him, something would come of this, if he stayed. "Then you wouldn't consider it only for looks. After all, why cover something up if it is meant to be shown off?"

"Why?" Toriko went back to her washing, blinking twice in thought, finishing and wiping the bowls dry with a towel before putting them in the drying rack that held her other dishes from dinner. It was at this point she turned to face him, catching his steady gaze in her own.

"Because it is meant to remain hidden. If not for aesthetics, then it serves some deeper purpose, and whatever secret it protects keeps it behind a cloth and out of the direct sight of prying eyes." She did not break her stare with him.

"And why _do _you hide it. That _is _the question." She did not expect him to answer her and did not actually pose it as a question, perse, for a secret was not meant to be shared, and certainly not between two persons who barely knew one another.

So, she took off her apron, slipping it over the top of her head and folding it once before placing it on the counter.

"Stay or leave. My home is open to you. My existence is mundane and I cannot imagine it holding the slightest interest for such a fair beast as wild as yourself, but you will do as you please, I think, for whatever greater purpose your mind deems appropriate." As she spoke, she walked past him without so much as giving him another glance, making her way up the stairs to her bedroom and sitting cross-legged on the bed, wryly taking note of the window open and the curtains blowing in the breeze as she opened a textbook and proceeded to finish her homework.3

Hiei merely met Toriko's gaze and kept it level with his own, not even showing a reaction to her inquiry other than watching her. He didn't feel like answering, since he felt that if she truly wanted to know, she'd either ask Kurama or simply wait and figure it out herself. So he simply turned away to leave, listening as she spoke and pausing with his back to her. And as her words continued, he felt the slightest bit of emotion towards her words; it was ironic that she felt that way, since he found himself even more curious than before about her, yet she saw herself as small and not much worthy of someone's attention. As soon as she passed him, he scoffed and watched her go by before following silently, deciding he'd go the way he came and not bother with the locked front door.

By the time he reached the room he had entered through, she was sitting on her bed, nose in a book and a pen in her hand, but he didn't pause to take it all in. He merely walked by her and lifted himself into the windowsill. With only the smallest glance back for curiosity's sake, he let himself drop to the nearest tree branch and proceeded to vacate the premises entirely.

If curiosity still had this grip on him later, he could always go back for observation. *

* * *

><p><span>Minamino<span> - family or surname

Jagan Eye - (wiki) Evil Eye

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	5. Episode 90 - Meetings

**A/N:** Hello once again, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

Daily updates will continue for the foreseeable future, and so, I bring to you the humble offering that is the next installment of our story!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog who was met at the very end of the last chapter. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Kurama assists Akari in obtaining the opening in his and Toriko's class at Meiou High School before she retreats  
>to the abandoned house she's claimed as her own with a small puppy following after her.<p>

~!**!~

After Hiei finishes interrogating Toriko about the stranger who followed her home,  
>she introduces him to ice cream and strawberries before he leaves.<p>

The next day...

* * *

><p>Toriko began gathering her things into her bag in anticipation of the last bell of the day. Since she did not participate in any clubs after school, she always hurried to leave, not expecting anyone to accost her about joining and usually being correct.<p>

She had certainly not expected to see the girl from their previous encounters with Sensui in her home room. Akari was her name, Toriko had learned, and while Toriko could guess why she was there she found herself not particularly caring one way or the other, though she did initially exchange a look with Kurama whose eyes remained neutral on the matter.

After that initial run-in, Toriko's schedule led her into different classes than Akari, though they shared two classes, one of which was math that they had together with Kurama. Besides the initial introduction, where the students were expected to at least greet the new student before she sat down, Toriko went back to her work while ignoring the world as usual.

The bell rang, and Toriko stood up quickly, throwing her bag over her shoulder and lowering her head to bustle out the door as unnoticed as she could possibly manage. Once in the hallway, she got jostled around until set free by the main doors opening into the school grounds where the students spilled out in different directions.

"Uh, Toriko-"

She ran into a firmly planted body before her name registered, looking up and adjusting her glasses to see the green eyes and long red hair of Kurama.

"O-oh, I'm sorry."

"Intent on getting home?"

"Well, y-yes." She cast her gaze to the side, feeling much too exposed around so many people.

"I won't bother you for long, then. Allow me to walk with you to the gates?"

Toriko nodded and began moving again, Kurama walking next to her.

"I have some free time today and was wondering if you needed any tutoring."

Toriko's heart lurched in her chest. Their code for him helping her with her energy was 'tutoring' as 'training' tended to catch more attention and this way was more discreet.

She really wanted to refuse the offer, foreseeing a useless waste of their time, but she did miss his company and they had not spent time together in a long while.

Reluctantly, Toriko found herself nodded, "Allow me to cook dinner as payment."

They had just gotten outside of the gate where the flow of traffic was much less dense, and they both turned right as their houses lie in the same general direction.

Kurama was looking down at Toriko as he continued, "I'll want to drop by my house to see mother first, but I'm sure I can get free fairly quickly after that."

Toriko only half-listened, Kurama saying what she expected him to as part of their usual exchange, her attention divided. She was certain she'd seen a familiar figure with platinum blonde hair disappearing around the corner of the wall as if trying not to be seen, but she only caught a brief glimpse of him and chalked it up to her anxiety about the upcoming session with Kurama.

"I'll see you soon!" Kurama called with a wave as he went ahead and took the crosswalk to get on the other side of the street and towards his home.

"O-okay." Toriko managed to answer while he was still in earshot. The only thought in relation to the evening that pleased her was the decisions she made about dinner on the way home.3

~!**!~

Akari sat in a small desk with various papers strewn about, her eyes roving over each one of them and, for the most part, ending up irritated even more than she already had been. Literature, she understood. She read everything easily and was able to keep up, so the small book that had been given to her to read was no big deal, though she didn't care for it. History had been a breeze when the teacher had brought up the wars, and she'd finished everything easily. Other subjects, however, had left her completely baffled. Math, for example, left her borderline homicidal. The symbols were meaningless to her and the process of getting the answers were beyond bizarre, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She had watched what the teacher had done in front of the class, but hadn't understood a single word of it in the least. _Reciprocal _and _Dividend _were not in the vocabulary of Demon World, but she knew what it meant to add things and subtract things, to multiply and to divide, yet the symbols did not coordinate with what she had known her entire life. As she went along, she found herself scratching the markings she knew all over the paper and trying to figure out which human symbol went with which demon symbol. In the end, all she'd managed was to match the symbols for adding together, and quietly huffing under her breath to keep from snarling audibly. During gym class, which was another required thing she supposed, she had found herself against each girl in the class, merely because one was a leader and the rest had been too naive and scared to do as they wished. _A bully, I'm sure she would be pegged, _she thought as she gathered her things. Of course, Akari had done well in keeping her temper hidden and dodged the balls that had been thrown at her with ease, even throwing a few back and earning a reprimand for the rubber sphere striking the leader in the face. Some girls had snickered and others had glared, but the teacher seemed the least amused. "It's not like I can control it. It's instinct," she had said, which had earned her a few laps- not that it bothered her.

"This is ridiculous," Akari mumbled to herself as the bell rung throughout the campus, and when she glanced at the clock she felt relief. She could finally get out of this cramped building.

"Hi, you're Akari, right?" A small voice suddenly spoke, making Akari pause in her walk to the door. She glanced at the small human female who looked up at her, her lips quivering in what the demon supposed to be fear, perhaps the smallest dose of it. "I'm Saki, and I just wanted to welcome you personally to Meiou."

"I appreciate the gesture," Akari replied as she turned to leave, hitching her bag over her shoulder and stretching her muscles.

"You did great in gym today; I mean, not many people stand up to Haruno. You're pretty quick too. Do you play sports?"

"No, and I am not interested in them."

"We have Soccer, and tennis. We are lacking players and-"

"Sorry, but as I said, I'm not interested," Akari said, no longer standing around to chit chat. She walked away with an expression of indifference as the girl stammered behind her, but didn't chase after her. By the time she had reached the doors, Akari felt glad to see the sun and be out in the warm air. Her eyes traced the grounds, easily spotting to familiar people walking through the school gate, but she didn't care. Her eyes continued to roam until she caught a quick motion to the right, and her eyes followed the blonde male. A brow raised in curiosity before she shrugged it off and continued on, met at the gate with an eager yip and a wagging tail of the pup she had given up on ridding herself of.

"Let's go. I have work to do," she said to the pup as she passed him, earning a joyous bounce and a chipper bark. "No, no park right now," she responded to the animal, finally finding herself able to pick up on its patterns of the day, and she was trying to adjust them. "First, a book store. Then, home."

"_No park? Why?" _she heard, and her footsteps halted, her eyes turning to the pup in widened surprise. "_But Nabu wants to play with friend! Please?" _For each time the dog's mouth opened, instead of a bark, Akari found herself hearing words, guttural and almost unable to be understood, but words nonetheless. "_Please?"_

Akari stared at the dog for a few extra moments before sighing. "Fine. Ten minutes. Just… don't do that again."

"_Do what?" __*****_

~!**!~

For the umpteenth time, Toriko broke her stare with Kurama, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Toriko. Concentrate." Kurama said patiently. "You have to be looking at me, right?"

"I-I'm sorry. I just...I can't."

"Yes, you can."

Her expression darkened even farther and she looked for pity somewhere on the redhead's face.

"_He doesn't understand. I can't. He's been so good to me and I would never want to do anything to ruin our friendship." _She dropped her gaze again and stared at her hands in her lap. "_I would feel terrible. Plus-"_

"Toriko, stop second-guessing yourself." Kurama reprimanded gently.

"T-that's not it, I..." She couldn't put it into words.

Kurama leaned back to rest and regarded the girl thoughtfully.

The dishes from dinner were downstairs drying in the rack, and the pair had trooped upstairs after the meal as was customary, sitting on the floor and spreading out books in between them to further the charade of working on school. They sat on the carpet amidst the books and things and the window was open, as usual, letting in a soft breeze along with the noise of the city outside and one of the branches of the tree whose leaves would occasionally scrape against the windowsill.

Toriko spoke up again, "You're the first person to actually befriend me who wasn't...influenced by me."

"That fact will not change. And I would hope I was analytical enough to realize what was going on as soon as it happened."

Toriko raised an eyebrow, "I-I don't know about that."

"Well, you've never really tried, so how do we know."

"I'm scared, Kurama." Toriko sighed.

"My opinion of you isn't going to change."

She made unintelligible noises of protest, but couldn't think of any coherent words to put behind them.

"Let's start again. Put your glasses back on." He sat up again, "I'll slowly walk you through some things."

Toriko meekly obliged.

"For now, I want you to simply find your energy. Close your eyes and just listen to my voice."

She closed them, breathing deeply.

"Somewhere inside of you is your reserves of energy. I need you to find it for me."

"Is it somewhere specific?"

"You might be able to feel it as your core, something akin to or near to your heart. But it doesn't matter _where _really. Try to clear your mind and you'll lead yourself to it. It's as much a part of you as breathing."

For another moment, Toriko could feel nothing, but as she sat in the stillness without her eyes to receive data, she started to sense another part of her. Something extra. Something..._else _flowing through her veins besides just blood.

"I-I think I found it."

"Good." Kurama encouraged. "Now, this next part will require you to tap into it. Everyone has a part of their physical body that is easiest to channel their energy through, a part that is like second nature, almost reactive, or instinctive. Like, for Yusuke, it's his fists." Kurama couldn't help the smile that settled onto his lips.

"And for you?"

"My fingers." Kurama provided. "I am able to channel my spirit energy into plants through my fingers very specifically. Now, you still feel your reserves?"

"Yes."

"I want you to tap into them, and notice the first place on your body that buzzes or tingles when you do so."

Toriko found herself biting her lip and she tentatively reached into the power, only slightly. She started back physically when a jolt of energy shot to her eyes, making them fly open in shock, her breath suddenly coming much faster, but any sense of her energy completely gone as she dropped it when she felt the jolt of power.

Kurama's eyebrows were raised, but he said nothing.

Once Toriko caught her breath, she found herself flushed and blinked at the room around her, putting a strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear.

"Try again." Kurama suggested.

Toriko nodded once and closed her eyes again, finding the energy more quickly the second time, but reaching out even more slowly to access it.

This time, she knew she felt the power shimmer across the front of her eyes and she was able to hold it in place, but she had gotten this far with Kurama before. She already could feel herself starting to seize up at the thought of the next step.

"As slowly as you need to, take off your glasses and place them on the floor in front of you. But keep your eyes closed."

Toriko heard Kurama's words as if from a very far away place, but as she held onto the energy that she could still feel glimmering over her eyes, she allowed her hand to move almost of it's own accord up to her face, but she paused. What had he said? _Not _to open her eyes? That seemed different.

She grabbed one lens and pulled forward, the ends slipping off over her ears, and she let her hand fall back to her side with the glasses in tow.

Without further provocation, her connection to her energy grew stronger, and she had a harder time keeping her eyes closed, struggling not to open them, afraid of what would happen to Kurama, afraid of losing control.

"...Toriko?"

The voice seemed farther away this time, and suddenly the energy surged again, but this time Toriko fought with it, creating this invisible tug-of-war with herself where she tried to shove her energy away, but found she could not let it go.

"...your eyes...just...open."

"_No!" _She shouted inside her mind, pulling at the energy that threatened to spill out.

The third time the energy surged, Toriko's eyes flew open of their own accord and she first saw Kurama, leaning towards her with concern plain on his face.

At the sight of him, all of the memories of the time they had spent together, of their initial encounter where he shared his non-human state with her and they exchanged in secrets no normal human would understand, bubbled up over the energy and just as Kurama looked up deeply into her eyes, she burst into tears, throwing her hands up to hide her face from him, feeling her energy abruptly disappear.

"I-I-" She sobbed, "I c-can't. I ju-" She heaved a breath, tears still running down her cheeks, "I can't."

Kurama's eyes widened at her outburst, having not expected this exact result. He had felt her struggle with her energy before it became even greater, and the realization excited the analytical part of him, hoping that he would finally be able to witness her abilities at work and know exactly what they were dealing with, but perhaps he had pushed her too far this time, maybe they were going too fast and-

"You're much too kind, Kurama." Toriko pulled herself together and sniffed, wiping the back of her hand underneath her nose and unintentionally interrupting Kurama's silent train of thought.

The phrase jogged something within him, and he froze in place, partly stretched over the books set up between them with the intent to comfort her with a pat on the shoulder or head, but her words stirred Yoko's spirit and Kurama felt fragmented memories of the sleeping demon cut over his own mind.

"_You're much too kind, Youko." _He closed his eyes as her words echoed across the plane of his memories, knowing the voice was Toriko's, and yet it was not Toriko's. He heard her sniff, _felt_ rather than saw her wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Youko's reaction to her words had been one of incredulous cynicism, as if she hadn't known him at all, and yet at that moment she was likely the closest person the kitsune had as a friend. In reality, she had been the one that was much too kind to him.

Kurama felt himself bumped back into the present as Youko's stirring lasted only the fraction of an instant before he returned to slumber within his human host.

He blinked and saw that Toriko had nearly recovered herself, deciding to sit back down on the carpet before she saw his awkward pause, and regarding her in a different light.

"Toriko..." He couldn't help it, he had to know, "How much do you remember?"

"Huh?" She looked up at him, sniffing again and wiping her cheek with the palm of her hand.

"I've heard you talk about how you came to be in Human World fifteen years ago..." Kurama faded off, shocked with himself that he'd never made the connection before. Youko Kurama had inhabited the body of a still-fetal Shuichi Minamino nearly fifteen years ago. He stringed together the information, and Toriko being in this area for the same amount of time led him to believe that, while she may not remember why she ran from Demon World, he had a very good idea as to the circumstances of her escape into the realm of the mortals.

"Kurama?"

His thought process had taken just a moment too long, the silence stretching on into awkwardness.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, Toriko." Kurama smiled and tilted his head at her to try and ease her concerns, "Please think nothing of it."

As far as he knew, any attempts of Toriko to access memories before her Human World time were traumatic and he regretted even mentioning it as little as he did.

"I don't wish to push you in our endeavours. You did very well today." He praised her efforts and noticed the embarrassment start to creep up her neck.

"No, truly." He reassured her, "I believe that's the longest you've held onto your power since we started. You're probably exhausted."

Kurama started to gather up his things, and Toriko mimicked his motions with her own stuff, both of them feeling as if their time together that evening was drawing to a close.

"Thank you." Toriko said quietly, stopping in the middle of her cleaning.

Kurama looked up at her, her eyes still bright from her tears, and felt another jolt of memory from Youko and he desperately tried to hold onto it, but only got impressions.

Carrying her, or rather whatever she was before Human World, her body beaten and bloody, running through a part of the Demon World forest with her, back towards his base, having stumbled across her battered and bruised and being _used _by weaker animalistic demons, killing the lot of them and easily outdistancing anything wanting to chase him down, glancing down at her as he ran when she whispered those words, words no demon in their right mind ever admitted-being indebted to another-and catching sight of her face in the light that occasionally broke through the trees, cracked lips moving easily, sincerely, around her thanks.

Youko had covered her with the upper portion of her yukata, her cheeks were dirty, her hair long but matted and full of leaves and things, still somehow giving off a scent Youko imagined would be intoxicating were it in normal condition. There was a certain thankfulness associated with the fact that her eyes were closed as she drifted into unconsciousness.

"_Don't mention it." _Her lips tugged upwards at the wry request he made of her, but started to bleed in the effort, her tongue snaking out and licking the blood away.

The impression faded and Kurama re-entered the room from the depths of his mind, seeing Toriko almost finished putting her papers and writing utensils away, a stack of her school books neatly piled next to the bed. She hadn't noticed Kurama freezing in place. Kurama quickly caught up and soon had his own bag full of his school things.

"Maybe we'll try again next week some time." Kurama said as he stood up and hitched his bag over a shoulder.

Toriko nodded. A week would probably be enough time for her to forget the trauma, but for tonight, she felt as if curling up by herself in bed as soon as she was alone was her best course of action.

She walked Kurama downstairs and they exchanged good night pleasantries at her door as he went down the walkway to the sidewalk, closing the door as he turned out of sight towards his home. Toriko promptly shut the door at that point, locking it and, leaning her back heavily against it to put a hand up to her face, trying not to recall any of the night's events.

As she slowly shuffled her way back upstairs, turning off all the lights in the house she began taking her hair down and tossed it about her shoulders, fluffing it with a hand as she got back into her room, feeling better just with the simple task completed.

She turned off the light in her room and walked over to pick up her glasses and put them on her bedside table along with the pins she used in her hair.

The sun was nearly setting on the horizon, and despite her initial desire to lay down and curl up tightly to hope for sleep, Toriko made her way over to the open window, sitting on the sill and pulling her legs up as well, scooting over to lean against the side of the window frame and letting one leg hang outside, the other bent at the knee with her inside arm resting over it.

The slight breeze felt nice in her hair, and the outdoor smell and night sounds slowly lulled her into sleep, still dressed in her after school clothes without a care in the world.3

Hiei was dreaming, though he didn't have a clue in the world as to what was going on inside his own sleeping mind. He paid little to no attention to the small pictures that flashed through his mind, because he knew they meant absolutely nothing. After all, Hiei wouldn't walk into a random building and find it filled with strawberries and sweet snow. However, he could actually taste the treats as if he were actually eating them. He enjoyed the flavors, finding himself simply unable to figure out just how much he could eat. It seemed he could eat forever, if he so desired. However, something stirred his dream self, causing him to look around curiously, confused. His eyebrows drew together and he looked around the building, even as it faded. When he was left in nothing but darkness, his feelings of confusion intensified, and within mere moments he found his eyes snapping open and looking around.

The evening rays from the sun filtered in through the leaves of the tree he had taken to perching in, for the second day in a row. The warm beams of light hit his face, even occasionally shining into his eyes from the side, telling him it was almost dark, the sun almost dipping below the horizon. His crimson orbs roved over the birds in the nearest tree, each of them chirping to one another and looking to him and back to the others, as if communicating about the strange being that was in their habitat. He ignored them and continued searching for the reason behind his interrupted slumber, and it didn't take long for him to register the growing source of energy that was alarmingly close to him. He immediately turned in the direction of Toriko's house, his ruby irises quickly falling on the two beings inside the bedroom that he had walked through yesterday.

His eyes zeroed in on the back of Kurama, who sat calmly on the floor, watching Toriko, whose eyes were closed and her face contorted into an odd expression. The power continued to get stronger, and the hairs on the back of Hiei's neck stood on end; he hadn't registered her having so much energy. How did she keep it pent up so long?

He moved to sit up, his curiosity driving him to take in every inch of the scene. Despite the books laid out on the floor, Hiei knew that they were not studying; it was all for show. As Hiei continued to watch, he felt a stunned expression overcome his own features at the sudden outburst from Toriko, tears spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks before she could hide them from view. He heard her stammer her inability to do something, likely handle her own energy, from the way her energy simply dissipated. His eyes narrowed as he listened to the dialogue in the room, their voices clear to his keen ears.

After a few seconds of nothing more happening, Hiei moved to settle into a comfortable position again, bark once more against his back and hands laced behind his head for support. His eyes stayed on the scene, carefully watching to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, he noticed the slightest hesitation in Kurama as he reached to Toriko, and his curiosity exploded into full blown need to figure out what was going on. But the hesitation was no longer than a fraction of a moment, and then it was over, Kurama resting on his haunches and reassuring the female. And as he continued to watch, his curiosity continued to strengthen, continued to grow until it was almost difficult for him to not move forward and inquire from his comrade. Especially at the hesitation of an answer for Toriko.

It struck Hiei that maybe, just maybe, there was a distraction for Kurama from within. It wasn't entirely crazy, wasn't entirely impossible, but if that was the truth then something had happened to stir the fox. He frowned in thought and continued to watch, not allowing himself to move from the spot in the tree, not even when he noted Kurama taking his leave down the sidewalk. For a second, Hiei caught his friend's gaze, and then the redhead was gone from sight and on his way to his human mother.

And Hiei's curiosity continued to burn like a candle in a still, dark room, even as he moved to another tree to remain out of Toriko's eyesight as she settled in her windowsill.

~!**!~

Akari wandered the streets, now in her usual attire of jeans and a loose blouse, her hair up in a ponytail so that the wind didn't slap it into her face so easily. As she was beginning to grow accustomed to, a small pup continued to follow her, bounding and yipping, occasionally making actual words for her to understand, though that was about all she understood. As for speaking to the animal, she had not a clue. She hadn't ever heard of demons communicating with animals before, but she tried her best to ignore the confusing fact; she didn't need anything else to have her confused anymore than she already was.

_Stupid paperwork, _she thought to herself as she walked, ignoring the sudden ramblings from the dog. She'd given up only about half an hour ago on the school work, just in time to keep from ripping it to shreds and simply tossing it away. She had done a bit of looking into the math symbols, and had made at least two more connections and changed them to symbols she recognized, but other than that, she'd made no progress. The book she had been given- a play, she recalled the teacher calling it- was written in an older version of the language she had been taught by Sensui, and it left her just as baffled as the math work. As for the Chemistry class and her class on Psychology, she hadn't even touched those. She knew that Chemistry was a bust, but Psychology told her that she was an arrogant fool, an idiot set up for disappointment and playing _God, _with more issues than the typical comic book, as Mitari would have put it. It only accomplished angering her and causing her to throw the book across the room, putting a hole in the weakened walls, but not damaging the book.

That had been when Nabu, as the dog called himself, had suggested a nightly stroll, for her nerve's sake. Without any response, she had left the building, almost unaware of him following her. "_Maybe you should take a bath. That always helps me, because it makes my coat shine!" _the dog suddenly rambled, and she glanced back at it.

"I don't have a coat of fur, Nabu."

"_But you have hair! It's nice and shiny already, but wouldn't it feel better wet? Oh, there are sprinklers at the park!"_

"No."

"_You're no fun." _Akari scoffed and continued walking in silence. "_So where __**is **__your fur? And your ears? You're a dog, I can tell by your scent!"_

Akari's stomach jolted and rolled, but she didn't reply. Instead, she rounded another block and scoured the sidewalk. For a few moments, everything seemed normal.

That is, until she noticed a blonde standing idly in the center of the sidewalk, looking up at a house. She recognized him from earlier that day and suspicion grew. _Now, who are you following? _she thought as she slowed her pace, hoping she could figure out what he was up to before he decided to leave. _*** **_

The act of following 'Toriko' as he discovered she called herself now, had been no trouble for Otento, but when he found that she only returned to her home after school, he did nothing more in that moment, biding his time, waiting for...something, though he did not know what.

As the sun began sinking in the sky, however, he could no longer keep himself away, his thoughts consumed with her, with the knowledge that he had found her, and so he pointed his long legs once more towards her house, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his khaki-colored pants, smiling congenially at the pairs of females who passed him on the sidewalk giggling and staring at him and his platinum blonde hair that fell freely across his face, wearing it just a little longer than fashionable in the city. When they saw his eyes, amethyst, they would blush further, especially, he found, when he winked at them and smiled widely. He had gotten used to their flirtations, though he had not been in Human World long, and found their attentions strangely satisfying, though his mind always returned to 'Toriko' before long.

And so, as he walked, he kept his head high, feeling better than he had in a long time. That is, until he felt smacked by a wave of energy pulsating from the house just ahead. It felt anxious, but overly familiar. Trying not to bring too much attention to himself, Otento continued walking, but his steps were more measured and careful. When he reached the front of the house, he felt jolted to a stop without meaning to, his heart yearning to be a part of the woman whose energy he felt struggling desperately to be free.

As much as he wished to barge into the home, he held his ground in better judgement, but could not help turning his head to stare long and hard at the house, briefly closing his eyes and letting his senses absorb as much feeling from the energy as possible from this distance.

After too short of a time, the energy disappeared into the nothingness that he was surprised with when he first laid eyes on her several days ago before he helped her with her grocery shopping. He had caught the smell of her hair, a smell he had never forgotten since their first encounter in Demon World, a smell that drove him almost to madness. Her demeanour was different. Her appearance was different. But she could do nothing to mask her scent.

He threw his head back and let a bout of laughter into the night air, thinking that she should have had him killed while she had the chance. He put a hand up to his face as he lowered his head back down, his shoulders still shaking and a chuckle still passing over his lips until he managed to heave a sigh, glancing up at the house to his left one more time before starting to move again, hands in his pockets as he whistled a tune.3

Akari eyed the male with scrutiny from the distance she held between herself and him. She could see that his hair was longer than most human males around here, but she couldn't get a good look at his face. She continued to walk at a slow pace towards him, all senses concentrating on him. Oddly, she felt no energy. None, not even spiritual energy like a human would have. The lack of it made her very suspicious, and the closer she got, the slower she moved. She didn't want to run into him, but she didn't want to walk by him either.

"_Who is that? Why are you watching him?" _the dog below barked, and Akari felt the smallest sense of alarm. She paused mid-step and watched for a reaction, her eyes following his gaze to the house he had been watching. She didn't recognize it, but the energy inside she did. After sitting in the same room as the person, she had come to figure out Toriko's energy, and while it was quiet, hidden almost, she had taken very careful note of it, along with Kurama's.

Then, the male surprised her; he tossed his head back and let out a laugh that she could hear even from this distance, and her eyes widened. The ring to it was not one she recognized, but it made the hairs on her arms stand and suspicion continue to boil in her blood. She hadn't seen him with the group, even before Sensui had engaged with them directly. He hadn't been around. _At all. _And that coupled with the lack of energy made her wary. She may not care about the members of the group, but much like a pup, her curiosity and instincts took over, causing her to watch him as closely as possible, her feet now moving without her consciously telling them to do so. She moved forward, eyeing him as she got closer, listening to the tune he began to whistle as he turned to walk away.

"_Akari, what's wrong?" _the dog yipped quietly, his very aura shaking with the nerves she could tell were frayed. "_You're acting funny."_

"Shut up Nabu, or go away."

"_But he's done nothing wrong to you."_

"Perhaps you should listen to your instincts, you might learn something."

"_My instincts say you're worked up, but the man creeps me out too. He's too tall."_

Akari sighed and glared down at the dog. "What did I say?" He immediately silenced and, with a tucked tail, moved a bit away from her and began watching the man as well, something Akari joined him in doing. _What has you so interested in this team? __*** **_

Otento kept going down the sidewalk, easily able to act as if he did not know he was being followed by someone not very good at stealthy tracking. He continued to whistle with his usual air of nonchalance, hands in his pockets, though he did glance with just his eyes to the right to see if the tracker was stupid enough to let him get a look before he lead them into his trap.

Keeping his stride at a brisk, but leisurely-seeming pace, he made sure he stayed just enough ahead so as to be curious a person to follow, his preferred mystique when all was said and done.

He had to fight down a chuckle as he ducked into the an alleyway between two buildings several blocks away and easily made a leap onto the roof of one of them, waiting for his quarry to turn the corner and realize the alley was a dead end before closing the jaws of his trap.

There she came, curious as a...

He almost laughed at the human colloquialism that jumped into his mind, which did not exactly apply in the case of this young demon and her doggie companion.

On silent feet, he came back down from the edge of the roof and leaned against the side of the alley, waiting until the demon stopped at the end of the alleyway and turned around before speaking, his voice light and pleasant.

"Don't you know that beautiful women shouldn't be walking around by themselves in a city like this after dark? Even demonic girls have to be careful of things lurking around that might mean them harm."3

Akari had stayed back, watching carefully of his movements. Indeed, she caught the male glancing back, but didn't bother acting as if she wasn't following. She knew that being unable to hide her energy was a flaw, and if this person was a demon as she suspected him to be, he would have known from the start that she was there. It wouldn't mean much anyways. So she played along with his little game, though it was convincing enough to almost have her brushing him off and continuing on. And the moment he turned into an alleyway, she raised a brow and straightened her spine even more.

Curiosity blurred her thoughts into nothing other than seeing where he was going and why, and she merely followed upon instinct, not thinking twice about the decision, which she easily deemed as faulty and very stupid of her, especially when she noticed she was met with a dead end and a pair of feet hit the ground behind her. She slowly turned about-face and met his purple gaze evenly, her expression calm and her eyes unwavering as he spoke. At his words of compliment, her lips turned into a crooked smile, as if she took them to heart. Her eyes raked over him and she shifted her standing position, mocking a female human by placing a hand on her cocked hip and tossing her ponytail into the air. "Why thank you, you aren't so bad yourself. However, standing in front of random houses is a turn-off, don't you think?" As she said those words, her smile shifted to one that mocked the flirtatious nature of a human teenager. "I mean, talk about not being over someone, whether it be a friend, an old flame, or maybe even a pet that ran away."

~!**!~

Hiei stood in the tree he had moved to, for some reason finding no reason to sit, as if his instincts told him to wait. His eyes wandered expectantly until he found what his senses had been pointing him to. A blonde passed by the house with hands in his pockets and lips pursed, issuing a tune he didn't recognize. Hiei's brows drew together as he watched him pass by, and a moment later he felt an energy that he hadn't expected. His eyes moved to find Akari walking along the sidewalk, eyes narrowed to something in front of her and her steps full of purpose. He traced her line of sight and judged it to be something he didn't approve of.

Hiei glanced back at the window where Toriko slumbered before turning back to the street. After a mere moment's hesitation, he moved towards the town, his energy still concealed, as always, and his steps quiet as he moved to the nearest rooftop to follow his query. By the time he had caught up, the duo were in an alleyway, conversing casually, exchanging compliments in tones he didn't much care for. While he thought it was sarcastic, it didn't sound as such to his ears. They were both smiling, as if they knew one another, and Hiei felt suspicion arise. He watched for a mere moment, debating whether to stay, or go. But for now, he stayed put, waiting for something to happen.

After all, demons meeting in dark alleyways was not something he enjoyed witnessing unless he could end them himself. _*** **_

Otento found himself grinning widely at this demon and her show of bravery, "So, tell me, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" He said it with as much familiarity for her as he could manage, "I thought I recognized you from somewhere, but I didn't think the higher ups would let you live past Sensui's era. Tell me, you _have _received the invitation, right? Please tell me your answer was yes. I would _adore _getting to see more of you." There was no attempt to hide the obvious interest on his part and he languidly looked her up and down.3

Akari raised a brow and smiled even more at the male, reaching a hand up to twist a strand of hair around her finger in thought. The motion paused at his show of knowledge, but only for a brief moment as she let her smile grow; so, He'd been keeping track of everyone, eh? "Well, let's see, Spirit World seems rather lenient these days. Most of us got away with nothing more than a warning," she retorted, as if she enjoyed the prospect of being tied to the gang, as if she had planned it as such all along and not been practically forced into it. "And the answer to your question is yes, though I highly doubt you'll be receiving much from me after this." Her eyes rolled to the side as she contemplated dropping the charades. She didn't like the way he spoke to her, at all. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you? To the humans, anyways." Now her smile fell into her normal sneer, no longer feeling like pretending to be a promiscuous teen human. "You've been keeping watch. Flattering. Did you know Sensui as well, or are you simply just watching from afar?"

~!**!~

Hiei's ears easily caught each word that was said, and he did not enjoy anything he heard. His suspicion solidified into stone-cold anger, but he pushed it away as the conversation continued. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this had been not one of the top picks. Yes, the thought had crossed his mind, but the way they spoke brought about a level of intimacy that he hadn't considered. And the moment that the contract with Koenma was brought up, he'd heard more than enough. With his fists stuffed in his cloak pockets and his anger sky-high, he turned and walked away, flashing through the shadows of the now starry night and to a quiet place, where he could consider several options.

While he would enjoy watching the woman's head being dismembered from her body, he decided he'd wait. For a while, at least. He'd simply keep a close eye out. _*** **_

Otento found himself frowning at her. "You didn't actually get an invitation. How sad. Well, I won't question it. There must be some reason why you were left out in the cold." He shrugged it off. "If you didn't get an invitation, then I'm sorry to say that we really have nothing else to talk about and it's here that our conversation ends."

He smiled once more, "I will _definitely _get in contact with you if he ever does decide to send you one, though. You can bet on that. You're quite the cutie and I'd be very interested in seeing more of those scars." He turned as he said the last bit and walked away, waving one hand and then putting it in a pocket, whistling as he turned onto the sidewalk and out of her direct sight, disappearing into the night.3

Akari felt her smile disappear entirely at his remark, finding that she'd been wrong about her assumption. She had assumed he had been referring to Koenma and his lackeys signing her on a contract for her freedom when her time was up, but his words left her stunned and confused. "Invitation?" she repeated after him, eyebrows almost touching as she watched him carefully. "Who would be inviting me, and what would I be invited to?" she asked as he turned away, almost not catching his comment on her scars. "Hey," she called again just as he disappeared, leaving her completely frazzled and confused, unable to comprehend what he'd said even remotely.

"_That was odd."_

"Shut up Nabu."*

* * *

><p><em>Several of my OCs I tend to base on the look of another character already in existence mostly because I can't draw and it makes it easier for, say, a role-play partner to picture the character in their head. For example, Otento looks like a slightly taller version of Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club.<em>

Saki - small peninsula

Otento - (as otentosama:) the sun

Nabu - no meaning

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	6. Episode 91 - Temper Tantrums

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!

I've decided that sometimes the chapters are going to dualistic names: one for each scene occurring in said chapter.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko attempts to further access her energy under Kurama's tutelage, but breaks down and can't do it.  
>Her words stir memories within Kurama from the slumbering Youko himself, revealing that the kitsune met her some time in the past.<p>

~!**!~

Akari begins to acclimate to Meiou High and later has a run-in with Otento, who appears to believe she was supposed to receive an "invitation,"  
>though to what he is unclear. Hiei is privy to their conversation, believing privately that Akari could be in league with Otento.<p>

The next day...

* * *

><p>The sounds in the classroom were noises she'd gotten accustomed to: papers shuffling about, graphite moving across the surface of said papers, the teacher droning on and on, students whispering in the back, and last but definitely not least, sounds of complete and utter irritation from multiple people, Akari included. She rubbed at her forehead as the teacher continued on, showing the biggest problem on the chalkboard and moving rather quickly. As he went on about adding both sides and taking reciprocals, then distributing to the parentheses, Akari made another small sound under her breath and simply marked off the symbols on the page, replacing them with symbols she knew and recognized. That was easy enough now that she'd gotten the basic ones down, but she wasn't able to keep up with the teacher's thinking and speaking, wasn't able to comprehend what was going on as he continued on and on. By the time he set his chalk down and turned to the class, her head was in her hand and her pencil was laying on her desk, her breathing heavy as she tried her best to control her anger at not being able to keep up. <em>Stupid school, stupid human language. Stupid symbols and stupid-<em>

She cut her thoughts off entirely and sat up once more with a huge intake of air, slowly releasing it through her lips and meeting the gaze of the teacher, who raised a brow at her, but continued on talking anyways. _Why do I have to sit in the front? _"Now, you have two days to get this packet done and hand it in. Normally it would be an overnight homework assignment, but the sports club has events tonight, and school policy requires an extra day. _Do not _wait until the last minute to work on it, because I guarantee you will not finish it, and even if you do, you'd fail because you rushed. Do not be that student." Again, his eyes flashed to her, but he paced the room, eyes roving over each student. "You have twenty minutes to work on this in class."

As soon as he was done talking, students began moving their desks around to join into groups, feigning work to simply indulge themselves in the latest gossip from around the campus. Meanwhile, Akari picked up her pencil and again looked down at her papers, going over the problem they'd just finished together and trying to put it into demon terms in her mind.

The effort merely left her wishing to bash her head on the desk. Repeatedly.

~!**!~

Hiei moved through the treeline again, looking for the fifth time for a comfortable spot to sit. Each spot had something wrong with it, whether it be weak branches or the sunlight directly in his eyes, he just couldn't find a place to be comfortable. So he continued to move through tree after tree after tree, all the while checking the windows of the school building to ensure no one saw him moving about, not that he was too worried about it.

For the past week and a half, he had done this very same thing. He'd visited the school to keep watch, searching for not only the blonde male he had witnessed passing by Toriko's home and visiting with Akari, but keep his eyes on said demoness and Toriko, making sure nothing happened under the radar. After all, there wasn't much Kurama would be able to do from within the school walls, so he was simple back up, though he hadn't enlightened the fox demon of his presence and his reasons behind it.

Finally, he found a spot that was just right and dropped to his backside so that his back rested on the trunk. His eyes continued to survey each classroom until he laid eyes on the very room where the people he was watching were, and as usual, they were all as they were supposed to be.

He'd been surprised that nothing had happened over the past week. He'd been expecting an attack of some sort. And yet here he sit, still waiting on such a thing, but not seeing any signs of one pending. _*** **_

Toriko rushed out of the building as quickly as she could manage being caught up in the crowd of students attempting to do the same thing. She had not forgotten breaking down in front of Kurama last week and had no desire to go through the trauma again. Perhaps if he happened to catch her, she could convince him that she would practice on Maneshi instead. Or something. Anything to not have to go through that again.

Jostled into the courtyard, Toriko took little notice of a few girls around her grouping together and talking, some of them hurrying over to a corner near the gate and bunching up together around a taller male in the midst of them, concentrating instead on getting out of sight before Kurama decided to pounce or corner her.

"Toriko!"

She ignored the voice, head down, pretending as if she hadn't heard.

"Excuse me, ladies. I am otherwise engaged at the moment, but I would _love _to continue conversing with you all at a later date." Otento walked out from the middle of the group that had formed around him and joined Toriko as she walked out of the gate. He wore the pink male uniform of Meiou High, but his hair and eyes made him stick out almost as much as Kurama.

"May I walk you home?" He asked, though it was rhetorical as he intended to go whether she wanted him to or not.

Toriko was not sure what to make of him, though she knew for a fact that he could not have been a student to her knowledge. She said nothing to him, hoping her silence would bore him and send him away.3

Akari, like normal, took her time in leaving the school building, this time even less happy about the work she'd been given and even less likely to work on it than any others. So with her bag over her shoulder and her breathing forced to be calm, she thought of other things. _Maybe I'll pay a visit to the park again today, earlier though. A nap would be lovely, _she thought as she glanced back at her bag. She didn't want to carry it with her, but she didn't have a choice. _Maybe Nabu will watch over it for me. On second thought, that's a no go, the forgetful thing would let it fall and the wind would carry away everything except the papers I hate most. _Her thoughts made her headache return all over again as she pushed the main doors open and stepped onto the school grounds.

She continued walking, her eyes forward. Had she been looking around like most days, she wouldn't have noticed something that was out of the normality. Her eyes narrowed at the mess of blonde hair that popped from a crowd and joined a bustling Toriko, and it wasn't hard for her to guess the male. She knew not of his name, but she knew that stature; she'd memorized it a week and a half ago. Her mind reeled and she watched curiously as the male accompanied Toriko until they were out of her sight. Akari merely stood there, staring in the direction that they had walked.

~!**!~

Hiei sat up as soon as the bell tolled and he began searching the crowd of students that seemed to pour from the building. His ruby gaze roved over each individual until he found Toriko, the first to emerge out of the three he'd been watching over. He followed her trail, at first not noticing the group of human females that were grouped around a male in uniform. But the moment he broke away from the barrage of flirtatious humans, Hiei's eyes narrowed at their backs.

_Third time, _he thought to himself, his eyes darkening as he turned his head to search for another person. And, as he suspected, she stood watching the two walk away. Hiei's thoughts solidified into action as he turned and began leaping trees, deciding to follow Toriko rather than see what happened with Akari next. After all, Kurama was still on the grounds, but Toriko was alone with someone who was very much a demon, a suspect and a threat in Hiei's mind. And he was not about to let the male make an attack on Toriko without interference, whether she was an official part of the group or not.

After all, demons were not to become known to the human populace. *

Otento went on and on about absolutely nothing as far as Toriko could tell, and no matter how quickly she walked, his long stride allowed him to easily keep a pace with her.

When she arrived at her doorstep, she said nothing, unlocking the door and stepping inside, closing and locking it behind her, leaving Otento on her doorstep staring, his mouth slightly open.

He checked himself, rolling his shoulders and closing his mouth, glaring a bit at the door as if it really were a big hindrance to whatever progress he thought he was making in getting closer to 'Toriko.'

"I'll see you tomorrow, then!" He called, acting as if the entire situation had been planned and walking back down to the sidewalk. His expression darkened and he glanced over his shoulder at the house even as he disappeared down the street.

Toriko leaned her back heavily on the door, thanking her luck that he had not attempted to shove his way in, as she felt sure she would not have been able to stop him.

She placed her things on the couch to her right and her eyes strayed to the kitchen, but food was not her current project.

Free of the fear of Kurama insisting on working with her again, Toriko wandered the house calling for her cat, finding him once again in her bedroom, though this time he lay on the floor in the sunbeam shining through her open window.

She almost didn't want to bother him, looking so peaceful in his sleep, one paw twitching, so instead of immediately gathering him into her arms, she lay down beside him and wondered if she could wake him up with her powers, attempting to find where her energy lay and trying to tap into it, meeting with minimal success.

The sunbeam warmed her body, though, and made it hard to concentrate, and so she gave in to the feeling of slumber and let her eyes close.3

~!**!~

Akari watched the area disband for a moment before turning and continuing on her way, not surprised when a bounding Nabu hopped up to her side, yipping and wagging his tail excitedly. "_You'll never guess what I did today!" _he yipped excitedly, bouncing around and around her as she moved down the sidewalk, constantly adjusting her pace to keep from trampling him.

"Bury another bone that a stranger gave you?"

"_No! Better!"_

"And what could possibly be better than hiding a treat?" she asked, her eyes moving down to him curiously though her mind was elsewhere. "I highly doubt you can top that," she mused dryly.

"_I followed a strange person, and he lead me here! Oh, that's not what I wanted to tell you! I-"_

"A strange person?"

"_- got into a store today and grabbed something for-"_

"Nabu, elaborate."

"_-your anger. You've been getting really mad lately, and it scares me, so I found something to help you with that weird work you've been doing! A book of symbols! It even has your funny writing in it!"_

Akari raised a brow at him and sighed as she continued her way home. "You found a book?" She paused as she went over his words again, and her mind reeled. "You **stole **a book, Nabu? Are you stupid? Why would you do that? You're aiming to get me killed."

"_Well, this man with a net was chasing me and I just ran in there, saw it on the floor, and ran out. It's full of symbols that I've seen you use before!"_

"I can't believe you."

"_What, you do worse, hurting others emotionally. and I bet with your hands too…"_

"Shut up, Nabu, or you'll be one of those people."

"_I knew it."_

~!**!~

Hiei followed the pair until they were at her house and he was standing across the road from them. For a moment, he felt anger, thinking that the male would enter the house. However, when he witnessed the door being shut in the blonde's face, the fire demon felt an immense amount of satisfaction and, surprisingly, relief. He stood there for a few moments before crossing the street at a leisurely pace, unable to keep from mingling with the humans for a bit before he disappeared from any of their views.

He walked around the house once to ensure no one else was around, though he felt confident that there hadn't been from the beginning, before turning and looking up at the open bedroom window. He contemplated for a moment before turning away and hopping into a nearby tree, careful enough to stay out of view in case she was able to see through the window at that moment. When he turned and looked through the window, he found himself surprised by the peaceful expression he was met with. Toriko lay on her bed, either close to or already in the midst of slumber, laying beside a small cat that twitched an ear and paw, obviously sleeping as well.

Hiei stared for a minute, watching the way the sun glistened against her hair, momentarily mesmerized. However, he snapped out of it before too long and got comfortable higher up than normal, to ensure he wouldn't be seen. He settled in to keep watch for either Akari or the man, his determination to ensure neither of them showed up great enough to keep him out of the state of thinking about a small nap as well.*

When Toriko woke up on the floor, the sunbeam had moved, as had the cat with it, closer to the windowsill. She rolled over onto her stomach and watched Maneshi's tail twitch as if in a dream, bending her knees and kicking her legs absently in the air over her head as she considered his sleek fur.

Her mind returned to her energy and she wondered if she could pull the cat out of his sleep. She sat up, facing the window, and removed her glasses, holding onto them with one hand as she stared at the cat, trying to remember what Kurama said the last time they were together.

Find where the energy rested. Tap into it.

Her eyes started to tingle and she opened her mouth to speak, "Wake up, my darling."

She felt her entire body beginning to buzz and she slipped further into it, the tone of her voice changing, coaxing, "Sleep no more. Awake and come to me." Her words were filled with unspoken dreams, deep desires made complete, calling the sleeper out from his slumber.3

Hiei had fallen asleep, not very much to his surprise, but this time, he hadn't dreamt. He was in a peacefully light slumber that allowed him to be just a bit aware of his surroundings, but at the same time earn some rest. So, when he felt himself being pulled into waking, he thought it might be because someone near the streets were stirring him in his sleep by perhaps lingering too long. His eyes slid open as if he'd been awake but merely resting his eyes. He looked around a bit more until a voice caught his ears.

His entire body stiffened at the feel of energy inside the house, but his mind told him he knew the source. As he turned to look inside the window from above, he found himself watching curiously, a brow raised as his ears picked up on her gentle words, her soft voice that had coaxed him from sleep. As she spoke, his entire being told him to obey, to move forward, but his curiosity held him in place.

Once he figured out that she was trying to tap into her energy like she had with Kurama- and was succeeding in doing so but not getting anything done- he scoffed and dropped to the windowsill, land perfectly on the ledge and crossing his arms at the girl, his expression a bit dark and commanding. "Just what do you think you are doing?" he inquired, his tone only aggressive enough to convey he was not going to accept a roundabout answer. _*** **_

Toriko started back when Hiei dropped into view, any semblance of concentration gone, and she dropped her energy, staring wide-eyed at him with her mouth open a little.

"I-I, uh," She found she couldn't manage any other words but to stare at him, his sudden appearance taking her completely by surprise.

The cat in the sunbeam woke up almost immediately once his light and warmth was blocked and he stretched and cast a dark glare at Hiei before getting up and leaving the room with his tail high, not one for strangers.

Toriko found herself watching the cat get up, ruefully considering how it didn't take much to pull it from sleep.

"I-I was trying to wake him up." She finally managed to say truthfully, finding her voice when she wasn't looking directly at Hiei and continuing to watch the cat as it sauntered out of the room.

When the cat was gone, she turned to her hands sitting in her lap and fiddled with the pleats on the long skirt of her uniform, uncomfortable under Hiei's penetrating gaze. 3

Hiei didn't care about the feline leaving, since to him it was a mere distraction. His brow raised high on his forehead as Toriko stammered, waiting as patiently as he could for an answer. He noted that she wouldn't look him in the eye, or even at him at all, keeping her gaze on the cat as it moved across the room and disappeared out the door. With her answer, his brow raised even higher, though it hadn't seemed possible. "With your energy?" He clarified, eyes slowly narrowing only a fraction. Even as the feline disappeared from sight, she wouldn't look at him, though his eyes never moved from her face, as if she'd give away something in her expressions. "And why would you do that? The mere creature has no reason to berated with demonic energy. After all, too high of a dose for such a weak thing could kill it, and I assume you're fond of the thing." _*** **_

"Um, yes?" There was no point in lying to him. Humans weren't normally aware enough to feel energy of any sort, but Toriko assumed Hiei had or he would not be standing on her windowsill.

"For the practice?" She was reluctant to reveal her ineptitude, though she figured if he felt her attempt he also felt her failure at it. She finally slipped her glasses over her eyes, unsure why she hadn't immediately put them on in the first place, but still refused to look up at him.

"It hasn't ever bothered him before. He mostly just ignores me." She mumbled the last part to herself. "A-and I've never killed anything. Ever."

At that she looked defiantly up into his face. She may not have remembered much of her past, but that was a truth she knew for a fact. She looked back down at her lap, her voice quiet, "What do you care, anyway?" 3

Hiei stared hard at Toriko as she answered, her voice wavering only a touch. At her words of practice, his expression shifted and he gave a small look of irritation. Especially when she began to defend herself. "It matters not if you've killed before," he said over her, meeting her gaze behind her thick lenses. "If you do not have control, it can happen at any moment, no matter the amount of energy you use." His tone became steely and he removed his hands from his pockets, dropping into the room. As she asked her most recent question, her voice wavering and unsure, his eyes darkened. "Do you think Koenma wants an unstable demon in his team, or even roaming the streets? Being unable to control your power is like a serial killer being unable to control his knife-holding hand. It defeats the purpose of staying hidden, staying low until the next strike. And anything can happen. You're unpredictable; a liability." His eyes shifted to the door as he thought of the feline. "And if you can't persuade a simpleminded creature such as a cat into doing as you want, then you are inept of doing much of any good. Your unpredictability will solidify into your power running rampant, until it searches for a way to release itself after being unused because you are _afraid _to exercise your own strength on someone who is clearly able to handle himself." Now, without actually meaning to, he spoke of their session- her's and Kurama's- last week. "You cannot control a power you are afraid of, especially if you keep holding back. And I will not allow someone who has no control over their abilities to roam and cause unnecessary trouble." _*** **_

As Hiei continued speaking, Toriko's jaw began to clench tighter and tighter, her nostrils flaring a bit until he finished, "You speak out of turn, _boy. _I have lived in this plane longer than you have."

Here she stood up, almost trembling in anger at his words, to look him directly in the eye, taking a step closer until their noses were only a few inches apart, "And was probably wandering Demon World before you were even born. If I was as much of a liability as you _presume_ then I would have been caught fifteen years ago when I first set foot on human soil."

Her scalp began to tingle and she clenched her fists together at her sides, taking a shaky breath before suddenly releasing the tension that built up in her system, stepping away from him and casting her eyes back down to the floor as the tingle dissipated along with her anger.

"I-I am out of practice. I know. But I only became interested at Kurama's behest. I'd just as soon not be what I am." She seemed at a loss for words, at a loss for any course of action, her eyes solemn and sad. 3

Hiei was a bit taken aback by the sudden closeness of Toriko, though he didn't show it. Not in the least. He simply stood his ground and met her glare head on, listening to the change not only in her words, but in her voice and even in her aura. Something sparked in the very recesses of his mind, telling him something that he hadn't considered yet. Especially when she suddenly backed down, acting completely on the contrary of what she'd just been saying, her voice going from strong and confident, angry, to soft and nervous, as if she thought he'd strike her for getting so close. His eyes widened a fraction, but his expression stayed neutral for the most part. He stepped up to her after a moment, again closing the gap between them and forcing her to meet his gaze. "What do you fear?" he suddenly asked, his tone mutual, a contradiction to his earlier demanding tone. "What makes you hold back? Because I can assure you, Kurama is capable of fending you off if you do something stupid." _*****_

Now his closeness seemed overpowering without her anger driving her and Toriko flinched, but his questions were valid. What exactly was it she feared? She feared many things. Her past, her memories...herself. And these all made her hold back in most aspects of life. But...as for the redhead...

"I...I do not wish...t-to lose my friendship with Kurama." She finally managed to stammer.

It was rather simple, really.

Kurama had pursued her for companionship a couple of years ago on his picking up on her not being human, and they were fast friends. He was the first being in a long time that enjoyed her company simply for who she was in all her awkward, stammering glory. She felt a sort of kinship with him, a familiarity she could not explain that went beyond the short time they had known each other, and it was a precious commodity to someone who had found themselves utterly alone for over a decade in a realm that was not their home.

"H-have you ever been alone, Hiei?" Her voice was quieter this time, but grew in strength as she continued. "Utterly and completely alone? Forced into a realm you know nothing about because you never considered it beyond the briefest of thoughts, forced away from all the familiar things you ever knew? Leaving behind any face you'd ever recognized?"

She took a breath and continued, "Even humans will form communes or gangs, associating with those like them, rarely traveling for long by themselves, but what about when there are none of your own kind around? ...the isolation year after year will almost drive one mad."

She let out a gentle scoff, "I am a pitiful excuse for a...a..."

She had a hard time even saying the word, admitting what she truly was, "I shouldn't care what Kurama thinks of me or what happens if I actually use my abilities on him...and yet, I can't bring myself to...do it." 3

Hiei couldn't fight the scoff that left his lips at her words. The sound was much louder than he had intended, though he didn't regret the sound. He took a closer look at Toriko, his crimson eyes frowning at her more than his lips were. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. But when he scoffed a second time, he let the words flow from his mouth. "If you lose friends, then were they ever really friends?" He wasn't wise like Kurama- at least not to that degree- and he certainly didn't know very much about friendships, but his ideas about them seemed to be things he observed over the many years he'd been alive. He wasn't one for friendships, but he figured that if he knew anything, he knew this: if you truly cared for someone, you wouldn't simply walk away from them. It was something he experienced with Yukina, though he'd never admit it.

At her next question, about him being alone, he merely stared at her. His expression didn't change at all. Flashes of memories clouded his vision for a few seconds, but no longer than necessary. Normally, he would have barked a remark at such a question, but as memories suddenly continued to berate his mind's eye, he felt that he didn't have the energy to do so. So, he merely stepped away from her. His lips formed into a sneer and his eyes shifted around the room before looking at her again. "If you really want the answer to that question, you should ask your _friend._." he enunciated, referring of course to Kurama. After all, Kurama knew just about all there was to know about them all. He turned and pulled himself onto the windowsill, getting comfortable on the edge so that the sun filtered onto the edge of the planes of his face, warming his left cheek just a bit. "Fearing your own energy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he grumbled, not looking at Toriko. _*****_

Once his back was turned, Toriko's eyes narrowed again, her anger stirring somewhere within her.

"You obviously don't understand, nor do I expect you to. Neither am I in a place where I can explain anything to anyone, friend or not, because the simple knowledge will influence them into-" She shook her head, stopped her sentence as she realized how wordy she was about to get.

"You know what? Forget it. Kurama can't know. You can't know. Neither of you will ever _get it._" She turned away in a huff, "Because as soon as you _do _get it- Nevermind. It doesn't matter." Not caring one whit what he did next, she followed the cat out of the room, but headed downstairs, hungry. 3

Hiei, for the most part, ignored the sudden tantrum from Toriko, though it hadn't been much of one. He'd expected her to get angry, perhaps even yell at him, so when she merely cut her own words off and left, he decided to let her go. Normally he would have smart remarks or perhaps he would desire to push her further than her limits, but for the moment, he held no interest in doing so. Her problems were her problems, and he didn't understand why he himself was so bothered by it. He propped an arm on his knee and turned to watch the streets below. He angled his head so that the sunlight didn't shine directly into his eyes, as it seemed it was intent on doing, but he became bored much too quickly. His eyes turned to inspect the door that slowly shut with the evening's breeze, giving a soft click. His ears however tuned into the movement downstairs, listening to Toriko move about.

Part of him did want to argue with her, to prove to her by means of force that holding back was a waste of time and would do no good, like he would with anyone else. But another part of him, the stronger part of him it seemed, held him in his spot, pushing away memories that she had triggered with her inquiries. He briefly recalled his days in demon world, the surrounding around him melting into a scene he had recalled a thousand times- being tossed over a ledge and into icy waters. His mind tried forcing him to remember more, but he immediately shut them out and closed his eyes, resting his head back against the frame of the windowsill. He thought he had dealt with them already.

Movement in the grass below caught his attention and, instinctively, he shifted his gaze below, searching for a threat, only to find a small rabbit hopping from bush to bush, searching for berries or whatever they ate- hell, Hiei didn't know nor care. He scoffed at himself, mentally scolding himself for becoming so ridiculous. He moved to stand, considering leaving, even looking to the closest branch that he would easily get to before moving to another napping area._*****_

Toriko stomped down the stairs. How was she supposed to explain that if she used her powers on Kurama he would never look at her the same again? Everyone always said the same thing, 'It'll be fine, Shikiyoku.' 'Don't worry about me, Shikiyoku.' 'Just this once, Shikiyoku.''You won't know until we try, Shikiyoku.'

...Toriko froze to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, one hand still on the banister and one foot on the floor, one just about to leave the last stair. What had she just thought?

Shili...shali...shiki...

Toriko frowned and shook her head, tossing unbidden memories into the darkest corner of her mind that she could manage and promptly moving her mind onto more pleasant thoughts. Like ice cream. Yes. The whole bucket, in fact. Maybe that would drown her misery.

She walked over to the freezer and grabbed a bucket of chocolate this time, opening the silverware drawer for a spoon and dropping to the tile floor against the refrigerator, sitting cross-legged with the bucket in her lap and ripping the lid off, letting it clatter to the ground next to her, leaning over the bucket and diving her spoon into the cold dessert before putting it up to her mouth and taking the bite, resting back against the fridge as she tried to forget anything she had been attempting to remember.3

Hiei stared at the door behind him, a brow raised as he recalled words of frustration. Suddenly, he scoffed at himself and dropped from the window, feet meeting the soft carpet of the bedroom once more. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and moved until he stood in front of the door, still contemplating. After a few moments, he made a noise under his breath and pulled the door open, turning and walking down the stairs at a leisurely pace. He passed the feline on his way down, the cat glaring at him before running back up the stairs, not that he minded.

When his feet hit the floor below the last step he paused and listened to his surroundings, at first not recognizing the sound he heard. He refrained from raising a brow and turned to follow the noise, and boy was he surprised to see the girl on the floor, scraping a spoon against her teeth as she shoved what he assumed to be sweet snow into her mouth. He felt his expression shift and his eyebrows twitch at random, his mind completely baffled by the odd sight. He'd seen some amusing things before, but the scene of Toriko curled up, hunched over an open container and stuffing food into her mouth definitely left him stunned. His eyes were wider than usual, his cheek twitching just a bit, fighting the motion his lips seemed to want to make without his permission.

He finally regained his composure and stood up straight again, his expression calm and muscles no longer twitching involuntarily. "Is this how you cope?" He voiced, trying to figure out just what exactly he was seeing. Never before had he seen something like this, and he just was not sure how to feel about it. _*** **_

Toriko's lips twitched, but she chunked the spoon at his face.

"You should try it." She reached over into the drawer next to her and grabbed a second spoon, returning to her bucket, but scooted over to make room if he decided to join her. 3

Hiei instinctively caught the spoon in the journey it made through the air, just before it collided with his face. He stared at the object for a moment before turning his crimson eyes back to Toriko, unsure of what was going on still. Again, he felt an eyebrow twitch in confusion before it settled back into place and he merely gave a small sigh, something he didn't normally sound. "How ridiculous," he grumbled as he stepped forward, spoon in hand as he crouched in front of her, balancing on the balls of his feet as he watched her continue on eating as if he weren't there at all. After a moment of inspection, he gave in and shifted to sit beside her, having gotten a scoop of it before moving away and tasting the new flavor she had presented.

The taste was sweet, like the one she had given him a week ago, but much more so, at least to him. The taste was different, but delicious all the same. Before long, he had another spoonful in his mouth, simply giving in to the sweet snow and its temptation as a whole. _*****_

Toriko balanced the bucket on one knee between them as they took turns scooping the treat out from inside.

When they had demolished half of the contents, Toriko stopped, licking her spoon and handing Hiei the bucket before standing and putting her spoon down in the sink.

"I have homework. Feel free to finish it if you like it." She wandered back upstairs and sat down on the carpet to start her school work.3

Hiei considered the bucket now in his possession , his crimson orbs roving over the creamy treat that was melting in his mouth at that very moment. He sifted the contents around on his tongue, momentarily taking a moment to process how much they'd eaten. As soon as the spoonful in his mouth had melted and he had swallowed it, he stuck another spoonful in his mouth and looked up to watch Toriko walk away, completely unaware of the peculiar expression on his face that, normally, he wouldn't show. He felt conflicted: eat the rest now, or put it away and possibly have more another day? He stuck the empty spoon between his lips again in thought before turning his eyes to the freezer, slowly making up his mind. After a single spoonful more, he shoved the lid onto the top, fiddling with it for a moment before it finally fit snugly, and he simply tossed it into the freezer with the other contents. With the spoon still in his mouth, having actually forgotten it, he headed upstairs as well, curious about the work of the humans.

He had seen the school, but never any of what they did inside the walls, though he admittedly was extremely curious. So he walked forward until he was reading over her shoulder, only realizing the spoon was still between his lips when the handle jabbed against the base of her neck and caused it to collide with the roof of his mouth. The pain of it caused him to groan and yank it from his mouth, almost chunking it across the room, but refraining and simply taking to staring at it with realization. _How could I have forgotten to put this away? __*****_

Toriko hadn't even heard Hiei enter the room, much less come up behind her, but she did feel the sharp stabbing pain just underneath her hairline and she slapped her hand on the spot, shifting around to look behind her just in time to see Hiei's obvious expression of pain, his lips curling away from the metal as he spat the utensil into a hand and held his jaw open in discomfort to glare at it.

Toriko shot up and spun around to face him, her own pain forgotten, "Are you hurt?"

That question was dumb, but she followed it up as she continued to move towards him, "Did you break a tooth?"

She grabbed the lower part of his jaw in one hand and forced him to look at her, using the other hand to slip her glasses up onto the top of her head and yanking his mouth open farther as she did so, getting as close to his face as she could and squinting down his open maw to check.3

Hiei hadn't really had much time to react before Toriko was in his face, a hand on his jaw and practically forcing his mouth open. His eyes widened in surprise before a moment, leaving him stunned still in his spot as she inspected him, the other hand moving her glasses from her face. For a moment, he merely stared at her, then he waved his hand as if to wave her away, attempting to pull away, but her grip tightened and he froze, confused. He lightly sniffed at the air, though not enough to be noticeable by the nearby party. _What is that? _he thought, eyes roving over the room and even the person in front of him. He sniffed again before his mind made the connection, producing an image in his head of a small, red fruit. His eyes narrowed a fraction as he watched her carefully, trying to speak with his mouth open, but only managing to make incoherent noise that even he didn't recognize. When he gave up on speaking, his eyes traveled to her hair and he sniffed lightly again. This time, he was confident her hair smelled of strawberries, and he found himself curious. Slowly, he moved a hand with the intent of ruffling through her hair, finding himself wondering if the reason she always kept it so tightly wrapped in a bun was due to hiding strawberries, or rather, the seeds to grow them.

Suddenly, he felt rationality cut into his musings, telling him that it was a ridiculous notion. How could seeds _possibly _awaken a feline from slumber? So, he let his hand drop to his side and simply relaxed, deciding he'd wait just as patient as he could until her inspection was done. *

She let go of him after a moment more, seeing no permanent damage to any of his teeth, but thought the expression in his eyes seemed strange, "Are you okay?" She asked again.3

Hiei snapped his eyes back to Toriko, not realizing he'd been inspecting her hair. He raised a brow and scoffed, his lips tilting into an amused sneer. He met her gaze evenly to let her see the amusement clearly. "You aren't my mother, yet you act like a worried human."

Toriko blinked in surprise at his tone.

"Doesn't everyone need someone to worry about? And someone to worry about them?"

She snatched the spoon out of his hand in a more derisive manner, to hide her tender words and mock her own ridiculous questions, "I mean, honestly I'm more concerned about my spoon."

She coddled it with both hands as she turned to go out the door, cooing as sarcastically as she could manage, "Big ole meany fire demons with their pointy teeth leaving scuff marks all over you, huh? Poor, poor, defenseless shard of metal."

As she turned to go down the stairs she stuck her tongue out at him, primly putting her nose in the air as she walked out of his sight, continuing down the stairs to put the spoon in the sink with its mate. 3

Hiei felt muscles in his face twitch just a bit at her initial words, confused about how he felt about them. His stomach had done something odd and made him feel strange, but as she continued talking. His eyebrows drew together and his expression shifted to one of mock irritation. As she continued to ramble about the damaged spoon, he found himself tracing her every move with his eyes, fighting a sound of exasperation, though he didn't exactly feel exasperated. Perhaps tired, was the right word. "You are possibly the most irritating being I've met," he paused, eyes roving to the ceiling, "excluding Kuwabara." As she walked away and out of his sight, Hiei stuffed his hands into the pockets of his cloak, following after her leisurely, merely out of curiosity to see what she'd do next.

After all, speaking to a spoon had never occurred to his mind to be something she would do, and it definitely left him curious about her next actions. *

"Kuwabara?" Toriko said the name thoughtfully before she recalled the other, larger redhead of the group. "Hmph."

She unceremoniously dumped the spoon into the sink, but before being able to do anything else, nearly jumped out of her skin when someone rang the doorbell. No one ever rang her doorbell. Suddenly very conscious that her glasses were on top of her head, Toriko bit her lip and pulled them down back over her eyes, slowly started to move towards the door, swallowing nervously as she stepped from the tile back to the carpet.

She unlocked and opened the door to find Kurama smiling down at her.

"H-hi!" She stammered unceremoniously.

"Good evening, Toriko!" He tilted his head a little, still smiling pleasantly. "I meant to catch you after school today and ask if you wanted to have dinner? I thought I would cook this time, and afterwards perhaps have a tutoring session?"

Toriko opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, conflicted and suddenly very uncomfortable. She had very specifically escaped school grounds as quickly as possible earlier because she'd thought Kurama would approach her on this matter. Now that he stood at her doorstep, it seemed impolite to turn him away, but she couldn't bear the thought of going through the same ordeal as last week. Crying in front of another was something she reserved as a once in a lifetime event and now was too soon to consider doing it again.3

Hiei slowly stepped down the stairs, not replying whr Toriko repeated the human's name. As soon as he set foot on the last step, he heard a sound echo through the home that he recognized easily as a doorbell, and he paused briefly, inspecting the energy he had somehow missed. As soon as he recognized Kurama's energy, he relaxed, but stayed where he stood, hidden from view, for a moment. He suddenly recalled something he hadn't yet had the chance to speak to the fox demon about yet, and instinctively he stepped off the last stair and into view of the doorway, his expression blank as he caught the green gaze of his friend. After a small moment to take in his friend's pleasant air of cheer, he opened his mouth to speak, not missing the sudden air around Toriko either. "We already ate," he said casually, removing his hands from his pockets, "and I have things to do." He moved forward, nodding his farewell at Toriko, not even waiting for a reaction before his eyes turned to convey his silent message to Kurama that said "_We need to talk". *_

"Oh!" Kurama seemed genuinely surprised at Hiei's presence in the house, but quickly recovered, hearing Hiei's request and picking back up with, "Well, if that's the case, another time then, Toriko."

He went on, hoping to smooth things over in case Toriko felt awkward, "I'm glad Hiei was here, I've been needing to speak with him." He nodded his goodbye to Toriko and turned to follow Hiei down the steps to the sidewalk, knowing Hiei would begin speaking whenever he wished.

Hiei lead the way down the sidewalk calmly, slowly, almost leisurely as his mind roved over the few things he'd discovered in the past few days. At the first topic that popped into his mind, he felt the irritation the swelled up, even felt it making his eyes darken, even if just a tad. He waited until he was sure they were out of sight of Toriko's home before speaking up, just loud enough that the sounds of the busy city would keep humans from listening in, but Kurama could still keep up with the conversation. "Have you noticed a visitor lately?" he inquired bluntly, his red eyes shifting to his friend, not waiting for a reaction. "There's a demon wandering around, completely able to hide his energy." He paused, waiting to tell Kurama the rest of what he wanted to say until he saw his reaction, heard what he had to say about the matter. Surely if Kurama knew about it, he would also know that the demon was interested in a single member of the group, for now anyways. *

Kurama looked thoughtfully into the night air, "Hm. I believe I know who you're talking about, yes. White-blonde hair? Tall? He somehow got a hold of a Meiou High uniform and was on the grounds today after school let out. I didn't think anyone else had noticed him yet, though." He looked down at the fire demon quizzically, unsure how Hiei knew about him unless Hiei had taken to following Kurama about at school again. 3

Hiei nodded at Kurama once to show he acknowledged that Kurama knew who he was referring to, and he waited an extra moment for him to continue on, say something about seeing him multiple times like the fire demon had. But when he glanced at the redhead from the corner of his eyes and caught his waiting expression, Hiei frowned and turned his eyes forward. "He's been around Toriko. Repeatedly. Passing by her home at least twice now, following her the equal amount of times." He stopped talking to allow it to sink into his friend's mind, glancing at Kurama to watch his reaction. *

Kurama's expression darkened, "I was afraid her run-in with him as he walked her home from school today was not the first time they crossed paths. And I don't think Toriko is to blame. She's never mentioned anyone like him to me before, and I would hope if someone was truly bothering her she would speak up and let someone know."3

Hiei's eyes continued to darken further as he watched Kurama from the corner of his eye. "I don't think she's completely noticed his recurring presence yet. At least, not as a threat to make her nervous enough to speak up." He paused and turned his eyes forward again. "Which brings me to the next issue. You aren't pushing her hard enough." He didn't clarify at first, since he figured Kurama knew exactly what he was talking about. "She's been using her pet as a target, and failing might I add. She's controlled by her own fear." *

Kurama kept his expression as neutral as possible, "Actually I'm the one who suggested Maneshi in the first place. I think she's afraid of her energy messing with my mind somehow, and as her abilities do not manifest in a physically-harmful manner, I saw nothing wrong with it if it helped her along." 3

Red orbs shifted to and from Kurama shortly again as the kitsune responded calmly. The fire demon didn't react visibly to the words that reached his ears, but internally he felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to push the issue, but he also knew that he knew next to nothing about the girl who Kurama was watching over, and it wasn't his place to step in. He battled internally with his thoughts for a moment before resigning himself to simply glancing at Kurama once more, this time searching his expression. "As long as you are aware of her instability." he finished, letting that be the conversation ender.*

* * *

><p><span>Shikiyoku<span> - lust; sexual appetite

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	7. Ep 92 - The Man with The Purple Eyes

**A/N: **Hello once again, Readers!

I wanted to issue a warning for this chapter, though I will preface it with NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS, but: if this sort of thing bothers you, know that there is a near-rape scene that occurs, though it is in fact interrupted before anything terribly graphic occurs.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

After Akari finishes with her day of school, her and Nabu head to the park.

~!**!~

Embarrassed at breaking down in front of Kurama, Toriko leaves the school grounds as quickly as possible,  
>trying to avoid another "tutoring" session with the redhead, only to be followed once again by Otento.<br>Once home, she tries her powers on Maneshi, catching Hiei's attention who reprimands her,  
>but also steps in to talk with Kurama when the avatar drops by to ask Toriko about tutoring her.<p>

Hiei expresses his concerns about Otento to Kurama and the two of them agree Otento's actions are rather suspect.

The next day...

* * *

><p>Akari sat back in her desk, completely and utterly frazzled. She'd been this way for the past ten minutes, and nothing seemed able to put her in such a state near as often as the very class she was sitting in. The students were chattering about how they thought they did, all the while Akari was rubbing her temple and doing breathing exercises to calm herself. <em>School, of all things, will be the actual death of me. <em>she thought, causing her breath to hitch in frustration.

"Alright, quiet down," the teacher suddenly called, instantly silencing the room as he moved around his desk and began passing out the tests that they had concluded a while ago. As he paced down the rows and along the lines of students, his voice rang clearly. "Like usual, Shuichi has the top score, but that is about all I can say about this test. There were more low grades than any other test I've issued this semester, and I can't tell you how disappointed I am." When he passed by her and handed her the test with her name on it and a number written in red, circled, he paused. "see me after class," he said under his breath before continuing on. "There are a few of you who did very well," he paused again, this time in front of Toriko, who sat a row across and several seats behind Akari, muttering the same words under his breath to her despite the high grade she had been issued, "but others… You've left me baffled. Stunned. I don't even want to allow retakes on this one because you did so poorly, but then the parents would complain. So, tomorrow morning, I will be holding a small review session for those of you who are **required **to take the retake." His eyes flickered around the room, and here is where Akari stopped listening altogether.

She clenched her teeth in irritation as she glanced at the red fifteen on her paper and thought about the meaning behind him requesting her audience after class. It took everything in her power not to simply let her head fall and collide harshly with the wooden surface of her own desk, but the action would likely only get her into more trouble.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and the teacher was calling farewell to his students as he settled into his chair at his desk again, this time his eyes watching the people move about in his room until it was almost vacated. *

Kurama accepted his paper with a nod at the professor, and his ears caught both instances of a 'see me after class' comment, the first to Akari, the second to Toriko. When he glanced briefly over his shoulder to see how Toriko took the news, he saw her cheeks turn pink and her eyes quickly scan her own test, searching for the grade. Her expression held only a slight bit of relief, so Kurama assumed the grade must have been high, but that only led him to wonder further as to why she would be needed after class. Surely...surely she was not meant to...

Kurama turned back to face forward, unsure if he would be able to contain his amusement at the prospect. He wouldn't be called for tutoring in this instance as he already had three different math students to tutor for, two below them in grade and another in a different class period, but the thought of poor Toriko being stuck with the fiery Akari struck him as funny.

When the last bell of the day rang, Kurama began gathering his things together as he customarily did, though more methodically this time, standing up and trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, not willing to miss the opportunity to hear the news for himself.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Toriko, her things already in her arms or placed deep within her messenger bag, scurry through the students to the front, in a hurry as usual to get home.

The professor rumbled something at Toriko about waiting until Akari shuffled her way up there, her entire being radiating annoyance at the bother of it all.

"Toriko. I know I would normally delegate something like this to Minamino, but he has a lot on his plate, and your score on this particular test was the second highest in this class, so I'm assigning Akari seven hours of tutoring with you before the re-take."

"Y-yes, sir." Toriko stammered, bowing.

"_Ouch. Seven hours with __**her**__." _Kurama wouldn't have wished that on anyone, especially Toriko, and he felt as if he'd stalled as long as reasonably possible in getting his things together, so he headed out the door.

Toriko didn't really know what to do or say to the demon girl who walked with her the entire way out to the school grounds, so she stayed quiet and let the girl vent as she needed to.3

Akari had taken her sweet, dear time gathering her things, being extra sure to stuff the test out of her sight and into the very recesses of her bag before slowly shuffling to the front of the class- not that it was too far, since she sat on the first row. She had given a small huff at herself merely to keep herself in check before she stood in front of the teacher, bag in her hand and dangling at her side almost lazily as she listened silently. By the time he was done talking, her shoulders were stiffened with anxiety and frustration. Defiance. However, she bowed her head respectfully and moved to leave the room as quickly as possible without giving herself time to grumble something under her breath and cause more issues for herself.

The moment she felt that she was out of earshot of the classroom, Akari let her expression shift to one of complete and utter irritation, to match the air around her, and her mouth opened immediately. "I will not be staying today. I have better things to do than sit around and read ridiculously large textbooks, especially for seven hours." Her tone was quietly angry, though her eyes smoldered with the feelings she'd been cooping up for the past few days. between repeatedly testing her illusions and completely failing in the school she'd allowed herself to be enrolled in, her stress had been mounting up until she felt buried in pent up anger that she wouldn't be able to release without a human bearing witness, or even drawing attention from other demons in the city- namely Koenma's team. And now that this had been added to that pile, she felt ready to pop. "And do not expect me to simply sit around patiently while you give me the same load of crock that the professor gives." She hadn't realized she was venting until she reached the main hallway that stretched to the main doors, and when she did realize, she clamped her jaw shut tightly, only for another comment to escape through her teeth. "This is ridiculous."

As she continued down the hall, not even noticing she was still keeping up pace with Toriko, she made incoherent sounds under her breath that, if clarified, would have been words that she didn't use very often, yet she found them saying them more and more each day. Before now, she'd never seen the purpose behind the colorful language the humans had used, but now she found herself unable to use any other type of vocabulary to express herself.

"Stop it," she growled at herself as she pushed the front doors open, her stride picking up so that she sped her pace up just a bit, intending to leave Toriko behind. But something caught her attention, bringing her out of her thoughts and silencing her altogether. Her eyes searched for whatever was bothering her until they landed on a figure she hadn't seen in a couple of days. She eyed him, momentarily remembering the words he had spoken to her about _invitations _and _scars, _etc. She took a step in his direction, momentarily considering going after him.

But again, she paused and made noise under her breath. _I don't have the patience for you today. As much as I'd love to let my energy loose on you, the time just isn't right. _Her eyes shifted to Toriko, who was only just catching up to her. Without so much as another thought, she reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist and yanked her forward, taking the lead as she walked across the grounds with purpose, her eyes momentarily flickering to the blonde before turning forward again.

She said nothing to the small girl as she lead Toriko down the sidewalk, remembering which house Otento had stopped in front of and watched. She stomped her way through the busy crowds of the city, never once releasing her grip on the poor girl or even looking back at her. If Toriko had protested in any way or said anything, it fell on deaf ears as Akari ignored her entirely, intent only to get the girl to where she needed to be for now.

As soon as the house came into view, she turned down the sidewalk and marched straight up the front steps, pulling the girl all the way to her door before releasing her. She rounded to meet Toriko's gaze, her expression as serious as possible. "Now go do whatever it is you do on your evenings off." she said sternly, indirectly telling her to stay inside, though she didn't mean it as a sentiment to show she cared for the girl. "And don't do anything stupid." With that, she turned and walked down the sidewalk, only pausing to see the door shut behind the girl before she continued her way through the town.

"_**Wow**__, a new friend already?" _Nabu suddenly barked as he pranced out of a bush nearby and caught up to her. When no response was given, the dog gave a small whining sound and lowered his head. "_That's too bad… I bet she's nice." _he paused and looked over his shoulder, as if suddenly reading the air around him and Akari. "_What's wrong?"_

"**What have I told you about babbling, Nabu?**" _*** **_

The hum of the insects and the quiet night-bustle of the city were company enough for Otento that evening as he meandered his way towards a very specific section of a very specific neighborhood.

Seeing 'Toriko' after school had done nothing to satisfy the ache he felt, having not gotten to be near her, to talk to her, having her dragged away by that other demon girl.

A growl started to rumbling deep in his chest, but before it could bubble into any coherent noise past his lips, Otento closed his eyes for just a second to take a breath in his nose and let it fly past his lips, feeling no better for having done so, but losing the desire to growl into the air around him.

The sun had sunk well below the horizon and by the time he spotted the house the stars were a gentle light in the night sky.

He picked up his pace, drawn to the occupant of the house he knew would reside within like a moth to a flame.

He almost groaned out loud when he reached the edge of the sidewalk leading up to her front door, knowing that just beyond the threshold, somewhere inside, the demoness he desired lay sleeping. He closed his eyes as the image of her former self in the radiant glory that the recesses of his mind afford her lay sleeping on a bed, _his _bed.

He could not contain the growl this time and it softly vibrated past his lips into the warm night. He stalked to the right, taking a quick glance around with both eyes and unseen senses to make for certain he would not be bothered.

Otento prowled along the outside of the house like a rabid wolf around the trunk of a tree where its prey had just run up for safety, his nose flaring and eyes twitching about, constantly making sure the area was clear.

And then, when he rounded the other side of the house from the back, he stopped and stood up, immediately aware of something different. He searched almost desperately, looking around the yard, at the tree next to the house, his eyes following the branches until they would just scrape the siding and his heart jumped in his chest.

He could see curtains from the inside billowing in a slight breeze.

Without another thought, his hopes rising, Otento broke into a jog and reached the side of the house in a few easy strides, gathering himself into a coil and jumping up, easily clearing the windowsill, landing just on it in fact. He doubled over in order to duck inside, feet being greeted by soft carpet that muffled any noise he would have made.

His eyes only took a second longer to adjust to the slightly gloomier darkness of the room, and he swept its contents from right to left, the bed and woman he longed for just to his left.

A breath hitched in his throat as he stared. Though she looked completely different now than when they first meet, his eyes still drank in her sleeping form, long hair filling the pillow with dark, soft waves, face free of those awful glasses and etched by the darkness. Her blanket lie discarded at the end of the bed, her legs twisted in the sheets as though she struggled in a dream not too long ago. As a delicious smell wafted over his nose, his eyes closed almost of their own accord so that he could drink it in unhindered by sight, but they opened again just as quickly to stare longer.

He knew it was too early. Knew he was not to move forward yet, but...now that he saw her, it became harder and harder to resist touching her skin, pulling his fingers through her hair, and just those thoughts nearly drove him mad, and so he moved. Moved forward, moved towards her, ever-so-softly getting onto the bed near the wall and climbing the foot or so it took until he could lay next to her on his side.

Memories flooded into his mind now that he was closer, and suddenly, it was not this 'Toriko' laying next to him, but the demoness from eons past. _His _demoness. Their time had been brief, but he had never forgotten. Never relinquished his possession of her within his mind. He knew she was only doing her job, and when she had gotten the information from him, he should have been killed, but here he was and there she lay. He reached over, hesitation only in place to be as gentle as possible, and drew the back of his hand down her cheek, sending a thrill jolting down his arm and causing him to tremble.

Her arm nearest to him was thrown up over the pillow on top of her hair and he leaned closer to softly plant his lips on her skin just past her elbow and up to her wrist, finding that his heart had started to beat wildly in his chest as he did so, his lips tingling as they touched each time, throwing his emotions even farther out of control until he could barely contain himself.

He sat up more, starting to tangle one hand in her hair, unable to resist tugging at it. He sensed her being pulled from her slumber now and before she was fully awake, he straddled her thighs and pinned down her left wrist with his right hand, smiling viciously into her face as her eyes fluttered open, their green color vibrant and captivating without her glasses, even in the dark.

Just as she realized what was happening, just as her eyes started to widen further at the sight of the man over her and her lips began to form a terrified question, he leaned down and let his mouth cover hers in answer, not caring if she recognized him or not.

Her body was so small that any struggling she did was akin to a beetle in the paws of a tom cat. When her legs started to kick, he moved one of his own and put enough pressure on them that they could not move. When she tried to reach up and claw at his face with the arm not already pinned by the hand he tangled up in her hair, he laughed into his kiss and caught it, holding it back down onto the bed easily before breaking away from her to look into her face.

For all her attempts, she only egged him further on, and she started to sheen with sweat at the stress, her demonic energy scattering to fill her body erratically, the usual shimmer coating her eyes and her scalp tingling underneath her hair, but these things did nothing to help protect her, instead only mesmerizing him into bending his head down and planting his lips several times down the line of her jaw.

Breathless and scared, Toriko could not so much as cry out, desperately trying to not get pulled under the waves of energy that swept over her from head to toe, but only just able to stay afloat in her own body, not wanting to give in to his attentions but in dire distress while she resisted. Her energy begged her to stop fighting and simply enjoy what they could offer one another even as she tugged and pulled against it. The waves smoothed through her time and again in wave after wave of power until Toriko could see no way out, her mind beginning to sink beneath the tide…3

Hiei moved about the dying crowd of the city, the amount of people on the streets much fewer in numbers than normal, which made him simply wander the sidewalks back to Toriko's. He hadn't meant to stay in Kurama's company for so long, talking about several things for a while before he had left, and then dozed off for a small nap near the park. His hands were in his pockets, clenching and unclenching as if he were in pain. In reality, he felt a sense of anxiety, a small sense that he needed to be somewhere, and be there as fast as possible. However, not one to rush himself, he simply meandered his way lazily across town. He ignored the humans as he walked, though a few nodded in greeting out of courtesy, which he didn't understand nor care to reply to.

A few moments passed and he felt the feeling in his stomach strengthen, causing him to glance around himself to ensure he wasn't being followed, but he knew it wasn't the case. Again, he brushed it away and continued forth until he saw Toriko's home just down the road. The premises seemed normal, all of the lights turned out and quiet for the most part. He searched for the bedroom window as he closed the distance to the house, and for a moment it all seemed normal, peaceful.

But as soon as he stepped onto the grass of Toriko's yard, he caught sight of a shadowed figure that moved behind the billowing curtains of the open window. He paused, multiple emotions berating him at once simultaneously with Toriko's energy. It was frantic, reaching out almost as if to protect her, but it didn't seem like it was working in the least. His normally bright ruby eyes became darkened with anger, his expressions mirroring the rage he felt tearing through his entire being as he moved, in a moment's notice standing in the top of the tree nearest Toriko's window.

His energy billowed out around him, exploding into the night air and practically swirling with the warning he was giving to the blonde he could now make out in the room. His hand held his katana at his side, his arm shaking with the desire to do nothing but disassemble the demon's head from his shoulders, but if he attacked, he feared he would strike the small girl who was struggling beneath. At first, he spoke nothing, letting his angry, torrenting energy be his warning, but the angry part of his mind made him speak. "If you do not step away, you will find that you will have lost the ability to do so on your own, and you won't have to worry about breathing for very long." His tone was murderous, his eyes continuing to darken as his expression continued to form lines and shadows that seemed to emphasize the killer thoughts that ran through his mind. *

The hairs on the back of Otento's neck began prickling the instant Hiei's energy exploded furiously from beyond the window, but it took the words he released into the night air for Otento to actually be able to pull away from Toriko's neck.

He glanced over his shoulder to see the dark-cloaked fire demon, whose rage was almost palatable, standing in the tree Otento had hardly noticed earlier, but the smell that surrounded him so completely drew his eyes back to Toriko, whose chest moved rapidly up and down underneath him, her eyes wide and the shimmer begging him closer while at the same time screaming at him to go away. He could feel her energy encircling him in ribbons of winding power, an embrace he did not wish to thwart, nor one he would willingly depart from. She held all his deepest desires and they became too much for him to resist, pulling him back down and out of the awareness of the situation around him. 3

Hiei glared daggers at the blonde who glanced only briefly over his shoulder at him. He held the demon's gaze for a moment, to convey that he was one-hundred percent serious about killing him, and wouldn't hesitate to do so if necessary. He waited, watching every muscle twitch of the blonde, and as soon as Otento turned his back on him again, the fire demon's anger mounted to an all-time high. His energy began swirling even more, surrounding not only him, but a good ten-foot radius around him, creating the space around him to darken along with the rest of his being. Without second thoughts, he moved, his feet carrying him swiftly through the window and into the carpeted room, his hand automatically reaching out and grabbing the collar of the demon while his blade pressed into the male's neck, the tip of his katana piercing the skin enough to draw just a bit of blood. With his left arm, Hiei pulled the demon away from Toriko, using his katana-wielding hand shooting between Toriko and Otento so his arm stopped Otento from pulling her with him, tossing the intruder mercilessly into the wall behind them before turning on him. Hiei brandished his sword and took a single step forward. *

At the abrupt displacement of himself from Toriko, Otento immediately felt his mind clear, the bump of his head against the wall doing most of the work, though his nose flared, still full of her scent. He could nearly see the ribbons of energy that had been around him moments before floating around the space he had occupied, but broken apart, still moving slightly as if alive.

The pain in his neck further brightened his eyes into the severity of the situation and when forced to choose between Toriko and life, he knew it was his time to go.

His eyes glanced over at her, seeing that she had sat up and scooted back against the wall with her knees near her face as small as she could make herself, tears now falling silently from her eyes, but she still stared at him from across the room, nearly coaxing him closer once more. He clenched his eyes shut at his mistake, a growl vibrating his chest as he fought for his very life and against Toriko's unwarranted hold over him. He felt Hiei's aura flare dangerously over his body, but only a half a second had passed between being thrown off and looking up, so he gathered his legs underneath him.

"I guess my fun will have to wait." He flashed his eyes at Hiei, making sure to memorize every detail of the swordsman's face for later vengeance at interrupting him and then he uncoiled his body, grabbing for the windowsill and swinging out into the night.3

Hiei felt his chin tip higher into the air as Otento shifted his gaze to Toriko again, the fire demon extending his blade to the demon in preparation of beheading him. However, as soon as he moved, Hiei knew he was leaving before he even spoke; any normal demon would flee if their life were in danger and it was as clear as it was now. His crimson orbs followed the motions of Otento, his ears catching his words just as he disappeared into the darkness of the night world outside the window. Hiei waited, anticipating the demon to come back for an attack, but after a few silent moments, he sheathed his katana and stepped to the window, immediately closing and securing it from the inside. He checked to make sure it wouldn't open without being broken, which would buy him an extra second if the demon returned, and when he was at least reassured, he turned to Toriko, his expression now blank and his energy slowly fading to be hidden once more. He eyed the crying girl for a moment, and the energy he could see moving about in the air around her, and he considered her for a moment, searching for any visible sign of injury.

"Did he harm you?" he said suddenly, his tone flat with the anger he was still trying to suppress. After a moment, he took a careful step forward, making sure to give her time to tell him to stop before he got too close; after all, he wasn't sure how she'd react to another being coming close to her at the moment. *

Toriko stared at the spot on the floor the blonde had occupied moments before, unbidden tears falling down the side of her face leaving silent streaks of distress. She sat up against the wall on top of her pillow, her knees drawn up to her chin underneath her nightgown and her arms encircling them to get them as close as possible to her body, her chin resting on one arm.

Her energy brimmed over her entire body, unchecked and free, but she hardly noticed. The ribbons of demonic energy that had fluttered around Otento were still calmly, gently moving above the bed.

She didn't see Hiei so much as feel his presence, even once he pocketed his energy away.3

Hiei eyed the female warily, wondering if she had even heard him. He took a few more steps closer, stopping before he reached the bed and standing within arm's reach of the edge, though not moving any closer, despite his desire to do so. He felt that caution here would go a long way, not because she was weak, but because he knew that she was upset. So, he blocked out his own energy, his own emotions, and watched her curiously, patiently, silently. He waited for a few more minutes, eyeing the tears that streamed down her face, his mind bringing up the mental image of crying Yukina.

He twitched just a bit in his expression and he gave a small sound that said he suddenly moved forward, surprising himself by sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her and eyes forward, silently enlightening her of her presence. *

Toriko felt the bed shift slightly under new weight, and she finally blinked, eyes flickering over to Hiei's back as the fire demon sat down. She watched silently as the tendrils of energy still hovering over the bed slowly began to gravitate towards him, starting to circle his body, staying a foot away from him, but circling nonetheless. The movement mesmerized her, coaxed her, until she blinked again and realized she had moved forward, on her knees now and reaching out her right hand towards Hiei's far shoulder. She completed the gesture all at once by moving forward to envelop his shoulders with her torso, slipping her right hand over his right shoulder and pressing up against his back, putting her left arm over his left shoulder and connecting it with her other wrist to rest in about the middle of his chest. She set her chin against the white fabric wrapped around his neck, her lips barely apart and sending her breath over his dark cloak. She let her weight rest onto him, his strength holding her tiny frame up easily, and took a deep breath, finding that he smelled of something like cloves and fiery cinnamon.

She wanted to say something to him, anything, but her mind kept trying to return to the recent encounter and she squeezed her green eyes shut, trying to forget as two more tears slid quietly down her cheeks. 3

Hiei listened to Toriko's breathing pattern, waiting for any sign of her calming down, even if a bit. His thoughts drifted from one thing to another, the block he held on his own emotions keeping his thoughts away from what he should have done, every so often feeling a flash of anger and bloodlust for a single person's death. As the thought crossed his mind, he felt arms wrap around his shoulders, warm hands pressing on his chest lightly as a small, frail body leaned on him completely.

Of two things he was sure of. One, Toriko had no defenses. Two, as she leaned on him, he recognized the smell of tears, and it left him almost unable to function. How did he deal with tears? How did he deal with someone who was emotionally scarred and likely even scared to be near people now? How did he reassure her that no harm was to come to her?

What should he do?

What should he say?

As he sat there, he realized that maybe he didn't have to say anything, and something within him stirred, causing him to lower his head just a bit to tease the end of her nose with his hair. He didn't know Why he felt the need to show Toriko that she was okay, or why he felt the need to ensure her safety, but at that moment, it was all he knew, and he didn't question it.*

Hiei felt warm even through his cloak. That's what Toriko noticed first as she collapsed against him without the strength to move farther. She needed to be near him, needed to feel his solidity and his steadfastness. Didn't know why. Perhaps she felt safer. Yes, that was it. From the instant she felt his demonic energy explode into the night air, she knew she no longer had to worry. And now, here with him, she felt absolute security. Her protector. Her savior. She closed her eyes…

_The demons had become feral, tossing her back and forth between them while they each did as they pleased. Her body was tired, her demonic energy nearly spent. She had tried defending herself before, but she knew it was no good, it just made things that much worse for her. _

_And so, as they used her within an inch of her life, it was all she could do to hold onto a single shred of her sanity, blinking back tears that made streaks in her muddy face as they tracked down towards her jawline. _

_This time, that sanity came in the form a single, white, Demon World bird, whose deathly song she clutched onto as she floated adrift within her own mind, on the brink of madness. As she looked up to catch sight of its pure wings once more, the tiniest flicker of light returned to her eyes when she realized the bird was getting bigger, flying closer, directly towards her and her oppressors. _

_And then it wasn't a bird, but a fox, and then not a fox, but a male demon. His song was not a song, but a vicious growl that tore through the ruckus of the demons around her and turned their indulgent cries into cries of pain as he struck them all down around her, the one that held her dropping her body to the forest floor, where it was all she could do to lay there and watch, hungrily needing to see them die and to watch her savior do it. _

_When the last of them had fallen, he came over and squatted down, seeing her chest still breathing and her eyes glaring at him, green and dangerous. The thought that she still had the strength to appear ferocious in her current state made him stay his hand._

"_H-have you come to kill me, too?" She croaked, her lower lip cracking as she spoke. She didn't have the strength to lick it and clean the blood._

_The demon's silver ears twitched, his tail flicking in amusement. He put his face in hers, nose centimeters away as he sniffed at the blood that was threatening to drip down her lip._

"_Do you wish to die?" He wanted to know, glancing over into her eyes before looking back at her lips and quickly snaking his pink tongue out of his mouth to lick up the blood that pooled over her dry lips. _

_She did not answer him at first, feeling her breath washing over his face and some of it falling back against her own, so close he stayed._

_He sniffed again, "You do not smell like death. Tell me, how good are you with your abilities?" He pulled back from her ever-so-slightly to look into her eyes again. _

_He rocked back on his feet for a moment and pulled the tunic of his yukata off over his head, laying it so that it might cover some of her body._

"_I was taught well." She said after a moment, gathering her strength just to take enough breath to speak._

"_How well?" His eyes narrowed, prepared to kill her then and there if she did not give him a straight answer._

_She searched for the last ounce of her energy and shimmered it into her eyes, the only part of her not desecrated, staring into his yellow irises and simply saying, "Pick me up."_

"_I don't see how that's going to convince me not to kill you."_

_She said nothing, only raising an eyebrow up at him._

_He blinked and realized he had stood up with her in his arms. _

_He almost threw his head back to laugh, but settled for merely a bark of laughter, "Ha! Very well." _

_He felt more than saw that her reserves were depleted and her eyes were fluttering closed. _

"_All the better." He mumbled, "Can't be having you do that to me again." _

_He made sure his fingers held his tunic firmly against her skin so that it did no fly off, and then he dashed off into the trees, unsurprised that her body seemed to be hardly a burden at all for how badly it had been treated. _

_He glanced down to see that she finally shut her eyes and had leaned her head against his chest to rest, but she stirred after a moment._

"_Thank you." It came out as a murmur._

"_Don't mention it."_

_The wryness of his words made her lips twitch as if to smile, but they began bleeding again._

_This time she licked the blood away herself._

Toriko tightened her eyes, already closed, as the memory shot across her mind, flickering past in almost an instant of time before leaving her in peace once more, her breath coming more steadily as she held herself around Hiei's shoulders and followed his intake and exhale of air to calm her own.

Something brushed against her nose, and she twitched her nostrils, eyes slowly opening. When she saw a spike of dark hair that tickled her again, her eyes widened and she felt her chest heave, pulling quickly away from Hiei to sneeze violently onto her arm into the completely silent room. She froze in place, arm over the lower half of her face and staring with her eyes wide at Hiei, unsure how he was going to react. 3

Hiei paused when Toriko moved, for a moment thinking she had flinched away. Then, he heard the small sound of her sneeze, completely shattering the quiet of the room. He glanced over his shoulder at her, a sneer on his face as if he were mocking her. For a moment, he merely let her take in the sneer, then he spoke up in a low voice, quiet as a whisper but as demanding as a shout. "That was pathetic." *

Toriko frowned and lowered her arm, scooting farther away from him to lean back against the wall again and looking away, her nose in the air just long enough to make him think she wasn't going to move again, then she turned and stuck her tongue out at him. 3

Red orbs followed the female as she moved away, his expression never wavering as she scooted further and further from him, ending up in the spot she had started in. With her nose so high in the air, he wasn't sure what to think other than the fact that she looked as if she smelled something appetizing and had the mere thought of following the scent. Like a canine, almost, but he brushed the thought away. When he saw her tongue snake between her lips and aid in forming the most childish expression he'd ever seen on a demon, he raised a brow and turned his eyes away, towards the window to estimate the amount of time he'd spent here, as if checking a clock that was mounted on a wall. By the shadows that the moon created, he hadn't been here near as long as it felt he head, but it didn't matter. He turned his eyes to his feet for a moment in thought before deciding Toriko would need her space, and if possible, some rest. So, he stood once more and turned to face her again, his tone flat but his words a warning. "Remember to lock your windows." He didn't want to make her recall the moments from before, but he felt it needed to be said, as if it would reassure her in some way when he knew it wasn't possible.

Then he turned and stuffed his hands in his pockets, slowly sauntering his way to the windowsill, giving himself time to check the outside of the house before leaving. *

"D-don't leave me..." Toriko pleaded quietly, almost to herself, half-hoping he would not hear her. She could already feel the night closing in around her, and she hugged her arms around herself as if very cold, trembling, but finally looking up to see if he had heard.

"Please...don't go..." Her chin dropped to her chest and she fought back more tears, wishing the tingling over her skin would stop as each prick brought back flashes of blonde hair and her useless struggle. 3

Hiei paused, the small voice taking him off guard. With a blank expression, more to conceal his conflicting emotions than to get away, he looked over his shoulder at Toriko, who had positively sunk into herself by the time his crimson orbs found her in the darkness. She appeared so small, sitting in the corner, folded into herself the way she was. If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought she looked just about as human as could be, and it sparked more conflicting emotions. By the time she looked up, he had a frown set into his face, as if it had been etched there millions of years ago. When she repeated herself, he felt his resolve crumble and he finally turned to face her again, wordlessly making his way back to her, sensing the way her energy moved about the room, pulling away from her into the air and then moving freely again.

"Picture a rope." he said suddenly, deciding imagery would not only help her with her concentration, but it would keep her mind busy as well. "Imagine pulling on it, pulling it towards you. Concentrate, and watch your own energy as you do so." *

When he started to move back towards her, Toriko felt that perhaps he might stay, perhaps he might keep her darkness at bay.

She hardly heard his words about a rope, a meaning that escaped her altogether at that moment, but at his suggesting she 'pull,' that's exactly what she did. She sat on her knees and reached out towards him with her hands, calling to her demonic energy that had all but released its hold on him and it sparked back to life, beginning to both visibly and invisibly wind around him once more, ribbons and tendrils drawing him closer, coaxing him back to her, until he stood at her bedside, still looking into her eyes.3

Hiei raised a small brow at the female at the expression that crossed her face momentarily. It was an odd expression to him, but he found that he had felt rather odd about causing the expression on her face, an expression of hope. No one had given him that look before. Shock, yes. Fear, all the time. But hope? Never. When she reached out, he thought the gesture strange, but figured perhaps in moving towards her she might explain, finding himself at her side next to the bed and looking down at her quizzically. Her hands looked so empty and, her eyes looked so welcoming, that before he knew it he had reached up as it to take them in his own, but stopped, hesitating and wondering at the emotions that were stirring inside him at the thought of voluntarily touching her skin.*

Toriko could feel her eyes shimmering as she did not look away from him, and she gave in to the tingle of her body most willingly if it would persuade him to stay. Her lips twitched into a near-smile as he hesitated, wondering at his hesitation.

To her knowledge, there had been no one to refuse any request she made of them. Not for a long time. She drew her power around the room in to surround them both, slowly weaving the two loose circles of ribbons of energy closer together until there was only one circle slowly rotating around them, then drawing it farther inward until it just barely floated above their skin, molding to their bodies. With one last pull, Toriko drew the energy through Hiei and into herself, and at the exact moment it passed through him, he placed his hands within hers, the power disappearing from the room into her body and increasing her strength.

She tossed her head slightly, and her scalp tingled as her hair released a smell into the air of something he desired, "I am tired, Hiei."

Her voice almost did not sound like her own, slightly deeper and laced with her demonic energy, coaxing him, lulling him closer, "Please stay with me. I need you."

She tilted her head to the side and made sure to look him full-on in the face, trying a small, coy smile as she scooted back towards the other side of the bed. "Lie down?"3

Hiei stared at his hands as they landed in Toriko's, registering that her touch was warm and welcoming. His eyes slid up to the female again, catching her gaze in time for her to toss her hair and tilt her head at him, her lips slowly parting to release a sound that soon formed into words. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he registered the change in her voice, but right now, all he knew was that the air smelled sweet, and her voice was telling him that he needed to move, to lay on the bed and relax. So that's what he did.

Hiei moved and stretched out on the mattress leisurely, his legs stretched out in front of him and his head on the pillow that supported its weight. His eyes still lingered on Toriko, watching to see what she'd do next. *

Once he lay on his back, Toriko almost shyly scooted as close as she could to him, laying on her side with her head resting on his shoulder and one hand at his chest.

She could feel her demonic energy fading from the overuse of the night, but his warmth overpowered any reservations her usual self would have with staying this close to him. She found herself nuzzling the side of his face with her nose, and ended up pressing her lips against his cheek once in a small kiss, smiling and feeling wonderfully safe even as her eyes fluttered closed. She frowned and fought back the tiredness that began to overwhelm her, needing to ask him something, needing to hear his answer.

"Hiei...will you promise me something?" She whispered ever-so-softly, lips not far from his ear as she pulled her eyes open into slits.

"Will you...promise...to protect me? Always?" She struggled to stay awake now, desperately wanting to hear his answer before she completely faded away, nudging at his cheek affectionately twice more with her nose and blinking sleepily. 3

Hiei raised a brow as Toriko moved closer, then it settled back into place when she settled against him. He broke his gaze from hers and turned his eyes to the ceiling, as if something there interested him, but in reality he was merely unsure of what to do, suddenly feeling odd that she was so close. His mind reeled, suddenly feeling as if he was clearing of any fogginess, a few thoughts crossing his mind at rapid pace until they drifted away, unimportant.

When he felt her nose brush his face, he closed his eyes as if she were coaxing him into sleep, her lips moving to replace her nose in a gesture he hadn't expected. He eyed her with a single open eye, feeling extremely relaxed now that she seemed relaxed as well, acting as if the blonde demon hadn't been here at all.

When her breath washed over the side of his face and her voice rang in his ears, he continued to eye her until the words, the question that seemed so important to her, registered with his mind. He hesitated for a moment, watching her as she blinked slowly at him with the obvious effort of fighting sleep. He considered the night's events before answering, both eyes now meeting her gaze again as his lips released the words he knew she wanted to hear. "Of course." *

* * *

><p><span>Shuichi<span> - Given name or forename (gender not specified)  
>Minamino: (wiki) Southern Field<br>Shūichi: (wiki) Excellence First

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	8. Episode 93 - Mending Hiei's Cloak

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Enthusiasts!

This chapter consists of only interactions between Hiei and Toriko. Also there is Maneshi.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari drags Toriko home after school, not giving Otento a chance to follow either one of them.

However, Otento comes to Toriko that night with the intent of having his way with her,  
>only to be interrupted by Hiei, who only spares him because of Toriko's distress.<p>

She begs Hiei not to leave her by herself, using her energy to coax him to lay down next to her,  
>and asks him if he would always protect her. Hiei's answer is yes...<p>

* * *

><p>The sunlight filtering in through the window, closed but its curtains still open wide, slowly drew Toriko out of the most wonderful dream whose memory faded farther the further she awoke.<p>

She felt warm, and in her still-drowsy state, scooted closer to the warmth, burying her face in Hiei's neck.

"_Wha-? _Her mind sleepily asked, becoming more aware of her surroundings, but unsure why Hiei's name came to mind.

Her eyes fluttered open once, but they felt heavy and she let them close again, her right hand clutching a bit of fabric into her fist as she momentarily fought a return to dreamland. In the back of her mind, she realized no alarm had pulled her from sleep and that there was actually no school and that relaxed her enough to drift off again.

Toriko had not woken up enough to notice, but Maneshi had joined them sometime in the night as they slept, laying down on Hiei's stomach and curling his front paws underneath his body, a steady purr persisting even through his own rest at the warmth Hiei unwittingly provided. By the time morning came, he had shifted into a curl, his tail twitching slightly near his face, one paw pinning it to Hiei's cloak. 3

Hiei lay completely comfortable where he sat, other than the fact he had no idea why he was where he was. His eyes stared at the feline curled on his stomach, his ears picking up on the small sound that emitted from the creature, creating a small song with Toriko's soft breathing. His mind reeled, trying to figure out how he had gotten himself into this position, his eyes shifting down to the hand that clutched at the smooth fabric of his precious cloak, making it impossible for him to get away unnoticed.

_This is ridiculous, _he thought to himself, realizing that he shouldn't be worried about waking up Toriko by moving away. After all, he couldn't clearly recall why he was here. Everything after Otento was a blur to him, as if he'd run through a marathon and was trying to recall everything he passed by while on the run. Again, for the fifth time since he had awoken, he scoffed at himself. Why was he still laying here?

Hiei moved, removing his left arm from behind his head and reaching for the feline with the intention of removing him from his person, possibly even toss him out the door. But the moment he touched the cat, its black head shot into the air and slitted heterochromatic eyes glared at him, claws digging into his skin slightly, as if in warning. Hiei glared right back at the cat, his crimson orbs alight with irritation and confusion from the morning's events. Already, today was appearing to be a day he'd rather sleep through.

After his slight hesitation, his eyes narrowed at Maneshi and he proceeded to grab the cat by the nape of its neck, earning a yowl as he dropped the cat to the floor, completely unaware of Toriko's stirrings. *

A yowl cut across Toriko's unconscious mind and she flinched, eyes trembling.

"_Maneshi…" _She thought to herself, intended to part her lips and call the cat's name, but instead coming up with, "Mmm...H-Hiei?"

She shifted around, her head moving over his shoulder to rest right at the place where the socket connected to his arm, squeezing her eyes together as she moved, still not committed to leaving her dreams.3

Hiei glared at the cat that now looked up at him from the floor, hissing once at him and sitting on his haunches, his black tail twitching on the carpet behind him. Maneshi's body shook as he readied to pounce, and Hiei glared harder at the cat. "If you value your life," he began, automatically turning to threats, but he didn't have the opportunity to finish as the cat leapt into the air. Hiei's speed would have allowed him to catch the feline, if it weren't for the fact that he was stuck on his back, pinned now by Toriko's head. Claws sunk into his side as the cat missed his landing target, Hiei having shifted enough to keep the cat from landing on his chest. A snarl left Hiei and he instinctively grabbed the cat again, wasting no time in tossing Maneshi across the room, watching as the cat landed on its feet and meowed loudly at him, protesting. Hiei moved this time, pulling the side of his cloak up to glance at the holes that had ripped at the fabric, his eyes flashing with anger. He continued to move, sitting up now with the intent to toss the cat out the window. _*** **_

Toriko felt herself sliding into a sitting position onto the bed, ending up seated on her feet and at that she finally woke up for real, blinking sleepily and rubbing an eye with one hand as she looked around the room, her mind sobering quickly once she saw the near-murderous intent in Hiei's eyes, one of his hands still holding a part of his cloak that looked damaged, and her black cat meowing angrily at him from across the room.

"N-No!" She exclaimed, her demon energy suddenly thrilling through her body, unfettered by her usual glasses or tight hair style as she rose up onto her knees and threw her arms around Hiei's shoulders with more strength than she had intended, pulling him back down onto the bed next to her and landing on top of him to stop him rising again, his back with their combined weight making a gentle 'poof' against the comforter.

Toriko found herself staring down into Hiei's eyes, their noses almost touching and her dark hair falling down either side of her face, veiling the two of them in their own little world.

Her eyes pleaded with him, unintentionally glimmering with power even in the shade of her hair. "I-I'll mend it." She meant his cloak, "I'll do anything you want. Please don't hurt him." 3

Hiei glared at the cat, taking another step forward, closing the space between himself and the animal. The room was filled with the creature's sounds of warning, its eyes filled with anger and fear as he continued to close in, towering over the small creature. And then, another noise added to the room, momentarily distracting him as he registered her shout, but his eyes never left the growling tom.

Suddenly, he heard movement behind him and he halted in his steps, freezing in place as he was grabbed from behind and practically spun around, landing on his back before he even had time to register what was going on. By the time his mind caught up, still feeling a bit slow and groggy, his ruby orbs were staring straight into emerald ones. He tensed, finding the situation he was in completely out of his norm, and he didn't exactly know what to do. His mind irrationally told him that he could toss her to the side, make her lay on the bed beside him so he could get up and finish his business, but as he realized what she was offering, he merely forced himself to sit there.

He felt desperation in the aura around her, her eyes pleading him just as much as her voice was to leave the cat be. He glanced under her arm to see the cat sitting on the floor where he had landed, tail twitching and eyes watching him warily. Maneshi gave a soft meow, and Hiei resigned to resettling his head on the covers of the bed. "This fabric is from Demon World," he clarified, eyeing her calmly. Of course, he had the fabric. And, of course, he could ask Yukina to mend it as well, but the fact that he was running so low on the material left him touchy about what tore at his fire-resistant cloak.

He eyed her expectantly, waiting for her to remove herself from his personal space, feeling rather calm now that she had offered to mend his cloak. "The cat will come to no harm," he said slowly, subtly informing her that she would indeed be mending the fabric. Then he merely lay there, watching her. _*****_

Toriko wasn't sure that she believed him, but his eyes no longer held quite the fire that they had moments before, and she suddenly realized how fast her heart was beating, blinking several times as they looked at one another.

He was kind of close.

Make that, really close. Toriko bit her lip and shuddered slightly, something else deep within her stirring, waking up and sliding a coy smile across her face.

"Hm." She leaned over, slowly getting closer to his face, then bypassing it before reaching him, moving her head to her left, down to his right shoulder and the dark cloak that covered it, taking a bit of the cloth in her teeth and nimbling gently on it, eyes thoughtfully regarding the fabric, then flickering over briefly to gauge his reaction.

"Fire proof." She said first, smirking around the cloak in her teeth, letting go and moving towards his profile, "Of course."

Going over the white cloth he wore around his neck and putting her cheek against his, then nuzzling down between the cloth and his bare skin until her lips found the collar of the cloak and took it in her teeth again.

"I know this seam too." She let go, but did not retreat, her breath filtering slowly over his skin. She noticed a necklace partially hidden under his clothing, but it was not in her purpose so she said and did nothing with it.

"I actually have an outfit or two made out of this stuff." She began nibbling on his skin, up the side of his neck, moving towards his ear and stopping to breathe, "One can never be too prepared after all."3

Hiei became confused at the expression that swept over the female's face, her smile easy-going, but almost mischievous. He watched her, unsure of what was going on, suddenly feeling very much like he was trapped where he lay beneath her. A change had come over her, that much he knew. But what he didn't know was what caused the change and what she would do.

He didn't move when she leaned towards him even more, her breath brushing his face and caressing the skin of his jawline. As she latched her teeth onto his fabric, he noticed that his entire body had gone still, stiff with anticipation of something that hadn't happened. Even when she spoke around the cloth in her mouth, telling him what he already knew, he didn't move. He didn't even turn his head to get a glance at her. The closer she moved, the more stiff he became, uncertainty and complete expectation keeping him where he lay- not that he had much of a choice. Sure, he could move her, but would she fight back? As her teeth released his cloak and moved closer to his scarf, he cut his eyes at her, narrowing them slightly. Partially not surprising him, but leaving him wary, she took his scarf between her teeth as well, mumbling that she was familiar with the fabric just as she was with the fabric of his cloak.

He felt the scarf fall back into place, but didn't feel her body move. He eyed her, realizing she'd likely see the gemstone necklace he wore concealed, and he prepared for a warning, but had no reason to issue it. However, the feeling of her breath on his neck made a small shiver run up his spine, making him almost miss her comment before her lips pressed to the exposed skin.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he finally barked out, his tone low and eyes narrowed, his entire being still. Even his breathing was shallow, to minimize movement. As her lips continued to move, leaving a warm trail along his skin, pausing at his ear, he gave a sound of warning. His lips parted to show his teeth, though only slightly, as the sound left his throat. "Remove yourself." _*** **_

"Enjoying myself." She responded in answer to his question, taking the end of his ear between her teeth, "And you don't seem to be trying to stop me." She smirked, letting go and putting her lips next to his ear. "So, make me." She breathed again, her demonic energy flowing freely through her body, tugging one last time at his ear.

Releasing him and suddenly sitting up, thighs straddling his stomach, she crossed her arms and frowned at him, "Alright. Take it off." 3

Hiei's eyes narrowed a fraction more at her words, his lips remaining in the position they were in to make sure his small warning still stayed intact. When her teeth met his ear, he physically twitched, not sure what to think of the contact at all. He opened his mouth to say something more, to issue a final warning, but she spoke before he did and released her hold, continuing to speak. At her challenge, he gave a small growl, though it didn't do much more than rumble in his chest, not really making an audible sound.

And then, she was sitting up. His eyes followed her every motion, his arms laying beside him to keep himself from simply tossing her away, like he had with Maneshi. And then her words registered, and his expression shifted to disbelief. Again it shifted, this time displaying irritation and slight arrogance. "And why the hell," he paused, taking another breath, "would I do that for you?" *

"Why not?" She raised an eyebrow lewdly, not attempting to hide her eyes as they swept across him, drinking in his handsome features.

"You _are_ wearing something under it, aren't you?" She pouted a little, "Do I not _please_ you?"

She laughed briefly as if the thought were ridiculous, sighing long-sufferingly at the end, "I suppose you probably shouldn't. It _would_ make things worse for you."

Her smile was alluring and she bent closer, arms still crossed. "But if you don't, I'll do it for you, and you probably won't like it, just like you've never liked anything or anyone in your entire life."

Her smiled never moved from her features and she stared directly into his gorgeous crimson eyes until she almost couldn't hold herself off any longer, sitting up again and regarding him curiously.

"I guess I _could_ command you to do it, but there are few who actually find that order of things fun. And I'm not sure I know you well enough to decide if you'd actually enjoy it or not. Hmph."

She swung her left leg over his body so she could slide off the edge of the bed to the carpet. She shrugged as she started turning towards the door, her loose nightgown fluttering around her ankles, the lacy hem catching a breeze as she moved.

"I suppose if you don't particularly wish for me to hold up my end of our deal, then by all means, keep wearing it. But don't expect me to let you hold it over my head." Her words sounded lofty. "Come, Maneshi. We'll go dig through the storage closet just in case he decides removing it is worth the trouble."

At his name, Maneshi's sleek body unfurled and he trotted to join her as she walked out of the room and down the stairs, his tail crooked into a question-mark as he pranced after her.3

Hiei's brows furrowed at her response, his eyes darkening for a moment at the prospect of what she was saying, what she was hinting. At her dry question, followed by a laugh, he scoffed, but didn't reply because, quite frankly, he didn't know what he would say. So he stared, choosing to not answer at all. He simply waited, patiently, for her to make up her mind.

And then she mentioned removing his cloak for him, and his eyes narrowed again in silent challenge, daring her to try. He dared her silently to reach for his cloak, to try forcing him to do anything. He thought of the different ways he would prevent her of getting her way.

And then she was moving away, nonchalantly shrugging and removing herself not only from his personal space, but from the bed entirely. And her words made a small spark of realization in his mind. He sat up on his elbows to watch her leave, the cat following close behind her, the duo disappearing behind the door that slowly swayed shut.

The fire demon made an incoherent sound that resembled a scoff, his expression turning blank as he realized how ridiculous he must have sounded. Without a second thought, he stood and, in one swift motion, had his cloak folded in his hand, his scarf simply hanging down his chest to hide his necklace, the white cloth almost the same color as the light blue shirt he wore underneath. He looked around the room for a moment before deciding he'd follow Toriko, even if he found that her personality tired him out.

The storage closet was Maneshi's favorite place. He couldn't remember the last time Toriko opened it of her own volition, but here she was going downstairs and turning to the left away from the kitchen towards the living room and then turning left again and almost immediately coming to a door next to the staircase.

When she opened the door, the musty smell of the closet almost overpowered her at first, but after reeling back initially, she huffed through it and went inside. The closet was big enough to be almost another room, were it not for the shelves lining the walls and creating small corridors filled with odds and ends unorganized and in disarray.

Toriko waded in, picking her way through the junk, a stark contrast to the rest of her spotless house. She reached a few feet in from the door and stopped, putting her hands on her hips as Maneshi gleefully started crawling through the mess, sniffing everything.

Her eyes softened as she looked about, recognizing some of the things in the room, memories of days long gone by in Demon World flitting around in her head. This time, the memories didn't seem quite as painful.

The open chest in the corner had weapons sticking out of it. She smiled, but wasn't looking for relics of time past of that sort. She dug through a pile or two before uncovering an old trunk in another corner and kneeling down in front of it, throwing the lid back. That's when her grumbling began.

"...can't believe he thought I would want all this stuff..." She mumbled, eyeing various articles of clothing with increasing ire as she would pick something up and then toss it down on the floor near her.

"As if it hadn't been enough trouble to smuggle them in..." She grabbed a pile from within the trunk and plopped it down next to her, thumbing through it and grumbling again, "Not to mention the trunk itself being contraband when he gave me it..."

She mumbled to herself, cursing the unnamed 'he' in a near-constant dialogue as she bent over the trunk, still searching. 3

Hiei meandered his way down the stairs, casually glancing around the house when he realized he hadn't paid much attention to anything in the house. Everything seemed spotless, not even dust particles floating in the air and landing on any of the decor hanging on the walls. He took in the rooms he passed through almost lazily as he wandered, listening for Toriko as he moved about.

Before long, his ears picked up on a voice- Toriko's voice- mumbling, muffled as if behind a wall. He turned in the direction he heard it coming from, following the voice until he was standing outside an open door, the sound of things moving around inside making him curious enough to step inside as well.

Immediately, his eyes took in the many different things scattered about in this room, all of it from Demon World, and all of it looking rather old, some of it damaged. He eyed everything curiously, all thoughts of her taunting from a few moments ago gone.

"You managed to get all of this by right under Koenma's nose," he commented lightly, curious as to how none of the objects emitted the scent of Demon World or an energy of any kind, as most relics did. *

Toriko glanced up out of habit, though she recognized Hiei's voice and found herself giving him the same soft smile she first addressed the room with, pleased that he seemed to be enjoying himself. She turned to look down at the trunk and her old clothing within.

"Not me." She corrected him. "I...I fled Demon World on, uh, extremely short notice. I didn't have time to grab anything, much less a few prized possessions. I found a dealer shortly after getting here who was more than willing to fetch what I asked, and _he's _the one who did the dirty work."

One of her eyebrows twitched in irritation, "He went overboard, though. Ransacked half our base instead of grabbing the handful of things I asked for from my room."

She mumbled the last sentence as she bent over the trunk again, eyes brightening when she spied the black outfits she searched for at the very bottom.

"Ha!" She exclaimed in triumph, reaching in and tugging one from its hiding spot, holding it up for inspection. "I think I can scrap this." She decided. 3

Hiei let his eyes rove from one thing to another, quietly amazed at the relics that caught his eye. There were shiny ones that gleamed, obviously well taken care of, and there were older, rustic ones that appeared as if they would break if touched. He even saw a bunch of weapons stashed in the far corner, something he found himself naturally drawn to, but he held back and stayed where he stood.

"He must have grabbed what was worth something," Hiei mused, referring to the monetary value of the different items. If she ever decided to return to Demon World, she would definitely be set. Even the clothes he saw here and there were valuable, the fabrics popular.

As his eyes continued to scour the room, he continued to find things that piqued his interest, and it made it very difficult for him to simply stand and stare, and to not touch anything. After all, none of this was his, though he would admit that some of it he wished was his.

At Toriko's outburst, Hiei turned his red eyes to the female, eyeing the clothes she held up. It was easy to see that it was made from the same material as his cloak, simply from the shine it held. It was a dull shine, but easily able to be seen even in the darkened closet. He considered it for a moment, inspecting it for flaws, but found none.

Yet another piece of evidence that said Toriko was well organized and takes care of her possessions.

"Ever think you're too careful with your possessions?" he mused, his lips twisting into a lopsided sneer of amusement. *

Toriko glanced around the room at Hiei's first comment about the dealer grabbing everything worth something.

"I guess?" She shrugged and stood back up, unceremoniously dumping the clothes she did not need back in the trunk, gathering a small bag from among them as she went.

"I never really considered it because I don't really care for any of it. I don't waste my time on things that do not have practical value anymore. And I'm not in Demon World so it's just junk." She started walking towards the door and spoke again as she approached.

"I haven't touched this stuff in over a decade. And I _am _about to scrap a perfectly good outfit for you. I don't know how 'careful' _that_ really is."

She couldn't help her small, suggestive smile, while she walked, "Especially after _meeting _a fire demon. Good thing I have another. Maybe we'll get some use out of it once you change your mind."

On a roll, she proceeded to take his 'careful' comment in a way that she knew he hadn't meant, speaking flippantly as she drew closer, "But I don't _have _to be careful with _anything_ if that's what you prefer."

She stopped and kissed the very tip of his nose as she passed, slipping his cloak out of his hands as she did so and then moving beyond him out of the closet and a few steps into the living room where she promptly knelt down on a large, free space of the carpet, sitting on her feet, and snapped the cloak out of its fold to let it flutter gently onto the ground, carefully beginning to search the fabric for the damage done. 3

Hiei listened to Toriko as she babbled on about his comment of being careful, not really amused with her antics. He was too engrossed in looking over every single thing in the closet to really care, though her last comment successfully pulled his attention to her in time to earn the small gesture of her lips on his nose, her delicate hand slipping the fabric from his own as she continued on her way. His reaction remained contained in his own mind, not giving her the pleasure of his reaction since it seemed that she was all about his reactions. He eyed her as she sat herself down in the middle of the living room, momentarily torn.

Then, he made his decision by turning and walking further into the small closet space, opening a trunk and glancing at the weapons inside. He crouched before it, eyes drinking in the sight of the ancient tools that he once had dreamed of possessing. Though, they seemed less than they had been glorified to be, and he felt a touch of disappointment brush across his conscious. Like everything else, it seemed these weapons were mere legends with tall tales behind them, nearly meaningless. To him, at least.

He ran a finger over one of the rusty blades, the cool metal covered in dust and dried, crust substances he only assumed to be blood. It was obvious they hadn't been touched, much less cleaned, in years. So, curiosity satisfied, he stood up again and stalked his way out of the closet, lingering just outside of it to watch Toriko at work. _*****_

Toriko had grown very quiet as she bent over the cloak. She shuffled bits of the fabric through her hands, examining it closely until she found the area in which Maneshi's claws had ruined it, sitting back again and picking up the dark cloth next to her, frowning as she considered it in her hands and held it up to Hiei's to make for certain they were the same color.

She studiously began tearing her outfit into strips about the width of her hand, then pulled the smaller bag over and rummaged it in for thread and needle. She began to go about her work, making sure to ignore Hiei as he hadn't followed her back out of the closet.

"Maneshi." She hadn't looked up, but her tone was one of warning.

The black cat paused in mid-step, just at the edge of the cloak with one paw poised to place down on the fabric across from her. He raised his eyes, gleaming at her from the other side, moving his paw just an inch closer while he stared.

Toriko cleared her throat and the cat pulled back, sitting tall on his back haunches and wrapped his tail around his legs as if he'd never meant to do such a thing. Though his eyes did rove over the cloak, wondering if it still held any warmth of the man who had been wearing it. 3

Hiei eyed Toriko, momentarily flickering his gaze to the cat that had approached his cloak. He speculated the animal, his eyes slowly darkening the closer it came to the fabric of his beloved article of clothing. Slowly, Hiei too moved forward, pausing as well when Toriko spoke up, his own eyes flickering to her. He waited for only a moment before continuing, moving so that he stood on the opposite side of the fabric that was spread across the floor, not bothering to sit since he felt comfortable just how he was.

He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, feeling odd about not having pockets to stuff his hands into, but dealing with it anyways. Occasionally, he glanced at the small cat that had taken to sitting close, almost too close, to his cloak. "Does it have a death wish?" Hiei suddenly spoke, his calm tone referring to the way the animal was insistent on being at least near the cloak. As if Maneshi understood him, the cat turned his blue and brown eyes to Hiei, the pupils widening only slightly, watching him closely. Hiei merely turned back to Toriko, watching her hands work. *

"Often." Toriko replied, finally looking up and glaring at the cat, who met her eyes with his own before they broke the stare and he lowered his head to sniff at the edge of the cloak, whiskers twitching, but never touching the actual cloth with his nose.

Maneshi got up and skirted the edge of the cloak, getting over to Toriko and gathering his body together, coiling up like a spring before he released and leapt to her shoulders. Her being bent over let him cross to her other side with his front paws and he lay down across them, his stomach tickling the back of her neck.

His fur blended almost perfectly with her hair as he lay in the midst of it, though he peeked his head through the curtain of locks to stare at her while she worked to match up a piece of fabric with the hole.

When she had them held together, she picked up the needle and it began to glow. She passed the needle and thread up and back over the cloak deftly, Maneshi's eyes watching her every move. When she finished, she brought the thread up to her teeth and broke it, twirling the loose end around in her fingers until it simply disappeared.

The needle stopped glowing and she examined the cloak closer, satisfied that it looked as if no hole had been there and moving to work on the next, though each hole's fixing became faster as her fingers recalled doing the work before.

Once she finished, she lay the cloak down on the carpet as flat as she could make it, smoothing out any wrinkles from that area, and then put her other things in a pile to put away later. She stood up, Maneshi still laying around her shoulders with his tail lazily about her neck as if a furry necklace.

"Don't touch it." She told Hiei. "The work still needs to set and it can't be bothered until it's finished. I'll be right back." She felt increasingly uncomfortable walking around in her nightgown and planned on going upstairs to change, then had thoughts of food floating about in mind for after she wore different clothing. 3

Hiei's eyes followed the needle curiously, having never seen his cloak actually mended in person. Normally, he left the job with YUkina and simply went about doing other things, when there were things actually to be done. So, when the needle began to glow, he wondered if it was a normality. For demons, anyway.

He continued to stand, eyes locked on the glowing piece of metal, his mind trying to figure out the process so that, perhaps next time, he would be able to do this himself, though he doubted he would desire doing such a tedious thing. After a few moments, he found himself shifting his weight back and forth, almost impatiently, as he continued to wait. He had thought it was a quicker process.

Toriko snapped the thread with her teeth and suddenly stood, leaving the cloak on the floor looking as if it were new. He scowled and looked to her expectantly, curious as to why she hadn't handed it to him, only to nod and decide he might as well sit. He glanced around the room, eyes roving over the various furniture in contemplation before he decided to plop himself down on the smallest couch, legs stretched out and head propped on his hands, his head turned so that he would see when she reentered the room. Also, it was his way of making sure Maneshi didn't prance into the room and mess with his cloak, like he had noticed he seemed to want to do. The fire demon wasn't sure why the cat liked his cloak, but he sure didn't enjoy the thought of the tom prancing all over it. He didn't think Toriko would be able to stop him from actually harming the creature if his cloak were to be torn again. *

Toriko went to her bedroom and Maneshi promptly jumped from her shoulders to her pillow where he curled up in a tight ball.

Slipping her nightgown off over her head, Toriko pulled on a pair of soft, dark pants from one drawer in her dresser and took a bra and tank top from another, putting them on and frowning as she turned around and didn't see Maneshi on her pillow any longer.

The cat wasn't stupid, but Toriko knew he liked to push the line and she sighed, going back out of the room and downstairs to check on the cloak. She gathered her hair in her hands to pull it out of her face and released it so it all hung down her back together instead of hanging over one shoulder like it had been.

Maneshi had kept one eye open until Toriko's back was turned, leaving as soon as she wasn't looking to go back downstairs. He must figure out the secret of the warm cloak.

Once he hopped down from the last step, he elongated his body in a nice stretch and yawned, knowing perfectly well that the man in the couch was watching him carefully and regally prancing from the stairs over to the cloak, once again skirting the outside of it, but stopping every now and then to sniff at it, never touching it, but very nearly brushing his whiskers on it.

When he got around the edge near where Hiei sat on the couch, he completely ignored the fire demon, but jumped onto the arm of the chair and made his way gracefully to the back where he fluidly wove behind Hiei's arms and sat down just to the side of the back of Hiei's head to regard the latter's hair with great interest, once even raising a paw as if to bat curiously at a spike, but thinking better of it and lowering his paw before actually doing so.

He made the small leap down to the seat of the couch, near Hiei, and made an inquisitive noise as he caught a wave of heat when he passed Hiei's shoulder on the way down.

Deciding to continue to ignore the demon, he stamped across the couch, and subsequently Hiei's lap, taking off at great speed when he felt the fire demon move as if to swat him away, leaping over the other arm of the couch and making a dime-turn to dash madly around the back of the couch for the still-open door of the closet to hide within the confines of the relics it contained.

He felt satisfied at any rate, having felt under his paws warmth as he stepped across Hiei's thighs.

Toriko only came down the stairs in time to see Maneshi disappear to her left, towards the closet, and she made a mental note not to shut him inside. At least not for too long. She felt Hiei's eyes on her but she continued to ignore him and went for the kitchen, thoughts on breakfast. Eggs. Potatoes. Maybe some bacon if she had any.

It didn't take too long for the smell of bacon to permeate the downstairs, followed closely by the spiciness of the home-fry style potatoes Toriko started in another skillet. The eggs were the last addition and they took only a short while to be finished.

Toriko made up two plates of the food, having sensed Hiei moving to the nearby table to sit down and watch her, and turned with them to walk to him, saying nothing, but sliding a plate in front of his nose and going to sit across from him.

"If you don't want it, don't eat it." She said primly, grabbing a fork from the canister she kept on the table with silverware in it and diving in to the food with gusto. 3

Hiei slid into a chair lazily, crimson eyes watching Toriko as she moved about the kitchen, his nose picking up the smell of the different foods being cooked. The different scents had his nose twitching only slightly, his stomach even rumbling even despite his normal dislike of basic human "goods". As his eyes followed Toriko, he searched for the thing he had caught sight of moments ago, wondering if he had merely seen a shadow cast at an odd direction earlier. For now, he saw nothing out of the norm, so he pushed it away from the forefront of his mind, brushing away his thoughts as she turned to him, sliding a plate towards him. His eyes instinctively turned down to the plate, watching as it slid to a stop just before it met the edge of the table.

When a fork was passed, Hiei picked at the contents of the plate for a few moments, as if he thought something might be wrong with it. When she piped, telling him he didn't have to eat it, he glanced at her momentarily before turning back to his plate, slowly bringing the fork to his mouth. The piece of meat he chewed on was salty, but had a hint of something almost sweet. It was chewy, but he found he liked it. He recalled Yusuke eating it once during the Dark Tournament, calling it bacon. He had offered some to Hiei then, but the fire demon had held no interest in anything to do with the team at the time. Now he wondered why he'd ever turned it down; it tasted better than it looked.

When the fire demon sampled the rest, he found he didn't much care for the eggs or the potatoes, and he simply munched on the bacon he'd been given, eyes now looking around the room before roving up to Toriko. It was then that he caught sight of what he'd seen earlier, except this time he knew it wasn't a shadow. However, he didn't exactly know what it was. He stared at it for a few minutes, recognizing that the skin was a bit discolored, turning a shade of blue that a bruise would, but the way it looked didn't strike him as a normal bruise.

When he finished his last bite of bacon, he continued to stare at it, eyebrows knitting together as they fell over his eyes in speculation. Then, he moved, pushing his plate to Toriko and standing, taking the two steps that was required to reach her and pulling back her hair to get a better look, noticing some dried, crusted blood along the nape of her neck. He felt sudden anger boil as he recalled the blonde demon, his mind finally going over the events from the night before, as if a fog had been lifted. His expression shifted only slightly as he stepped away, still staring at the mark. "You need to take care of that," he said, his tone flat and monotonous. *

"Take care of what?" After her initial flinch at Hiei's quick movement, Toriko tried to look down and see what he was talking about, but she couldn't move her chin far enough out of the way to see. She reached up to touch at her neck and went pale as her fingers touched a bit of skin that twinged as she passed over it, feeling something crusty and her hand coming away with what she knew could only be dried blood.

Toriko's stomach churned and she felt her heart skip up to her throat and she blinked as she held her hand up to her face, memories of the night before threatening to spill over and something inside her fighting to maintain control of her mind.

"I...I'm going to...to go..." Her hand still up in front of her eyes, Toriko abruptly stood up and turned towards the stairs, almost tripping over her chair but making it to the banister and pulling herself up.

_Clean it. Just get it clean. Just get it off. _She repeated the mantra to herself, hoping to distract her thoughts from the one that kept rearing its head. _Get to the bathroom. _That would require looking in a mirror. _Clean it. _She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the thought of a mirror. _J-just...c-clean it…_

Once upstairs, she felt her stomach lurch again and she dashed the last few feet down the hall to the bathroom, throwing up the lid of the toilet and vomiting her breakfast inside.

Tears at the corners of her eyes from the effort, she stood up and grabbed a washcloth, mind-numbly sticking her face under the faucet of the sink and washing it and her mouth, then putting the washcloth under the running water, her body visibly shaking as her memories threatened to overtake her consciousness.

_No. She can't take it. No! Stop! Don't think about it! _

Somewhere, the voice inside her was getting drowned out by the wave of last nights events that broiled under the surface, farther up into the forefront of her mind.

_No, wait! _

She started to look up at the mirror in order to clean the wound.

_You're not ready! Hold on! _

When her eyes met themselves in her reflection, Toriko froze, locked onto the image of the blood and the nasty bruise not-so-hidden underneath. The hand that didn't hold the washcloth trembled as it reached over as if to touch it again.

_We can't do this! It's too much. I...I'm sorry..._

All at once, last night's terror enveloped Toriko's mind, upheaving any sane thoughts she'd been able to maintain and twisting them inside out.

She blinked, unable to do anything but stare at the wound, the tears in the corners of her eyes at first one of anger, her jaw clenching, but the furiousness she felt at the predicament could not hold back the fear, the anxiety, the absolute fright that it had happened again.

_I'm so sorry...I tried... _

The voice said again from within, calm. Giving a sigh, it could do nothing but lovingly wash over her consciousness and pull her into a sleep, feeling their body go slack and collapse onto the fluffy rug of the bathroom floor. 3

Hiei watched Toriko as she, at first, confusedly reached up to touch the area he had pointed to, and he felt even his own emotions become darker. Even as she stumbled and fled from the room, ruby orbs following her, the fire demon's mind lingered on the demon, lingered on the thoughts of bringing harm to Otento. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of looking for an actual wound the night before, but now that he had pointed it out, Hiei considered the way Toriko had not only reacted at the feeling of it, but of last night, when she had practically begged him to stay. He realized that the way he had pointed it out to her had perhaps been a not-so-smart thing to do, but it was too late now.

He lingered where he stood, looking around the kitchen and down at the abandoned silverware, the abandoned plates and food. Instinctively, he was listening to the movement upstairs, his ears finding the steps of Toriko as she moved into a room on the side, and after a few moments, the sound of running water. Hiei decided to give her space and began moving the plates, gathering their forks and, easily balancing everything in one hand, began to make his way around the table, using his other hand to move her chair from his path. And then his ears picked up on a sound that made him pause, his red orbs turning up to the ceiling above him, momentarily widening. When he heard no further movement, he stretched his arm in the direction of the table with the intent to put the plates back, only for him to, in his haste, miss the surface, the forks clattering to the floor and one of the plates shattering, food moving across the tiled floor. He glared down at the mess for a mere moment before turning and continuing in the direction he had seen Toriko go.

His feet carried him with haste up the stairs and to the bathroom where he could still hear water running. Instantly he took in the scene, staring down at the fallen girl. He took a deep breath, reassured since he could tell she didn't collide with anything in the room other than the rug on the floor, and he calmly stepped to the sink, a hand pushing the handle to the off position before he knelt beside Toriko, inspecting her for a moment. Then, without any form of hesitation, he swept his arms under her and listed her from the floor, ignoring small memories that flashed across his mind as he moved towards her room, successfully nudging the door open with a foot. _*****_

It wasn't often that Maneshi was allowed time to himself in the depths of the strange closet and he made it a point to sniff everything that he could get his whiskers near, marking the edges of the trunks with the side of his face just in case there would ever be any question as to who _really_ owned anything in here.

He eyed a couple of the top shelves, but became distracted each time by another interesting smell would hit his nose which he would rush through the junk to find.

After a few minutes of rustling, his nose got inundated by bacon and his rummagings became less enthused, but he still enjoyed slipping in and out between the boxes and piles, slightly disappointed to have not found any critters to chase.

A crash of plates made Maneshi jump, the fur on his back standing on end, and he shot back out of the closet, weaving his way back through the piles with expert precision and coming out to look up the stairs, seeing Hiei disappearing at the top.

Maneshi's nose twitched and he went over to inspect the food fallen on the floor, curiously sampling a bit of everything and eating any stray bacon, though he quickly decided the eggs were not for him and the potatoes too spicy.

He flicked his tail in a cat-frown when he heard water being turned off from the upstairs bathroom, but no words being said, and he left the mess on the floor to slip up the stairs, just in time to see Hiei walking through Toriko's bedroom door, her limp frame in his arms.

Maneshi hurried after him into the room, tail cocked in a question mark with kitty concern. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	9. Episode 94 - Maneshi the Cat

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dear Reader!

Not much to say other than I hope you enjoy it!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko wakes up to a spat between Maneshi and Hiei; the cat had torn holes in Hiei's cloak.

She offers to mend it for him and seems to be acting strangely up until Hiei points out the injury Otento gave her,  
>a place near her neck where the demon bit her and also left a bruise, whereupon she goes to clean it<br>only to be unable to take the memory of what happened the night before and collapsing to the ground in the bathroom.

Hearing her collapse upstairs, Hiei goes and picks her up and carries her back to her bedroom...

* * *

><p>Hiei slowly lowered Toriko onto her bed, eyes methodically checking for additional injuries from her fall before they fell upon the bruise his eyes had found earlier, a frown coming to his face as he caught sight of the dried blood still crusted along the bruise. He gave a small sound that could almost be classified as a sigh and he turned to leave the room again, but his eyes caught sight of the small cat and he gazed down at it for a moment, taking in his curious wide eyes and curled tail. For a moment, he raised a brow, but then decided to continue walking back out the room and into the bathroom once more.<p>

He rummaged through the cabinets, searching for a small rag, only to come up empty handed and a bit irritated. He again searched each cabinet, slightly more content when he found a drawer he hadn't seen the first time, and it held just what he was looking for. He soaked the washcloth in warm water and returned to Toriko's room, unceremoniously dropping the wet cloth from a couple of inches above her skin to her neck, letting it soak up the dried blood without any effort on his part. He glanced behind himself again, eyeing the cat once more with a raised brow. Then Hiei settled himself on the floor curiously, wondering if perhaps the cat would approach. _*****_

Maneshi was not sure what had happened to Toriko, but his eyes never left her, even when Hiei swept by to leave the room again.

The only part of him that moved was his tail, twitching occasionally as he waited for Toriko to get up. This was not sleeping time. This was the awake time. This was the time of day where Toriko played with him when she was home and the fact that she was not up bothered him immensely. He did not quite know what to do, though he certainly felt something was very wrong.

The man with spiky hair came back in again and dropped something while standing over Toriko that Maneshi could not see, though it made a wet noise and caused the cat to shiver at the thought. When Hiei sat down on the floor, Maneshi could feel the fire demon's eyes on him and he twitched his tail twice more in the silence until Hiei got settled.

Moving like fluid across the floor to the bed, Maneshi stood up on his back paws as he reached for the edge, extending the length of his body to rest his front paws near where Toriko's hand had fallen.

Even on his closer inspection, he felt no better about her state, sniffing the hand and getting the same vibe as before.

Momentarily crestfallen that there would be no play time today, Maneshi backed up and landed back down softly on all fours on the carpet, tail lashing once in frustration at the predicament.

He turned to eye Hiei, expression unreadable, then remembered the wet sound that had been dropped higher up, reaching back to put his front paws on top of the bed, this time next to her shoulder, leaning as close as he dared to the damp cloth and giving it a smell, but deciding it was nothing particularly out of the ordinary, though he caught a second scent underneath it that caused his brows to waver.

He dismissed the thought and planted his four paws back on the carpet, meandering over to Hiei and sitting down on his back legs within arm's reach of the demon, concern radiating from every inch of his little fur-covered body, his eyes not leaving his lady's unconscious form.

In a sudden need of comfort, Maneshi stepped closer and butted a hand that Hiei held himself up with on the floor with the top of his black, furry head and made a tiny murl, wondering if this warm non-human was as worried as himself and hoping for pets and maybe a scratch behind the ear. 3

Hiei watched the cat as he moved around, getting different looks at his owner and sniffing here and there. The fire demon himself watched Toriko here and there, inspecting again and again to make sure he didn't miss something such as a cut or another bruise. By the time Maneshi's inspection had been complete and the cat was sitting near him, Hiei had closed his eyes briefly, thinking about the events that had lead to this. There was a part of him that wished he had killed the blonde demon when he'd had the chance, because something told him that he'd see the demon again soon, that something else was going to come of the encounter.

He felt the soft bump of the furry creature's head on his hand and opened a single eye to glance down at Maneshi, noting that the tom was still glancing at Toriko. The aura around the cat was easily readable, like a demon's, and Hiei found himself giving a small huff and resting his hand on the black fur atop the cat's head, scratching the place between his ears. "Tear my cloak again and you _will _die," he said softly, never ceasing in petting the soft, smooth fur of the cat.

He couldn't help but think that the animal was the only one in the human plane he actually didn't mind. *

Maneshi's eyes became half-lidded at the attentions, though when Hiei spoke, he turned his head and flicked one ear back, staring at him candidly as if to say, _You're the one that moved._

He gave a little huff of disapproving air, and turned his head back forward, leaning into Hiei's touch until he nearly fell over, recovering quickly by continuing to move in Hiei's direction, tentatively putting a paw on Hiei's thigh and sitting again, lifting his face towards Hiei's with his eyes closed in a sign of utter kitty contentment, a smile nearly visible on his features as Hiei pet him.

After a moment, he couldn't help himself, and he made the little jump over Hiei's left thigh into his lap, sitting his bottom right between Hiei's legs and resting his front on Hiei's right thigh and settling down, ears and eyes perked towards the bed, his tail getting left behind over Hiei's other thigh, the tip of it twitching occasionally.3

Hiei finally opened both eyes to watch the cat with a blank expression, feeling rather calm considering his train of thought. His hand continued to scratch at Maneshi's head until the cat moved, and Hiei instinctively pulled back to give the cat room to move. He raised a brow as the tom settled in his lap, tail draped over his thigh and twitching from side to side. He waited until the cat was completely still before giving into temptation and simply stroking his left hand down the center of Maneshi's dark fur, the smooth hairs flattening under his touch. The fur of the cat was warm, almost as warm as Hiei himself was, and he found that fact soothing, calming, as he continued to pet along the spine. Before too long, Maneshi was purring, and Hiei merely halted in his stroking, letting his hand rest on the cat as he rested his head back against the wall he was leaning against and turned his eyes to Toriko, patiently waiting for her to wake up. *

Maneshi let out a large breath, sounding almost like a sigh, turning nuzzling briefly the hand Hiei still held on him.

His emotional tank now full, Maneshi dropped himself out from under Hiei's hand and delicately stepped over Hiei back to the bed, clearing the jump in one clean leap, and landing just to the side of Toriko's head, sniffing at her hair once before walking around to her other side and stepping gently on her stomach, slinking cautiously up the middle of her chest and settling down, his paws almost touching the small space in between her collar bone.

He considered the cloth covering part of her bare skin on the left side of her body, nose twitching at the dampness, obviously not pleased.

Taking one velvety paw, claws most carefully absent, Maneshi touched the cloth, jerking his paw back abruptly and standing on his haunches. It was just as wet as he thought. He stared at it a bit longer and seemed to wrestle with something inside himself, finally giving another brief sigh-like sound and batting the cloth off her as fast and gently as he could, shaking his paw in distaste as it slid off her shoulder onto the bed.

The sight of the purple and red bruise on her made him visibly cringe back, lifting his paw close to his chest and his tail lashing once angrily. After the moment of disgust passed, Maneshi moved to where he could plant his front paws on either side of the wound, slowly lowering his head so that he maintained his precarious balance, but getting his mouth close enough and beginning to studiously lick with his rough tongue at the bruise, which started to glow, making sure to cover every single inch of it at least once.

When he had finished, he sat back and admired his handiwork, heartily approving as the bruise began to fade to yellow and brown, disappearing completely and leaving only a bit of cat-kissed sheen behind.

Toriko did not sit up immediately after that, which Maneshi disapproved of. He backed up to lay on her sternum again, curling his front paws under his chest and beginning to rumble a purr, his small motor vibrating cheerily as if to welcome her back into the world.

As he did so, the entirety of his black, short-haired body fainting began glowing. He could feel her mind begin stirring and he closed his eyes, pleased with himself.

After a moment, he turned his regal head towards Hiei, whom he'd felt staring at him and blinked, speaking directly into Hiei's mind:

"_What? You didn't honestly think a __**demon **__would own a __**normal **__cat, did you?" _3

Hiei let his hand fall to his lap as Maneshi slinked away, leaping onto the bed and resting on Toriko, his tongue snaking out and cleansing the wound until, surprisingly, the wound itself was simply washed away, as if the bruise had been nothing more than an illusion of makeup effects. His crimson orbs calmly watched, falsifying his lack of surprise with a facade of calm curiosity. He continued to watch Maneshi, even when the cat turned to look at him, now curled back on Toriko's gut, as if nothing had just happened and this were a normal occurrence.

When he suddenly felt his own consciousness touched by another, almost like the brush of a feather along his mind's eye, he blinked and met the cat's gaze evenly, listening with mild amusement. How he hadn't seen this coming, he didn't understand. He raised a brow at the cat and responded with:

"_Perhaps you __**are **__smarter than the __**normal **__creature of this plane. But I believe your definition of _normal _and mine are two different commodities." _

With that, he gave a small sneer that said he approved of the creature, though it lasted only an instant before it disappeared from his face. *

"_Mm. Perhaps. Perhaps not." _He said cryptically.

Maneshi looked back at Toriko, purring more heartily as she began to stir, his demonic energy still letting out a soft glow from his body.

"_Fascinating creature." _He mumbled to himself before pulling away from Hiei's mind, though whether he spoke of Hiei or Toriko too ambiguous to make out.

Toriko's eyes slowly fluttered open once, falling shut. Maneshi's purr became more insistent until she opened them again, staring blankly up at the ceiling, eyes cringing in the brightness of the room.

As she moved to sit up, Maneshi slipped off her chest and ended up between her legs and purring handsomely up at her, his expression beatific. Though her lips did not mirror it, her eyes smiled down at him and she reached over to scratch at the side of his cheek, a gesture that he leaned into, turning his head slightly for her to get to a different spot.

Toriko let out a deep, shaky breath from her lungs, beginning to move her legs over to the bed, though her whole body ached and she didn't know why.

Maneshi ducked and scooted back out of her way hopping down from the bed and meandering out of the room to places unknown.

For a moment, Toriko stared down at her knees, arms feeling weak, unsure if her legs would be able to hold her up. She glanced to her left and saw the washcloth on the side of her bed, raising her eyebrows and wondering how it got there. 3

Hiei raised an interested brow at Maneshi, waiting for the cat to continue on, but was left rather disappointed as his mind became empty of outside contact. He didn't know much of anything except that not only was Toriko a demon who seemed rather clumsy, and her cat was not a normal one, but he was also almost too curious for his own good. As events continued to unfold, different things happening at once, he found himself wanting to be nearby and figure out this cryptic puzzle of a person and her pet. It reminded him of the promise she had pulled from his lips the night before, and while he would normally be rather upset with such events, he found himself rather amused that he'd agreed and ended up in such curious circumstances.

Hiei pulled himself from his thoughts as he heard Toriko stirring, moving slightly on the bed until she was sitting up, blinking and looking back over her shoulder to the cloth that now lay on the bed, the dampness transferring to the bed sheets and creating a small spot where the water had soaked in. At first, Hiei didn't move. However, when Toriko moved her legs over the side of the bed, looking as if she were about to stand, he eyed her closely, taking note of the slight shake in her arms, the unstableness of her twitching muscles.

"I wouldn't do that," he said calmly, arms crossing over his chest as he crossed his ankles in front of him. "You'll only fall again." *

When she finally lifted her head at the sound of a voice and saw Hiei, her entire body tensed at the sight of him. Why was he here?

Her eyes quickly fell to her left again, to her bedside table, and she scrambled to grab for her glasses, scooting them over her ears and pushing them up the top of her nose, then putting her hands in her lap and staring at them, hardly noticing her hair falling about her shoulders.

She stayed seated, wondering at his warning, her brows turning downwards as she still did not know why he sat there looking so nonchalant. Her memories of the day were...fuzzy at best. The night before just as scrambled in her mind.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in remembrance, standing abruptly. She just as quickly plopped back onto the bed again, too weak, cringing at her achiness, her expression sheepish. "Y-your cloak." She explained. "I need to check on it. There's one last step." She did remember _that _much of the day. 3

Hiei eyed Toriko with a calm gaze, watching every twitch her muscles gave as she moved around, his eyes occasionally looking to the place where the bruise used to be. Part of him was amazed by what had happened, but he kept it contained from his features so that neither she nor Maneshi would be able to read his thoughts from his face.

Hiei nearly jumped when Toriko was on her feet in a quick motion, her voice suddenly loud and echoing in the otherwise quiet room. Her sudden movements caused him to give a huff as she placed herself right back on her bed, her eyes widened with dizziness, so he concluded. Slowly, the fire demon pushed himself to stand, placing himself in front of her so she wouldn't make the same mistake again. "Forget it," he spoke, his tone almost harsh, "it can wait. Don't be stupid." With that, he turned and stalked out of the room, giving her space and time to sort her obviously jumbled thoughts. If she really was that determined, she'd gather herself and follow.

Either way, Hiei still lingered outside the door, standing to the side and listening curiously and cautiously for anything unnatural. *

Toriko watched, mouth slightly agape as Hiei left the room, nearly closing the door behind him, "N-no, wait! You don't understand!"

She reached for a hair claw that sat on the bedside table and gathered her hair up, in too much of a hurry for pinning, twisting it and clamping into place at the back of her head.

She scrambled up out of the bed, managing to make it to the door and latching onto the knob with her right hand, shutting the door in front of her as she leaned heavily on it, feeling weak.

In a sudden flash of anger at her aching body, Toriko curled her left hand into a fist where it had landed near her face to hold her up on the door and slammed it into the wood. She muttered a curse under her breath at her condition, legs giving out underneath her.

She managed to turn around as she slid down the door, ending up seated with her back against the wood, putting her head between her knees and sighing. 3

Hiei listened to the girl's clumsy steps as she tried to catch up, but he didn't move from his spot against the wall in the hallway, back against the wall and eyes on the door. He briefly saw her reaching for the door, just before she slammed it shut, the wood echoing through the house with a loud crack. He raised a brow at her, listening to her breathing to ensure she was still conscious, and finding himself relieved when he confirmed it as so.

At her sudden curse, he snickered, surprising even himself, but that didn't stop the sneer from forming on his face as he pushed away from the wall and stood in front of the door again, hands in the pockets of his pants. "Rush yourself, no matter what it is, and you'll inevitably fall." he spoke, his tone mocking and light. He heard her slide against the wood and plunk down on the carpeted floor, and his sneer grew larger.

He stayed quiet for a few moments more, listening to her short breaths and her sudden sigh with a very small amount of amusement. He waited a few minutes before stepping another foot away from the door, but never turning away from the wooden surface. "Perhaps you should try relaxing and let your body do as it needs to do." he suggested, sounding much more serious than before. "Clumsy." _*****_

"Thanks for the tip." Toriko muttered under her breath, annoyed by advice given from such a youngling. After sighing, her ears perked up again when he spoke the second time, another flash of anger shooting through her body.

She stood up and whipped the door open to see him standing there with a self-satisfied smirk across his face.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, flame-boy."

She stalked out into the hall and brushed past him, getting to the stairs and forcing her body to walk down them without a hitch, just to prove him wrong. She trembled once when she reached the bottom, feeling another breath moving shakily through her body. Gathering her strength, she walked much more evenly towards where his cloak still lay on the floor and her hand flew up to her mouth in amusement, her eyes wide behind the thick frames of her glasses.

Maneshi lay curled up tightly in the neck-hole of the cloak, the entirety of the article of clothing fanned out around him in a smooth circle as Toriko had laid it earlier that morning, not a bit of his fur touching the fabric, his tail tightly pulled against his body, over his feet and covering his nose. He appeared to be asleep, breath steady and slow, his whiskers wavering once as if in a dream. 3

Hiei had taken an extra step back as Toriko flung the door open and brushed by him, her slightly wobbling legs carrying her down the steps ahead of him. He merely raised a brow in her direction, intrigued that she had taken it as a challenge rather than simply making a comment and kicking him out, as most people likely would have. Without being prompted to do so, he followed her steps slowly, leisurely making his way down one step at a time until he stood on the bottom step, glancing around the room, finding himself confused when he took note of the posture in which Toriko stood, the gesture of her hand over her mouth. For a moment, Hiei stiffened in caution.

However, when his eyes landed on the curled up form of Maneshi, laying dead center of the area where his cloak lay, he felt irritation sweep over him and he stalked forward. He paused about a foot away and crouched, his steely gaze searching for any extra rips, tears, or cat hairs on his cloak keenly. He inspected for about three minutes before he rocked back onto his heels, staying crouched but feeling much calmer. He hated when anything got on his cloak, so the fact that the cat had gotten where he had without so much as touching the cloak….

Hiei gave a sneer of respect and scoffed in disbelief. "Fascinating creature," Hiei commented, his shoulders relaxing as he stood upright again, only glancing back at Toriko before continuing to the kitchen.

And the sight he was met with made his eyes widen; he'd forgotten of the mess he'd made. *

As Toriko looked at the sleeping form of the cat, she smiled, lowering her hand the longer she regarded him. She managed to sit down at the edge of the fabric, next to the pile she left early, and passed a hand over the holes she mended, glad to see they had taken and were as seemless as the rest of the clothing. She picked up the small bag she took the needle and thread from the first time and dug into the bottom of it for the lighter she knew was within. Pulling it out, she gently lifted the edge of the cloak, careful not to disturb it so much that Maneshi would be bothered, and flicked the lighter on with her thumb, passing the ensuing flame underneath where her work had been done, setting the work for good with the rest of the cloth.

When she finished, she gazed across it at the cat, "Move now, please."

Maneshi raised his head, to regard her steadily, laying back down and not moving.

Toriko didn't seemed surprised by this, instead lifting the cloak and standing, walking it over to fold it in half in such a way that Maneshi would be left undisturbed, but by himself in the middle of the carpet.

As she moved the fabric, Maneshi lifted his head again and growled, a low tone in his chest.

"Well, then. You should have moved." Toriko replied primly, lifting him up by the waist and lightly tossing him out of the way.

He easily landed on his feet, sitting down on his haunches and staring at her haughtily, curling his tail around his paws and going still as a statue.

Toriko flapped the cloak into the air, turning it over with a flick of her wrist. She sat back down, the cloak scattered over her lap, and flicked the lighter on again, holding it underneath the cloak and passing it by the mending for several seconds. 3

Hiei stared at the mess on the floor of the kitchen, his mind recalling the very moment it had shattered. He had momentarily glanced at it, but hadn't made any mental note of it to be picked up. At least, not a very good mental note.

He glanced back over his shoulder into the living room, eyeing Toriko as she passed a lighter beneath his cloak, and he took the opportunity to slip into the next room. First, he located the trashcan, finding it in the pantry that had been left half-open. He quietly pulled it from its hiding spot and set it nearby, then continued to move about the kitchen, as silently as he could picking up the food that had scattered on the floor and a few stray shards of glass from underneath the table and from the table's surface, where he had no idea how it had gotten.

But he made the mistake of bumping the chair with his elbow, making it skid just a bit on the tiled floor. To this, he halted all movement, silently hoping Toriko wasn't paying attention. Why he didn't want her knowing, however, was beyond him. *

Toriko looked up from the cloak, her glasses on top of her head, intending to pass it to Hiei for inspection and possible approval, but she did not initially see him.

At the sound of a chair squeaking across the floor, Toriko stood, neatly folding up the cloak and intending to move in the direction of the kitchen.

Maneshi acted faster than her, trotting over towards the sound and seeing Hiei frozen in place. Maneshi very nearly stepped his nice, clean paws into the spill, leaping almost instinctively up onto Hiei's shoulders, his tiny frame planted firmly in place, front to the right of Hiei's head, back to the left. Safe from any dirtiness, he collapsed around the back of the fire demon's neck, paws hanging lazily down over Hiei's shoulders and his tail flicking absently.

Toriko walked in on the scene just in time for Maneshi to stare at her as he collapsed around Hiei's neck, trying not to smile at the sight. Her eyes lowered to see the food scattered around, a plate in pieces on the floor.

Silently, very aware that she was barefoot, she carefully stepped around and went over to the sink, grabbing another trash bag and returning to the mess. She squatted down to start picking up the broken shards of plate, putting them inside the trash bag.

At the sight of her doing so, Maneshi let out a demanding 'meow,' intending the outburst to encourage Hiei to help. The immediate result, however, was Toriko practically jumping out of her skin, clutching reactively at the large shard of plate in her hand and slicing her hand open in several places, across her fingers, thumb and palm.

Disgusted, she tossed the piece into the trash bag and clenched her hand tightly together, glaring as a trickle of blood started to seep out from the bottom of her first, then her expression changing to one of resign, holding the hand over the trash bag and waiting. 3

Hiei watched as Maneshi came into the room, Toriko following right after. He was about to move when the pressure of a small, lanky, furry body met his shoulders and draped across the back of his neck. He glanced back at Maneshi with a raised brow, but gave in and simply let the cat stay where he seemed comfortable, ignoring the light flick of the end of his tail. He then watched Toriko as she silently grabbed another trash bag and began assisting in the clean up, in which Hiei continued from where he was under the table, picking up the last bits that were in his reach before he scooted himself out from under the table, using a foot to pull the chair back into its rightful place.

When Maneshi mewed in his ear, he glanced from the corner of his eye at the rom cat, silently saying "yeah, yeah," as he turned around and dumped his handful of shards and food into the trashcan nearby. That was when the coppery scent of blood hit his nose and he immediately turned his head to Toriko, eyes landing on the droplets of blood that were beginning to fall into the bag she held in her uninjured hand. He stared for a moment, internally sighing.

Then, he acted. He took two steps forward, grabbed the wrist of her injured hand, and dragged her to the sink. He grabbed the handle he could easiest reach and unceremoniously forced her hand under the water, eyeing the liquid as it mixed with the blood and ran down the drain, holding back from his comment. *

There wasn't much Toriko could do when the fire demon grabbed her, pulled her to her feet, and dragged her across the tile to the kitchen sink.

The immediate feeling of the water over her cuts was nice and she flexed her fingers a little, feeling how tightly Hiei's grip was around her wrist when she almost couldn't do it.

Seconds later though, the water steamed and burned, Toriko letting out the smallest exhale of air hiss through her teeth in discomfort and jerking her hand out of the sink, clenching her fist to try and get the pressure to stop the bleeding and not leave any drips on the tile.

Hiei's fingers were still clamped around her wrist, and it took a moment for her to realize it, staring over at him with wide eyes behind her thick glasses lenses. 3

Hiei watched the bloody water stream into the sink and down the drain for a few moments, waiting for the color of the water to become clear again. Suddenly, Toriko let out a hiss and pulled away, though Hiei never relinquished his grip. He let her move her hand out from under the faucet, turning a hard stare onto her momentarily before he could practically smell the steam coming from the water, feel the light heat radiating, drifting towards him as an offer of energy. His crimson irises turned to the water that still run steadily, watching the steam roll off of the stream with a calm expression.

Inside, he gave a small sound of discontent, but externally, he merely turned the other knob of the faucet into the on position, switching the knob designated for "hot" off. He himself held his hand under the water, finding discomfort in the cold that ran over his hand again, and once more, he pried Toriko's hand open and stuck it under the running water, letting his own heat balance with the cold of the water so as to keep it from doing more harm than good. *

Toriko let Hiei do as he wished, until she felt his hand begin to get warm underneath hers. The droplets of water stung with the hotness of the combined warmth and cool of Hiei's hand and the water, respectively. At that point, Toriko jerked her hand away from the water again, sending a glare in Hiei's direction and reaching over to turn the hot and cold knobs until they were about even, testing the flow with a finger before pulling the hand Hiei still held back under the faucet and letting it wash away the blood that had accumulated. 3

Hiei gently held Toriko's hand in his, eyes again on the cuts and the watery blood that washed into the sink. And again, she pulled away, and this time he met her gaze with the same amount of frustration as she seemed to have with him. He released her hand and crossed his arms over his chest expectantly, silently waiting for her to say something smart-alecky or to gripe at him, for whatever it was he'd done wrong this time around. "Finicky." he grumbled, red eyes turning back to the mess that remained on the floor behind them. He gave a light scoff and moved to finish up the cleaning job they'd abandoned. *

"Ignorant." She shot right back at him as he moved away, turning to shut the faucet off. If _he_ wasn't going to stand here, she sure wasn't. She refused to look at her hand, not caring if it was healed, but tightened it into a fist, opening it only when she went to grab the trash bag she'd been working with, and then clenching her hand together over it, bending down to pick up more of the pieces and shove some of the larger clumps of food inside as well.

As Toriko worked, her mind tried to sift through the last twenty-four hours, starting with the night before. All she could recall was being awakened by...something. Something that was not particularly friendly. And the next thing she remembered was...Hiei.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, stopping her work. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but something tugged at her inside and she closed it again, turning silently back to the mess. Perhaps she didn't need to know what had happened...

There was only a handful of other instances in her memories where things were blotted out, besides anything before her Human World transfer, which she feared and tried not to think about in the first place.

Most of her fuzzy memories after making it to Human World were what she referred to privately as the 'in between time,' those first few years where she was lost and confused, forced to adapt quickly to survive, before acquiring this house she lived in.

After that, she could remember every detail of her mundane existence, and the next time she really looked around her, nearly a decade had passed and she still felt no desire to try and get back 'home.'

Everything she knew there had likely been destroyed, else why would she have been running away in the first place, though likewise, she knew of nothing here in Human World that really kept her around for the sheer joy of it.

...why was she still alive again?

Toriko made a small sigh, standing up and unceremoniously throwing the trash bag in her hand into the one in the trash bin. She walked over to the cabinet under the sink and squatted down to open it, pulling out some floor cleaner and a bucket, putting a couple of squirts of the former in the latter and placing bucket in the sink, turning the faucet back on, then going over and grabbing a mop propped up in a corner. She stood next to the sink and watched the water fill the bucket, waiting for it to get about half-way.

"Your cloak is finished." She said quietly to Hiei without turning towards him. "It's folded up in the living room. Let me know if something's wrong." She fully expected him to march in there and, if he felt the job was adequate, leave without saying anything else. She frowned at the bucket. She still couldn't remember why he was here in the first place.

When it filled half-way, Toriko easily grabbed and pulled it from where it nestled, laying the bucket on the tile nearest to the first bits of dirty floor and dunking the mop inside, quietly beginning to extricate all traces of the mess. Her brow furrowed again as she did so. How exactly had the mess been made again? She had impressions of making the food, further evidence still sitting on top of the stove in the form of the two skillets, one with bacon grease and the other with bits of potato still inside.

The mopping did not take long. She dumped the dirty water of the bucket into the sink, wringing out the mop and putting it back in inside the bucket and placing them both in the corner, moving to next place all the dishes from the abandoned meal in the sink and clean them. 3

Hiei scoffed in response to Toriko's single-worded retort, but for the most part, he didn't respond. At first, anyways. As he continued picking up the last bits of food, the last shards of glass, he heard himself scoff again, and his own voice echoed through his ears before he'd even realized he was speaking. "The only ignorance I have beared witness to is of you being afraid of a small creature's call," he said, only glancing at Maneshi as the cat still draped over his shoulders, just as calm as could be. He didn't look at Toriko as he stood upright again and dumped a fistful of shards and food remnants into the trashcan that stood near him. He merely stayed where he stood, watching Maneshi, as if the tom would do something interesting.

And then his cloak was brought into the conversation, and his eyes swiftly darted to the living room, searching for the little folded up fabric she spoke of. Without hesitation, he stalked his way into the next room, right up to the folded up, silky-smooth fabric that lay on the arm of the couch. He immediately unfolded it and subjected it to a thorough inspection of the area he had known had been ripped. After a few minutes, a small look of satisfaction crossed his face before disappearing entirely and he easily settled it around his shoulders, only rustling the cat a little so that he still lay across his shoulders, but now across the smooth cloak as well, which earned a soft meow of protest.

He stood in the same spot for a few moment, considering leaving but his eyes found the cat all over again. He felt slightly frustrated that Maneshi still lay on his shoulders, calmly watching him with his yellow eyes. He reached up to remove the cat from his person, but he became suddenly aware of a presence outside the door, just as the person outside it began pounding on it.

~!**!~

Akari frowned down at her papers that were spread out in front of her on the desk, each and every one of them scribbled on in various different ways. Her literature paper was finished, with mistakes here and there, as was her history paperwork. Her math, however was…. a little worse for ware, to say the least. Though she was using a pencil, there were still markings everywhere, most of them faded from the effort of erasing them. There were also other markings that, to any other person, would likely look like random marks of decoration. Symbols were marked out and replaced here and there, some even stacked on one another to show that she wasn't one hundred percent sure on which symbol to use.

She dragged a hand through her hair, raking her scalp with her nails in frustration and plunking her pencil onto the wooden surface of the desk she sat at. Her eyes slid shut and she took to a small breathing exercise- for the third time in the past twenty minutes. She grumbled incoherent curses under her breath and pushed the paper away from herself and stood, intending to take a small walk around town, but her mind told her she'd already done that twice today, and it wasn't helping anything.

Suddenly, she found herself gathering her papers and her pencil, a jacket to hide her scarred arms, and was leaving the house, squeezing through the small hole in the wall of the worn-down building and ignoring the small pieces of rubble that tumbled from her contact with it. She glanced back into the room, catching sight of Nabu sleeping under the small ray of sunshine that filtered through the hole in the ceiling, his breathing even despite the dust particles that drifted around him and landed on his soft fur. She shook her head at him and left without a word, marching down the sidewalk and towards the house of the person that had been assigned to help her. As much as she hated admitting it, she did indeed need that help.

By the time she had arrived, she was even more irritated than before, not happy with the heavy foot traffic on the sidewalks and the fact that she had to come to someone else for help. She stood outside the house for a few moments, searching for signs of people on the inside. After she saw a shadow pass by one of the windows, she approached at a speed that would likely have gotten her into trouble if a human had passed by, and her hand was immediately making rough contact with the door, her balled-up fist hitting on the hardwood with impatience. _*****_

At the sound of pounding, Toriko paused in the middle of her work, ears almost twitching as she realized the sound came from her own front door. She quickly lowered the dish she had in her fingers back into the water and pulled her hands out to grab a towel and dry them as she made her way to the door, ignoring Hiei who still stood in the living room, cloak on, but with Maneshi lazing over his shoulders.

"_Traitor." _She thought to herself as she stalked by, pausing once she reached the door to make sure her glasses were in place, but quickly pulling the claw out of her hair and re-doing the twist, attempting to get as many strands against her head and slightly worried about not having pinned it up today.

Only seconds had passed since the initial knock, but Toriko's heart suddenly lurched in her chest at the prospect of a visitor. She placed her hand on the knob and turned, opening the door inward to see who exactly had come calling.

Seeing Akari on her doorstep, Toriko's eyes widened behind her thick lenses. By the school-work in the girl's arms, Toriko inferred she wanted help, though why she would come to Toriko and not Kurama was not immediately clear. She suddenly remembered the mandate of their math teacher about Akari getting tutoring and nervously looked at the floor. Still speechless, Toriko opened the door wider and stepped to the side to indicate Akari was welcome to enter and Toriko quietly waited for the demon to cross the threshold and explain. 3

Hiei frowned at the door as he recognized the energy beyond the door, a spark of caution coming to life in his mind as he recalled the scene he'd witnessed a while ago. He glanced again at the cat on his shoulders before turning and leaving the room, heading up the stairs with silence as his comrade. He tugged the cat from his shoulders, earning a meow and a small huff as he dropped the cat to the carpeted floor at the top of the stairs. The cat's eyes glared at him as he turned and stepped into Toriko's room, opening up the window and closing it all over again, as if it hadn't been opened at all, and he took to the higher branches of the trees, so as to not be seen as he kept watch.

After all, he wouldn't leave the defenseless girl alone with someone who associates with _that _demon.

~!**!~

Akari's fist lowered to her side when she heard footsteps approaching the door, and her expression was blank as the wooden frame creaked only slightly as the door was pulled open. She stared at the girl for only a moment before stepping in the house, shuffling the two books into her left arm and holding up a single sheet of paper in Toriko's face, inches from the girl's nose. "This," she began, voice filled with the hidden frustration, "Is a monstrosity."

She paused again, her conscious whispering for her to take a moment and breathe, to not disrespect the person who had opened her door to her home, no matter the past experience with the people Toriko associated with. She took three deep breaths and lowered the paper, her eyes shifting to her scribbly work and looped handwriting. "This ridiculous amount of symbols and numbers is meaningless to me, as is Biology," she admitted, her tone still rough with irritation, but expression blank. _*****_

Toriko took little notice of Hiei leaving the room, though she felt aware of his presence moving somewhere else. She shifted her glasses a bit on her face as she regarded the piece of paper when Akari held it up, thoughts stirring in her mind in relation to the abnormal markings she spied scribbled all over the paper before Akari lowered it again. She listened patiently, her mind quickly homing in the situation at hand.

Toriko closed the door, and gestured silently at the cleared kitchen table, moving for it and taking a seat, waiting for Akari to follow.

"I-I think Biology will be less difficult a subject to explain as it is merely a means for humanity to study the world they live in. Th-they feel as if they must explain everything around them and s-stuff it all in these little boxes that they become c-confounded with should anything leave what they have placed it i-in. Math is…" Toriko searched for the right word, but came up with nothing and merely shrugged, "S-somewhat more complicated as it builds more heavily upon itself than even Biology. Miss one l-little thing and you fall much farther behind." She pushed her glasses farther up her nose. "W-would you show me what you've done so far?" 3

Akari listened to the stammering girl with growing impatience, though she tried her best not to show it. She shifted her weight a bit and adjusted her hold on her things once more, tossing her hair over her shoulder and following Toriko as she made her way into the next room. She nodded as the girl continued to speak, though since Toriko's back was to her, she didn't think she saw it. "It isn't too difficult, except that it's not very clear with definitional terms." With her expression a curious one and her tone now calm, she placed her two books on the table with a thud and opened the science book to the page her worksheet indicated. She looked at the page filled with cells and ecosystems, the terms of "Mitochondria" and "Osmosis" that she knew were scattered around in the chapter. Her paper slid from the pages of the textbook and onto the table, the vocabulary written and marked out in several different places, even repeated throughout the blanks that were meant for filing in and labeling the different images of cells, of images of an ecosystem and its parts. While she understood most of it, the parts of the cells that made up the beings of this place seemed to leave her stumped.

"These," she pointed to the cells, where she had labeled the cell wall, but nothing more, "I do not understand." She gave a brief pause and glanced up at Toriko, feeling rather odd, perhaps even calm and a little better about asking someone, though she hated it at the same time. "As I'm sure you know, Demon World has very different concepts of life and how things work, and cells are definitely not a part of that structure." _*****_

Hearing the name of her home, of the other world, aloud sent a flinch of muscles tightening all along Toriko's body.

It had been a very long time indeed since Toriko had done so much as consider the place in any fashion, and even as the non-human girl beside her talked about it with such familiarity, she struggled inwardly to objectively think about the place, a place she tried so hard to deny herself any connection to.

"I-if it helps give you motivation, understanding the cells of the humans and the structures of their bodies will assist in any interactions you have with them. The knowledge could be useful for many different reasons. Most just never care, though if they realized how much more precise their damage could be, they might take a greater interest." It wasn't likely, Toriko thought to herself, as most of the time they overpowered the humans to any extent, but there were always exceptions. Knowledge was power, after all. Toriko leaned over and looked at the worksheet. "If you go small enough, everything is made up of the same stuff, and it's as you get bigger that the complexity plays a part in creating the different beings." Toriko tried scanning the worksheet Akari, "What exactly is troubling you?" 3

Akari stood to the side, arms crossed as she eyed the paper, and then Toriko as she began speaking. She raised a brow at the girl meant to be helping her, indicating that even though she was talking, it didn't help her figure out what the paper wanted from her. After Toriko's question of just what was bothering her, she pointed to the different parts of the cell and asked for brief explanations of each of them and what they did, and for a while, that was all she asked about. She clarified and made sure she understood what was going on, and for what felt like an hour, she found everything much easier to understand. She felt a bit better about the work and was able to finish it on her own. And, despite her earlier dislike of the idea of asking for help, she found herself feeling grateful for the assistance. And, for once, she voiced it with a small, quiet, "thanks" under her breath. She sat back in the kitchen chair she had taken to sitting in, her arms now relaxed as she released a breath and laid her head back, eyes shut. _*** **_

Toriko didn't often get the opportunity to be more of a help than a burden, but the sense of satisfaction that Akari continuously provided for her at each turn when she understood another portion of the assignment made Toriko glad to have been able to help. She thought to herself that with a start like this, perhaps the girl would be able to pursue the studies on her own. Not having had a background in the human schools certainly made things more difficult.

"May I see your math work?" 3

Akari let out another slow breath and crossed her ankles beneath the table, rubbing her face for a moment before she sat upright again and met Toriko's gaze evenly, patiently. As soon as the subject of her math homework left the girl's mouth though, she felt the beginnings of frustration welling up again, calling forth thoughts of her past tries with the work that seemed to never end. She worried at her lip for a fraction of a second before producing it from the math textbook and sliding it to the girl next to her, eyes not again meeting Toriko's as she waited. _*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	10. Episode 95 - A Vexing Sort of Demon

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow FanFiction Fanatics!

Another chapter bites the dust...

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

It appears that Maneshi is not simply a normal cat, as proven by how he assists Hiei by healing Toriko of her wound.

After this, Toriko finishes mending Hiei's cloak and it isn't long before Akari shows up to get tutoring from Toriko.

Unwilling to leave Toriko alone with a demon he suspects of being in cahoots with Otento,  
>Hiei slips outside and takes his place in the nearest tree...<p>

* * *

><p>Maneshi huffed through his nose at Hiei as he watched the fire demon leave Toriko's bedroom through the window and close it behind him. The cat leapt up onto the windowsill and stared at him intentionally, blinking once and meowing in displeasure at the source of warmth that had so carelessly tossed him away.<p>

Heaving a sigh almost unnatural for a creature of his ilk, Maneshi hopped back down to the carpet and curled up in the sunshine, hoping Hiei would be back.

~!**!~

Toriko took the sheet of paper, feeling Akari's complete uncomfortableness at the subject being broached practically rolling off the other female in waves of frustration.

Saying nothing, Toriko sat and studied the work, frowning, though not in relation to the numerous scribblings and eraser marks.

Other-worldly symbols dotted the page, coupled with what Toriko quickly related to be Akari's attempts at matching them with their Human World equivalents. As far as Toriko could tell, the girl had 'addition' and 'subtraction' down just fine. Toriko's eyebrows twitched, sensing that it would be necessary to access memories she had intentionally stored in the deep recesses of her mind and her apprehension just at the thought of it grew.

Toriko blinked, struggling silently with her innate non-humaness and all the fear she associated with it.

"Y-you're using-" Toriko swallowed, "D-demon World symbols." It wasn't a question.

Her brow furrowed farther and she reached up to connect an edge of the paper that had been torn apart by one too many vigorous erasings.

"May I see your pencil?" She flipped the paper over to the blank side and pressed the writing utensil down after receiving it, scooting her glasses back up her nose with one hand before changing her mind and putting them on top of her head completely.

She went back and forth from either side of the paper, putting the Human World math symbols that the sheet used on one side, and any Demon World symbols Akari had on the other, sitting and staring for a moment before beginning to connect the two sides, writing a small equation for each, Human World on top with Demon World on bottom, down below the markings after pairing them up.

"_Two plus two is four. Addition in Demon World uses __**this **__symbol. Two minus two is zero. Subtraction uses __**this **__symbol..." _Toriko silently walked herself through the more basic symbols, clenching her jaw together in her attempts to keep her mind strictly upon accessing mathematical memories from over a decade past.

"_Multiplication...Division..." _Toriko worked steadily, remembering the symbols for parenthesis, 'less than,' 'greater than,' and 'equal to,' but struggling when she reached 'sine,' 'cosine,' and 'tangent.'

Toriko sat back after what seemed like forever, unable to go any farther as she struggled to keep certain memories from surfacing, shoving her non-human nature as far away as possible.

"H-here." She finally said, scooting the sheet back over towards Akari, who had been steadily becoming more interested in her work the whole time. "It's been over a decade, so this is all I've got so far. You ought to be able to get quite a bit of it done on your own now, though." She squeezed her eyes shut, silently wishing the girl away so that she could deal with regaining herself. "When I recall some of the others, I will let you know."

~!**!~

Maneshi squeezed his eyes tightly together as a tickle began in the back of his head, one that continued to itch in ever-increasing amounts until he raised his head sleepily from where it rested on the floor. He stretched lazily when he did not immediately see any danger, but became more aware of _something_ going on in his domain, though he didn't know what exactly.

Getting up and thoroughly cleaning himself before actually moving, Maneshi made his way out of Toriko's bedroom door and trotted down the steps, his nose immediately picking up a dog somewhere in the vicinity and he froze at the bottom stair, hair prickling along his spine. In his experiences, dogs were either overzealous with affection or over-angry at him for no reason that he could legitimize other than the fact that he happened to be feline in nature. He cautiously took another step forward, but after scanning the room once, he realized where the smell came from and immediately dismissed it, the distress that he'd felt in the back of his head more apparent now that he was in the room with Toriko.

He emitted a sound between a purr and a meow that did not quite pass out his mouth as he quickly pranced across the room and jumped neatly into Toriko's lap, butting his head against her arm and seating himself when she began petting his back absently, tail flicking down the side of the chair over Toriko's thigh as he stared unblinking at the stranger seated next to his Toriko, someone that he somehow felt was connected to the emotions she hid away in her mind. 3

Akari had silently kept up with Toriko's writings, her eyes taking in the words that were slowly forming on the paper underneath her pencil. She recognized that Toriko was making the connections between Akari's own scribblings, and when she even continued further with even more symbols, Akari found herself leaning forward, an elbow on the table and chin resting in her hand as her mind absorbed the new information with interest and curiosity. She could feel a few things click into her mind and she found that she almost felt dumb for not making the connections herself.

Akari watched for what felt like hours as Toriko wrote, connecting symbols from this world with the symbols of her home world, and by the time Toriko had sat back, she felt like she'd just gone through an entire week's worth of study. She didn't move from her relaxed stature, though her eyes did follow Toriko with a small sheen of thankfulness she wouldn't vocalize. Instead, she merely nodded at the girl and retrieved the paper from her, looking over each symbol again and memorizing the connections.

After a few silent moments, the demon shifted and sat back again, stretching her legs out under the table and stretching her arms over her head lazily, eyes roving over to the cat she had barely taken notice of a few moments ago. She raised a brow at him and then glanced at Toriko once more, expression neutral. "How much longer am I required for tutoring?" she finally inquired, glancing at a nearby clock, but not sure what time she had arrived. _*****_

Toriko shifted her glasses up her face, sliding a hand down Maneshi's back gently in a meditative fashion, the motion only helping keep her thoughts grounded a little.

"I don't think you're going to need any more help." Toriko managed to say, "At least not for a while. As we get further into the semester, I will try to provide you will equivalents should find yourself unable. If I am asked I will say that we took the required time needed to catch you up." Toriko stood, scooting her chair back from the table, Maneshi hopping down from her lap to the floor. She waited for a moment to see if Akari would gather her things, assuming the girl would be eager to vacate the premises as Toriko got the feeling she hadn't wanted to be there in the first place.

Toriko turned and slowly began walk towards the front door to give Akari time to get her stuff together, opening the door for and nodding to Akari as she left.

Toriko collapsed against the door, Maneshi having followed her all the way over and standing near her feet, staring up at her, his eyes wide with concern. She didn't hardly notice him, but walked over to the couch in a daze, memories of ages past threatening to spill over her mind. She collapsed onto the cushions, staring at the wall for a moment, then took off her glasses and placed them on the coffee table, rubbing her hands as tears, like her memories, bubbled up without warning. She slowly turned pulled her legs up onto the couch, bending over in what most would consider a deep bow of respect, but her hands covered her eyes in her distress and she tried to block out everything, tried to send her mind into a black nothingness of thought as she started to repeat, "_I don't want to be a demon, I don't want to be a demon, I don't-" _

Maneshi hopped up onto the couch near her head after Toriko curled up over her knees. Still unsure of what to do, he put a paw to the tendrils of her hair sticking up out of the jaw hair-clip she had tightly pinned to her head, and meowed once before falling silent.

He withdrew to lay down on his stomach, facing her and curling his paws underneath his chest. He had considered jumping onto her back, king of all he could see, but her distress bothered him immensely and he did not know what to do.

"_I am sorry, my lady." _He closed his eyes as if pained, "_Were I able to remember human form perhaps better comfort I could provide." _He knew that his presence would simply have to suffice, but he mourned the loss of knowledge silently, in that moment more than ever knowing he would gladly trade the worlds to not be stuck in the small, furry body as he was. 3

Hiei stood on the edge of the branch he had taken residence on, hands stuffed into his cloak pockets as he battled with himself silently. He heard no signs of trouble, but yet he felt this need to get inside, this need to be sure the dog wasn't acting out of line. His hands balled into fists as the inner battle raged on, a growing sense of dread bottoming his stomach and every fiber in his being screamed at him to _move, do something. _He attempted to simply listen to what was going on inside the house, and found it extremely quiet. Whispers here and there. Yet something continued to nag at him, something continued to plea with him to investigate.

Finally, he gave in. With the clenching of his teeth and the silence only he knew, he slipped his way back into the unlocked window, locking it again behind himself and silently leaving the bedroom. Downstairs, he heard the door open, and then snap close, and he paused in thought. Still, something pulled, or rather, yanked at his consciousness and had him cautiously moving down the stairs. The moment his feet hit the base of them, his eyes locked in the living room, his ears making out a distinctive breathing pattern that indicated distress. His crimson orbs locked on the small, curled up body of Toriko, and without much thinking about it, he approached, standing about a foot from the edge of the couch, standing near the end where her head rest. His hands slid into the pockets of his cloak again, unaware that they had left their refuge.

"When you lay like that, you make yourself look pathetic and small," he commented, as if this were his form of consolation. _*****_

Maneshi opened his eyes as he heard Hiei coming down the stairs, coming to a stand and facing him as Hiei stopped to stare at Toriko.

The black cat's heterochromatic gaze regarded Hiei strangely, thoughts stirring in his mind as he looked from the fire demon to the lady on the couch.

"_You..." _Maneshi spoke into Hiei's mind, pausing as he struggled to maintain himself for just a moment longer, his body fighting with him, wanting him to return to the depths of his kitty-ness. "_You can do what I cannot." _Maneshi uncurled his sleek body, moving closer towards Hiei, but remaining on the couch, his eyes flickering back to Toriko's unmoving form, then returning to stare unblinking at Hiei.

He tried to speak again, but only meowed, clenching his eyes together in frustration. He opened them again and reached out towards Hiei with a downturned paw and made an oddly human gesture, as if to draw the fire demon to the couch. "_Sit." _He managed to say. "_Sit. Here." _He trotted over next to Toriko and looked up at Hiei again, leaping up to the back of the couch where he would be out of the way. 3

Hiei's eyes slid to the cat as he moved, sitting on his haunches and facing the fire demon with a seemingly calculating gaze. And when he felt the cat's mind brush his own, a voice echoing for a mere moment, he raised a brow at the furred creature. He waited until the cat had finished speaking, his paw moving just a bit in a gesture the fire demon easily recognized. His brow disappeared under his bangs and he moved forward a few steps, pausing just before touching the couch and glancing at Toriko again. By the time he glanced back at Maneshi, he was comfortable on the back of the couch, watching expectantly.

Hiei's crimson orbs glanced at the spot that Maneshi had gestured to, and slowly, he lowered himself on the very edge of the cushion, silently waiting. For what, he didn't exactly know. Perhaps he was waiting on another prompt from the cat? He didn't know. So his eyes continued to shift between Toriko and Maneshi expectantly and a bit awkwardly, not sure what happens next. _*****_

The breath of a chuckle passed over Maneshi's features.

_He is almost as incapable as I. _He thought to himself, regarding Hiei's unsurety with amusement.

Maneshi fluidly rose from the back of the couch, coming around to Toriko's other side. He moved his face close to hers, sticking his head between the veil of her hair.

"_My lady..." _He called to her mind. "_My lady?"_ He felt a strange emotion wash over him when he touched her mind and he visibly recoiled, glancing over at Hiei and speaking to him once more, shaking his head, "_I...I cannot reach her. Her mind is...dark. Still. A sea of...glass." _He turned back to Toriko, blinking once before raising his gaze back to Hiei. "_...lift her? ...hold...her?" _His words fading, Maneshi sent an image into Hiei's mind instead, one in which Toriko sat on Hiei's lap, her head on his shoulder, his arms holding her to him.

Maneshi moved rapidly over Hiei's lap to the other side of him, turning back around and mewing once very softly in distress, his ears relaxing to the sides in an expression of sadness as he settled back down, eyes now locked on Toriko as he lay down on his stomach, heaving a sigh before his eyes closed, finally falling back down into slumber behind the cat form he inhabited.

When Maneshi looked back up, his eyes were bright, but he said nothing more to Hiei. 3

Hiei eyed Maneshi as he moved, scowling at the cat's thoughts that Hiei had unintentionally listened into. He fought the urge to give a remark back, deciding that he didn't care what the cat thought of him. His eyes continued to follow the sleek, long, black body of the feline as he closed in on Toriko's face, and for a few moments, the room was silent. He waited just as patiently as he could until he heard the cat's voice in his mind again, and he gave a small sound of impatience.

When the mental image of him cradling Toriko struck his mind, his expression shifted to incredulity and he stared at the feline in disbelief. "Surely you do not peg me as a lover?" he remarked, his lips stretching downwards into a scowl. He may not know much about intimacy, but he did know that what the cat was asking was more intimate than anything Hiei had ever even thought about in his life; and anything such as hugs or anything more were completely out of the question.

Then he registered what the cat had said. _Her mind is dark? _he mused, eyes turning to Toriko in thought. He himself let his mind reach out to her, his own consciousness meeting her own. He found himself a bit surprised to feel nothing within her, not even the darkness that Maneshi had spoken of. He continued to reach into her mind, but also continued to find nothing, which left him baffled and irritated. He tried even harder, still finding nothing.

His mind receded from hers and he scoffed. His expression suddenly shifted, becoming much more of a tell-tale of his impatience, of his irritation. He stood abruptly, and without hesitation, he placed a hand on Toriko and shook her roughly by her shoulder, frown dominant on his features even as he spoke.

"Do not run away. It makes you weak. Sit up, and face your demons yourself." _*****_

Somewhere and nowhere, Toriko felt...something. It was not enough at first to stir her from her darkness, her stillness. The second time, she recognized the one who abruptly forced into her head, but could not greet him, could do nothing as his presence became irritated and left her alone once more.

Her ears became suddenly aware of sound...of movement, then she felt a hand drop onto her shoulder, jarring her thoughts back into place, heard a voice speaking words she did not at first understand. She did not lift her head immediately following, but at a mildly aggravated hiss from Maneshi, she sat up, feeling the soft couch cushion beneath her.

The cat glared angrily at Hiei, ears back and teeth parted. He caught her movement out of the corner of his eye and stood just as abruptly as she had risen to sit, eyes wide.

Toriko stared blankly at the room, though when her mind played back Hiei's demand a shiver passed over her body as the word 'demons' echoed terribly in the emptiness of her mind before she could stop it.

Maneshi hurried to her side and stepped onto her thigh, peering curiously into her face. She made no move to acknowledge his presence, not even when he released a small meow from his throat, his whiskers trembling slightly. 3

Hiei retracted his hand as soon as Toriko stirred, letting it slide back into his cloak pocket as his eyes followed Toriko's movements. He registered her blank stare, her blank expression that told him she registered nothing more than being stirred by an outside force, and his scowl deepened further, completely ignoring the previous hiss of warning from Maneshi. He waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, he took another step forward until he towered over her, crimson eyes bearing down on her.

"Being afraid of yourself only creates problems for yourself. You become unstable, and weak. You have to deal with it, or else you will die." His words were harsh, but he felt they were necessary to get her attention, to bring her back to reality in some way, shape or form. "If you run from yourself, you will be taken advantage of for an eternity." _*** **_

"Heh." She finally spoke, a merciless laugh that held no humor as she reached up and pulled the claw out of her hair, letting her dark locks settled around her shoulders. The one bark of laughter turned into a brief chuckle, mirthless but almost wild.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed at him, her expression dangerous, "And what exactly is it you think you know of fear? What exactly do you know of being taken advantage of?" Her eyes flashed and she was suddenly standing in front of him, her aura snapping into existence around them, filling the room with waves of yellow energy that threatened to envelop him.

Just as abruptly, the energy left and she collapsed back down on the edge of the couch, staring forward again. "You know nothing." She finished half-heartedly. 3

Hiei watched Toriko as her lips parted and released a dry laugh. His eyes widened a fraction, and in the blink of an eye, Toriko was in his personal bubble. He stood in his spot, refusing to back down as her energy not only swept over him, but exploded around him and engulfed the room with momentary anger, then it was gone just as quick as it had become known. His expression had darkened and his eyes had hardened, and the moment she sat down, Hiei followed her steps and stood over her again.

"I don't have to know anything about your past. It's there for a reason. Now either you can move past it and move on, or you can be an empty shell afraid of yourself." His voice became a low growl, a low rumble of a threat as his own anger mounted at the prospect of this girl challenging him. "The only person who even remotely cares about your past is you, and it _only _matters to you because you **run from it**." He paused, narrowed eyes taking in her features once more. "If you are too weak to control your own energy, then me being here is useless, and my word to you will become void." _*****_

Toriko worked her jaw around, tightening her teeth together as he spoke, his tone grating her anger back into existence before she spoke up, her voice quiet, and almost velvety smooth, but seething with an underlayer of deeper emotions.

"It must be nice," She began, words articulate and crystal-clear, "To have nothing in your past that drives you to the brink of madness. To have such an exemplary existence of perfection that you have no memories to haunt you. How utterly disgusting of you to have not faced such hardships. You must either be an idealist of the highest caliber or you have not yet lived long enough to know of such things."

Her eyes snapped back to his face, "And my lack of control is absolutely none of your concern whatsoever, so I wouldn't advise sticking your nose in places that it doesn't understand. Regardless of whatever 'word' you are claiming to be in keeping of." 3

With every word spoken, every word even uttered or breathed, Hiei's own irritation mounted into anger, his mind wrapping around her words and registering them as a challenge, as before. His eyes narrowed to the smallest of slits at the girl, his teeth grinding only slightly against one another as his mind conjured many different thoughts on how he could handle the situation. His dominant hand twitched inside the pocket of his cloak, and for only a moment, his chest rumbled with a growl of anger. He shifted his weight, as if indecisive, and then with a malicious sneer, he took a step towards Toriko again, closing the last of the space between them, his shadow falling over her small frame.

Hiei stood over her for only a moment, his turbulent thoughts rampaging, rolling over different words he could say, different things he could do to get his point across. Then, out of the blue, his mind became blank and he was stepping back, expression turning neutral as he turned away from her and stalked out of the room, feet carrying him up the stairs and into her bedroom before he slipped out the window, not caring for anything he heard behind him. _*****_

~!**!~

It didn't take long after the school bell rang for the yard just outside the building to begin filling with students.

Otento's eyes saw them all, the slight breeze lifting his white-blonde hair and tossing it around a little. He leaned against the outer wall, though standing within the school yard itself, carefully watching the main doors, one hand in a back pocket where he fingered an intricately sealed envelope whose contents made him smile as he did so.

It had finally happened. She would finally be receiving her invitation. Granted, it had been through no small effort on his own part to get his boss' approval, but his plan needed to be moving forward. The contact with Toriko had driven the point home. He needed her. And he needed her sooner rather than later.

Kurama came down the steps and resisted stretching his arms above his head. The day had seemed longer than usual, but he rationalized that it was only because he had other things that needed doing and they weren't going to get done until after the school day had finished.

He stuck a hand in his pocket and threw his other hand holding his bag up to his shoulder where the bag would hanging down his back. His eyes caught a brief flash of green at the school gates and he let a small smile pass over his features. He hadn't been expecting Yusuke and Kuwabara to be as on time as they were and he frowned briefly, wondering if perhaps one or the both of them skipped class, using the meeting Kurama wished to have with them as an excuse to miss an entire day.

Without having to glance up, Kurama could feel that Hiei sat nearby, hidden behind the leaves of a tree somewhere, well within range of listening in on the conversation Kurama was going to start. After all, the fire demon prompted this entire situation by coming to Kurama not two days previously and explaining in as little detail as possible about the purple-eyed demon getting into Toriko's room.

Kurama had refrained from pushing Hiei about why he had been at Toriko's house at precisely the right moment to have witnessed, and Kurama assumed, stopped, the event because throughout their conversation Kurama's shorter companion had been particularly irritated at the whole thing, becoming more angry when he found out that Toriko had not said anything to Kurama up to that point about the interaction.

He wasn't surprised exactly at the fact that Hiei had been there to stop it so much as Hiei's emotional reactions being more raw and readable while he informed Kurama as such. Though, only through their years of acquaintanceship did Kurama even notice in the first place. The differences were slight, as always, but they were there, and that raised more questions than the fire demon had answered.

Kurama froze in place just a handful of steps down from the stairs leading up to the school, continuing to move forward after only a brief pause that no one seemed to notice.

His eyes fell upon the white-blonde head of the demon that this entire situation revolved around, leaning casually against the inside of the wall that surrounded the school yard, dressed in the uniform of the school once more. Today, however, the girls seemed to take little notice of him, where usually they would have flocked about his person.

Kurama kept his pace slow, but steady, his head turning left and right in an attempt to see if Toriko was out of the building yet. The teacher needed to speak with her after class, so Kurama hoped the demon would be gone before she came out, but he was prepared to stall her himself should she come out the doors.

Moving to the right, Kurama leaned up against a tree as if waiting for someone, able with his positioning to clearly watch both the main doors of the school as well as the demon by the gate. He desperately hoped the demon was not here to see Toriko. Kurama could think of several reactions the girl might have to Otento's presence, and none of them were pleasant ones. He frowned.

Akari stalked out of the main doors and Kurama took little notice of her until an expression of recognition lit up the male demon's face and he began moving towards her.

"_See."_

Kurama acknowledged the fire demon's voice in his mind. Hiei had already mentioned Akari and this demon being associates, though initially Kurama waved off the speculation as the shorter demon's paranoia.

"_It seems your concerns were not misplaced."_

"_Hn."_

Hiei's presence left Kurama's mind and Kurama focused on the situation at hand. He did not expect any major clashes. Not here. Not in front of these students. And with how Hiei talked of the demon, Kurama felt as if subtlety was a big part of how this demon worked.

Kurama watched carefully, not missing a single moment of the event unfolding before his eyes.

The demon approached Akari. Pulled out an envelope from his back pocket. Handed it to her with a flourish and a bow, his eyes sparkling with expectation. Akari took the envelope, but the two said nothing to one another, the demon turning and leaving the grounds, Akari following at a much slower pace, turning his gift over and over in her hands as she went out the gates.

Kurama heaved a sigh, then pushed himself off of the tree to follow after, fully expecting to stop and talk with Yusuke and Kuwabara about the fellow. Hopefully they were paying attention and saw him. This encounter would be important later, Kurama felt sure.

He glanced once over his shoulder, still not seeing Toriko, thanking the Kamis for small favors. Surely this conversation between he and the other two would be short and they could be finished before she emerged. He wanted to work with her again. According to Hiei, she had been completely at the mercy of the demon, no defenses whatsoever.

Privately, Kurama hoped Hiei would continue to take it upon himself to watch over Toriko. Kurama had other concerns, his mother came to mind, and could not protect her every moment of the day, namely in the evenings. And he did not think the other two Spirit Detectives up for the task either.

"KURAMA!" Yusuke shouted as he peeked between the school gates and saw the red-haired demon walking towards the exit.

Kuwabara nudged Yusuke harder than necessary with an elbow, "You _idiot_, he's Shuichi here, remember?"

"Aw, crap, yeah."

Kurama came up to them with a mildly amused expression, "Thankfully, I do not believe anyone noticed." He frowned, "Speaking of noticing, you did not happen to see a man with white-blonde hair leaving? Akari would have followed shortly."

"Yeah, you know, now that you mention it..." Yusuke put a hand thoughtfully up to his chin, "Nah, I got nothing. Didn't even see Akari leave."

"He had on a Meiou uniform, right?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

"Yes, that's correct."

"I saw him." Kuwabara said darkly, "He didn't feel right to me. Had this self-righteous smile on his face too. As if he'd just done something he was real proud of."

"Yes. He handed an envelope of some sorts to Akari."

"Think they're up to no good, huh?" Yusuke noted.

Kurama nodded, "Yes, that's the idea." He went on to explain what Hiei had been witness to.

"That little CREEP!" Kuwabara shouted, "That's terrible! How could a guy DO something like that?!"

"I think we need to start taking steps-"

"To make sure it never happens again! Yeah!" Kuwabara interrupted him.

"Is Toriko okay?" Yusuke wanted to know, thinking how small the girl was, "Hiei stopped the guy, right?"

"I believe she came to no harm. Hiei intervened."

"Good." Kuwabara crossed his arms over his chest, "Maybe the short punk isn't so bad after all."

"I do not think this is an unrelated even to him approaching Akari, however. I would bet he is going to go after Toriko again as well."

"So, what're we gonna do about it?" Yusuke leaned up against the wall.

"I'm hoping we can put our heads together and come up with a plan to catch this demon in the act."

"You mean put Toriko in danger again?" Kuwabara protested, "No way!"

"Yes, and no." Kurama allowed, "I will keep as close an eye on her as possible, but I think in the near future we should set something up."

"A trap." Yusuke surmised.

Kurama nodded, "One that we spring before anything actually happens."

"I like it. As long as Toriko is safe." Kuwabara rubbed his hands together, "Then we can give this little creep what-for!"

"You have not heard anything from Koenma?" Kurama turned to Yusuke.

The boy frowned, "No."

"I did not assume as much. I might talk with him about this. Hiei seemed to think the demon was specifically after Toriko, and I do not disagree. There have been one too many 'coincidences' of the two of them meeting for that to be the case." Kurama's eyes fell onto Toriko who had just come down the steps of the school, "I, uh, don't think we should concern Toriko any more than necessary. Let's just keep this to ourselves for the moment."

Yusuke agreed, "No telling what that guy really did to her. I wouldn't want to hear about it if I was her."

"We all seem to be in agreement then. If I come up with any ideas later, I'll get in contact with you. Toriko!" He called as she approached, smiling at her when she looked around before spying him with Kuwabara and Yusuke right outside the school gates. "You remember Kuwabara and Yusuke, yes?" He asked once she approached them.

She bowed shyly, "H-hello."

"Hiya, Toriko!" Yusuke cheerfully greeted.

"We, uh, we gotta go, but it was nice seeing you!" Kuwabara grabbed at Yusuke's arm and pulled him off.

"May I walk you home?" Kurama gestured in the direction Toriko would be walking.

She nodded.

They said nothing to one another for a long while, Kurama wishing that she would mention the demon to him, tell him something about what happened. He didn't find himself surprised when she did not, but rather disheartened by the fact that she shared nothing of it.

"I've had another revelation about a technique we could use with your energy." He finally said as they approached her front door. "If you are feeling up to it today, we could give it a try."

Toriko still said nothing, but nodded again as she fished her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door, stepping inside and slipping off her shoes with Kurama following.

Maneshi trotted up to greet them as they entered and closed the door behind them, setting about to sniffing their shoes once they had them sitting neatly on the floor.

"W-would you like something to eat first?" Toriko asked as she and Kurama set their things on the table.

"That would be lovely." He followed her across from the carpet to the tile and as she went about preparing a snack, he reached up for a pair of glasses in the cabinet and poured them water to drink.

~!**!~

Toriko fiddled with the pleats on her school skirt, feeling awkward and disappointed, a little embarrassed as well.

"Hm. Well, how about we try-" Kurama went off on another idea and Toriko only half-listened.

More than a couple of hours had passed at this point. The two were seated amongst their books and things on the floor of her bedroom as was their custom, but whatever progress Kurama had been hoping to make had been thwarted at every turn.

Ever since Hiei stormed out of her house a handful of days previous, Toriko had found herself completely incapable of accessing any energy at all. She couldn't even feel the stuff, much less take a hold of it and do anything. After short moments of trying since then by herself, Toriko barely felt any remorse, wondering if perhaps she had finally rid herself of the entire mess.

At the moment though, she simply felt terrible at what she believed to be disappointing Kurama in her inability to do any of what he kindly suggested for her to do. He was so patient, so unfazed when at every turn she seemed to stump him. Or rather, her energy seemed to. And it wasn't for lack of trying on Toriko's part. The effort she exerted was matched only by the lack of response her energy gave her, though it did drive her into putting less and less effort out.

Toriko nodded when she heard Kurama pause for a response, and she closed her eyes, searching somewhere inside for any sign of power and coming across nothing whatsoever. She took a deep breath and tried again. No buzz of energy across her scalp, her hair still up in its tight bun. No shimmer of power across her eyes, her glasses still firmly in place across her face.

"I'm so sorry, Kurama." She finally breathed, opening her eyes but keeping them downcast at the carpet. "I...I feel nothing." She tried not to let her relief at the revelation creep over her features. She didn't feel any pressure at all in regards to using her powers on him. Normally a sense of apprehension would have been the most prominent emotion on her mind, fear that she would accidentally do something to Kurama that would forever change their relationship. As it was, she could simply do nothing. Nothing at all.

Kurama regarded her with a sense of pity. She still had said nothing to him about the encounter with the demon in her room, and Kurama felt certain that whatever Hiei witnessed was connected deeply with her inability to access her energy. He had several guesses as to how or why, but each one made a flash of anger cross his mind and he tried not to consider them.

"Don't worry about it so much." Kurama smiled at her, "You're not going to disappoint me unless you don't try at all. Perhaps next week we'll come across an astounding method that suddenly allows you to do anything you've ever wanted with your energy."

Toriko nodded, feeling apprehensive at the thought.

"I am supposed to be home in time for dinner this evening." He said apologetically, starting to gather his things.

Toriko began scooping up her papers and books as well, getting them into a pile and leaving them as Kurama stood with his bag, the two of them walking down stairs and Toriko escorting him to the front door.

"See you at school!" Kurama called as he waved and headed down the sidewalk.

Toriko said nothing, but waved and shut the door, turning back to the empty living room to heave a relieved sigh, closing her eyes and starting to walk back towards the stairs, opening them and freezing in place. Hiei stood between her and the way up to her room. 3

Hiei had seen enough. From his perch in the trees nearby Toriko's window, he had beared witness to another small session between Kurama and Toriko, and he hadn't been too happy at the results. Toriko had kept her head down almost the entire time, had avoided eye contact and had achieved nothing at all. Not even a spark of energy. At first, Hiei hadn't cared; he'd simply dismissed it as a minor annoyance.

That was before he had put things together. That was before his mind had wandered over past events and tried to find reason for everything going on. That was before he had talked to Kurama about the happenings with the blonde demon and Akari, which had brought his attention to his own inconsistencies, his own odd behaviour as of late. That was before he had realized the reason behind Toriko's thick, useless glasses and tightly bound-up hair, her standoffish nature and her reluctance to use her energy.

And yet, even as he stood in front of the female, absolutely seething with anger, he didn't know what to say, what to do. His arms hung at his side, his shoulders tensed as he continued to think about his revelation, and part of him wondered why Kurama hadn't said a word to any of them over the dangers of having such a demon nearby. Having a demon around who could not only gain whatever she wished with a simple glance, but a demon who couldn't control such power! His fist clenched tightly at the mere prospect of it; Kurama was in over his head, and now Hiei was too.

Not for long, however.

He had seen enough. He had become fed up with her cowardly way of thinking; fed up with the way she ran away from her own power and put others under her own mercy. He had had enough.

"Do you believe yourself courageous? Wise? Strong, even?" he suddenly rumbled, tone low and voice almost too quiet to be heard. But he knew a demon would hear him. "Let me clarify: you are _none _of those things. You are small and unstable, weak, untrustworthy, and pitiful. You are a disgrace to demons, a nuisance hiding behind useless materials such as lenses and clips. You are nothing more than an obstacle in our way, more trouble than your life is worth. Yet, you continue to be nothing more than a bother by denying yourself of your own abilities, which in the end lead to more weakness, more harm than good. You continue to hide your power for fear of being a bother, and yet you continuously create problems for those around you. Your power is unstable, and because of that you are a nuisance; a child begging for protection from those who embrace their own power."

Hiei paused, tone suddenly much deadlier than before, eyes dark and lips twitching only slightly downward as he fought the expression that threatened to take over, threatened to become a dangerous glower. "You say you wish to keep your friendship with Kurama, and yet you continue to push his efforts away and use him as a bodyguard. And you claim you have been through hardship, yet you continue to use your power to utilize people, manipulate them into becoming your pet." He took a small step forward, glare darkening further. "If you do not get it under control, you will be left alone, likely killed in the next twenty-four hours." He paused, nose flaring with his seething anger. "And yet, I couldn't care less."

With that, he shot forward, ripping three bobby pins from her hair in an instant, standing a good three feet away from her and holding them up for her to see, not yet going back for the rest. _*** **_

If Toriko could even think of something to say, if coherent sentences could have even spilled out of her mouth, it didn't matter, because the infuriated fire apparition before her did not pause to give her a moment to speak.

She didn't get a chance to put a word in edgewise, not about the fact that she didn't _want _to be a-well, a _demon_ with every fiber of her being, nor about half of the things he said regarding herself and her powers, many of which she felt he had wrong and was over-generalizing about in a way that someone who only knew half the story could do.

Didn't she keep her image, glasses and all, simply because she feared her abilities and especially feared using them even if she could no longer remember why? Had she not spent nearly fifteen years keeping her powers under wraps so that she could exist among the humans unnoticed? She did not go around flaunting herself like some other low-class demons might do, sitting around in luxury with anything and everything at her beck and call. In fact, quite the opposite.

And yet here Hiei stood, very nearly accusing her of all these things and more. She could not stand the thought of manipulating others, hated the thought that anyone would be in her company simply because they had to, because they didn't have any choice in the matter. What company was that? Had she not spent ample time before being exiled to Human World living life handed to her on a silver platter once Youko rescued her? Was it not okay for her to wish for simplicity, for something truer than the unspoken desires of another that she could fulfill with merely a glance?

She had lived like that before, and it was unsatisfying. Perhaps in the next century of her life she would find herself longing for it once more, but she could not stand the thought of it now, and so her powers lay dormant, and her out of practice with them, wishing they would disappear completely so that she could never use them for as long as she lived.

She blinked and Hiei had dashed forward before she could even process his angry observations about 'protection', pulling pins out of her meticulously smoothed hair and then standing before her, taunting her with them just out of reach.

"W-what are you-?" Her eyes widened, "Give them back!" She took a step forward and lifted her hand as if to take them from him. 3

Hiei gave a dark look at Toriko's advance, only issuing a silent warning as she approached with an outstretched hand, to which he mirrored by placing them out of her immediate reach. He felt an emotion seep into the back of his mind, and very vaguely, he registered that he got an unnatural amount of satisfaction from her fumbling around for the pins he had pulled from her hair. So, without much thought, he repeated the action, this time taking not only a few more pins, leaving a couple for his own continuing satisfaction, but the claw as well. Within a mere millisecond, he was back where he had been standing, silently glowering at her as if saying she had put this on herself, and he didn't care what she thought she needed. *

"Y-you don't understand!" Toriko's hands flew up to her head, "I need those. I-I have to have them."

She stepped forward again, her voice becoming panicked, her expression the same.

Her memories flew to early years in Human World where she felt forced to forge the bobby pins into her needs in order to survive. To hide herself away, her powers had to be suppressed, contained, and so she took bobby pins and wove into their fibers a seal. A seal to hold back her demonic energy, folding it away deep inside of her body so far that she could no longer remember how to use it, so far that her very form would change, render her a mere humanoid.

Because-Toriko blinked as she further accessed memories that had long been stored away-because the same squad sent by Spirit World, the Hunters, who had nearly captured and destroyed Youko had also been after her.

Her very aura when in demon form called to them and they had a warrant out for her arrest. One that gave them permission to tear out her eyes and rip her hair from her head upon her capture.

She sat in a dark place, hunched over the bobby pins as her life depended on it, pins she'd pilfered from the trashcans of humans, looking over her shoulder in fear, weaving the spell for the seal as quietly as she could manage, hurriedly, nearly frantic.

She would not be able to evade the Hunters on her own for much longer. They were more than prepared for what her powers allowed her to do. She finished the seal and twisted her grungy, matted hair up, cringing at the mess she had not had time to groom for weeks. She hesitated only for the briefest of moments before plunging the bobby pins in one by one, feeling her powers draining away as each seal made contact, feeling her form twist and shrink and morph. The prickle on her scalp filtered away, the shimmer over her eyes trickled into nothingness, leaving her empty and feeling half-dead. She collapsed into a heap in the alleyway...

"You don't know what you're doing! I have to have them!" Toriko shouted desperately, moving forward, going for Hiei, "Stop!" 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	11. Episode 96 - Hiei's Desires

**A/N: **Hello once again, Beloved Yu Yu Hakusho Fans!

Once again, this chapter contains exclusively interactions between Hiei, Toriko, and Maneshi.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko assists Akari with her schoolwork, but at the cost of her mental well-being.

Meanwhile, Akari receives an invitation from Otento to join his cause,  
>and Kurama and the others plot to set a trap for the purple-eyed man.<p>

Kurama attempts to further assist Toriko in using her energy,  
>but ever since her encounter with Otento she has been unable to even <em>feel <em>it.

Fed up with her in more ways than one, Hiei swoops in  
>and starts to remove the bobby pins from Toriko's hair.<p>

Suddenly fearful, remembering the original need for the bobby pins  
>which actually have a spell woven into them to seal her energy away,<br>Toriko demands Hiei returns them...

* * *

><p>Hiei noted the small pause Toriko gave, but it was only a fraction of a moment, something only a Jagan would be able to catch. Curiosity bubbled before it was smothered by the anger he felt as he stepped around Toriko's second advance, simply standing to the side and watching her with narrowed eyes. He allowed her to come at him again, and this time he used her momentum as an advantage and simply slid by her, taking her glasses and the last two bobby pins from her hair, leaving her without her precious items. Again, he stood a good three feet away from her, though this time he let his hands drop the items into his cloak pockets as he glared at her, waiting expectantly for her to start freaking out and possibly even screaming that she needed them. *<p>

Toriko's eyes flashed dangerously at Hiei, her anger at his comments, at his audacity to even touch her without permission, much less take her precious seals off her person, flooding her every pore.

"How. Dare you." Her words came through clenched teeth. Quiet. Icey. Deadly. Dripping with a barely contained fury that could nearly kill in and of itself. Her eyes were menacing, full of unspoken rage aimed completely at the fire demon before her.

The anger suddenly swept up from her feet, and Toriko could feel it traveling at an unstoppable pace to her shoulders, and for the first time in her entire life, she tightened her fists and trembled just a fraction with violent intent, taking a more deliberate step towards Hiei, one that would set her body and let her swing a punch forward in the momentum with the maximum amount of force she could muster behind it.

Just as she meant to raise her arm, Toriko lurched in place mid-step, stopping her in her tracks, her expression falling blank and unreadable as she paused, eyes staring very far away from the moment at hand.

Nothing changed on the outside. No sudden outward explosion of energy, no indication that anything was different at all. Just...a pause, as if Toriko stood frozen in time.

Within Toriko's body, her demonic energy erupted, filling her to the brim, and yet remaining just at the surface, trickling underneath her skin without giving away any hints that it was there. Her scalp tingled, her eyes shimmered, but everything that happened was not noticeable to anyone other than herself.

And then...Toriko was in control. But not simply the plain, everyday Toriko. Her true spirit unleashed from its shackles in a jolt to consume her as Hiei inadvertently broke the contact she had with her seals in too abruptly a manner for her to adjust gradually. Her two personalities merged together in the blink of an eye and she was complete once more.

She remembered everything, every detail, and she reveled in all of them, from before her exile into Human World up to this very moment, shivering once with pleasure, the first movement since she froze, as each memory poured into her head before her mind's eye. She even remembered her own name.

She tilted her head slightly at the remembrance, a small smile playing across her lips, but not truly coming to rest. She wondered at how she still stood in this human-form, full of power as she was, and as she inwardly searched, she found that she would not at this moment be able to regain her demonic appearance. Oh well. Hiei had enough trouble on his hands with her true nature alone being free.

At that thought, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. Not ten seconds had passed since Toriko intended to raise her fist at Hiei, and he had not moved an inch since that moment. She blinked once slowly, and when she opened her eyes to look back into his, she had him captivated, unable to look away from her whether he knew it or not. She tossed her hair behind her shoulders, releasing a scent into the air that began subtly filling the room.

Maintaining the mesmer by keeping her eyes locked with his, unblinking, Toriko dashed towards him with demonic speed, giving him no chance to react before she closed the small distance between them, grabbed his shoulders and kept going, slamming his back into the locked front door with enough force to jarr his hands from his pockets.

"Mm." Her voice was low and velvety and the same playful smile as before ghosted over her features. "You're playing a _very _dangerous game, Hiei." The smile tugged at one corner of her lips, "And your opponent has _centuries _of experience."

Her face was inches from his own, her hands now pressed to his chest between the two of them, pinning him in place against the door, her lips slightly parted as she stared into his very soul, her entire aura radiant with the promise of his deepest desires fulfilled. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the angered Toriko, the gesture being the only sign that he was even remotely aware of the emotion she displayed, and cared even less of it. He stood his ground, slowly pulling his fists from his cloak as she moved forward, raising an arm as if to strike. He prepared himself to stop the blow with an easy hand, but the gesture was unnecessary. He was left with his hand in the air for no apparent reason, Toriko pausing in place and staring at him. He sneered at her bemusedly, wondering if her fear of him striking back had stopped her. But as the thought crossed his mind, she shifted and lifted her gaze to meet his, her expression surprising him enough to re-raise his brow.

And that was when his mind went blank. For a few moments, he merely stared at Toriko, her gaze holding his very easily, helping his entire body relax and his hand to fall to his side finally, as if no attack had ever been imminent. She tossed her head, and he dimly noted a pleasant smell in the room.

She closed in on him much quicker than he had anticipated; in the smallest moment of a second, she had achieved pinning his back to the door, his head lightly touching the surface. Still, his gaze remained on hers and he reacted only minimally, raising his arms just enough to keep the jolt in his body from the contact to a bare minimum. As she leaned in closer to him, hands on his chest, he found himself slightly leaning away, then swaying forward momentarily before leaning away again.

As her words echoed in his ears, he felt the smallest tremor run down his spine, her voice coaxing him to listen to every single word she spoke. If she spoke too softly, he would lean forward to catch her words, but it was unnecessary. She did so for him, leaning in so that their noses nearly touched, her breath almost washing over his skin. The tip of his nose where it did brush tingled, and his entire being was suddenly focused on finding some desirable thing to be fulfilled; sure, he held desires, like any other person, but his mind rationalized that all of his current ones were only to be achieved by his own hands, or it would mean nothing. This left him mentally fumbling for something, anything, that this girl could give him that would be of value.

Too bad she couldn't get him out of this damned world. That would have done nicely, except that he'd only be dragged right back.

As his mind continued to fumble, coming up with countless meaningless things he could have if he only asked, and she complied, his lips parted and spoke without his bidding. "A dangerous game indeed." _*****_

His expression had hardly changed from the moment she came at him, but as former experience flooded back into Toriko's psyche, his eyes gave him away and one of her eyebrows twitched upwards briefly with amusement, impressed at his facial restraint, though it triggered something inside her that wanted more reaction. She quickly buried the knee-jerk response her body supplied, which was one of desiring more from him, knowing full-well that he was completely in her power without any further admission on his part.

As she stared into his crimson eyes, Toriko found herself tilting her head ever-so-slightly at him with curiousness. In ages past, the demons she had been ordered to seduce, or otherwise engaged for her own amusements, would often provide her with the next step of their own volition. She was no telepath, but instead a master of reading body-language, something that came with the territory, with the years of experience. At the moment, her readings were providing her with utter indecisiveness from the fire demon in her grasp, a revelation that nearly made her laugh out loud. All of the worlds at his fingertips in her presence and he had not one thing he could decide upon.

"Interesting." She murmured, though she didn't smile, with an obvious sense of delight behind her words. Even the demons she'd been given to play with as entertainment knew exactly what they wanted from her the instant she'd so much as hinted at anything.

"Well, if you aren't going to decide," She leaned to the side of his face, brushing her cheek against his as she moved her lips closer to his ear, "I'm afraid I'll have to do something _dreadful._" 3

Hiei kept his gaze even with Toriko's, waiting expectantly, but at the same time, his mind continued to fumble. His thoughts ran as fast as his feet would at top speeds, each thought passing and being replaced by another. His eyes remained on the girl, but his mind was registering nothing of her actions, only centered around something he would desire.

And then a small memory popped into his head- or rather, several at once. Images of a trapped Yukina flashed through his mind's eye, and his entire mind was consumed with the image. The ice maiden sat behind a barred window, eyes staring at a small cluster of birds perched in the window, each chirping cheerily as her soft voice whispered to them words he couldn't hear. One stood on her index finger, its head swiveling from side to side and chirping a song with its friends. And then, the image of Toguro killing it crossed his mind's eye, and he was pushed back into the room he had been stuck in, eyes refocusing on Toriko all over again.

He realized she had gotten much closer than before, and immediately, his mind reeled, searching for something else to think about other than Yukina. However, her prompting words slid into his ear, her breath washed over his skin, and unbeknownst to him, his lips parted and his voice rumbled low.

"She enjoys the company of birds," he said slowly, his mind registering that he'd spoken a moment too late. However, as he searched for Toriko's gaze again, his mind became a hum once more and he waited her answer. _*****_

Once he gave her an answer, Toriko found herself smiling, leaning back over his shoulder to his ear and finding that she couldn't stop smiling, though she paused before saying anything more. His answer was definitely not normal, and it left her even more intrigued. She felt even through her fingers his strange response and a sudden thought entered her head.

Just how young _was _her newest acquisition?

This was not the first time he had side-stepped her advances, and she knew it could not be through any fault of her own. What was the word she looked for? Oh yes. Innocence.

For a moment, Toriko wondered about his past, and how he came to be so very reserved and discrete and...innocent. And usually, she would have simply drilled any being she desired answers from, as it was in large part her former job in Demon World. This one, however...

Toriko surprised herself with the flush of differing, conflicting emotions that came over her.

Surely she could not _care_ for this one. That was not in her directive, not in her nature. One with her role did not create ties for very specific reasons and besides, she knew absolutely _nothing _about him. He was just another demon...

But why did she want to know? And why did she hesitate to ask him? Here he stood, overwhelmed by her, wrapped about her finger, completely and utterly entranced by her presence and yet...and yet...

Toriko took in another breath and the fluttering of his hair next to her face brought her back to their current position, that being one she had a definite advantage in. The closeness of his body nearly drove her mad and she shut her eyes, unable to resist any longer, but still wanting to distract herself from the matter at hand, until she could gauge him better...know him...better? She trembled.

Keeping her body pressed against his, not that she expected him to struggle to get away, she reached up behind his head and untied the strip of cloth hiding his forehead, pulling the fabric away with one hand that she kept buried in his hair after getting the cloth in her grasp.

Her lips parted a little in awe as the third eye slowly opened to regard her with an unreadable stare. She immediately recognized the purple iris and peculiar shape to be one of a Jagan and her own eyes widened at the revealing, taking this secret in place of the thousands of others she had up until that moment fought silently with herself to keep from asking and extracting every answer from him until she was satisfied.

She had not imagined Hiei would be hiding this _specific_ eye on his forehead, but the discovery lead her mind through several different scenarios she could see playing out in their current situation.

She briefly passed her other hand across the bangs that fell down over Hiei's face, making for certain that she stared into the Jagan for a moment, though she very purposefully made sure she did not attempt to captivate it, then rested that hand at the back on Hiei's neck, looking into his eyes once more with a greater sense of admiration and hope for her own future before drawing her face down until she nearly touched his skin with her lips.

There had only been one other time in all her centuries that she had been brought a demon with a Jagan, and he had been likely twice as old as the fire demon currently in her arms if not more, but Toriko knew a light-tread would be prudent at this juncture. The sudden thought of being overwhelmed by it thrilled her senses just as it had all those years ago, though she had a protector then. Someone to watch over her. Not so, now. The knowledge that Hiei had to be a telepath as part of the pact the Jagan gave him produced for her a way out however, and she felt her heart rate rising with the excitement the next few seconds could contain.

She teased Hiei's neck with her breath, knowing that her hair would be close enough to his nose to fill his sense of smell with her scent.

"I suppose I'll just have to make you _feel._" She murmured, silently inviting the Jagan's telepathy inside her mind, taking a chance in the ability to join her thoughts together with Hiei's as she had centuries before with the other demon.

The abrupt, absolute rage she felt in its presence was only matched by her own all-consuming pleasure, just as it had been in the time previous, and with its attention upon her person, she went ahead and gently pressed her lips onto Hiei's neck for an instant before pulling back again to let her breath flow over his skin once more, knowing that the buzzing bliss she got in doing so would be translated into their minds and be felt for them as both the ones receiving the kiss as well as the ones giving the kiss.

The feeling hit her too a half a moment later and she felt heady, tingling down to her toes. She did not know if the both of them would accept this, the only sort of offering she had at her disposal to lay at their feet, but she made it perfectly clear within her thoughts by making herself as open as possible that there was nothing else they could hope to gain from her through her demise nor through her separation from them, though they were more than welcome to do whatever they wished to her should they find her lacking or displeasing. As was their prerogative, so too must she acquiesce.

Her overpowering aura of desires fulfilled could not be contain from them inside her mind, but she neither flaunted it nor hid it, simply letting it be as it had to be and awaiting a reaction. 3

Hiei stood in silence, waiting. He didn't know exactly what was going on, other than the fact that his mind was still scrambling for things he could have, things this girl could give him. And, as she leaned in further, her breath washing over the skin of his neck and ear, his body tensed for only a second before relaxing again, his entire being telling him to stay calm and trust this person. Why, he didn't understand. All he knew was that Toriko was offering to grant a wish of his, and he couldn't even think of something other than Yukina and birds; why had that come to mind anyway?

A few minutes passed and he was still stuck against the door, Toriko much closer than any other person, much less a gemon, had even dared to be. In the back of his mind, buried under the feeling of cheer over getting a wish granted, he felt a sense of unnerve. His eyes remained on her even though he was unable to see her face through her curtain of hair, which was all but covering his nose with her scent. It almost drove him mad.

And suddenly, he felt her move, and the bandage from his forehead fell away to reveal his Jagan. At first, he didn't much react, but after a few moments, after the Jagan had fully opened and transfixed upon Toriko, his entire body went stock still, tense, rigid. He felt its power awaken in his bones, as if it had been slumbering and had been rudely awakened and wasn't very happy about it. Its anger was overwhelming in the moment, completely shocking his system and jolting his brain into complete awareness of his surroundings. The intake of her surprised breath, the way her hand stayed on the back of his head. For a mere moment, its anger became his own.

And then his senses were barraged again, and his mind went silent despite the still-fierce energy of the Jagan coursing through his body. Dully, he heard her velvety voice speaking, and his mind registered her words a moment later, just before he felt his mind being coaxed to hers, and the Jagan's angry energy linked itself onto her, searching her mind. It was equally met with an energy that was excited, happy, and bubbly, which completely contradicted the type of energy a person being invaded by a Jagan would normally have.

Hiei hadn't been exactly aware of Toriko's movements at that moment, so when her lips touched his skin briefly before retracting again and letting her breath move over the spot, her mind transmitting her own feeling towards the contact and further scattering his thoughts. His own feelings were mixed; confusion and curiosity mingled with the sudden calm of the Jagan. The energy quieted despite its normal anger, and after a moment, he felt the connection be severed and his own mind was shut off from Toriko's, leaving him to his own scrambled thoughts and unable to hear hers, unable to feel any of her emotions.

The fire demon felt his expression become neutral once more, replacing the confused expression he hadn't been aware he'd been displaying moments before. Normally, the Jagan would overpower anyone who dared to invite it into their mind, but for some reason unbeknownst to him, it had completely ignored Toriko. He wasn't sure what it meant, and with Toriko's breath still moving across his skin, he didn't find much capability of thinking it over. _*****_

The sudden rush of adrenaline that had coursed through Toriko's body during the wait did not subside when she felt the Jagan pulling away from her without interest. She released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in a whoosh, her body trembling once as thoughts of her previously pending demise rose to the surface. Thoughts of what might have happened had the Jagan decided she'd been too intrusive and deserved immediate eradication.

Two times she faced a Jagan. Two times she knew she would be walking away from it, but the complete disregard for her this time stirred a good deal of irritation and a bit of amusement within her at the same time.

It was the first time any being had ever passed her by once she released her power. She tried to reconcile herself with the situation by maintaining that she could not be at full strength without her demon form. For all the good it did her at that moment.

But at the same time, if the Eye was a reflection of its owner in specific regards, then Hiei's innocence in certain matters was more thoroughly prominent than Toriko first assumed, if even the Jagan did not even know what to do with her as its complete lack of interest led her to believe.

Heart pounding madly in her chest, Toriko became very aware of all the pent up energy she'd been unconsciously collecting in preparation for whatever the Jagan would do and as she pulled back into the present situation and out of Hiei's mind, her energy threatened to take her over, this fire demon's body against her driving the fulfillment of her own desires.

She fought against it for reasons she still had no answers to, clenching her teeth together as her entire body drew taut in resisting, but the smell of his skin and the warmth of him next to her slowly pulled her down into the wave of power she had created for herself.

At the same time, she felt her face moving back down towards his neck in unconscious response, though this time she bared her teeth and a growl rumbled low in her chest for just a moment in protest of her inability to control herself before she found that she had begun to kiss him again and the noise faded. She made a line of kisses with her lips along his neck to his jaw where she managed to forced herself back and away from him, the effort it took to do so as the rest of her shrieked silently in protest almost causing her to faint. She slowly withdrew her hands from his hair and neck, not getting them any farther than the door behind him, planting her palms against the wood. She closed her eyes and stood face-to-face with him once more until she could do it no longer, opening her eyes and staring into his again, her gaze flicking down to his lips and returning to his crimson stare.

"_No. No, no, no." _She found herself trying to convince the power that nearly overtook her now, as if her silent words would truly turn the tide. It wasn't that the idea was particularly displeasing, her whole body screaming at her the opposite in fact, but not here. Not now. Not like this.

Why did it matter so much? Standing before her was a perfectly good demon, and an attractive one at that, a combination of elements she had not been faced with over a decade, and certainly not while her true powers were released.

The harder she tried to hold herself at bay, the more difficult it became and she found herself pulling her lips into her mouth and brushing them with her tongue before releasing them, feeling her chest rising and falling rapidly against Hiei's and working herself up into a frenzy.

In a rush, her head moved forward, but she turned it to the side in a last-ditch effort, ending up with her cheek against his, her mouth nearly touching his ear. The denial sent her head spinning in a frenzy and she closed her eyes.

"You..." She breathed softly, struggling with the effort of her restraint, "...what _are _you?"

She wasn't even sure herself what answer she expected to received, though the question was almost rhetorical and served other purposes than the usual drilling of information she did to her victims at that moment. Her breathing was ragged and her muscles continued to tighten and relax throughout her body as she fought with the different ideas it had about what to do with the prey in her grasp.

As her hands meant to move on their own for some ulterior purpose, Toriko bit her nails into the wood of the door, making tiny dents in the smooth surface as she clenched her fingers in place in a desperate attempt to prevent whatever her body devised for them to do.

She lost control of one hand and it smoothed down the side of Hiei's neck towards his chest, gathering the fabric of his cloak upon reaching just below his chin and pulling it down and to the side, her face following shortly after and giving him more kisses along his collarbone.

Her stomach roiled as she tried to stop, her system starting to rebel against her efforts and stars coming into view before her eyes as her vision darkened. She struggled for a moment longer until she nearly collapsed to the floor, but she just as quickly let go before it could actually happen. All at once the pain stopped and the pleasure of the moment washed over her entire body, sending her afloat on a sea of her power that seemed to her vast and endless.

She slowly drew her head back from Hiei to look him eye-to-eye, taking in his features through the energy she now embraced, a small smile settling on her lips.

"_...-yoku..."_

Toriko took in an easy breath, filling her nose with Hiei's fiery scent and blinking once, her lips breaking apart ever-so-slightly.

"_...-yoku!"_

She followed the wishes of her energy and her body now entwined tightly together and began to lean forward, moving the hand still at his collarbone back up his neck and letting it lightly rest just at the bottom of his hairline. Time appeared to slow as their faces grew only inches apart. She flickered her eyes nearly closed keeping Hiei's lips in sight between her lashes as she closed the distance between them.

"_YOKU!"_

~!**!~

Maneshi yawned and stretched his slender body, opening one eye to the darkness that was the underside of Toriko's bed. His mind slowly fed him information it picked up during his light sleep and he recalled the one that smelled like flowers leaving the room with his lady.

He frowned, opening both eyes as he remembered another, more fierce smell intruding upon the bedroom and he slunk out from underneath the bed, blinking in the warm, soft light of the sunset coming in from Toriko's window.

As his face followed the trail of the second smell, he noted the window as the entrance and the bedroom door as the exit. His mind placed the scent as that of the warm demon and he nearly pranced out of the room at the idea of the intruder being one who might consent to letting the cat lay across his shoulders.

Maneshi halted at the top of the stairs, fur along his spine prickling into a stand as he became aware of several things at once and deep within, hiding underneath the cat, Maneshi truly began to awaken.

He felt more than saw the energy of a Jagan at the end of its presence before it drew completely away, but there was no mistaking the position Hiei and Toriko were in up against the front door. His eyes took in the entire room, his heightened senses almost able to see the perfume Toriko practically radiated. Before he could help himself, he had taken two or three steps down the stairs towards the source of the smell.

He stopped, one paw in the air, and took another experimental sniff.

This...this was not Toriko with the fire demon.

The smell sent memories flying through Maneshi's head, memories he had nearly forgotten, buried behind countless decades of being stuck as a cat, stirred by the tingle that had settled on his nose.

"_It...it's her..." _

Her body was not the one he remembered, for before him was most definitely the more human-like Toriko, but the smell...there was no mistaking the smell.

The instant he noted her movement, strained as she reached down to clear away cloth from Hiei's skin so she could plant her lips at his collarbone, he knew something had to be wrong. The demoness he knew did not hesitate.

It all came flooding back to him: the intrusion of the blonde, Toriko's powerlessness, Hiei's intervention and finally her plea of the fire demon for protection and his affirmative reply.

Fully awake now in his cat-form, Maneshi's eyes widened as he took in Hiei with this new information in mind.

Her Champion. He was her Champion. A pact formed out of their spoken word and weaving their lives together inescapably as long as it did not expire.

Her kind had no defenses of their own and never lived beyond the first few years of their powers manifesting as a result of the unsavory situations they always became caught up in.

So, there was a pact. A second demon was required, one strong enough to be able to offer up his or her protection. And the demon could not agree to take part in the pact, even under the influence of the first's powers, unless they truly understood the powerlessness of the one they would be in charge of protecting and felt ready to come to their defense should the need arise.

Maneshi, frozen in place, felt his heart leap in his chest at the urgency of the situation before him.

Her powers, having been dormant for so long, would be just barely within her control, and there were stipulations upon her person that came with her side of the pact.

He reached out through his mind to come in contact with Toriko's, a torrent of passionate emotions roughly jostling his attempt to get her attention. He struggled to speak with her, managing to whisper her true name at the outermost reaches of her mind.

"_...Shikiyoku..."_

It did not seem to make a difference in her advances even as she slowly pulled away from Hiei's shoulder to look at his face. Maneshi could feel the change that had come over her, her acceptance of her powers. She may not have understood why she struggled, why she attempted to resist giving in and taking this fire demon as her own, but Maneshi knew full well what could happen.

The pact... Once activated, she was not allowed to seduce him with her powers unless they were already engaged in such activities with one another regularly. Accidental attraction because of her nature, normal circumstances of two beings enjoying one another's company, these types of things posed no threat.

"_Shikiyoku!" _He cried within her again, wrestling against her blindness to him, trying to be heard, his ever fiber bent on distracting her, pulling her away.

Should she force herself upon him...his reactions being so heavily influenced by her energy that he could not rightly defend himself...where in his right mind he would have not given his consent...and she went through with it...she would die.

"_YOKU!" _He finally shouted into her head, desperate to break through, to make her see. Did she truly not realize what she was doing, who this fire demon was for her now? Or was it simply that she could not fight the tide of energy held back from her grasp for these long, hard years among the humans?

~!**!~

At the sound of her nickname, Toriko paused in place before reaching Hiei's lips for a kiss, causing her to blink in surprise.

She had not been called that since...since Youko. His pet name for her when there were no others within earshot. One he reserved when admonishing her for a mistake or praising her for a job well-done.

The tense strain across her shoulders relaxed for a moment as her mind flooded with images of her time within Youko's gang of thieves, but the nostalgia did not hold her back for long.

"_Yoku...please..."_

Just as the storm of emotions and energy began to stir within her again, the voice in her mind brushed lightly with words once more. Its pitiful plea, its interruption of her work rapidly twisted her pleasure of the situation at hand into one of rage at the intrusion.

She spun around away from Hiei with all the pent-up energy wavering below the surface of her body until that instant and violently slashed her arm across her body, whipping the awaiting storm at the owner of the voice, where it crackled angrily across the room and struck Maneshi, his body absorbing it and taking it into his own.

His eyes brightened significantly and he happily trotted down the rest of the staircase and across the room with an excited murl.

With her pent-up energy now gone, Toriko took a shaky breath and squatted down onto her toes as Maneshi approached and circled her with kitty pleasure obvious as he rubbed his side all along her body until he came back around to her front, purring madly and putting his front paws on one of her knees, his one blue-eyed one brown-eyed, black-furred face blinking with a near-smile up at her, ears forward with great interest and his whiskers quivering slightly.

Toriko heaved another sigh with a bit of a chuckle behind it.

"You're lucky I can't kill you with that stuff." She obliged his awaiting head by sliding a hand down between his ears to the middle of his back. "Or I'd likely have had a mental breakdown at the thought of having brought about your death, little one." She rested one elbow on her thigh and put her cheek in that hand, continuing to pet him. "And it's hard to stay angry at something who becomes so eager to please after you blast them."

Maneshi interrupted his purr only briefly with an affirmative meow, closing his eyes and pulling his ears to the sides as she scratched the fur between them.

Toriko let the repetitive gesture calm her down, her thoughts still reeling with Hiei's smell and skin, but in a much more manageable way.

Maneshi dropped back down to the floor and scampered around her to Hiei as she turned in place to watch him. Maneshi stood up on his back feet and rested one paw curiously on Hiei's leg with the other front paw hanging near his chest, giving a meow for attention to the fire demon before continuing his purr. 3

Hiei's eyes became half-lidded with the sudden relaxation of his muscles, contradicting the torrent of emotions inside his mind and stomach. Without knowing it, he had pressed his back as much against the door as possible, all but standing on the tips of his toes as Toriko pressed even closer. Dimly, somewhere in the quiet recesses of his mind, he recognized that she was struggling with herself, though he didn't know why. He couldn't spare any brain power to think about it, as his entire being was concentrated on the closeness of this girl's body on his, of the quivering of her lips that still occasionally touched his skin, that made her breathing trail over his skin and warm the spot it brushed. Another shiver passed over his spine, tingling from his head to his toes as her cheek pressed against his.

Slowly, his eyes slid the rest of the way closed, silently allowing whatever would happen to happen, because every fiber in his being screamed that this was what he desired most of all. Companionship. Care from another; someone to rely on and someone who understands him in his entirety.

And her actions, her power that sang through the air, told him that Toriko was that very person. She would take him as he was, and wouldn't doubt his actions when he couldn't give all of the details. In return, he would protect her, just as he had promised. A small smirk formed on his lips as the thoughts ran across his mind, and instinctively, his arm moved and his hand touched her hair with a feather-light brush. His nose flared as he took a gigantic breath of her scent, and it overwhelmed his senses.

She was everything he would need. He would be able to go to Demon World with her, be able to do whatever he wanted without her getting in his way. She wouldn't stop him from doing whatever he pleased; she'd simply agree, and add to those plans. She would become his partner in crime.

He would gain someone close to him, someone to care for him as he watched over her.

His hand brushed her hair again, and then dropped to his side as the smirk left his lips, creating a neutral expression once more.

This was what he wanted, and she would fulfill his desires. Every last one of them.

Suddenly, Toriko was away from him, her energy flying through the air and her voice ringing loud into the silence of the room, followed by the sound of Maneshi meowing. His red eyes snapped open and he immediately was watching Toriko, suddenly very confused and thinking of the most recent event, though he wasn't much sure what had just happened. He still felt lingering emotions that left him baffled, left him unable to think straight and unable to make any logical deduction.

So he settled for watching Maneshi and Toriko, as different as she suddenly seemed, interact for a few moments until Maneshi pranced his way of to Hiei. The fire demon stepped a single foot away from the wall, his cloak sticking to his skin from the pressure that had been applied between his skin and the smooth wood of the door. As Maneshi placed a paw on his leg, Hiei's mind began to clear, slowly but surely. His eyes slid down to the cat, observing the difference in the demeanor from his usual actions. And then his mind caught up with what had happened, and his eyes slid back up to Toriko, brows furrowed. She'd struck the cat with her energy, just as she'd barraged him with it as well. His eyes darkened only slightly as a small amount of realization hit him, but he found himself incapable of figuring out why that was so bad.

She'd revealed his deepest desires, and even now she could still grant them. He only need to ask.

Instead, however, he turned his eyes to Maneshi again and crouched to the cat, not reaching out to him but not pushing him away either.

"_What are you?" _he mirrored Toriko's earlier question, not even sure himself if he was speaking to Toriko or Maneshi. _*****_

Too overwhelmed by what was left of Toriko's power still washing over him, Maneshi could do little else but give Hiei another mew, his tail curling and uncurling briefly as he shifted when Hiei squatted to end up with a paw on Hiei's knee. He pranced back and forth from resting one paw on the fire demon to placing the other down, flitting back and forth earnestly, wanting attention.

When the fire demon did not immediately oblige the black cat by touching him, Maneshi let himself fall back to the ground, turned in a circle three times as if chasing his own tail, then stopped and stared up at Hiei again, dashing off in a sudden run and disappearing underneath the couch. He poked his tiny pink nose out from under the edge as if expecting to be chased, but just as quickly the nose left as he rummaged around for the toy he _knew _had to be under here somewhere...

Toriko could think of nothing to say to Hiei when they were left by themselves for the moment, though her mind filled with questions she did not think anyone could answer. The main gist of her thoughts centered around her hesitations concerning Hiei, a completely new occurrence to her knowledge, which led her down the path of hearing a voice in her head that she was fairly certain belonged to...

"Maneshi." She nearly growled, squatting down and waiting for the cat. "Come here."

The cat appeared over the top of the couch's other side, having slinked out from under the couch and lept up gracefully, the tail of a toy mouse in his teeth, and the body bobbing around as he trotted along the couch and easily made the jump to the floor to where Toriko and Hiei were. He stopped just out of Toriko's arm's reach and stared at her.

"Here." She said with just as much emphasis, pointing to a bit of carpet in between her legs.

More cautious now, but just as compliant, Maneshi obliged and sat down just where she had gestured, blinking up at her with the mouse still hanging from his jaws.

"Since when," She softly tapped the cat's nose with a single finger, "Have you been able to speak? Hm?"

Maneshi said nothing of course, blinking at her once more before flowing under her bent knee like liquid and moving for Hiei, gathering his sleek body and alighting on the fire demon's shoulders, spreading out as seemed to be his custom, Toriko looking on with a bemused expression. 3

Hiei frowned down at the floor as Maneshi pranced away, tail in the air and nose twitching in excitement. His ruby orbs followed every step the cat took until he disappeared under the couch, in which case Hiei turned his eyes onto Toriko silently. His mind churned, confused and scattered. He didn't know what to do, what was going on. Or how to react about it, for the matter.

He _could _demand answers, as he would any other demon. The problem with that? He didn't feel the desire to do so, even though there was a quiet anger in the back of his mind that he almost didn't understand at the moment. He was held in place by his curiosity, his confusion, and his intrigue that he had only just identified. Also, his mind lingered on what she had offered, what she could grant him. He wanted to ask, but something held his lips together in silence, even as she spoke to Maneshi and the cat pranced his way back over to the fire demon, taking refuge around his shoulders.

Hiei released a very small breath and stood upright again, glancing at Maneshi and then flickering his eyes back to Toriko, hands placing themselves in the refuge of his pockets. He toyed with the objects he had forgotten he had taken from her, and he remembered the sudden change that had taken over the girl. He thought as hard as was possible, remembering how she had moved to strike, and then pinned him to the door.

Hiei pulled a single pin from his pocket and began inspecting it keenly, looking over every inch of the small object that gave a small sheen in the lighting of the evening. He hadn't realized he'd been there all day.

"What **is **the purpose of these… _things_?" _*****_

Toriko absently drew a hand through her hair and found that none of the bobby pins she usually wore were inside, frowning. He definitely held one of the ones that she wove the seal into, but where on earth did he get it?

"Where did you get that?" She voiced her question and stood up. She took a step towards him, reaching for the bobby pin with the intent to pluck it from his fingers. 3

Hiei eyed the small object for a few moments more, waiting for an answer he figured he wouldn't get. He rotated it between his thumb and index finger, red eyes never leaving the smooth black pin. It was odd, to him anyways, that a demon used something that the Humans had invented to hide their energy with.

At Toriko's question, he glanced up at her, a brow raised. Did she really not know where he had gotten them? _Must be a side effect of her released energy. _

"It was… given to me," he said, sarcasm lightly coating his tone. He didn't truly believe that she didn't know where he got them, so this was his way of… testing her…. _*****_

Toriko opened her mouth, her next demand, that being he return it, getting caught in her throat at his response and she lowered the hand reaching for the pin.

She regarded him strangely for a moment before closing her mouth, suddenly unsure that her demand held any merit. She didn't know of anyone else he would have gotten the pin from, nor did she particularly know why he would have held onto it in the first place. ...but had she really _given _it to him? What had possessed her to do such a thing?

She opened her mouth as if to say something, intending for a dry remark to spill out from her lips, and closed it again, frowning and narrowing her eyes at him as she struggled to think back to the moments before her release.

It was all...fuzzy, faded just as much as her more human-like self had faded. She remembered...rage, and then...she quickly drew back from where her memories began leading, unsure as to how much her self-control could handle at the moment.

Perhaps...

She looked away from him, eyes passing over his shoulder as she tried to remember.

No, surely not.

She looked back at him and a sense of unease settled over her.

The only person she could ever imagine imparting such a delicate, a precious, and honestly required commodity to would be...would be a protector. But she hadn't so much as thought of the word since Youko's time. It couldn't be. She had no memory of forming a pact with this fire demon and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Whoever gave it to you must hold you in high regard," Toriko began, still unsure if she had not simply misplaced her own seals and resisting the immediately negative thought at the internal suggestion, waiting to see Hiei's response, "Do you have any idea what that is?" She nodded slightly at the pin to indicate it. 3

Hiei felt the smallest hint of a smirk forming on his lips at Toriko's hesitations. He witnessed her open her mouth and close it again, repeating this action several times in the few moments. He watched different emotions flicker across her eyes for a few moments, realizing that she must not remember him taking them. The thought amused him more than anything else could have in the moment.

He held the pin up in front of his face as if to survey it again, his ears twitching up just a bit as she spoke again. He met her gaze evenly, noticing her unease. His sneer widened just a bit at her last comment, and then dissipated at her inquiry.

"Of course I do," he said slowly, eyes watching her evenly. "They're human objects that you have somehow turned to seals. It wasn't obvious at first, but after today, it became extremely evident that this is your means of control over the energy you seem to so fear." _*****_

"So it _is _mine." She narrowed her eyes at him, his own words assuring her of the fact. She closed the distance between them and reaching up to snatch the pin from his hand. 3

The amusement that dominated Hiei's features was more than he had thought he could display at this moment, her narrowed eyes and deduction almost making him scoff. Almost.

"Of course. Who else would use Human artifacts?" he retorted, not moving when she snatched for it, letting her take the single pin from his fingertips. His hand slid its way back into his pocket and fingered at the other small pins he held in his possession, his left hand closing around the glasses he held in the opposite pocket. _*****_

"Why...why did you say that I gave this to you?" She asked more quietly. _Did I really? _

He obviously had little attachment to the object, given how easily he relinquished it to her, so that led her to believe it had not been a gift, but she had to make sure, had to know if she someone made an agreement with this...this aggravating fire demon before her.

What exactly _was_ Toriko's relationship with him? Her demon-side was not able to sift through the girl's memories very clearly, remembering for sure only things she had been directly a part of, such as the day after the blonde-demon attacked when Toriko's memories flooded back and her demon side drew her into sleep.

Toriko drew her hand back to her side, closing her fingers around the bobby pin and feeling its cold power almost pulsing in her grasp. 3

* * *

><p><span>Yoku<span> - While 'Yoku' is in fact just a shortening of 'Shikiyoku,' it can also mean "greed; craving; desire; avarice; wants"

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	12. Episode 97 - The Unexpected

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of FF!

Onwards with the story!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

By removing the bobby pins-the devices intended to seal Toriko's true self away-from Toriko's hair,  
>Hiei inadvertently releases the demon within, a rather passionate being,<br>who immediately sets herself to seducing him.

Slightly confounded by his complete and utter innocence in such matters,  
>Toriko struggles to hold herself back, only to be assisted by Maneshi<br>who recognizes who she truly is: Shikiyoku.

Breaking the moment between the two, Maneshi is hit with Toriko's power,  
>which releases Hiei from her attentions.<p>

However, when Hiei reveals that he possesses the bobby pins,  
>it appears as if Toriko does not remember the moments before her release,<br>and questions how Hiei came to have them...

* * *

><p>Hiei let his expression finally shift to neutral all over again, only a single brow remaining raised in the position it had shimmied to over the past few moments. Now, he was curious, trying to decode the situation logically, but he still felt a bit of fog over his mind. "You do not remember?" Genuinely, Hiei was surprised; he would have thought that a demon such as this wouldn't forget someone ripping pins from their hair.<p>

He eyed her for a few more moments, then pulled another clip from his pocket to look over it again. The shine of it was brighter on this one, obviously one that had gotten more attention, and he felt the power that coursed through it. It pushed against his energy, almost painful were the power of a higher caliber. Must be why she kept so many, plus the glasses.

"Why would it be so shocking?" he suddenly asked, curiosity and amusement dominating his mind more than his need to figure her out. _*****_

Toriko clenched her jaw together when he produced another one from somewhere underneath his cloak, "Remember. What." She said painfully clearly, "Did you steal them?" She followed up before he could answer, "Do you have all of them? Where are they? What possessed you to release me?"

"Because..." At his second question, Toriko paused. It would be shocking because she would only have willingly parted with the seals to someone she trusted with her life, would only give them to her protector. Her Champion. And if this Hiei who stood before her now held that title, she needed to know. And if he did not, she did not want him to know such a position existed. She could only imagine his derision at such a thought, his taunting of her complete lack of defenses. Her weakness that required someone to protect her. Especially since she did not picture him as the type to truly understand why she needed one.

How _had _he gotten a hold of all of her seals? She gathered they were hidden away on his person, but who else besides a protector would have them, would even dare to pull her hair down without her consent? And judging by the anger she felt at any attempt to remember what happened before her release, she could just envision the little sneak taking a great deal of pleasure in taking them out instead of a situation in which the protector needed her and gently removed the seals to call her out.

"Because there's no way I would have given them willing to someone like _you._" 3

Hiei eyed Toriko calmly, searching her expression for any sign that she was toying with him, as he was as well. Yet, she seemed completely and utterly sincere. No trace of amusement in her eyes, tone, or expression. No sign of any emotion at all aside from confusion and rising anger. This alone made his curiosity peak entirely, along with his amusement, and he couldn't quite stop himself from his next words that basically tumbled from his lips.

"Your forgetfulness is almost as strong as your desperation to have this back," he remarked snidely, yet his tone hinted at things he wasn't saying. He waited for a few minutes until he decided to speak up again, tossing the second pin in her direction, eyes ignoring the arc through the air it made. "Forgetting something of this magnitude, among other things, is unlike any demon I've met before." He eyed her again, searching for any hidden emotions all over again. "That's rather odd, and considering I am stuck in a realm filled with ignorant creatures and haven't killed them all yet, that's to a great magnitude." _*****_

Toriko caught the pin with little effort, though his aim was true and she only had to open her palm to receive it.

She found herself wanting to tell him. To tell him that there were almost two of her, born of her desperate escape from Spirit World's lackeys and now maintained because they could not join together as one feared the other too greatly. That her thoughts were disjoined as a result, her memories scattered between the two of them. She wanted to make a snide remark about seeing how _his _sanity held up after spending over a decade alone among these smelly humans, but something held her back. To reveal her heart in such a manner or to casually toss banter between one another was reserved for...well her protector. Someone she could tell these secrets to, someone who already held her life in their hands.

She did not miss the suggestion in his voice, the subliminal message that she did not know how seriously to take, the one that hinted at his role in the removal of the seals from her person. But, then, why her anger at the thought? Had her more human-self misunderstood his actions? That would certainly explain it. And he didn't seem the type to do much explaining should that be the case.

"I...I forget a lot of things." She laced her words with as much undertones as he had, wanting him to catch on, to affirm or deny his relationship with her, and so she continued, "The last thing I really remember is..." She didn't want to reveal too much of her situation, "Fainting." She finally admitted truthfully, nodded her head towards the upstairs portion of the house, "In the bathroom." She grinned wickedly at him, "You want to fill in the blanks for me?" 3

Hiei raised a simple brow and a corner of his lips slowly. She had confirmed that she was not toying with him by her hesitations, by her underlying messages. He was not being fooled here, and that made the fire demon drop his act of amusement; no longer did he find this funny. He wasn't sure how he felt about not only an unstable demon, but an unstable demon who seemed to forget things that could be rather important, such as the blonde demon and his attacks. Hiei's face twitched ever so slightly at the thought.

"Indeed," he suddenly said, agreeing that she was definitely forgetting several things. Then, he proceeded to lift the rest of her hair pins, save one, and extend them to the demoness, as part of a small peace offering. He suddenly felt himself become cautious, though he didn't exactly know why.

When she asked about him telling her what had happened, he raised a brow at her and considered her for a moment, thinking back. Then his sneer returned and he gave a simple shrug. "Nothing important." His sneer faded as his mouth opened to continue. "However, your forgetfulness of your _**fan **_is bothersome." _*****_

_Fan? _Toriko frowned, as she absently reached out to take the bobby pins Hiei extended in her direction. _What is she hiding from me? _

Toriko began attempting to sift through the memories that she did not have, becoming angry when she felt as if her other side was coveting them, refusing her access. A wave of fear that was not her own swept over her emotions, her heart skipping a beat, as she reached farther and farther back in time, flowing through memories that were fuzzy and disjointed. She had not experienced these directly, but rather in a state of semi-consciousness and as she tried to remember her frown deepened, anything she accessed coming back to her as if she were on one side of a pool of water trying to look up at the rest of the world.

Her head started to hurt with the effort, her legs feeling weak, and Toriko pulled away mentally from herself. Her eyes focused back in on Hiei, whose general aura told her he was not amused.

_Well, if I was trying to impress him, I appear to be failing in __**that **__respect. _

She wasn't exactly sure why she even cared about his opinion, another mark on a growing list of questions about this fire demon she had no answers for, as normally she would have simply used him for her own purposes and then ordered him away.

She found herself fighting that urge, her energy fully awake beneath the surface and protesting mightily at her refusings, her self-control surprising even herself.

Looking at him was not helping her trying to remember _anything_, however, so she turned away from him and moved to the front of the couch, sitting. Another flash of pain tore across her mind and she could not help reaching up and massaging at the back of her neck.

She opened up the other hand, which held the bobby pins, and sighed, tightening her fist about them once, the seals cold and cruel in her grasp. She could not know if Spirit World still searched for her, and she did have enough sense about her to be concerned about it, so she set the pins next to her thigh on the couch cushion and reached up to gather her hair together, twisting and folding it in on itself so that when she placed the first pin inside, it held her hair in place on its own. 3

Hiei eyed Toriko in silence as her eyes slid closed. He let her think back, wondering if she'd be able to remember if he merely made her curious about the past endeavors. He also wondered if she would keep her energy free and accept the inevitable, but something inside him spoke, saying it didn't seem likely. He didn't understand her need to contain her energy at all. Yes, he had concealed himself plenty of times, but not because he disliked it.

He raised a brow at the thought that crossed his mind, and curiously, his gaze shifted to the nearby windows. Each set of curtains were drawn, and he could see the shadows of life outside; nothing out of the norm for this time of day. Nothing suspicious. He turned back to Toriko and watched her shuffle around to the couch again, setting herself down on the edge of the cushion. For a moment, he thought she would space out in another attempt to call memories to the forefront of her mind, but it was evident that that was not the case when her hands began coiling the tendrils of her hair together. He watched her begin to put the pins in her hair, eyes following every motion her hands made.

Suddenly, he spoke up, deciding he'd ask a question or two in hopes of gaining answers of his own.

"Recently, a new demon has shown himself in town with the ability to completely conceal himself; energy, scent, and all. It isn't very common of a demon to have such abilities, and the fact that he's been around here several times raises several questions. Ring any bells?" He wasn't sure if she would remember anything, but Hiei had the suspicion that this demon knew Toriko, and just maybe Toriko knew the demon as well. _*** **_

As if in protest of her attempts to seal the power away, instead of quieting the more pins went into her hair, her energy began fighting madly against her and just the act of reaching over to pick up another pin took a great deal of effort. Toriko in no way thought she had become that much stronger since being sealed, but she felt briefly concerned that perhaps she did not have enough pins this time to complete the ritual.

She paused as Hiei spoke, the hand reaching for the next pin trembling at the effort and she pulled back, closing her fist tightly and letting it rest on the couch next to her. Her power was nearly bursting at the seams, screaming at her to pull the pins back out and she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on Hiei's voice.

It didn't help.

She knew he meant nothing by continuing to speak, but his smell and presence were about to drive her mad, and as if her energy knew it, it did everything in its power to pull her attention to him.

"If it hasn't already been made clear to you," Toriko spoke up between clenched teeth, forcing her eyes to look forward and not over at the fire demon, "I remember nothing. And you're of no help. You release me, and then play tricks with my mind. _Your _kind of game is no fun at all. What do you want from me other than to call me out and torture me?"

Toriko did not expect to get a direct answer from him, but the events since she had been set free were sending her mind whirring down a rabbit hole. The longer she resisted, the more her energy grew within her.

She glanced at the pins next to her, snatching up the one pulsing the strongest seal and driving it into her hair, releasing a breath she'd been holding with relief as the seal managed to drain away a larger portion of her power, simultaneously ridding her of the headache she'd acquired in the meantime. 3

A scowl made itself known of Hiei's lips, his eyes narrowing in irritation and thought; he'd assumed as much, but it didn't mean he felt any better about it. His arms crossed over his chest as he took a deep breath in, puffing up only slightly as she spoke. His ruby orbs flashed dangerously at Toriko's words, which he began to take as a challenge, and his mind began coming up with every possible retort and snide remark imaginable. But, he settled for the most convenient one that would supply him with more answers than any other would.

"And how exactly is anyone supposed to go about protecting someone who has so little defences and memory of their own power such as yourself?" he remarked, his tone sarcastic but meaning every word. She was making things impossible- more so than anyone else had in the past. He felt his irritation turn to mild anger. "You _are _the one who ripped a promise from my throat," he finished, tone as steely as his gaze as he recalled the moment. _*****_

Toriko's eyes popped open, having closed them in partial response to the relief she felt after adding the stronger bobby pin with the two others in her hair now, and she stared down at the floor in front of her feet, rendered completely speechless.

Every question she had, every suspicion, confirmed by Hiei's vehement response, his accusations at her somehow cornering him into a promise he never would have made under normal circumstance almost comical.

But how had this happened? Toriko had no memory of them forming a pact, no recollection of this promise that he spoke of so angrily. And neither would she have _ever _asked it of this pesky fire demon.

Her mouth opened, but no words came out, her mind rushing too quickly. _That's _why she found herself struggling to not seduce him. _That's _why the Jagan had completely ignored her. _That's _why she could feel his presence more strongly than she normally would have.

Without the remembrance of the pact, however, her energy still reacted strongly towards him, having been fettered within her for so long that without knowledge of the pact it did not distinguish between her protector or not.

"R-...Run that last part by me again?" Toriko finally looked over her shoulder at him. 3

Hiei raised a disbelieving brow at Toriko; she had heard him. He knew she had. No demon could have misheard what he'd just said. A sneer formed on his face at the thought of her being stunned into silence. But it dissipated after a second, replaced again by a scowl. His arms uncrossed and his feet carried him to stand before her, his gaze meeting hers squarely as he opened his mouth, speaking slowly so that there was no mistake.

"How can anyone protect someone so **defenseless **and **forgetful **as yourself? It's ridiculously intolerable. And such a pointless promise, really."

Hiei let his hands slide into his pockets, a single one pulling out her glasses and tossing them onto the cushion beside her, his stare hard as rocks when he glanced at her again. "You say I'm playing games, yet you claim to have forgotten some rather important details. This _game _you claim that I am playing is my way of prying information from you, yet as stubborn as an ox-demon you are, you refute nothing but irritation."

He turned to leave, hands finding solace in his warm pockets again. "When you're done with your silly games, perhaps I'll return." _*****_

Toriko stood abruptly as Hiei turned to leave.

"There's two of me."

She hoped her sudden admission would stop him in his tracks before he got any farther away from her. She resisted an urge to reach out to him physically, trusting that her words would be enough to keep him around and also unsure exactly how to treat this, her new guardian. She did feel most assured that he was not lying to her about this 'promise,' whenever it had been made, and that led her to continue.

"If you truly are my...protector," She avoided 'Champion' as she did not know how he would react to his new title, "As you say, then you have a right to know information such as this. Secrets which I would not relinquish to any other being in the three worlds are yours for the keeping. For the asking. And you may request anything, for I will answer you to the best of my knowledge." She stared at him candidly before continuing.

"My mind is," She searched for the right word, "Fragmented. My memories incomplete. I will not disagree with the word 'forgetful' that you keep tossing around as I cannot make a valid case against it, but is it the right term for someone who did not know the information in the first place?"

She drew herself up as tall as possible and dared him to challenge her next words, "I did it to myself, but know before you cast judgement that it blossomed out of survival instincts, out of a desire to continue living that even the most base of creatures will carnally pursue when all else fails, and I do not regret what I have done for it saved my life. After sealing myself and my energy away, Toriko emerged as a personality out of a need to continue to function. She is fully aware of my existence as I am of hers, but she fears everything about me for reasons that were absolutely necessary at the time of her creation, though she does not fully comprehend or understand the reasons. Neither does she remember them, for that matter. Similarly, I am unable to access the memories she has accumulated short of fuzzy recollections for I slumber deeply when she is in control. Only when an encounter disturbs her past functioning do I stir to interfere, able to intercede on our behalf and relieve her anguish before she pulls us into madness."

"You continue to point out that I am defenseless. This is a part of my nature. As you must have witnessed at some point in the past, my demonic energy cannot be used offensively to defend myself against an attacker. The harder I try to use it in such a way, the stronger my assailant's advances will become as a result until...until all my demonic energy is depleted or I die during my struggles. Whichever comes first. This is true for all demons of my kind, and often leads to our untimely demise quite early in our lives, rendering our numbers near those of extinction. There is an extremely high chance that I am the last one in existence. I have never heard of another in all my years. But I do not know. One of our ancestors unlocked the ability to create a pact with another being, someone powerful enough to step in and stop _what_ we cannot, _when_ we cannot. A guardian. A protector. You." 3

Hiei had been almost hell-bent on leaving, but had been calm and slow in taking his leave. He had only just reached for the door handle when Toriko spoke up again, making him pause, hand still stretched for the door. At her initial words, he'd been unreacting, acting as if he didn't care what she said. But as she had continued, her words hesitant, he hand paused, and now he turned to glance at her from over his shoulder. He watched her as she went through her confession, a single brow steadily rising until it was hidden in the line of his bangs. The more she spoke about her two… "personalities", per se, the more he began to understand. It seemed to make more sense, in a way. It was slightly similar to Kurama, except for the fact that Toriko was actually two people, in an odd way, whereas Kurama seemed more as one person, memories all together and everything, the only difference being the shell he wore to hide himself with.

It was just as clever a trick as Kurama's, which did raise a few questions in the fire demon's mind, but he halted those thoughts to listen to Toriko's continuing speech. By the time she was to the point of talking about his accusations, he was facing her and three steps closer to her than he had been moments before. He stayed silent for a few moments afterward, suddenly confused.

Yes, he had promised to protect her, but she spoke as if it were a permanent thing. As if it hadn't been a rather short-notice declaration that he hadn't exactly been aware of making in the first place.

Or at least that's how he remembered it.

He thought back to the circumstances, remembering the gaze that had ensnared him, the coaxing in her voice that had entranced him. And then the nature of his promise.

Had he really even been the one agreeing to it? Or had he been coaxed into it? He had figured out the breed of demon this woman was, but for some reason, he hadn't thought of his interactions with her at all. And now that he was, he felt a blossoming emotion that would, normally, strike fear into anyone who felt it bloom into the atmosphere. His expression twitched a bit and he was soon scowling at Toriko, lips pointed downward and brows furrowed to shadow his darkening gaze. "A _Protector,_" he repeated, clarifying that he understood the word as not just a description of someone watching over another, but as an actual title. Something he recognized as a ranking ordeal, like in armies or anything else that required ranked divisions. "I was not aware that the title seemed so… **permanent**," he said slowly, telling her that he himself understood nothing of what the title meant to him, and what he was now signed up for. He knew nothing of the terms of this promise, and something told him that he wouldn't be very happy at her response.

"_That promise had been a work of your enchantment. I am not responsible for you." __*****_

Toriko fought to hold her ground at the near-murderous intent in Hiei's eyes, swallowing nervously. It wasn't as if she didn't expect this reaction from him, but the intensity of his simmering was overbearing and Toriko did not know him well enough to gauge what her own reaction should be.

"Well, if you _want _me to go ahead and finish what I started earlier," She let her eyes rove over him lewdly, shrugging, "We can break the contract right now." At just the thought, Toriko felt her energy stirring again, pleading with her to release it from its bonds. 3

Hiei waited, thoughts becoming a torrent just as dangerous as the rising emotions as he continued to broil over the sudden realizations, the memories that he slowly and quietly rummaged through. He silently thought over each and every sign he had missed, and wondered why he'd been so reckless. _Then again, it isn't quite me who is at fault._

When Toriko spoke up, his brows furrowed further, casting more shadows across his red eyes, though they were unnoticeable for the spark that flew in his irises. He wasn't sure he quite understood the tone she used either.

There was just so much going through his mind at once. He almost didn't know what exactly to do or say.

"And exactly _how _do you manage that?" he finally inquired, wanting to be informed of at least _something _about the situation. _*****_

"Breaking the contract?" She asked, shrugging again and assuming that's what he meant, "By seducing you and then dying. As part of the unspoken terms at time of our contract being instated, I cannot under any circumstances intentionally use my powers to bring you under my control. I'd be inducing an infraction of one the rules that I swore to uphold when asking you into this agreement, and I will die for doing so, freeing you from any promise made to me. It's the fastest way to undo what you've done, if you're so hell-bent on releasing yourself from it." 3

Hiei's emotions only seemed to become jumbled, confusing. His anger grew, but so did his confusion. Didn't that defeat the purpose of asking for protection? Ridiculous is what this was. Why was he even in this situation? Again, his thoughts circled, and this time he said them aloud instead of simply letting them ferment in his brain. "I am not responsible for you, nor your life." His tone was harsh, his glare stone cold, but inside he was unsure. There was a reason Kurama protected this girl, and he didn't understand that reason or even have a clue about why he cared so much, but he did know that he was growing angrier by the second. "If you had kept better control of your power, you wouldn't be in this mess," he griped, turning to leave. _*****_

"Oh, so this is _my _mess?!" Toriko balled her fists, "Look here, _flame-boy,_" She seethed at him, "This is just as much _your _fault as it is mine."

More than at him, Toriko felt angry at herself. She simply could _not _recall anything about entering into this contract with Hiei in the first place, neither could she understand how on earth her other persona managed to do it.

No, of course she couldn't _trick _anyone into the contract. There were very specific requirements that had to be met before she could even pose the request, and regardless of her powers, the would-be protector could not agree unless he meant it, seeing her defenselessness and at the same time having the desire to become her defender. But how her human persona had even managed to ask, much less get her herself in a situation where Hiei could answer 'yes' truthfully was beyond Toriko's reasoning.

"You _couldn't _have agreed to this unless you wanted to." She snapped. 3

Hiei felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand on end. His eyes widened and he grit his teeth for a mere moment before parting his lips with a scoff of anger. He huffed once more before meeting her gaze squarely all over again, nose flaring. His chest swelled with the intake of breath he issued, and this time, when his lips parted, he spit out the words he had been dancing around for a few moments, trying to comprehend even himself.

"Why would I _want _to keep up with someone so useless and brainless as you? Protecting someone with a death wish is only for the damned, and I will not be dragged into this because of your instability. I will be forced to do nothing, especially serve the likes of **you**."

With a final growl, Hiei swiftly turned towards the door, a single hand moving under the cat on his shoulders and tossing him to the ground while the other pulled at the handle. When it refused, he snarled and forced it to unlock in a flick of his wrist and then proceeded to take his leave. _*****_

Maneshi landed confidently on his feet, even being tossed unexpectedly as he was, and watched Hiei storm out of Toriko's apartment. The cat made a quizzical noise and turned back to Toriko, who shook with rage where she stood.

He quietly slipped over to her ankles and wove around them, his expression inquiring as to her mental state.

"AUGH!" Toriko threw her hands up into the air in frustration after a moment, "Of all the beings in this realm, why did I have to get stuck with the most _impossible_ one of them all!" She swept Maneshi into her arms and buried her face briefly into the dark fur of his side.

Maneshi didn't exactly approve of his position, and he huffed a breath as she held him to express said uncomfortableness.

Toriko released her grip slightly and pulled away, stroking a hand down the cat's spine and feeling herself calm down, if only slightly. As she continued petting him, she looked around the living room with resignation.

"I think I've had enough fun for one day." She told Maneshi, turning to the couch and holding him out towards the back of it where he obliged by uncoiling himself from her arms and landing firmly on the upholstery.

"In fact, I think I've had enough _fun_ to last me the next ten years," She continued dryly. "I didn't realize how good I had it, being completely uninformed as to anything going on around me."

She sat down on the couch next to the bobby pins she left there and reached for another, "It'll be nice to not think for a while."

She continued to replace the pins in her hair-taking the time to reactivate each one and make sure they were operating at full-capacity-feeling her demonic energy, and herself, draining away into oblivion with each cold seal. She fought the drowsiness that overcame her as she plucked the last one from the couch cushion, managing to get it into her hair just before she collapsed and became oblivious to the world. 3

~!**!~

Several days had gone by rather quickly lately, seemingly blurring together for the demon who had forced herself into masquerading among the humans. She'd done as she was supposed to over the course of time, working hard on grasping the school work issued and actually asking for help when she didn't understand something, despite her distaste in doing so. And, surprisingly, she found it better than what she'd been doing before. Now, she was learning about the place she was stuck in, learning how to better blend in, instead of simply wandering the streets and _observing. _Despite the amount of people around her, who she continuously found she had to interact with from time to time, she didn't mind it. Sometimes, she even found herself lightly enjoying the classes, though she wouldn't let it show. Especially since she didn't want to admit that she was beginning to enjoy this different lifestyle.

After all, she _had _been nothing more than a puppet for a decade, and nothing more than a toy for the years before that. She hadn't really had a chance to do anything of her own accord.

And yet there were days that left her frustrated, borderline angry at everything. Those were the days when she called on Toriko, who seemed so calm when giving advice and instructions. Small tutoring sessions that weren't even required by the teachers. She'd simply grown tired of trying to figure it out on her own. It always ended up with nothing anyway.

Today, though, she'd felt an odd feeling of slight cheer when she'd been given back her math test and several other things, such as her Biology lab work. When she'd seen the circled B- in red atop her math test, even earned a nod of approval from her teacher and a "good job", she'd felt elated. Relieved. In Biology, she'd almost cracked a smile when the teacher boasted on her progress as of late, her overall grades going from embarrassing low to decent.

And yet, she still wouldn't admit it that she owed Toriko for every bit of it.

Nor would she ever admit that she was becoming comfortable with confronting the girl with her problems.

Lord knows that if Akari ever showed any emotion other than her normal nonchalance and irritation, she'd be shot down by anyone watching. That's just how it'd always been. _*****_

Toriko missed a day of school.

She couldn't believe it. She woke up in the morning, rather disoriented and confused as she had no idea how she ended up on the couch-her last memory being that of Kurama leaving her apartment- but upon arriving at school in her usual timely fashion, she found that she had somehow slept an _entire _day away, slammed with homework and a feeling of insecurity.

A whole day? Not even a whole day, but an entire evening and the next day besides! How had she managed it? The unease at her predicament slowly dissipated as the week wore on, no answers to her questions arising, her mind unable to recall anything after her unsuccessful session with Kurama. Anything, that is, except for Hiei.

Hiei...

Toriko knew _something _had happened between the two of them, but for the life of her she had no idea what.

Where before she tended to feel his presence nearby on a regular basis, that being something surprising to her in and of itself, now she neither saw nor felt anything of the fire demon whatsoever. It troubled her, having come to see him as a staple in her daily interactions whether they actually acknowledged one another or not, and his absence wore on her frame of mind, sending her thoughts down a path of guilt at the mere insinuation that she had done or said something to drive him away.

A week passed in this way, and it was after school that she found herself in one such dark moment of musings, second guessing herself and silently berating whatever issue she wedged between her and Hiei for ever occurring.

She hitched her slipping messenger bag farther up one shoulder, glancing up into the tree overhead, feeling her discomfort worsen as her eyes confirmed what she already knew: Hiei did not grace the branches.

She clutched agonizingly at the pair of textbooks in her arms and pulled her eyes back down to stare at them, deeply disturbed at Hiei's complete and utter absence.

So much so, in fact, that she barely noticed Akari making her way out of the building and walking down the steps towards her. And Akari was the reason she waited leaning with her back up against the tree in the first place.

The girl's grades had improved so much that the math teacher had allowed Akari to retake the first test, and Toriko had gladly agreed to help Akari study for it, even going so far as to waiting outside now while Akari took the test in support of Akari's efforts, eager to discover the new grade. 3

Akari stood in front of the teacher's desk, brown eyes intently watching the red pen that moved across the paper. She already had her things gathered and ready to leave, knowing that there was a person outside waiting on her. She'd told that girl to go home anyways, but even now she could feel the quiet presence of Toriko outside, waiting patiently as Akari was becoming accustomed to witnessing. Her eyes glanced out the window to see the girl leaning on the wall of the school's gate, eyes looking around. She raised a brow, but her attention snapped to the teacher at his desk when the ruffling of paper caught her attention. She witnessed him circling a letter on the page and then flip it over so she couldn't see it- not that he knew of her higher senses anyways.

"Well, I must say, you're improving very quickly," he said slowly, replacing the cap on the pen with a click. "You did well this time around as well. I assume you're still asking for help from Toriko? I can tell now when you get confused in class."

Akari nodded, her expression calm, as if she didn't care one way or the other how this went. "I figured since she goes through the trouble, might as well keep it up."

"Well, you work hard, and I appreciate that." He flipped the test over and handed it to her, a smile on his face. "Good work. You're officially passing with a high B now."

Akari nodded and gave a brief wave, already turning to leave. "Thanks," she called over her shoulder.

"Geez, it wouldn't hurt her to smile," she heard the man mumble as she exited the room. As Akari sauntered her way through the school, she rolled the paper up in her hand, using her free hand to push open the front door, eyes immediately finding Toriko. She observed the girl as she walked, until finally she decided to make her presence known.

"I thought you'd go home." _*****_

It took a moment for Toriko to pull herself from her reverie, Akari's voice tugging her away from personal concerns.

She pressed her glasses farther up her nose as she looked up, "I-I wanted to know how you did." 3

Akari eyed the girl, only stopping a foot or two away from Toriko as she considered her with a raised brow. A small part of her was rather amused by this situation, even reminding her of how Nabu had stuck around. She pushed the thought away and gave a sigh, as if she were tired. "I am passing with a high B now, according to mister whats-his-face," she said, jerking a thumb up to the school nonchalantly.

She paused, turning her head to the side a bit and glancing at the sidewalk behind her, half thinking someone would be there. Half expecting to see blonde hair, even though she hadn't seen him since the day he gave her the note. She jerkily turned her eyes back to Toriko, forcing her thoughts away from the maddening puzzle. "I was close to an A," she finally said, unrolling the graded test to reveal an 89 marked in red. "It's not as bad as it used to be," she commented, referring to her confusion about this particular subject. _*****_

Had Toriko not been holding books in her arms, she might have clapped her hands together in delight, "Th-that's wonderful!" She summed up in relation to everything Akari relayed.

"Would you l-like to go out for dinner together to celebrate?" 3

Akari faltered. Dinner? She raised a brow in disbelief. Wasn't that something humans did when they enjoyed the other's company? When they knew each other well enough to be past simple small talk? No, wait… Wasn't it like, a mating ritual?

Her expression shifted to utter confusion as she thought of the many couples in restaurants she'd seen in this world, most of them holding hands and smiling at one another. A faint feeling of disgust hit her. "Isn't that a little odd?" she said slowly, still confused. Why would you celebrate grades anyway? "I'm not sure I follow." She paused, eyes rolling to the sky in thought. "But I suppose if that's what you humans do, then…" again, she paused. "...no, sorry, not even then. This is beyond me." _*****_

Toriko tilted her head in an expression of confusion at Akari's response, unsure of the reason as to her hesitations. Suddenly, a revelation hit her and her mouth formed a small 'O' before she quickly covered her mouth and released an uncharacteristic giggle.

"I-I am very s-sorry." Toriko apologized, her giggle leaving a small smile behind on her lips as she attempted to reassure the girl and make her purpose more clear, "I s-simply meant that your improvement was reason to celebrate, and it is quite c-common among the humans of this region to do so with a meal. I know of a ramen shack a few blocks away that would do w-well for our purpose, and I would buy you a bowl i-if you wished to go." 3

Akari's chin lifted upward, like a paused nod, and she eyed the girl with an expression that simply read "oh". Then her chin fell to finish her brief nod of confirmation and she released a small breath. "This world is… confusing," she grumbled, adjusting the bag on her shoulder by hefting it up higher, gesturing with her left hand for Toriko to lead the way. "I haven't had much time to roam here, so I know little to nothing," she admitted carelessly, shrugging nonchalantly at the fact. "Learn something each day, I suppose." _*****_

Akari's acquiescence to the prospect of dinner did a good deal to lift some of the weight from Toriko's mind, giving her something else to think about other than the strange loneliness that had lately overwhelmed her.

She lead the way to the ramen shack, a street vendor whose building was a plastic pavillion, the inside warm with steam from the cooking ramen at the assembled stoves in the middle. Toriko purchased both herself and Akari a bowl and then sat down at the fold-out table and chairs in one corner of the large tent-like restaurant. 3

Akari had taken to sitting quietly beside Toriko, eyes following the movements of the chef at the stovetops. The smells that bombarded her nose made her mouth water; living on simply sandwiches for as long as she had been making her miss living in Sensui's penthouse just a bit, but this smelled even better than anything Sensui had cooked up. She had been tempted to speak aloud of that thought, but instead had resigned herself to sitting in silence beside the small girl.

When the two had eaten and gathered their things, Akari hadn't thought twice about taking the lead, deciding she'd escort Toriko to her home as a way to thank her for the meal. She briefly waved at the chef as he called farewell, but not long after, she was walking down the sidewalk, weaving her way through foot traffic expertly.

"Do you eat there often?" she asked Toriko suddenly, still thinking of how much she had enjoyed the new taste. Her eyes moved with the intent to study Toriko's face, but instead she caught a flash of color that made her pause. Her step faltered for only a second until her eyes found the color again, finding a familiar person among the crowd. She met his lavender gaze, but he turned to walk away, disappearing from sight.

"Follow me," Akari ordered suddenly, grabbing Toriko by her wrist and following the path Otento had taken, hell bent on getting an answer or two. _*****_

Otento knew her, now. Knew the presence of the human-persona under which she hid. Wheels had been turning in his head the instant he spotted the two women together, making sure that the more rash of the two demons saw him as they left the ramen vendor's tent.

He easily made his way along the street, keeping just ahead of the them enough to tantalize his prey into continuing her pursuit. He slipped off into an alley out of sight, knowing she would follow.

Toriko did not know why Akari pulled her along through the crowds, her concentration falling to keeping her feet as the taller girl dragged her at a rapid pace. When Akari turned abruptly into an alleyway, Toriko stumbled forward as Akari stopped suddenly, and she looked up to see a dead-end, huffing and short of breath.

Akari did not seemed pleased by this dead-end, and Toriko had no idea why until a velvety voice spoke up from behind them.

"Ah, Darling, you've done so well." Otento purred pleasantly after dropping silently into the alley, successfully blocking both women from making a quick exit without passing him.

Toriko whipped around and made a high-pitched noise of distress through her nose at the sight of Otento, practically jumping behind Akari and hiding with Akari's body between herself and Otento, clutching at Akari's shirt with one fist and burying her face in the small of Akari's back, trembling with fear.

"I knew it wouldn't be terribly hard to get her alone with you," Otento went on before either of them could say anything, "You've become such dear companions of late, haven't you? You almost managed to even convince me."

Toriko's heart, already pumping wildly in her chest, skipped a beat and she ripped her eyes open, dropping her hold on Akari and taking a fearful step back, the insinuation of Otento's words dawning on her as she managed to move another foot back.

Memories of the night that Otento...slipped into her room, started to creep past Toriko's attempts to block them out and she dropped to the ground, ending up with her rear on the concrete, legs bent with her feet on either side of her hips, her textbooks falling out of her arms and scattering nearby as she started to fall forward but caught herself with both hands, leaning over and staring down at the alley floor wide-eyed through her glasses.

"_This can't be happening. This can't be happening." _The words formed a mantra for her and she continued to repeat them. She squeezed her eyes shut as tight as they would go, fighting the thoughts that threatened to overtake her senses.

She had stopped listening to the world around her, but as she moved, Otento had continued to speak, "I'll stay true to my word and take the seductress and you, both, back to the boss. I'm certain he'll extend a personal invitation right on the spot for a job well-done." 3

Hiei had been walking among the humans- for once- in search of the target. It was difficult when the demon was able to hide himself, but soon enough, he found the person he was looking for. And when Otento had turned to leave, Hiei had at first thought he'd been spotted. But then, when he took to the rooftops, he saw them. He saw Akari and Toriko, the first of the two leading the latter through the crowd. His eyes narrowed; he'd seen that concentrated look once before. His lips parted to bare his teeth in sudden anger and frustration when he realized she was following Otento, and immediately, he felt his Jagan open beneath the band that hid it. His energy sparked just enough to allow him a message, without being known by another.

"_Kurama, we have a problem," _he spoke into his friend's consciousness, having found it in a split moment. "_The demon is here, but so are Akari and Toriko. Akari lead her here." _He paused as he continued running, listening to the beginning of the conversation, and he felt his anger grow more. "_Make it quick. I'll stall."_

Hiei waited for a response before letting the connection taper off. He watched the blonde address Akari, hearing the words that confirmed his belief of Akari being a part of it all. He witnessed Toriko stumble away from the girl, the dog not even glancing back at her. She took a step toward Otento, and Hiei decided to draw the line.

He dropped to the ground, landing himself behind Otento, cutting of any form of escape for anyone here. His expression was dark, angry. "If either of you move to leave, you won't live to see the day." _*****_

"_This is definitely not good." _Kurama thought as he ran, desperately searching the streets for any sign of Kuwabara and Yusuke.

They were lucky that they were already planning on springing a trap on the blonde demon that evening, otherwise whatever he had planned would have eked unnoticed by the gang and who know where Toriko would have ended up.

As it was, things were still being set in motion much faster than any of them had planned and Hiei had left Kurama's mind behind before Kurama could ask that he alert Yusuke and Kuwabara as well.

He felt as if the whole situation were partially his fault. He'd been too caught up in his human life lately to even attempt to take further notes on the demon who stalked Toriko, and the lack of information left him feeling more vulnerable that he would have liked.

And he hoped desperately that vulnerability would not cost them Toriko.3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	13. Episode 98 - Information and Injuries

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Ningen!

So, I think I might take to making the chapters longer and experimentally did so with this chapter. Let me know what you think! I could probably make them even longer than this, but I will at least try this length for a while.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko, or rather her demonic side, comes to realize that her human side and Hiei initiated a pact that places Hiei as her protector.

Two days later and Toriko and Akari go out to eat at a ramen stand to celebrate Akari's improvements at school.

While they are there, Akari spots Otento and drags Toriko along with her as she follows him.

Our four favorite heroes were out and about to attempting to spring a trap for Otento,  
>and thinking Akari means to betray them, Hiei alerts Kurama<br>and then attempts to distract Otento while waiting for the others...

* * *

><p>Otento's expression did not change when Hiei dropped down into the alley behind him, sending a glance of nonchalance over his shoulder to indicate that he did know the fire demon was there. He remembered the speed of this demon from his previous encounter and he was in no mood to challenge him on that front.<p>

"Surely you don't expect me to leave my back facing you." Otento did not turn around, but he aimed the question at Hiei, his thoughts whirling new tactics already forming in his mind at these...complications. 3

Akari's eyes had moved to the sky when her ears had picked up on the sound of cloth being whipped by the air. She'd witnessed the falling of Hiei into the alleyway, and instantaneously the rut in her stomach had grown exponentially. She was beginning to feel sick; she remembered nothing of Toriko being so involved with this demon, and she also remembered nothing of this being a part of a plan that she had been in on, apparently. She'd been waiting on this 'leader' to confront her, and nothing had happened. Now here she was, expected to know what to do? She glanced back at the panicked Toriko, expression blank but eyes shining with thoughts. Panic.

The group had already hated her. Now, she had no idea what was going on, and her life could be on the line. A frown tugged her lips downward and she turned back to the two males in front of her, thinking as quickly as her mind allowed.

Nothing.

There was nothing she could do to get out of this mess. And no doubt Hiei had told the others, and she knew she was in trouble. But even worse, Toriko was looking for shelter from this demon, who had obviously been around several times, and Akari had lead her right to him. "Hey," she called, her tone even despite her jumbled thoughts and emotions. "This was not specified."

Hiei glared hard at Otento, watching every twitch of his muscles, waiting for another attack like the last time he'd seen him. A sneer broke on his features at his words of his back being to the demon. "You're not as foolish as you make yourself look." His hand gripped his katana, bringing it forth in a silent warning that meant he would kill without question.

His eyes roved between Akari and Otento, teeth still bared as he stood in their way. And when Akari's voice sounded, he glared at her. Surely she didn't think he would believe something like her being unaware? At the very least, she seemed calm enough about the situation, her eyes periodically roving not only to him, but behind her to Toriko as well.

He shifted his grip on his blade in warning, the light from the nearest streetlamp shining across the smooth metal. "I wouldn't." _*****_

As Hiei finished speaking, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke appeared behind him, Hiei in a second brief contact with Kurama having given the location of the others.

There was a moment of tension as the four guys said nothing and did nothing, letting their presence impose itself upon Otento.

For his part, Otento huffed a small laugh, his eyes seeing the new arrivals in peripheral view. He let his gaze catch Akari's and hold it for a moment, "We seem to have been interrupted, darling. I'm sure I'll catch you another time."

Without warning, three blades nearly as thin as needles whistled through the air, tossed forward by Otento's expert hand seemingly out of nowhere on his person. They flew past Akari, missing her precisely, and lodged into the top of Toriko's right shoulder in a neat line, her arm immediately giving out and she slumped down on top of it. Her muscles tightened in distress, but she made no sound, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut again.

"Toriko!" Kurama cried, beginning to move towards her, pulling his rose whip out and sending a vicious lash towards Otento. But in the moment that it took for Toriko to fall over, Otento disappeared into the night air and Kurama kept running at Toriko, Kuwabara quick to join him while Yusuke clenched his fists together and stared up at the sky where he thought he'd seen Otento jump. He came back to himself and glared at Akari as Kuwabara and Kurama ran past her.

"What did you do?" His eyes were accusatory, his question demanding an answer and the muscle in one of his arms twitching as he fought an urge to punch her right then and there. 3

Hiei glared hard at the people in front of him, not even glancing at the three that joined him in the alleyway. His wrist twitched just a bit at Otento's laugh; he wanted nothing more than to behead the demon, but again, something stopped him. For a moment, anyways.

But that moment was all the blonde needed. Within that moment, he had spoken, thrown very small objects across the way, and then disappeared. Hiei would have followed, but every fiber in his being held him there, staring at Toriko and trying to figure out what had just been tossed. He would have followed Kurama and Kuwabara, but he decided to stay by Yusuke, dark eyes training on Akari as well.

Akari's eyes had widened at his words, and panic had become completely evident in her eyes as she watched the three needle-like objects flew in her direction. Contrary to her instincts, she stayed where she was, watching each one whizz by her and hearing them hit the flesh of the girl behind her. She turned to look at the girl, then turned to Otento again, only to see he was nowhere in sight.

Her breath became short, her fists clenching at her sides and her head bowing so her bangs hid her eyes. She heard the people run by her, but didn't look up until she was addressed. And when she lifted her head to meet his gaze, she had a sneer on her features. She knew she wouldn't be able to make an escape like Otento had, and she knew they wouldn't listen to her about the matter.

"What exactly do you believe I've done?" _*****_

"Yusuke!"

The boy looked up to see Botan wheeling in from the darkened sky on her oar, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face.

She landed gracefully on the ground near him, "Koenma needs to see you. Now." She left no room for arguing, but Yusuke tried anyway.

"Botan-"

She cut his protest short by raising a hand, "I'm here to take you all there."

"But-" He pointed a finger at Akari.

"No buts!" Botan asserted, "She's coming to!"

"Botan, we could use you..." Kurama called from where he knelt over Toriko.

Botan's eyes narrowed as she glanced over Akari's shoulder to the red-haired avatar. "Bring her. I'll take care of it when we get to Koenma's, but we need to go _now._"

Kurama and Kuwabara came up behind Akari, Toriko limp, but held delicately in Kurama's arms, Kuwabara holding her textbooks and bag.

"Alright. Let's go."

~!**!~

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, ogre, I _cannot-_" Koenma looked up to see those he called coming into the room and he stopped his sentence, pushing ogre back from where the two of the were bent over some paperwork on the Prince's desk, "Oh good! You're here."

Kurama gently placed Toriko down on the floor, Kuwabara setting her things down next to her, and Botan scurried over to assess the damage caused to the girl while the two boys went to stand with Hiei, Yusuke, and Akari in front of Prince Koenma.

"Koenma! You've _got _to do something about this demon!" Yusuke immediately gestured angrily at Akari.

"Oh?" Koenma raised an eyebrow quizzically. "And what exactly do you mean?"

"She basically offered Toriko up to some sleazy demon and-"

Koenma held a hand up to stop Yusuke in much the same way that Botan had, turning his neutral gaze onto Akari and holding her eyes for a moment before speaking, "So? Did you actually have anything to do whatever it is he's accusing you of?" 3

Hiei's expression twitched at Akari, but he hadn't had any time to say anything as a voice yelled from above. Red eyes turned up to the skies, witnessing Botan fly in. He scowled. Koenma _had _been watching. And yet the girl was still living.

He didn't say anything as they were ushered to follow her, to report to the prince of Spirit World. He simply sheathed his katana and complied, deciding that he'd just see how this went.

When he found himself standing in the small office, his arms were crossed over his chest and he was left watching quietly from the side, waiting, watching.

Akari crossed her arms over her stomach, her expression calm. She'd gathered herself in a matter of moments, her thoughts becoming ordered despite the unease she still felt in her stomach. Yet, when she wasn't addressed by the prince immediately, she felt a bit better. By the time Yusuke had said something, she was calm in every aspect, confident even. Why, she had no idea.

Akari raised a brow at Yusuke, then turned the upraised brow onto the prince when he addressed her. "No," she replied calmly, shifting her weight only a bit to appear more casual. "I have not." _*****_

"Fine." Koenma turned back to the others, "Now, we have a-"

"WHAT?" Yusuke shouted, "No. Way. She's _has _to be with this creepo blondy."

"I would hope-" Koenma stopped, frowning, "Wait, blonde?"

"Yeah," Yusuke said it as if the fact were obvious, "There's been this weird blonde guy stalking short-stuff over there for like a month." Yusuke gestured over his shoulder at Toriko, still laying down with Botan attending her.

Koenma sighed and put a hand to his forehead, shuffling through the papers in front of him until finding the one he wanted and scowling at it, "Tall? Skinny guy? Purple eyes?"

"That's the one." Kurama affirmed.

Koenma glanced over at ogre, "Seems we were a little _slow _on this one, huh?"

Ogre thought it best not to say anything and Koenma sighed before turning back to the others and going on, "There are rumors floating around that Youko Kurama is in Human World-"

"Well, duh." Kuwabara rolled his eyes, jerking a thumb at Kurama.

"There's more to it than that. He amassing a gang of demons consisting of any he can find in the Human Realm."

"You were doing all that this whole time? You sly fox." Yusuke grinned.

"I must admit that I have no recollection of any such 'amassing.'" A small smile played over Kurama's lips.

"Well, of course it isn't the _actual _Youko Kurama." Koenma resisted rolling his eyes, "But someone posing _as _Youko Kurama. The name holds a lot of power. And whoever it is apparently can look the part convincingly enough to gather a loyal following. Obviously, this poses a problem."

Kurama nodded, "If his presence alone is attracting demons into Human Realms, I'm surprised there hasn't already been other results."

"I don't exactly know how he's keeping the demons under control, but it leads me to believe that the demons are smart enough to know how to blend in among the humans, which means nothing less than likely B Class. And remember that there must be a hole of some sort to allow them through. Anyway," Koenma waved his hand dismissively, "The first problem is taking care of this psuedo-Youko. If we kill him it's likely the rest of the mess will clean up easy."

"Sever the head of the snake..." Kurama provided the beginning of the saying.

"Exactly." Koenma frowned, looking down at the paper, "I have no idea what interest this blonde demon has with Toriko, but from what I've gathered he's definitely one of the higher-ups within the chain of command of the false-Youko's gang and you should keep your eyes out for him."

He addressed all of those in front of him once more, "I need just a little more time, but I am fairly certain I can get you the location of this 'Youko's' hide-out and it'll be at that point you'll get sent in to terminate the guy. I did want to make you all aware of the situation so that you'll be on the lookout for any suspicious activity for the next couple of days. Keep your heads up. I don't think this is a situation where we can afford to be caught off-guard. Dismissed." 3

Akari listened to Koenma, half-surprised that nothing more was said about her. But when the topic of the army of demons came up, she stood up straighter, her mind bringing forth the image of the letter she'd been given. She remembered something about an army being mentioned, but it had been such a vague invitation that she hadn't understood.

And, at the mention of Youko, she glanced over at Kurama. She had forgotten that tidbit about the redhead; it'd only been briefly mentioned to her back when Sensui had begun planning the entire ordeal. He'd told her not to tell the rest, and to simply ignore the fact because it wouldn't matter to her. A smile stretched her lips suddenly; at least Sensui's words were useful in some sense, despite everything.

She opened her mouth as soon as Koenma was done speaking, serious all over again. "The way they recruit is by discreet letter invitation. It's vague, no real details given. I've been trying to get answers myself, but I didn't think he was directly involved with the group until today." Her head tilted to the side slightly, her eyes glancing over the people around her. "I hadn't known he was after Toriko. I apologize for my mistake." _*****_

Koenma rustled around the paper pile again, mumbling to himself, "I think the invitation method you're referring to may be specific to your situation. There aren't really any free-roaming demons in the Human Realm for obvious reasons, so most of their recruits are coming from Demon World. We don't have a lock on what portals they're coming through yet."

At this point, Koenma turned his eyes onto each of his four male employees in turn, "And I hadn't been informed of any demon's interest in Toriko either, so it appears you aren't the only one from whom secrets were being withheld. Next time I'd advise one of you coming to me instead of attempting to take matters into your own hands. Who knows what could have happened had you not accidentally stumbled upon the scene that you did tonight."

Kurama didn't bother protesting, having already felt responsible for the mishaps of the evening, and Kuwabara and Yusuke both knew when they were being admonished and said nothing as well.

"Botan, you can take them back now." Koenma ordered.

Botan heaved a weary sigh as she stood up from where Toriko still lay on the ground. Kurama immediately went over to them.

"It's going to take more work." Botan told him. "Those aren't ordinary daggers. I'll take you all back to Human World." She gestured down at Toriko and Kurama obliged by gently lifting the girl again, "I'll have to do more once I get her back to her home, but I think everyone else needs a good night's sleep." She picked up Toriko's things, "Let's go." 3

Akari nodded in acknowledgement of Koenma's view, realizing she should've thought of that. It made her wonder how many demons were actually hiding at this point, but she didn't voice her curiosity for obvious reasons. Instead, she turned to look at Botan, only glancing at Toriko before turning her eyes away in guilt. She hadn't known what Otento had been after, and she'd lead the girl to a place where she'd been hurt. She didn't think she'd be able to tell the girl how mistaken she was for thinking so little of the situation.

So, when Botan began grabbing Toriko's things, Akari offered a hand, picking up a text book and handing it over silently, figuring she wouldn't be wanted around.

Within a few moments, Akari was standing a little away from the group, looking around at the darkened streets that were beginning to empty of people and cars alike. The wind had picked up a bit, carrying the smell of an oncoming storm, but she didn't care. What caught her attention was Nabu prancing his way up the sidewalk, tail wagging and tongue lolling.

"_I've been looking for you! We were supposed to play today!"_

Akari sighed. "Not today. Sorry." she grumbled, not caring if the group heard her, as she turned to walk away, a hand in her pocket to feel the note she'd kept on her since it'd been given to her.

~!**!~

Hiei scowled to himself when his feet touched the sidewalk and Yusuke and Kuwabara began talking about dinner among other things.

"Man, I'm starved," the two complained in unison, Kuwabara rubbing his stomach and Yusuke looking around for nearby restaurants.

The completely ignored the scoff that the fire demon gave, and they both turned to Kurama. "So, what now? I mean, the demon's gone and Binki Breath is telling us to twiddle our thumbs and wait for orders." Yusuke asked, crossing his arms. "I'm sick of waiting."

"What else can we do? We don't exactly have the information we need," Hiei said casually, hands in his pockets as he glanced at Botan and Toriko. He had already decided he'd follow. _*****_

"I would suggest staying put might be the better option. Keep your eyes peeled, though. I am by no means saying we've seen the last of our blonde demon friend. And anyway, I believe Koenma is much closer to discovering the location of our next mission than he wanted us to think."

Kurama flicked some dirt from the shoulder of his coat, "As for food, there is a lovely ramen shack near here and I could go for a bowl of it myself."

"RAMEN!" Yusuke pumped a fist into the air, "WOO-HOO! Last one there pays the bill!" He took off down the street with Kuwabara protesting loudly and taking off after him.

Kurama waited until the other two were out of immediate earshot, "I don't suppose you were planning on checking to make sure Botan and Toriko make it safely, but if the thought hadn't occurred I would encourage you to consider it." He started to walk away from Hiei and waved a hand in goodbye without turning around to see if the fire demon followed or not.

~!**!~

"Here you are, girl." Botan had little trouble lowering the girl's tiny frame onto the bed in the room Botan assumed had to be hers.

Botan set down the books and things and sighed, eyes turning back to the injury Toriko acquired in the alleyway.

"These things are nasty." Botan stuck her tongue out at them.

She bent over Toriko to examine them, lodged halfway into the top of her shoulder with a solid six inches showing, but all of them no wider than a pencil at the end sticking out, tapering thinner until they disappeared into the fabric of her school uniform. Their silver, metallic sheen was cruel even in the near-darkness, and Botan reached over to turn on the lamp at the bedside table to her right. The yellow glow filled the room with warmth and Botan sighed again, kneeling down onto the floor and resting her elbows on the comforter, framing her face with her hands.

"I really don't know what to do. I could heal the wounds up from the inside and force the daggers out." Botan said aloud to no one in particular, reaching one hand over to gently touch one of the three daggers and pulling back quickly in shock of the sharpness.

The blades seemed to be able to cut from all sides, which explained how they'd gone so deep so quickly. Botan couldn't imagine the force with which the attacker threw them, and these were no ordinary daggers.

She heard a small meow from behind her and turned around to see a black cat with two differently colored eyes trot into the room.

"Hey, there." She reached a hand out which the cat obligingly took a sniff of before allowing her to stroke his head.

After one pet, the cat slipped around her and landed softly on the bed, his eyes worried as he made his way up to Toriko's shoulder and sat down on his haunches to regard the three daggers.

"I know." Botan frowned, "There's something odd about them and I'm not for sure what it is."

The cat said nothing, but continued to stare at the daggers.

"I guess I'll try again." Botan raised up onto her knees so she could reach both hands over to Toriko's shoulder, an otherworldly glow pulsing into existence between her hands and the shoulder.

"_Poison?" _Botan thought to herself, concentrating and testing the nature of the daggers. "_No. Not quite. But there __**is **__something..." _The light slowly faded and Botan's frown deepened. "_I guess I need to get them out, but it would be a lot easier to deal with the wounds if I knew what exactly was going on." _

Botan took the larger bottom portion of her kimono's sleeves and wound them around her hands before taken a hold of the first dagger and yanking it out as straight as she possibly could.

The fabric of her kimono did not tear, but Botan could feel the steely edge of the dagger nearly biting through. It took a great deal of effort to slip the dagger out, and as she did so she gasped, the hole left by the dagger suddenly ripping farther down the front of Toriko's shoulder, tearing both the skin and her school uniform.

Moving quickly, Botan dropped the dagger onto the bedside and reached to remove the other two weapons, the cat sniffing disapprovingly at the discarded blade while she did so.

Twice more she took out daggers, twice more Toriko's wounds grew larger until it looked as if some giant animal had swiped three nasty claws from the top of her shoulder down nearly three inches.

But the cuts, though deep, did not bleed, even when Botan tore that portion of Toriko's uniform open and held her hands over the openings. She grunted as the light swelled from her hands again, but the wounds did not cooperate, stubbornly remaining open, and Botan again got the feeling that something else was wrong, she was missing something important.

"_Botan. I need you back here."_

Botan ignored Koenma's call for a moment, a bead of sweat starting to trickle down the side of her face before she let go of her powers and sat back on her feet.

"_Botan." _Koenma's voice sounded more urgent.

"Well. I guess it's fine for now. I mean, she's not going to bleed to death, right?" She didn't sound very sure of herself. "I'll check back as soon as I can. You keep an eye on her, now, you hear?"

She aimed the last part at the cat as she stood up and swept up the three daggers from the bed, waving her other arm to call her oar into existence and sitting upon it, ducking as she swooped out the open window into the night sky. 3

Hiei nodded at Kurama and then turned away, taking off in the direction of Toriko's home, his entire being screaming at him to get there. He couldn't comprehend why he felt the urgent need to make sure she was okay. He merely followed his instincts; they hadn't failed him before.

He moved silently through the night, ignoring the sounds of the night life in the trees, of dogs barking throughout neighborhoods, among other animal sounds he didn't care for. He ignored them altogether, moving automatically and on autopilot until he reached Toriko's front lawn. Then, he thought for a moment, assessing the outside of the building before making up his mind.

Like usual, he turned to the trees and took his perch outside the bedroom window, looking into the room in time to see Botan form her oar in her hand. He moved to the shadows, though he didn't exactly know why, and waited until she was gone to slip into Toriko's room himself.

He stared at the open, not-bleeding wounds on Toriko's shoulder, confused. He hadn't seen something like this before now.

~!**!~

Akari walked along the sidewalk, hands in her pockets still and Nabu on her heels, occasionally pawing at her shoes. "_Please? You __**promised**__!" _he begged, a small bark shattering the quiet that had ensued for only a few minutes. "_A promise is a promise, Akari."_

The demon sighed. "Nabu, it's been a-"

"_It's been a long day, blah blah blah. You always say that. It can't be __**that **__hard to walk on two legs."_

An exasperated sigh was released as she glanced back at the puppy. "I'm sorry. I have a few things on my mind. Can we go in an hour or two?"

"_That's when you sleep!"_

"I don't plan on much sleep tonight, Nabu. Too many things to think about." she admitted, eyes moving forward again as she saw her little worn-down, ramshackle house in view down the street. "Go find your ball. That will be what we do for a while before going to the park, like I promised."

"_Yay!" _the dog yipped, over and over, as she climbed through the hole in the side of the building she took refuge in. She would have gone through the front door, but she had locked it earlier, without much thinking. Plus, the nearby humans wouldn't have liked someone going into an abandoned house by kicking in the front door- or even picking the lock. _*****_

"Your _friends _are rather persistent, Darling." Otento waited until the she-demon got inside before beginning to speak.

He twisted a small, thin blade around in his hands before slipping it away somewhere on his person.

"I _will _have 'Toriko' sooner or later, but I suppose I'll just have to wait." He smiled and looked up at her, casually staying leaned up against a nearby wall, "I've been waiting a long time, but it's made me quite patient. If you'll assist me in her capture, I can _guarantee_ you a place in our little family."

~!**!~

Maneshi's ears dropped back in distress as he regarded the gashes on Toriko's shoulder and he lay down hunched up on the comforter, a fuzzy ball of worry as Hiei entered the room.

He crept forward inquisitively and stuck his nose as close to the wounds as he dared, sticking his small pink tongue out and tasting the air, moving his head as if to lick the openings before thinking twice and drawing back again, feeling something icky about the marks.

His brow furrowed together and he scraped his tongue across one of the gouges before he could change his mind, immediately jumping backwards with a horrible expression on his kitty-face, tongue hanging out of his mouth with a great sense of distaste.

He even went so far as to begin licking the comforter frantically, trying to remove the flavor and essence of what he'd just done from his tongue. When he stopped, he sat back down on his haunches again, but tip of his pink tongue stuck out of his closed mouth and his expression was still displeased.

Toriko had not moved up until that point, even at the lick of Maneshi's rough tongue, her breath shaky, but steady, no other signs of life from her and her eyes closed behind the thick lenses of her glasses. As Maneshi stared down at her with his tongue out, she began to shiver and blood began to rise sluggishly from one of the wounds, moving so slowly that even when it reached the inside edge of the gash from which it came, it stopped, forming a tense dome but not spilling over as blood started to appear within the other two tears as well.

Maneshi's tongue disappeared into his mouth and he moved back to her, placing a curious paw on part of her exposed skin at the shoulder where her uniform had been torn, but far enough away that he did not get blood on himself. He drew back and shuddered, able to still feel the absolute chill of her that she left on the pad of his paw and briefly shaking the limb in an attempt to rid himself of the clamminess. 3

Hiei inspected the small wounds much like the cat did- minus the tongue. He stepped forward, leaning over the girl and assessing the gouges in her skin. He didn't understand it at all. She had been impaled by knives, but no blood was to be seen. Not at first anyways.

As soon as Maneshi pulled away, flipping out over the taste of whatever was there, Hiei could smell the movement of her blood, the scent getting stronger as it rose to the surface of her wounds slowly. He didn't see it for a few minutes, but he knew it was there. Anger boiled. Why would Botan drop this and just leave Toriko in this state? A small growl left his lips. If only Akari had taken the hit instead, there'd be less trouble in the world. He wouldn't have to deal with this little escapade that was going on- whatever it was.

He eyed the cat as Maneshi calmed down, now curiously pawing at the girl. His reaction to her skin made the fire demon curious as well, and he too stretched a hand out, just touching Toriko's face. She felt cold to him, but then again, most things did. While the cold didn't bother him, he could feel the temperature difference between himself and the girl. He scowled and looked to Maneshi, speaking to the cat without much thought about it.

"What do you suppose this is?"

~!**!~

Akari ducked into the hole in the wall, Nabu bouncing on his feet behind her impatiently. The moment her nose smelled the air of the house, she knew there was an intruder, and she paused, looking up briefly. With a smile at the male, she continued, standing at her full height near the makeshift entrance to the building. "Why do you care for the girl?" she questioned, genuinely curious, but now with gears turning in her head. `"She isn't very popular, not even amongst the humans. What's got you wrapped about her?"

Her head tilted a bit to the side, calmly assessing the movements he made, eyes seeing the blade he slowly slid out of her sight. _A silent warning. _"And what family? I haven't been spoken to about anything yet." _*****_

Otento sighed, "I _told _him you'd be of great benefit, but he never listens to me the first time around. As for the girl, she's not only of great interest to me for more personal reasons, but she's titular in our plans. Whether you assist me or not, we _will_ have her. And soon."

He smiled, "It'll be up to you to decide which side you want to be one when the battle lines are drawn, and should you choose the winning side, I'll be in touch." He turned to leave.

~!**!~

Maneshi knew Hiei had to be speaking to him, and he fought to move beyond his cat-self, staring unblinkingly at the fire demon, but visibly tensing, trying to break free in order to talk back. He shook his head violently and squeezed his eyes shut as the smell of Toriko's sluggish blood invaded his delicate nose and the thought of her possibly dying let him tear past the overlying cat he'd been stuck as for much too long.

"_She.." _He struggled for a moment longer, gritting his teeth together, "_The daggers..." _He opened his eyes again and turned his head up to Hiei, "_It's a virus. Saps her heat in the first stages." _

He stuck his tongue back out at the thought, remembering the awful taste, "_I have no means of which to cauterize her wounds, but closing them is the first step. Her life energy is leaking out through them as we speak and it will do so in exponentially larger amounts until she is dead." _

He looked back over at the blood, unable to feel her life energy draining, but her shivering grew stronger and he stepped up onto her stomach, curling up and attempting to share whatever warmth he could with her, laying his head down over his front paws. 3

Hiei eyed the cat patiently, waiting for an answer as he seemed to struggle. He realized that Maneshi must have the same sort of story as Toriko, as two different persons inside one. In this case, a cat. It seemed the feline persona was stronger though, and that made him much more patient than he normally would have been, despite his growing unease.

When Maneshi finally answered, Hiei released a small breath, as if he hadn't thought the cat would answer him at all. He listened, his eyes roving over the girl on the bed as he took in the new information. A virus? He hadn't heard of such a thing being used as a weapon, other than chemical warfare. For a few moments, he felt like it was something that might just wash away, vanish after a while. But at the cat's last few words, his eyes widened and he gritted his teeth, his fingers flexing as a small part of him bowed up in anger and slight desperation. He was her protector, yet he had not a clue of what to do.

So he did the first thing that came to mind: he extended his own heat to her by letting his energy unfoil around him quietly, in small amounts so that the heat wouldn't be overbearing. If she was losing body heat, would this help counter it? He looked back at Maneshi. "How do you stop such a virus?" He briefly thought about calling upon Kurama, but for the moment, he didn't know if it was necessary, or if Maneshi could tell him of a way to get it taken care of without the help of others.

~!**!~

Akari eyed Otento, weary and yet interested, curious. The girl was necessary? Why? What could she do that would help a team of demons? What did they want to do overall? She raised a brow, indicating her unspoken questions and her waiting for him to continue, but he did not. Instead, he turned to leave, and her frown become more prominent.

"That's it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "That's all you have to offer? A _family _circle? Listen, I've been sold that very same story, and look where it ended me. I would consider your offer, except that you only extended it with vague words and instructions of meeting, which haven't happened before now. You're in and out. The last man that offered me a _family _the way you are, ended up trying to kill me. Understand, I do not take that lightly. If you want me to join your ranks that bad, you are going to have to provide me with something to go on, other than claiming of a family." _*****_

Otento stopped when the girl began speaking, a ghost of a smile passing over his features. "This man...he was a _human_ making an offer, no?"

It almost wasn't a question, but he posed it before turning back around to regard her thoughtfully, letting the words sink in before going on.

"You're in league with four _very_ infamous males who are strongly tied to the Spirit Realm. And you question our caution? True, you are a catch in and of yourself, I won't deny, but it isn't as if we absolutely need you for our plans to go off without a hitch. I extend the offer only because I know how wretched it can be having to slave underneath another human. Demons deal with things much differently than any human or inhabitant of the Spirit World. So, what about yourself? What can you offer _me _to prove that you _aren't _simply going to run off to your master with whatever information I pass along?"

~!**!~

Maneshi's ears perked as Hiei's energy wove around the room, but his eyes never left Toriko.

"_You are...fire demon, correct? If you have the ability, first cauterize the wound. We can take care of the virus after her life energy has stopped bleeding away. That is the more immediate problem." _

The image he projected into Hiei's mind was of a heated knife burning the skin of an open wound back together. Painful, but necessary. Though, in place of the knife, a fire demon's heat and hand could do much the same kind of searing of the gouged area, if the demon knew how to control it. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Maneshi, but nodded in response to his question. He would have thought that his abnormally high body temperature would have given it away to someone like Maneshi, who seemed very well educated in the manner of demons and all things alike. He considered addressing that, but didn't; now wasn't the time for idle chat, he knew. Instead, he stayed silent, listening to the breathing of Toriko and the voice that spoke in his mind again.

This time, when his eyes turned to Maneshi again, it was in slight disbelief at the image he had been shown. But he recovered quickly, realizing it was the only way to do this. He ground his teeth and huffed a breath of air through them, hearing it whistle just a bit. "You want me to burn her skin, while she can still feel it?" he clarified, eyes closing in preparation. There was a reluctance to this, but there was also the feeling of duty masking it, telling him it had to be done and he had to be the one who did it. "Fine."

Hiei's eyes slid open again and he stepped forward, now standing so that his thighs nearly touched the edge of the bed. he raised flexing hands, thinking, concentrating hard on how much energy he put into them. "This better work," he grumbled before he made contact, feeling and even hearing the heat reacting with her cold skin.

~!**!~

Akari blinked at Otento in surprise at his words, the way he shaped them so that they struck her very core, almost made her angry at the fact that he seemed to rub in her naivety about the situation that had been dealt then. However, as he continued to speak, she was slowly growing a smile, a slightly angry and malicious smile that bared her teeth. After a moment of silence in the room, she let out a laugh.

"If you believe I consider them my bosses, then I don't think you've been observing very well." she retorted, arms crossing tighter across her chest as she met his gaze squarely. "I can assure you, they do not appeal to my interest even in the slightest. It's merely the only way I could keep from being killed at the time of the contract." Her eyes rolled to the ceiling, as if thinking. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what to do, but she wanted to do something about the situation she'd messed up. And this seemed to be the easiest way, so far.

"If I hadn't told them of the invitation, why would I tell them of your plans?" she suddenly countered, a brow raised. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't enjoy associating with the group of misfits. Her smile grew, her demeanor shifting to calm again as she continued talking. "As long as I am not dragged around like a puppet, I don't think we'll have much of a problem. I do, after all, enjoy my free roam." _*****_

Otento's gaze was unrelenting as she spoke, as if his eyes could bore into her very soul.

He waved a hand dismissively and broke his sudden mood, "That's all very fine and good, I suppose. We could consider you a probationary member for the moment if you'd like."

He put one hand in his pocket, acting as if the conversation were drawing to a close, but lifting the other and holding up two fingers, "In two day's time, you'll receive information that will guide you near our base of operations, and I will meet you there if you're for certain about joining us. It'll be up to you to decide."

He pointed at her, "But _don't _show up unless you're prepared to abdicate your current status as a lackey of Spirit World. The boss won't be pleased to have someone try and double-cross him." Otento took his leave.

~!**!~

Toriko's eyes flew open as Hiei touched her, her instinct to rise up the instant she felt the pain, her muscles tensing in agony, and at the exact same moment, Maneshi rose up onto his feet and hissed angrily, arching his back and the fur on his body standing on end.

"_DON'T YOU DARE MOVE." _He seethed, glaring at her and accidentally projecting his thoughts into the air where both Hiei and Toriko could hear them, though he spoke specifically to Toriko and it was obvious. He planted his paws firmly on her torso and his claws extended slightly into her uniform, his tail lashing once.

She trembled in pain and coldness both, but made no sound, her lips slightly parted in a pant and her eyes staring up at nothing as Hiei continued to work, her mind filled with only the excruciating pain of her skin being sealed together.

"_Oh, come now, love. It's not __**that **__bad." _A sultry voice whispered to her from the back of her mind. "_I've been through much, much worse and lived to revel in it."_

Toriko's eyes slowly closed as the voice continued to speak.

"_You simply have to embrace the __**pleasure **__in the pain. The two are in fact the same thing, after all." _The voice coaxed Toriko's attention away from the closing wounds, and as Hiei finished, it faded away into slumber once more. 3

FOr a mere second, Hiei grit his teeth and shot a glare at Maneshi, his silent way of telling him to keep her calm, though he wasn't sure that was possible. He could _smell _what he was doing to her flesh, and it made his stomach roll, even though he'd smelled this many times before. He still held his hands in place, watching Toriko's wounds as they bubbled and burned, sealing together with the amount of heat and pressure Hiei applied. For once in his life, the smell almost sickened him, the tense girl underneath him made his stomach churn.

Though, it was soon over, and after a few minutes, he pulled away, letting his energy quiet and pull away, becoming hidden once more. His eyes turned expectantly to the cat, a frown on his face as if to say he hoped to never do that again. It had almost been physically painful to him as well, as if there was some sort of bond…

He closed his eyes at the thought. How foolish he had been. Of course there was a bond. The bond of the promise. That's why she'd said it would kill her to break it. He released a slow breath through his teeth before opening his eyes again, expectantly watching the cat. "And now?"

~!**!~

Akari felt her smile widen at Otento and her head tilted to the side a little at him. She waited until he was done talking to let her arms fall to her sides, a single hand pulling out the note he'd handed her a little over a week ago. Still neat and folded, she held it up between her index finger and her middle finger, just be her face to show she was about to reference it. "So I assume the meeting of Big Boss Man isn't happening until then?" she said casually, tossing it aside carelessly. "Alright, fine. Whatever floats your boat, blondie."

She then gave a small wave and a nod. "Have a nice trip home. See you whenever." This time, she made no attempt to stop Otento from leaving. And when he was gone, she turned to Nabu, who stared up at her with round, brown eyes filled with confusion.

"_Are you going to be mean to people?"_

AKari gave a huffy laugh and turned away. "Of course not. I haven't intentionally harmed a person yet, Nabu, and I won't begin now. I will not fall to the status of those who have befallen me."

"_But I thought-"_

"It's okay, Nabu. I have this under control."

"_So…. does that mean we can go play now?" __*****_

~!**!~

Maneshi sighed when the deed had finished and walked over to Toriko's shoulder, starting to lick at the bits of blood left behind and the tender, pink skin Hiei newly cauterized together.

"_Now?" _He looked up at Hiei briefly before returning his head to her shoulder to begin licking again, "_Now, we have merely bought ourselves more time. The virus will turn inward and begin eating through her demonic energy first. It's a rare virus that died out in Demon World eons ago." _

He mused quietly to himself for a moment, then went on, "_If she is strong enough, she will be able fight it off, but she currently does not have enough energy at her disposal to live through the battle. Whoever did this had to know her condition." _

He sat down on the bed on his belly as he worked, curling his front paws underneath himself, "_I cannot try to reach Shikiyoku and do this work with any sort of efficiency." _

Maneshi's eyes flickered over to Toriko's face, pale and drawn. She shivered again. "_We will need her complete help if we are to save her, but we need her __**now**_ _before it is too late. Toriko blocks much of her own power because she fears it, and it will be her undoing in this instance." _

Maneshi paused his work to stare at Toriko and feathered his consciousness into Toriko's mind tentatively. There were no coherent thoughts, only an awareness that her breathing was shallow but she needed to keep breathing, and an overwhelming desire to rid herself of the cruel chill that settled over her bones.

Maneshi did not feel Shikiyoku's immediate presence, but he knew the woman had to be stirring somewhere at the prospect of her impending death. He withdrew into himself completely for full concentration and went back to licking at Toriko's wounds, a soft glow settling on her skin as he covered it fervently with a wet sheen from his rough tongue. 3

Hiei listened to the feline, taking in each word and thinking about them each and their meanings, their implications. Briefly, he felt the feline's consciousness leave his own mind, his head turning to Toriko and his eyes glossing over only slightly, telling the fire demon what he needed to know. By the time he understood exactly what Maneshi was saying, he was sitting on the edge of the bed beside the girl, dark eyes watching the wounds carefully as the rough cat tongue raked over them. He could see them glowing, and he figured Maneshi had a power of his own, but brushed the thought away.

Instead, he blocked out the cat entirely, not giving him the ability to say more even if he tried. He instead concentrated on Toriko, searched for the subtle change from the human to the demon, Shikiyoku as Maneshi had referred to her as. And, after a moment of feeling around in the girl's consciousness, he felt the small difference, and the discovery made his eyes light up with determination and a spark of slight anger. "_Wake up," _he commanded of the demon, his mental voice strong and unrelenting. "_You have no time for sleep." _He paused, waiting for a moment before his energy bombarded her; perhaps if she became uncomfortable with the extreme temperature change, it'd stir her as well. "_Shikiyoku, you __**will **__listen to me. You __**will **__wake up, and you __**will not **__die. Not today." _*****

A voice called to her from somewhere far away, stirring her from her slumber. At first, she thought perhaps it was Toriko, but quickly dismissed the idea. The girl never talked with her. She was too afraid to. And besides, this voice sounded less incompetent than what she expected from Toriko.

As she woke up further, still half-asleep, she cringed as she immediately felt the oppression of Toriko's consciousness bare down on her, pushing her farther away. Even in her drowsy state, she knew there was something wrong, something more than the simple jolt of pain that had let her briefly console her mostly-human side, the side she had been forced for over a decade to hide behind.

The remembrance of the warrant the Spirit World had out for her arrest made her cower deeper within the embrace of Toriko's prominent personality. They had promised to tear out her hair, to rip out her eyes. She trembled at the thought and withdrew underneath the blanket of Toriko's mental arms. She had done everything within her power to slip between their fingers, and this was the price she now faced, to hide behind the one thing that had been more powerful an emotion than any passion she'd ever known.

Fear. And that fear had taken the shape of a timid persona whose strength far outweighed whatever drive she had left to fight it. She had doomed herself to this fate in order to survive, but had her continued life been worth the price? It did not matter. Not now. Not when it was already done. Her awareness fluttered in an effort to break past the sleep. But sleep was so nice. Sleep. And dreams. 3

Hiei scowled, almost growled, when he felt her stir, and then retract from him. Really, he hadn't connected with the strong demon persona, but he had felt it, felt her interest at first. And then something had made her go back to how she had been. And that made the insides of Hiei boil in irritation.

"_I made this ridiculous pact with you, and you aren't letting me keep up my end of the deal," _he snarled into her head, his energy continuing to flux in and out around him to continually change the room temperature, still using it as an odd tactic in hopes she'd notice and dislike it. "_I don't know nor care what has you cowering like a child behind its mother, but you __**will **__be waking up, even if I have to force you to. __**Wake up, you foolish coward." **_If anything, he knew how much he angered this woman when he called her silly insults. And for now, he would use it to his advantage. "_**Or maybe you actually wish to die like a coward? **__How foolish. A demon going so far as to hide herself, so she wouldn't be killed, only to kill herself by letting something so simple as a virus run through you. Perhaps you deserve what you've gotten." __*****_

Hidden as far behind Toriko as she was, falling back into sleep as she had, it was not so much the voice's words that made her proverbial blood run cold with irritation-as she could not make out exactly what was said-so much as the emotion woven into the things whispered against her consciousness. _That_ much of it did reach her and she began to shake again, but this time in fury at the very _nerve _of this mind touching hers that felt like such a youngling, ordering her about as she somehow got the feeling he was.

"_N-no," _Toriko tightened her hold, her cage, about her other side, "_No, you can't." _It was Toriko's turn to tremble. Even if she didn't understand why, she knew for a fact that this parent-persona inside her could not be set free.

"_It is saying __**horrible **__things about me, child." _She protested, almost whining before demanding of Toriko, "_Let. Me. Go." _She struggled harder, writhing within Toriko's grasp and rattling against the bars of her prison.

"_N-no. What he's saying doesn't matter! P-please, please don't go!"_

"_He is a NUISANCE is what he is! Why did you let him in here in the first place! Let me drive him out!" _She gathered the chains that held her, "_Let. ME. OUT!" _

With each word she pulled at the links of mental metal that bound her, heaving one final jerk and managing to wrest power from the girl, unleashing the entire pent-up fury that she had been boiling onto the intruder in her own mind and practically shrieking at him, "_How DARE you!" _3

Hiei felt the being stir again, and this time, he silenced, waiting. He could feel the growing energy, so his own retracted, leaving the room at a normal temperature, but his consciousness stayed within hers, feeling the struggle between the two personas. He waited as patiently as he could, his very soul quivering, telling him he was wasting time, losing the person who he had sworn to keep safe. He hadn't realized how dutiful he felt towards this situation, but a very strong part of him was extremely distraught at the thought that the person he'd promised to protect, had bound himself to, was dying all because he hadn't thought of an attack being launched at her.

Suddenly, he felt the stronger persona win out, and his own mind was bombarded with a rather loud exclamation. Despite that, he found a sneer forming on his face briefly before it disappeared. He didn't wait for her to realize something was wrong. "_You are dying, and as your Protector, as you said before, it is my job to keep you alive. This is the only way." _He waited, forcing his mind's voice to sound calm despite his inner emotions. "_I assume you want to live, but Toriko's energy is depleted." __*****_

She checked herself and withdrew her sudden outburst almost as quickly as she'd released it, floating at about a simmer until Hiei, as she now recognized the presence out from under Toriko's veil, continued speaking.

Her former rage as whatever he'd said previously drained away, but instead of some sort of resolve at his proclamation, she fell into a resignation, uncaring as to whether he sensed it or not, but waiting until he finished to give him her wry reply.

"_...and if I die, you're released from my service." _She gave the mental equivalent of a shrug, "_So, what should I care about my fate? For that matter, what should __**you **__care? You'll get your 'freedom' and I won't have to live like __**this**_ _anymore." _She accompanied the words with the impression of a gesture to indicate her prison.

"_Leave me alone." _She hadn't meant to sound quite so dejected, but with him inside her mind, she felt exposed at the realization that she could not as well hide as she was used to.

While she could not literally turn her back to him in a physical sense, she did so mentally, expecting him to pull away. 3

Hiei had felt the shift, but had spoken anyways, at first not caring that she had simply calmed the way she had. However, he was struck by her words with a strong sense of confusion; he hadn't ever actually met a demon who wanted to die. He had normally only seen demons foolishly challenging him, thinking because of his small size, he would perish quickly. He had always said they had a death wish, but really, he'd never met someone who had outright decided they didn't care if they lived or not, much less simply give up and allow death to take them. At first, he was speechless, confused by the surprise and the even stronger emotions that raged on.

In a second though, he felt a single emotion win over, and without meaning to, he gave an audible laugh. It was a dry, humorless laugh, but louder than a laugh he'd ever shown another. His strongest emotion came forth: distaste. Disdain. Disgust.

"_You're even weaker than I had imagined. Not only do you now have a protector, but you're throwing him away because of a selfish desire. You're weak, just like your human persona. Dying merely because you dislike being caged." _he paused, releasing every ounce of his disgust into her mind so that she knew how much he felt towards her words. "_You're worse than the filth you enchant. You're worse than a common slave." _His thoughts became darker, but at the same time, he said something that wasn't exactly dark. In fact, it was probably the nicest thing he'd ever say to a person, even with the disgusted tone he used. "_If you dislike a situation so much, you __**change **__it, not kill yourself and run away. Coward." _And with that, he drew away.. If she wanted to counter him, she'd have to live to do so. _*****_

Hiei left her by herself.

"_Good riddance. Meddling youngling. Sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."_

He may not have been privy to her thoughts, but she made them anyway, feeling Toriko almost toddling up behind her in the meantime.

"_I could overwhelm his sensibilities with a single THOUGHT if I so desired!" _She yelled it after him almost because of the fact that he was already gone. "_How's THAT for weak, you stupid kid?!" _

"_Sh-Shiki?" _

She paused in the middle of angrily shaking her fist at her empty mind, feeling something coming in contact with her leg, and her heart nearly stopping at her name. No, not even her name, but a nickname in fact. A pet-name. She looked down to see Toriko clutching at the leg of her pants.

"_Poor child...you are so young." _She dropped down to one knee and Toriko came around and threw her arms about Shikiyoku's neck. "_You are just a toddler where I come from. Barely one decade under your belt."_

Toriko pulled back far enough to look herself in the eyes and Shikiyoku nearly started back at their shine of tears, unsure how to handle them.

"_Sh-Shiki...I don't want to die..."_

She heaved a sigh, one that held over a thousand years of breath, over a thousand years of memory. She finally sat all the way down and drew the younger one into her lap to coddle her.

"_You can't understand." _She spoke as if to both herself and Hiei. "_You are too young. And I would bet you've never even __**had **__a chance to sit down and talk with a demon as old as me, EH?" _She began the last part dryly, but nearly shouted it up at the ceiling of her mind as she finished.

She sighed again and rested her chin on the top of Toriko's head. "_Some protector. Hmph." _She let a snort of disapproval out through her nose, "_Flat out accuses me of tricking him into it, and then practically eats me alive when I offer a solution." _

She looked down as Toriko trembled once in her arms, reaching over to stroke her hair and feeling very strange. "_Shh, child. Hush." _She wasn't quite sure how she felt about essentially consoling herself.

She silently fought back and forth with her options, wishing that she had the luxury to do so all the time. And if it weren't for some very specific complications... She glared down at Toriko, wishing that the girl could understand and accept herself, but the original reason for her creation slipped across her memories and she shuddered.

Standing abruptly, she let go of Toriko and stood over her, hands defiantly on her hips. Toriko looked up at her, eyes wide and full of questions. She refused to look down for a moment longer, but finally dropped her gaze and let out a small noise of protest as she gave in.

"_Alright, __**fine."**_

Toriko clapped her hands and began skipping about Shikiyoku's legs.

"_But I'm not doing this for HIM, I'm doing it for YOU."_

Toriko stopped in her front as Shikiyoku made her declaration, her hands clasped together and her eyes bright, though her expression turned solemn at the end of her short speech and she spoke up quite seriously as only a child can.

"_He __**is **__rather attractive, isn't he."_

Shikiyoku frowned, scrunching her face together at the girl's announcement. "_Shaddup, you scrawny weakling."_

"_Yes, Shiki." _Toriko replied, turning her face down in obedience.

She rose to engulf their mind with her consciousness and Toriko faded away completely. She searched very carefully within her thoughts for the remnants of the pact that she could not recall forming with the fire demon, finding it and scraping through it for the bond they had. Without her memory of their agreement, she did not have as complete control of the bond, but she could feel through it that he was still nearby.

A wicked grin spread over her mental thoughts and she reached through their bond with as much demonic energy as she could muster with the seals still coveting her power.

She didn't figure he would understand exactly what was happening, and the pact threatened her silently that she was towing a thin line, but she dismissed it and grabbed for Hiei's attention with as much of her abilities as she could muster, seducing him back to her mind so that she could talk with him and get him to take the stupid bobby pins out of her hair.

Her voice took on its usual sultry purr as she coaxed him back, "_Alright. C'mere you __**sexy, **__flame-retardant little __**bastard. **__Let's see who the weak one __**really **__is around here. We've still got words..." _3

* * *

><p><span>Shiki<span> - simply another way to shorten 'Shikiyoku.' Personally, I have always equated 'Shiki' as something a younger or more childish demon might call her (sort of similar to the honorific -chan if you're familiar with those), but in any case it's always seemed like a slightly more endearing term, whereas 'Yoku' seems more like -san, that is more formal or respectful.

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	14. Episode 99 - Healing Releases Her

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Readers!

Not much to say here other than hope you enjoy it!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Otento manages to escape the grasp of the gang, but not before injuring Toriko.

Back in Koenma's office, the group learns that there is a demon running around Human World pretending to be Youko Kurama,  
>and Otento is assisting him.<p>

Afterwards, Akari and Nabu head to the park and Botan takes Toriko home.

However, Koenma calls Botan back and Hiei appears, called by the bond between he and Toriko.

Maneshi talks Hiei through cauterizing her wounds and then the cat takes to healing her,  
>but there was a virus that the blades were laced with that are eating away at her power.<p>

Only Shikiyoku will be capable of fighting the virus off, but it is a matter of convincing her to do so.

In the end, it is Toriko herself who manages to draw Shikiyoku out and Shikiyoku turns her thoughts to Hiei to get his attention...

* * *

><p>Hiei sat back with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed in irritation and slight disappointment. He waited, though he held little to no patience within himself at all. Part of him doubted that Shikiyoku would comply and simply emerge, but there was a part of him that figured she'd just need to think about it. Of course, there wasn't much time, so he kept watching Toriko, gauging whether he would have to reconnect with her and force her out, though he didn't know if it was possible. He'd never tried before.<p>

His eyes were glued on Toriko, watching her breathing as Maneshi continued to lick at the wounds. He ignored the cat, watching Toriko, waiting for any sign of change.

And then suddenly, he felt an odd feeling sweep over him. His eyes widened as he recognized the feeling of another mind beckoning to him, calling for his attention. He searched the planes of the girl's face for changes, but nothing changed other than his thoughts about them. For a moment, he didn't recognize the shift in his thoughts, his calm demeanor masking them entirely. But after a moment, he realized that this must be how she grabbed his attention when necessary. He realized it could be her power, and a small part of him boiled at the thought.

Immediately, his mind touched hers. "_That's not necessary." _he said quickly, teeth grinding only a bit. "_What is it? Decide to play along?" __*****_

She pouted at him from with her mind, "_Well, I can't exactly call to you in the conventional sense. I don't remember our pact so it won't let me." _

She shifted gears, her words steely and cold as if she spoke through gritted teeth, "_And let me make one thing __**perfectly **__clear to you, flame-boy: I am NOT doing this for YOU. Not because you asked me, not because you are suddenly acting as if you want me to. Because if I was doing __**anything**_ _for you, it'd be letting myself die so that you would be rid of me, since you seem to find your prospects with me so utterly distasteful." _

If she were standing in front of him, she would have been pointing at him and spitting the words out like so much venom. As it were, she primly let go of her mental barrage and went to business, "_Now, if I'm needed so very badly, I'm not sure what exactly prevented you from removing my seals. You would do __**well **__to remember their presence should any __**actual **__emergency arise. I can do little here within their prison should they still be in place." _3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, but said nothing at her words of him not being the reason she decided to live. Normally, he would have sneered and made more than just a few more snide comments, but there was a part in him that said he didn't have the time to play games anymore. It held his lips glued together, listening quietly, obediently, as she spoke of her seals.

Yes, he had remembered them, but for some reason, he hadn't thought them much of an issue. He supposed his own emotions had masked his rationality enough to keep him from considering the thought again. So, without even a simple response, Hiei withdrew once more, leaving her alone in her consciousness as he returned to the bedroom he had been sitting in. His eyes focused after a moment, and merely because it was easier, he moved and turned Toriko so that she lay on her stomach, face buried in the pillow, but in such a way that it was turned enough to earn oxygen as she breathed. He didn't care at the moment about her comfort. He merely began pulling pins from her head, remembering where each and every one was.

It didn't surprise him that they had been replaced in the exact same places as before; it must have been an extreme sense of routine, having gotten accustomed to placing them in a very precise way. In moments, they were all in his hand, and he had removed her glasses as well, setting everything over on the stand by the bed and pulling her so that she lay on her back again.

He stood back, waiting with arms crossed over his chest. _*****_

Maneshi voiced a small bit of kitty-protest at his work being disrupted, but his eyes widened as he watched Hiei remove the bobby pins almost within the same instant that he turned the girl over, pulling her back.

From within, Shikiyoku could feel her energy becoming more and more free, though this time since she was already awake and aware, she had full control by the time she found she could open her eyes and push herself sitting onto the bed. That was her first mistake

The entire time, it had been Toriko carrying the pain of the virus, and her body's nervous system took a brief reboot before slamming Shikiyoku with the same agony Toriko had been baring.

Shikiyoku found herself staring up at the ceiling not a half second after she rose, her mind going into a brief black-out so that she did not remember falling back down. She immediately cringed at the pain that tore through her bones and muscles, most specifically sucking away her demonic energy. She had more than enough to spare, but the feeling was so foreign and alien that it was all she could do to take a few ragged breaths while her brain caught up with the sensation.

"Wh..." She took another breath before being able to continue, "What's happening?" Her voice sounded odd to her own ears. "Kamis, my shoulder hurts." She followed up just as quickly, wishing she had the strength to reach over and clutch at it.

Maneshi moved back to it and began cleaning it again.

She shuddered as the final piece fell into place and she felt the deathly chill that lingered across her entire body. That was perhaps the most sapping aspect of all, her perception of the cold one akin to the life, and as a result heat, draining out of her one shiver at a time. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised when Shikiyoku emerged with complete control and sat up, nor was he surprised when she fell right back down again, eyes blankly staring up at the ceiling. He waited, watching her gather her thoughts and gauge the situation, the amount of pain he suddenly realized she hadn't been aware of. He hadn't thought of Toriko being the one bearing it all.

He seemed to be underestimating a lot recently.

"It's ill advised that you move," he said slowly, not caring if he sounded like a smartass. As soon as the question left her lips, he had his own open to respond with information, all that he knew had happened. "A demon visited Toriko earlier tonight. Before he left, and before I could even attack, he struck her- your- shoulder with three blades. I myself hadn't seen them, but I assume they were coated with a catalyst. A catalyst for a virus that now is spreading through your body, killing you from the inside out. I sealed the wounds on your shoulder so that you would not bleed out both blood and energy, but that's all it seems I can do." He paused, eyeing her slowly. "You have to fight it yourself." _*****_

Shikiyoku opened one eye half-mast and regarded Hiei thoughtfully as he spoke, though she almost as quickly shut it, silently grumbling within her mind something in relation to Toriko's earlier comment about the fire demon being passably attractive. At just the sight of him and the sound of his voice, her heart skipped a beat as if she were half her actual age and with twenty times less the experience. She immediately dismissed it as cabin fever, having been locked up for so long, but it did stir her demonic energy a bit in the excitement before she could fight it back down, rebelling against her inherent nature for his sake and willing her scent and energy away, though simultaneously causing herself more pain.

She shivered again at the cold as he kept going, but felt odd at Hiei's willingness to pass along what he knew and unsure if a voiced expression of her thanks would be permissible to him. Or if he would even accept it.

The pain of the virus washed over her mind in wave after wave of agony once he stopped and she clenched her teeth together before a thought suddenly occurred. She could not speak for another handful of ragged breaths, but she gathered strength and then did so.

"Say...say something else." She ordered of him. "If you want to help," She added almost apologetically for what she knew to have sounded like a harsh demand, "Say something. Anything. ...please..." 3

Hiei raised a brow in slight confusion at the sudden demand, and he took in her expression that continued to grow riddled with more and more pain. He wondered if the thoughts of the virus made her feel the pain more prominently, and as she continued to practically beg for something else to be said, he mentally scrambled. Contrary to his inner thoughts, his expression turned blank, as if he were thinking of nothing more than "uh…", which was completely opposite of how he was, but exactly how he felt. What would he say that would console her? No, maybe it didn't have to be consolation?

He cleared his throat and released a small breath. He thought some more before deciding to go with something small. "The cat is interesting." _*****_

Shikiyoku's laugh was pained and airy, not lasting longer than a second or two, her lips parting in a small smile.

"I...I have no idea where she got him." She admitted, unable to recall the memory as Toriko held it.

At his being the subject of their conversation, Maneshi paused in mid-lick to regard them both before going back to his work, close to the last portion of what had been the third gash.

"_She found me." _He spoke into the air so they could both hear him. "_She __**rescued**_ _me." _He clarified after a pause.

His eyes flickered over to Shikiyoku's face, his skin prickling with the awareness that she was in much more pain than she should have been at this stage of the virus, also knowing that her plea for conversation was a cry for distraction. And as macabre as he knew his thoughts were on the matter being what she was, it should have been a simple, if masochistic matter to twist the pain she felt into pleasure. Something else was going on, but he did not know what. 3

Hiei was a bit taken aback by the laugh he earned, but showed no signs of it on his features. He simply stared at her, watching her for any signs of her energy winning out- or failing, though he didn't want to consider it for reasons even he didn't understand. He frowned slightly, then nearly jumped when Maneshi's voice entered the conversation. He looked to the cat, raising a brow. He wanted to know more of the story, but didn't want to distract the cat from his healing, or so he assumed it was.

So he turned to Toriko- or rather, Shikiyoku- again, and eyed her carefully. "You said before that you do not remember our pact. Why is that?" _*****_

"The simple answer is that I am not the one who made it with you, in the strictest sense." She paused for another breath, "Toriko offered it and I had little to nothing to do with it."

Maneshi finished his job and sat back to examine it, bending over twice more to cover places he did not think were done well enough before finally heaving a sigh. The pain in Shikiyoku's voice drew his gaze back to her face once more and he frowned, sensing something else that he hadn't considered before.

"_Yoku! What are you doing?" _He aimed at her, a bit of desperation creeping into his voice.

She did little else to acknowledge she heard him but opening her eyes slightly and looking over at him before closing them again.

"I have a question for you." She said aloud to Hiei, "How exactly did the pact come about?" 3

Hiei frowned, stalled a little by glancing at the cat. He eyed Maneshi curiously before turning back to Shikiyoku. He eyed her as well, as if her question was loaded with dangerous ammunition. But, he didn't lie; he felt that he couldn't, as if he were physically restrained from doing so. "She was attacked by a demon who's been around. I happened to be nearby when her energy went berserk." He paused, thinking back, the memory still a bit vague though he remembered most of the circumstances after the demon's leave. There were still small holes, but nothing of importance he deduced. "As defenseless as she is, I interfered. When I was about to leave, however, she convinced me to stay, to make sure he did not return." _*****_

Shikiyoku sighed, "I vaguely remember something of that night. And as we are one in the same, so is our defenselessness. Our energy is only to coerce, not attack. The more we try to use it offensively, the more it coerces whoever is within our grasp. This is a problem, as I'm sure you witnessed, for which there is no solution."

As soon as she finished speaking, Maneshi spoke to her again, his eyes still staring in her direction, "_What do you think you're doing?" _He demanded, "_You cannot continue this, this nonsense!"_

Her eyes opened again, less so than before, a cloud of pain over her forehead, but said nothing as she glanced his way, her eyes flickering reflexively at Hiei before fluttering shut again.

"_You __**have **__to let go. If you keep it up, you're only prolonging your agony."_

"_Then so be it!" _Shikiyoku barked at him. "_Not another word out of you!"_

Maneshi visibly cringed back from her silent outburst. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the female, listening idly as she spoke, his eyes slowly moving around the room instead. He was searching for something, but he didn't know what. Perhaps another distraction topic? Probably. He gave a scoff though, glancing back at her again. "Understatement," he grumbled in reply to her speaking about her little problem. Of course, he said nothing more on the subject and glanced around again, frowning. He felt like something just wasn't right. As if he were missing something, perhaps even forgetting something. He loathed the feeling.

He turned to look at Maneshi, to see if the cat had any clues, and found himself watching the eye contact the feline made with Shikiyoku. He recognized the eye contact and the sparks that basically flew between them in the air, telling him of the mental connection going on there. It was something he could easily pick out, for obvious reasons.

"What aren't you telling?" _*****_

"_She-"_

"Nothing."

"_She's-"_

"Nothing." Both of Shikiyoku's answers came much too quickly, the second one more harsh and accompanied by opening her eyes to stare at him.

The pair glared at one another, Maneshi's fur bristling at the challenge, though he remained thoroughly composed otherwise, seated near her arm on his haunches.

"_I'm __**going **__to tell him. You know this."_

"_No. You're not."_ She narrowed her eyes at him, thinking her words between them so that Hiei could not listen in, "_You do and I'll strangle you."_

"_You can't even lift your arms at this point, much less __**strangle **__me with them." _He growled, sending his own thoughts into the air as he had been the whole time, wanting Hiei to get at least part of the conversation, "_And soon, you're not even going to be able to __**hear **__him, so it won't much matter anyway, now WILL IT?"_

She did not answer him, but the two reverted back to their staring contest, Shikiyoku's arm twitching once, but otherwise remaining next to her body on the bed. She shivered with cold and her eyes drew closed once more, her brow deeply etched with pain. 3

Hiei scowled at the one side of the conversation he could hear. He waited for more, but nothing more was given to him, and that made his irritation levels sky rocket into actual anger. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but he found himself assuming that something completely ridiculous was going on. He thought for a moment before rounding on Shikiyoku, arms crossed and eyes hard.

"Allowing oneself to die by means of preventable virus is a coward's way out. I'd rather die by the hands of a demon in a war." His tone was calm, but his voice was rough with his irritation, sounding as if he were almost speaking to a child. Well, that's exactly how he felt about the situation, since he was repeating himself over and over. _*****_

"I have no intention of dying, you fool." Shikiyoku's eyes remained closed, but she grimaced before she got the pain under control again, "If I _was _going to die, I wouldn't have come out, now would I?"

She took another set of ragged breaths. She laughed as her mind played back his comment about the war. "My place in a 'war' is a much different one from yours. I am the part of the war that does not take place on the field of battle. If I wanted to die, to that field I would go."

"_Drop it, Maneshi. He doesn't need to know." _Her last thought got projected towards the cat, whom she'd felt wishing to speak again.

"_But you're prolonging the virus this way! If you would let your energy go-"_

"_If I let my energy go, I'll just do things I regret, I'm sure."_

Maneshi did not speak for a moment, the tip of his tail twitching.

"_You are a different woman than I remember, Yoku."_

"_Yeah, well, blame my other half."_

"_You could blaze through the virus-"_

"_And take half the pain. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Stop bothering me about it." _She began speaking to herself, though Maneshi was still able to hear most of what she said, "_...already confused by him. ...doesn't need any more excuse to..." _3

A small huff left Hiei's lips and his eyes shifted to the side, his scowl still on his face. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he believed her when she said she had no intentions of dying. He looked around the room, thinking to himself for a bit; hadn't the cat said she could deal with it in a moment's notice? The thought made his frown deepen and his brows furrow a little, but he didn't say anything about it. He figured that, if she wanted to live, she'd deal with the virus in any way she saw fit. If she didn't want to simply blow it over, then he would let her do as she pleased. He'd done his job, after all. He didn't feel the need for another lecture, or to push her about anything like he had earlier. He didn't feel that he should be too worried, not that he would admit he ever was.

"How long will this take?" he suddenly asked, turning his eyes to her again to convey his calmness. _*****_

"_It __**should **__have been over in a matter of a quarter of an hour, if not much __**less**__." _Maneshi's tail lashed.

"Shut UP, cat." Shikiyoku said between clenched teeth.

"_As it is, she could take as long as the great part of the night." _

"Shut. UP." Her eyes flew open and she glared at him before they fluttered back closed again, a horrible shiver of cold trembling her entire body and she grew very still and silent. 3

Hiei frowned only slightly more at this revelation, but again, he found himself wary of pushing the matter. He didn't know why, he just did. He thought for a second more, watching her closely. He wouldn't push her on the matter, and he wouldn't lecture her; quite frankly, he was tired. It'd been an off day and he had been roaming town, looking for the demon all day, only for this to happen. He wasn't exactly energized at the moment.

"Whatever floats your boat," he said casually, mimicking a human phrase simply because he couldn't think of anything else he could say about it.

As he continued to watch her, he noted the shivers that continued to wrack her body, and the effect this most recent one had on the woman. He raised a brow and then gave a small sound of resignation. He turned and let himself sit on the floor with his back against the edge of the bed. He waited for a moment, speculating how much he should spare, and then let a small amount of his energy become known in the room with the intent of helping her warm up a bit. He wouldn't know if it worked, but at least he wouldn't be useless. _*****_

Maneshi sighed as he watched Shikiyoku fight her illness for another second, feeling Hiei's energy coming back into the room. With his cat-eyes he watched the tendrils weave their way into the air before settling above the body on the bed. The temperature did not change much around him, but he knew the area near her would be that much warmer for it.

As if to drive home the point that he did not approve of her recent decisions, Maneshi tromped over her legs and leapt off the bed, his first instinct having been to warm her with his own body and an instinct he decided to snub because of her own stubbornness.

He pranced over and wound himself underneath Hiei's legs, letting a small murl into the air while he did so and yawning as he came out the other side of them, turning back to the fire demon to place his paws on the humanoid's thigh and look over at him, already deciding on where he would next choose to settle down should this lap reject his presence. 3

Hiei let out a slow breath through his lips, stifling a yawn he didn't want to show. He sat still for a moment, not sure if he was exactly comfortable, but at the same time, not wanting to get comfortable enough to sleep. So, for a moment, he watched Maneshi wind himself around the fire demon, all the while setting his energy on an almost cruise-control setting, so that if he did fall asleep, it wouldn't get too hot in the room.

Finally, as Maneshi's paw touched his thigh, Hiei decided how he'd get comfortable. Slowly, he extended his left leg, deciding if the cat wanted to lay on his thigh, he could. He let his right elbow rest casually on his right knee, and then his head fell back to touch the mattress of the bed, supporting the weight of his head easily and in an oddly comfortable way. He didn't say anything to the person he glanced at for a moment. He merely let his own eyes slide shut, his ears listening to the ragged breathing of Shikiyoku. _*****_

When Maneshi realized the fire demon wasn't going to push him away, he started purring and hopped over the lowered thigh onto the small bit of floor between Hiei's leg. He turned in a circle until he had his rear and tail almost underneath Hiei's other knee, lifting his front onto Hiei's thigh and settling down with his head raised royally as a cat will in a sphinx-like position with his front paws laying on top of Hiei's thigh.

He closed his eyes, his motor rumbling pleasantly at the warmth of the demon beneath him, opening one eye briefly to check on Shikiyoku before closing it and projecting a question into her mind that only she could hear.

"_...why?" _He knew she heard him, feeling her consciousness slowly considering how to answer the question, but at first she said nothing.

"_You know why." _She finally broke their mutual silence.

"_But, I want to hear it from you." _He replied calmly.

A wave of a sigh brushed over Maneshi's link with her.

"_Truthfully?" _She didn't even need to wait for his affirmative wash of emotion. "_My imprisonment has changed me that much, I'm sorry to say. It's mentally trying to be isolated for nearly fifteen years and..." _

She paused, struggling to get the words out and admitting what Maneshi wanted her to, "_And I suppose that I am terribly afraid of driving him away."_

Maneshi considered her answer, one that he'd already so much as guessed, "_So you would suppress the very nature of your brand of demon, bringing untold amounts of pain onto yourself as a result, doubled by the fact that if you let your energy go the virus would run its course and eat through that energy all the faster until it killed itself, simply because you __**like **__him?"_

Amusement poured over their mental connection. Hers.

"_It sounds so pathetic when you put it that way."_

"_Well, it __**should **__sound pathetic. You're a seductress with the ability to have anyone, and as a by-product anything, but you hold back that ability where he is concerned simply because you want him to like you? It makes no logical sense."_

"_It is nigh impossible for me to have a true friend, cat. They are all spoils of my abilities. Is it unthinkable that perhaps I wish to have someone like me despite, or perhaps in __**spite**_ _of that?"_

"_Yes. It is unthinkable. It's not what you are."_

"_What am I then, cat? Old? Beyond the carnal desires that overtakes all demons in their first thousand years of life? Perhaps I am tired of who I am." _She mumbled the next part almost to herself, "_Perhaps Toriko and I are not all that different."_

"_You are strange. Influence his mind in the most trivial of ways and in an instant be rid of your sickness. The Yoku I heard of would not have hesitated to use others for her own needs."_

"_The Yoku you heard of had not been trapped within a near-human for going on fifteen years."_

Maneshi did not disagree, but he still found her reasons trying and illogical. "_Suit yourself." _And he knew she would. 3

Hiei listened to the different sounds in the room; the purring of the cat on his thigh, the ragged breathing of the woman behind his head, the ticking of the clock on the wall, even the wind that had begun to howl outside. Each of these things began to add up to become a nighttime symphony, a small lullaby almost for the fire demon. Were it not for the occasional itch on his face or the random sounds of creatures he could hear outside, he likely would have gone to sleep in a moment's notice.

Instead, as he listened to this song of the night, he picked out the sounds he rarely heard, such as the purring and the clock. He could hear an odd sound outside that he had heard once or twice, and after a moment, he figured out it sounded much like the night birds of Demon world, and he deduced that it was an owl that called into the wind. He could still make out the occasional dog barking down the street, the occasional sound of other creatures nestling about in the trees as well, each settling in for the remainder of the night like Hiei was. And each sound added to the song, lulling him to sleep almost.

"Wake me should you grow uncomfortable," he said suddenly, shattering the silence as he referred to his energy. Of course, he didn't doubt she'd alarm him if his energy became overbearing. He simply had felt the need to say it aloud, and now that he had, he felt his mind clear all over again, and it was almost too hard to keep from sleeping. _*****_

The night wore on, but sleep did not come for Shikiyoku, nor did she let it come. She could still feel the fire demon nearby and had she let herself sleep she would not have been able to control her energy, suppress it away as she currently did so that he was left entirely out of her influence. Without direct access to her demon energy, the virus had to be fed only a little at a time and the process was slow, and painstakingly so.

~!**!~

"_Hiei!" _Maneshi called desperately, "_Hiei, wake up!" _Maneshi dipped his head down to Shikiyoku's cheek and licked at a bead of sweat, his eyes wide with worry.

He had woken up not minutes ago and quietly slipped from Hiei's lap so as not to disturb the fire demon's rest to check on Shikiyoku, but she had not responded to anything he tried to say to her, and even now as he pressed a paw onto the bare skin of her shoulder, the first time gently then with more and more pressure, but she did not respond.

Her breathing was still ragged, but the expression on her face seemed serene, otherworldly.

"_Yoku, please...please say something. Please talk to me." _Maneshi licked at her cheek twice more, unsettled by the sheen of sweat covering her body that belied her still-freezing skin. When he touched her mind with his own, she did not respond. He could feel her there, her consciousness drifting just above sleep, but she did not react to him, almost as if she could not feel his presence within her. 3

Hiei could feel someone beckoning to him, could just hear a voice. He ignored it, too deep into sleep to care for the outside world at this moment. But it continued to call to him. And as he heard it again, a small part of his brain registered the feeling of panic behind it. He stirred only slightly, his head turning to the side and he let out a sigh in his sleep. A sigh of exasperation. He didn't want to wake up.

Again, it called for him, and this time, he registered who it was. Immediately, he remembered where he was and the circumstances of the night. And, with the remembrance, his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, head no longer resting on the soft mattress.

"What is it?" he asked, pushing himself to his feet and turning to assess the situation. His energy still blanketed the room, yet he could see the cold sweat on the girl's face. He blinked; how long had he slept? It didn't matter, not right now. _*****_

"_She...she won't respond." _Maneshi patted his paw on her skin to demonstrate that she did not appear to notice, though he continued, "_This I expect. But for her mind to not hear me...?" _He fell away, at a loss for words. 3

Hiei scowled and immediately opened his conscious to the woman, but still kept it open to Maneshi as well, in case he continued talking. He assessed the consciousness he touched, not really sure what to expect or do. "_Shikiyoku," _he called calmly, yet firmly, as if ordering her to answer. _*****_

Maneshi scooted closer to Shikiyoku's head and examined her face. Any former trace of pain was gone. He did not seem particularly surprised by the revelation, and brought his nose close to her cheek, sniffing experimentally at her skin. He could feel the cold coming off of her in waves and his nose twitched at the uncomfortableness of the sensation, his whiskers brushing against her face. He glanced over at Hiei who stood over them, waiting to see if Hiei had any more luck, but it did not appear as if she heard Hiei either, as she remained laying just as unresponsive as before. 3

Hiei scowled not only internally, conveying his disappointment through his thoughts, but also on his face. No response had been given, and he wasn't sure he would be able to get her attention like he had earlier that night. Again, he called to her, repeating her name in a much louder tone.

Simultaneously, his eyes moved to Maneshi, his mind split between the cat and Shikiyoku. He still waited for a response that he didn't expect to receive. "I do not believe she hears me. Any suggestions?" _*****_

"Why wouldn't I be able to hear you?" Shikiyoku opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

At least...she assumed she was staring up at the ceiling, but there wasn't anything there. In fact, her vision appeared to be just as dark as it had been when her eyes were closed.

She blinked once, slowly reopening to the same darkness as before. And for that matter, as a bit of panic began to rise in her mind, she knew there was no way they had moved her, but she had no sensation of lying down on her bed anymore. She could hardly even tell she was lying down at all. She could feel in her muscles a willingness to move, but at the same time could not herself move them besides her most basic of functions, such as breath, and the blink of her eyes, the moving of her lips to speak.

"_..." _Maneshi acted as if he was going to say something, but drew a blank at first, lowering his head to her ear and releasing an experimental 'meow' from his throat.

"What do you want, cat?" Shikiyoku frowned again.

"_I...I did not think of that." _Maneshi informed Hiei, feeling rather sheepish at the development. 3

Hiei severed his connection with her consciousness as soon as her voice shattered the actual silence of the room. He eyed her with scrutiny, curious about the developments before him. When Maneshi meowed in her ear and Shikiyoku reacted with slight irritation, he almost chuckled. Almost. Instead, he simply scoffed and crossed his arms, glaring at the cat with a hard gaze. "You woke me for nothing?" he grumbled, but he let it go and turned to the demoness. "You didn't respond to telepathy. And by the way your eyes are open but glossed, I can assume you see nothing? Why are you taking so long to rid yourself of the ridiculous virus?" _*****_

"_The longer you allow it to run its course, the more of your senses you will lose." _Maneshi said into the air before he realized she couldn't hear him. He grumbled to himself, "_We can only hope you don't take so long as to make the changes permanent."_ He made a noise of irritation at her as he sat back on his haunches and regarded her with an expression of distaste. "_Pathetic." _

Shikiyoku regarded the first of Hiei's comments with a quizzical expression, thinking that she neither heard or felt any telepathy, and she didn't bother affirming her blindness, which he already knew.

"I didn't know there was some kind of timetable for this sort of thing." She responded to his final question with a dry humor. 3

Hiei released the loudest scoff he could muster into the air, his chest puffing up in irritation. Maneshi had said a few things that he had already assumed were possible, but he hadn't thought she'd take so long to fight off the virus. So, in response to her remark, he repeated Maneshi's words with a firm tone.

"The longer you wait, the more of your senses you will lose. Take too long, and it will be a permanent change. I don't know how you feel about it, but a demon without his or her most basic senses is a useless demon. Again, why are you delaying?" _*****_

Had Shikiyoku been able to feel it, she would have gotten a hitch as her heart fumbled at the 'permanent' part of Hiei's words. That had not been a factor she realized she was dealing with. Given her thoughts about who she was truly fighting for, she did not feel as if even Toriko would be pleased to awaken to darkness or something of the like. On the plus side, she felt no pain at holding her demonic powers at bay any longer. So, that was a plus.

From within, she examined the virus and its progress as she slowly fed it her demonic energy, biding her time until it over-gorged and ate itself out of existence, as she somehow felt now that it would. Her problem now was her inability to tell how close it was to dying out, but should she feed it her energy in any larger amount, it would mean releasing her grip on her nature. But if she could gather enough power to take it out in one fatal swoop...

No, she did not wish to risk the youngling at this close of a range, and her caution was well-met by the rattling of their pact within her brain at even considering it. If she ended up overwhelming him, that could just as easily claim her life in the stead of the virus. The pact also protested at her when she thought to ask him to leave, her own life not out of danger. And again when she considered feeding the virus faster.

"_Well, then what am I __**supposed **__to do?!" _She yelled to herself, the result of which was a voiced growl of frustration that rumbling from her chest.

"Because I have to." Shikiyoku said finally, earning herself a derisive sneer from Maneshi that she could hear him release. "My other options are...limited. And difficult to even consider." She added, thinking of the pact she held with the fire demon which gave her conflicting opinions on anything she could do in the matter. 3

Another scoff, another huff, and another level of irritation being achieved. He wasn't sure if she was only making excuses, or what, but he was growing tired of it. Hiei thought for a moment, musing over what could possibly be keeping her from letting her energy destroy the virus. He didn't see why she didn't just let it go and-

It clicked, and he released another scoff and let his eyes land on her face again. "I'm in the way," he said casually, as if he didn't care about himself being the problem. A sneer colored his features. "And the pact guarantees death if I am touched by your energy at a specific amount." His arms uncrossed and his hands slid into the pockets of his cloak, his eyes turning to the window. Then the door. He was conflicted, confused. If he left, she could fight off the virus. However, if he left, he wouldn't know if it actually worked.

Another scoff left his lips. "I'll return when your energy leaves," he decided, turning and walking to the window. "_If anything goes wrong, contact me," _he said to Maneshi through his telepathy, not hesitating in opening the window and moving to the closest tree, leaving it open for easier access. _*****_

Maneshi watched him go, eyes glittering in the near-darkness of the room, curling up on the bed and beginning to clean his paws, keeping vigil over Shikiyoku.

Her awareness of his presence, even through their bond, was skewed via her inability to feel anything, but she heard the window open and when she assumed Hiei had left through it, she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and stared blankly up at the ceiling again.

She recalled the time he'd set her free on accident, all at once. Her energy had been contained within herself, where it normally would have filled an entire room, transmitted only through her eyes and hair, the two strongest places that she usually emitted her powers. This time, though, it was likely her energy would erupt outward. She took a deep breath.

"_No time like the present." _She grimaced, hoping that her luck would hold and there would not be anyone from the Spirit World nearby that would recognize her energy's signature.

Rather like ripping off a band-aid, Shikiyoku let go of her demonic energy all at once and it exploded from her body into the room. Even without her true demonic form, she could feel its expansiveness as she had not in a long time, a shimmer of power settling over her entire body, reglossing her eyes, tingling from her scalp to her toes.

Empowered now, she sat up, blinking her vision back into existence, and swung her legs over the side of the bed to stand in the midst of it all.

Everything returned to her at the same time, her strength, her senses, her true nature and desires as a demoness, her inhibitions freed, ones that had been locked away behind a vault of false pretense and foolish human-like emotions, ones that she now threw away.

Shikiyoku licked her lips as she stood there for a moment, all her powers very nearly returned to her, all her former passion and glory blasting back into her mind, and then she collapsed to one knee, clutching at her side as the energy she released into the room got sucked back into her body. She could feel the virus ravenously consuming her unfettered power.

And then it stopped.

As in the time before when Hiei released her, her energy brimmed underneath her skin, but did not overflow or leak or spill, her power hidden to all but herself.

Shikiyoku got back to her feet and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. There were humans out there, her eyes came open and flickered towards the open window, the curtains billowing in a chilled breeze. And she felt no denizens of Spirit World nearby. In fact, she wondered if they had given up on her completely, and it was that thought which finalized her decision.

For a reason she could not explain, she felt strongly against leaving through the open window. Her eyes glanced around the room and then she left through the door, her bare feet making no noise.

She opened a second door directly across the hall, entering a bedroom very similar to the one she left, though mirrored, complete with unopened window, a state she silently rectified before slipping out of it and landing steadily on both feet on a well-trimmed lawn.

The smell of the humans she knew had to be nearby only increased her excitement and she took off, the desire to captivate one, to hold one, to know their desires as no one ever could, all of these things at the forefront of her mind with her fear of capture rationalized away. They were so weak, so easily influenced that it hardly seemed worth the bother, but after fifteen years of being imprisoned away, she wanted to. She _needed _to. They were all she felt nearby anyway. And she reveled in it, dashing off at a demonic speed, her strength suiting a demon with her years under their belt, her nose flaring as a few warm droplets of rain started to kiss her skin and the ground flashed beneath her feet as she ran. 3

Hiei had gotten comfortable in a tree easily, head back against the bark. He hadn't stayed near the window, since he had figured her energy would be immense, but he was still within the immediate area, just outside the fenceline of the house. He had stretched himself lazily along the branch, waiting casually, listening to his surroundings. He had no thoughts of sleep at this point; he'd been awakened too abruptly for even a chance to think about the prospect.

And that is where he waited, listening to a small amount of thunder rumble in the distance and rain pitter patter down the leaves. It wasn't raining very hard, so he didn't mind the water that fell around him. As long as it didn't touch him, he was fine.

He waited for a good amount of time, eyes shut casually, calmly. When he felt it was time to check in, he stood up and slowly made his way back to the window he had left through. And when he got there, he frowned at the empty room. His eyes scoured what he could see from outside, eyeing Maneshi skeptically. After his moment's hesitation, he slipped into the house, listening for movement in the rest of the place. None was heard.

"Where is she?" he demanded from the cat, glaring down at him. The cat looked up from his licking, tongue still slightly sticking out of his mouth. He twitched his ears at him then continued about his business. "You let her _leave?"_ he accused, suddenly very angry and worried. "You're the lowest of fools!"

Akari sighed and tossed the ball again, watching it bounce across the wet ground, sloshing mud everywhere, just like the pounding of Nabu's feet in the mud. Despite her tiredness and her thoughts over the evening, a soft smile was on her face, her eyes fondly following the small dog that she had grown attached to. "You're getting slow, Nabu," she called teasingly, chuckling when he barked a meaningless bark back at her. He retrieved the tennis ball and ran his way back, drool dripping and mixing with the rain that coated his fur.

"_Again!" _he yipped around the ball, dropping it at her feet. And, like she had done for the past hour, Akari bent over and picked it up, ignoring the slobber. "You sure?"

"_Definitely! Throw it! Throw it!"_

Akari tossed the ball in the air, toying with it herself. "But I like the ball too. Are you going to throw it for me?"

"_That isn't possible Akari!"_

Another chuckle left her and she relented for the hundredth time, throwing the ball so it bounced off of a tree. When it collided with the pup's head, she let out a joyous laugh and tossed her head back. "Your reflexes are lacking. We need to go home soon so you can sleep and I can change."

"_But I'm not tired."_

"You will be once I stop throwing the ball." _*****_

~!**!~

Maneshi took another pass at his face with his dampened paw before responding.

"_I am no fool, Hiei Jaganshi. She was perfectly fine after the virus ran its course. She's likely run off to despoil a few worthless humans. It's been fifteen years since her captivity, after all. A long time for someone like her." _

He had continued licking at his paw, switching to the other in the middle of his explanation and rubbing the other side of his face with it as well. "_She's old enough to know how to stay out of trouble, and more than capable of seducing her way out of anything if she doesn't." _He gave the cat equivalent of a shrug with a dismissive flick of the end of his tail and kept washing himself.

~!**!~

The paths along the park would have been dangerous for someone to run along with the slippery rain and the occasional splash of mud that littered them. For a demon, they were hardly noticeable.

For the first time in a long while, Shikiyoku appreciated the wind that rushed through her hair, and she did pause for a moment and turn her face up to the sky underneath a break in the trees, a few droplets of water tapping against her skin, slipping onto her bare shoulder where her uniform had been torn and pathing downwards.

When she pulled her attention back to the lightly wooded area around her, she caught the scent of a human not more than twenty yards away. A young one. Her eyes easily saw through the night air to spot a male sitting on a wooden bench with his face to the sky and she could barely contain herself, speeding at him and tackling him with enough force that the bench popped out of its concrete supports, cracking loudly and slamming into the ground, sending the two of them toppling over the back of it as it gave way to roll once along the ground a few feet from it, Shikiyoku ending up on top of him and straddling his chest with her hands on either side of his head. She peered down into his face, a smile wide on her lips as she reached up and tucked one side of her hair behind an ear, catching his eyes in her own and seeing his expression shift from the shock and pain of what he'd just experienced to a smile that mirrored her own.

She leaned down to one side of his face, her lips nearly touching his ears as she whispered, "What do you desire?" 3

Akari watched Nabu's small form bound around, trying to catch the still rolling, half-bouncing ball. She couldn't help the smile that continued to grow on her features- one she had only shown to the small creature that had somehow wedged his way into her life. Normally, she would be impatient, ready to get out of the rain and into a dry outfit and curl into bed, like a normal canine demon, but Nabu seemed to stretch her patience, keep her waiting, but she didn't mind it.

"Nabu," she called to the dog who now lay in the mud, chewing on the ball enthusiastically. "Come on, it's time to go. I need dry clothes." She swung her arm, flinging water to the side as it dripped down her long sleeves, soaked to the bone. Her hair, though in a ponytail, stuck to her face and neck, letting the droplets trail down her face. When he didn't respond, she finally sighed. "If you don't come on, I'm leaving you here." she warned, and immediately his head shot up, ears perked and a look of worry on his doggy face. She turned to leave, emphasizing her point.

"_Akari, don't leave! I was just playing!"_

She ignored the dog as she walked, not too worried about leaving him behind. Her slow saunter would be enough to let him catch up. But as she walked, she took in her surroundings. There were shadows that crawled across the wet ground, courtesy of the streetlamps nearby and Akari's night-like vision. The wind blew the leaves of the nearby trees around and around, but not in a way that worried her of a dangerous storm. She could feel the presence of a human or two, but they weren't within her immediate sight, so she wasn't worried about being questioned either, and walked about her merry way.

By the time Nabu caught up, ball in his mouth, she was halfway to the exit of the park, continuously wiping water from her face. "Took you long enough," she grumbled, her smile gone and irritation suddenly present from the water she was now extremely aware of falling on her. She was ready to be in a nice, warm shelter that-

A sound caught her attention, and her head whipped to the right, searching for the source of the crunch of wood. She hadn't felt a demonic aura, and yet still she figured there was no way a human could create a sound like that. Her ears searched for anymore sound, her eyes looking for anything out of the norm. And then she spotted the couple sprawled out on the ground, a broken bench beside them. Her eyes widened at the sight before narrowing, and she steered her steps in the direction, not liking the sheen she could see radiating from the woman.

"Hey!" she called, her tone demanding and voice booming. "You're causing problems." _*****_

At the sound of another approaching, then speaking across the rain at her, Shikiyoku lifted her head up from where she had just whispered into the mesmerized human's ear, but she stayed where she sat as she replied without looking away from him, her own voice ringing out enough for the intruder to hear.

"Mm. _I _see no problems here." Her head tilted to the side as she asked the man under he, "Do you?"

He violently shook his head 'no,' his arms bent at the elbows and his hands resting on her thighs over the skirt of her school uniform. 3

Akari stopped dead in her tracks when she recognized the uniform, and then soon after, the face of the girl wearing it. She looked down at her own uniform, and then back up at Toriko, eyes narrowed. This wasn't the actual Toriko, that was for sure. That girl wouldn't have been able to break a bench, nor would she have likely even thought of the idea. And she'd never seen the girl _throw herself _at another person. A sneer formed on her features.

"You don't know me, do you?" she asked suddenly, wanting to confirm her own suspicions. _*****_

"I don't care." Her eyes still did not leave the human. "Though if you're planning on becoming the _problem _around here, I might have a thing or two to say about it." 3

"Well, you see, here's the thing," Akari began, a hand immediately planting on her hip. "You're in _my _park, a _demon_, throwing herself at a _human _and, somehow, you look like someone I have spoken to once or twice." With this, her head tilted to the side, a smile settling on her features. "But, if you'd like to try your power on me, go ahead," she said casually, having already deduced the ability this demon had. _*****_

"You know, it's the strangest thing. You claim this is _your _park, and yet I've lived here for over fifteen years, and you know, I've never so much as seen you around." Shikiyoku reached down and ran her fingers thoughtfully through the hair of the human underneath her just above his ear, tracing his jawline as she spoke.

"I _highly _doubt you even know the name of this place." She made it clear by her lack of eye contact that she had no interest in 'trying' any sort of power out on this puffed-up youngling making a territory claim. Given their age difference, Shikiyoku remained unconcerned, her attention almost fully held by the quivering of the human within her capture. 3

Akari felt Nabu press the side of his body against her leg, and she glanced down to see him trembling, wide eyes on the demon Toriko look-alike. Her eyes narrowed; Nabu's instincts were probably sharper than her own at the moment, since he was hyper and more awake. Her eyes turned back to the demoness and the human, thinking quickly even as the demon spoke. And an idea surfaced; if she couldn't get through with words, she had no choice.

Her eyes searched the grounds around her, finding shadows galore, and a small twitch of her lips accompanied her thoughts before her expression became a mask of calm control. She let her energy flow a bit faster, a bit more freely through her body, centering on her hands and her mind. Her eyes stayed locked, concentrated on the demon and not allowing the shadows to touch the human as they moved towards the duo. They wound around the woman's ankle, and as Akari gripped her fist, the shadows gripped at her, marking the skin with what Akari would know to be a chill close to that of one from Death. "Last warning." _*****_

"You're trying my patience, child. Consider this _your _last warning." Shikiyoku's voice never rose above her usual velvety purr, and she kept tracing her finger over the cheek of her human captive, "I would suggest that you take the advice of your trembling little friend there and fear me just a little more than you are right now. Fear is quite healthy for demons who wish to live to see their first century through." 3

Akari released a sigh; honestly, she didn't want to fight. She didn't want to use her energy that could lead someone like Kurama, or hell, Otento, in her direction. But, this demon was using a human for her own desires. Akari had encountered only one demon like this one, and she hadn't enjoyed the energy that had been thrown about the room at that time. It had been painful to her, as all Illusion-like energy was to her.

Without a second thought, though, she willed the shadow to solidify into an actual ribbon, and it pulled the demon away, dragging her so that it hung her by the ankle, strapped to a nearby tree trunk. "I suggest you leave," she said to the human man, glaring at him. "It's in your best interest." She didn't know what would happen next, but she sure as heck didn't want a human's death on her hands.

~!**!~

Hiei was practically flying, his feet feeling as if they weren't touching the ground at all. He was moving just as fast as he could, following the energy he could feel fluxing at a nearby park; he hadn't thought anyone would be there so late at night.

When he rounded the corner and veered into the open expanse of land, his eyes were met with a peculiar scene that left him confused and, at the same time, angry. Toriko, or Shikiyoku he figured, was suspended upside down by a single black tendril, back against a tree. And Akari was standing a few yards away, shadows moving around her feet like silk, waiting to be dispensed into what the fire demon could only see as a fight. Yet no marked were on either demon.

So, without another thought, he stepped into view of both demons, a little to the left of Akari, arms by his sides, a single hand wielding his Katana for good measure. "And just what is going on?" _*****_

Shikiyoku suddenly found herself without her captivated human in sight, the world turned upside down after dragging her away, and she felt the bark of the tree almost tearing into her clothing from behind.

Within seconds of her movement stopping, a flash of dangerous anger at being torn from her prey manifested in a bolt of energy that she shot at the female demon responsible for her predicament, at the same time in which she caught the human's gaze in her own and compelled him to come forward.

The human arrived just as Shikiyoku found herself freed, his arms open to catch her, and as the bindings disappeared, she pushed away from the tree in such a way that she landed in his outstretched hands, one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees, easily able to hold up her small frame.

Ignoring the arrival of the fire demon, Shikiyoku caught the gaze of the female demon she'd just hit, beckoning her forward until she stood within arms reach, then having her take one last step.

Shikiyoku's next words were almost inaudible and she leaned closer to the other demon ever-so-slightly, "What do you desire, worm?" 3

Akari had obliged, a hand to her head as the pounding intensified after being hit by the energy. Her expression was a grimace, but her eyes stayed locked on the demoness's. She stood a foot away from the demon, or less, and waited for the words she knew she'd hear. And as soon as the question was out, Akari spoke truthfully. "I ask that you remove yourself from the premises and leave the human be," she replied tartly, calmly, as if unaffected, when in truth, she could feel the change in her mind, just under the pain. "And I desire the release of this ridiculous game of yours." _*****_

"That's the best you've got?" Shikiyoku said, louder now. "Pity. I plan on doing little to none of those things, unfortunately for you. Care to try again?" 3

A frown tugged at her lips, and she took a step back to regard the demoness again. "I _desire…_" she began, a sudden flash of memory taking over her vision, adding pain that wasn't actually there. This demon was the same as that one had been, perhaps even knew her. And she wanted to get away, quickly, and at the same time, strike a nerve. "You should know that I've met your kind before." she said casually, through gritted teeth. The pain she felt was like fire in her brain, and the ghostly feel of knives slicing her skin on her shoulders and arms were even worse. "She died in front of me. Her name, I do not know, but she whispered about the last of her kind, saying she hoped a woman by the name of Shiki had found a place to be." Suddenly, her expression grew dark and she met the gaze of this woman again, intent on at least striking a nerve in hopes of gaining an opening. But the smirk disappeared as the vivid memory overtook her, coating her vision with the dark room filled with demons. "She was gutted right in front of me. I have a feeling you might be Shiki?" she spoke, though her voice sounded very far away from her. "She said she had left a child, and hoped you found it someday." _*****_

Shikiyoku's face did not change from its amused expression as the youngling in front of her recounted her pitiful recollection, tapping the girl's nose once with the tip of her finger when she finished, "You may have met one of us before, but your example of our kind must have been a weak one indeed to have been spewing such nonsense. We tend to disassociate with one another for obvious conflict-of-interest reasons."

Here she glanced lustfully up at the human who still held her. "He claimed to want to have her first, she claimed to want to have her first, it can get messy. There is little 'love' within our own ranks."

She turned back to the other female, "Whoever it was probably deserved to be gutted in the first place by the sound of it. If what you're saying is even truth." She smiled, "As I said before: I don't care. But you would do wise to think next time before interfering with one of us." She gave the girl a wink, "They will not be as forgiving as I," Her eyes narrowed, "And I will not be as forgiving a second time." She primly looked away and lifted her nose a little higher into the air. "I tire of you."

Without a word, the human put her down on the ground, though it was still undecided as to whether she spoke to the girl or him.

Shikiyoku stepped lightly around the taller girl, releasing her hold on both her and the human as she left them behind. Without a word, she approached Hiei and grabbed his hand as she walked past, pulling him along with her as she left. 3

Hiei had merely looked on in amusement as the scene unfurled, his katana placed away after he realized the situation. He hadn't cared when he realized that the woman was in no immediate danger. Instead, he had been more entertained than he likely should have, and that had left him standing on the side as a simple onlooker, filled with curiosity and amusement. He hadn't wanted to intrude at all. There hadn't been a reason to.

But when the scene was suddenly wrapped up and he was being dragged away, he was actually taken aback a bit. He simply let the woman take hold of him and lead him, narrowed eyes filled with confusion locked on her.

"You're ridiculous."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't been surprised by the reaction she'd been given. Actually, she didn't know why she expected anything other than the careless words of someone who likely didn't even really know the woman who had been killed. But for some reason, she couldn't tear her mind away from the mental image, the mental pain that she knew wasn't actually there, but added to her physical pain that was being inflicted by the clashing energies, hers naturally fighting the demoness' off in a painful war. She hadn't dealt with this type of energy in a decade, and it was very evident as it released her from her pain and she let out a very ragged breath of relief. Her eyes focused and followed the woman as she left, Hiei in tow, and her mind became blank. Quiet. Her body numb.

It shouldn't have affected her as much as it had, but she felt her knees go weak and her shoulders go slack. Before she knew it, she was on the ground, held up by a pair of arms that she didn't recognize. Faintly, Nabu's confused voice entered her mind, but she understood nothing and felt darkness sweep over her. _*****_

* * *

><p><span>Jaganshi<span> - (wiki) Master of the Evil Eye

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	15. Episode 100 - Disclosures and Sweet Snow

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!

A shout out to both DreamRealm3 and Charlotte for their kind reviews, I'm glad you both have been enjoying the story!

In regards to how much Toriko/Hiei interaction there has been so far (and how little Akari/Kurama), it's mostly because there is more going on for the first pair right now than Akari, as Akari is mostly just wandering Human World trying not to stick out and it wouldn't make for very interesting plot.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Shikiyoku, with Maneshi and Hiei's help, manages to purge her body of the virus Otento gave her,  
>but in the process Shikiyoku frees herself more completely from the bonds of Toriko<br>and rushes out searching for humans to exercise her powers on.

Akari catches Shikiyoku before the latter actually gets to try anything,  
>and upon realizing that there are other demons in the world,<br>Shikiyoku relinquishes her prize to turn and leave with Hiei.

The clash between the two of them left Akari weakened and she starts to collapse to the ground...

* * *

><p>After their dinner together, Kuwabara and Yusuke had both parted ways from Kurama, who had wandered home himself, but restlessly moved about the house until his mother suggested he go for a walk to think through whatever bothered him.<p>

He'd ended up at the park, walking the paths and meeting with few people given the late hour and the soft rain that fell around him.

During his constitutional, he naturally felt the flux of demonic energy in the area, immediately recognizing it to be Akari's signature, and made great haste to follow the energy to its source, coming onto a scene of Akari collapsing onto the ground and a human male gathering her up with a dog skipping about his feet as he carried Akari to a nearby bench.

As Kurama walked towards them, he noted the uprooted bench and spied the last of what he was certain to be Hiei disappearing around a tree.

"Is she alright?" Kurama asked when he approached, his soft voice breaking through the patter of rain.

"I think she'll be fine." The human could not have been more than thirty.

"What happened?" Kurama bent over her face, the rest of her stretched out across the bench.

"You know, it's a funny thing. I was here the whole time, but I can't seem to remember anything that happened. I came to myself just about the time she started to fall over. Do you know her?" He asked, on the off-chance the red-head did and he wouldn't feel like he'd have to call the police for help.

Kurama assumed Hiei had been a part of the man's memory being lost, and nodded when the man asked his question. "I do. I'll stay here until she wakes up."

The man seemed satisfied and walked away whistling with his hands in his pockets, looking no worse for the wear save for some grass stains and a bit of mud on his back.

Kurama examined Akari, but did not seem any immediate signs of physical damage. The dog he'd seen before, much muddier than he previously assumed, had his front paws planted firmly on the edge of the bench, trying to looking into Akari's face and making lots of noise at her.

"I think she'll be alright." Kurama gave him a pat on the head and tried to reassure the concerned pup as he gave a long-suffering sigh at his lack of umbrella as he watched droplets of rain fall on Akari's face. He slipped his light jacket off and arranged it over the back of the bench and the metal arm rest so that her face at least would remain untouched.

Satisfied it wouldn't fall completely over her face and cover it, smothering her, he sat down on the only empty space left on the bench, next to her feet. He scooted back and reclined with his legs crossed at the ankles, not minding the warm rainfall in the slightest and enjoying the general serenity of the park.

~!**!~

"_I'm _ridiculous?" Shikiyoku countered, still moving at a brisk pace, but glancing over her shoulder at him briefly. "And who was the one that decided to chase after me in the rain for no good reason?"

What with her previous plans having been interrupted, Shikiyoku could feel her frustration with the whole situation simmering deep in her gut, but the seemingly random appearance of the two demons stirred her thoughts from the disgusting human-prey she had been so formerly bent on having. They were not worthy of her attention unless necessity demanded it, and what with her having found demons in the area, it led her to believe that perhaps there were more, should she look hard enough, and her patience was legendary. 3

Hiei raised a brow, pulled his hand from her grasp, and took to walking alongside the demon instead, a scoff released into the air, barely heard over the sound of falling rain. "Yes, you," he responded, choosing to ignore her last statement. "Running off and finding a worthless human. What's that going to earn you?" he sneered, his amusement still evident on his features. He wasn't sure why it amused him as much as it did, but he simply went with it anyways.

"Humans are hardly worth the trip you made to find one." he paused, then shot a sharp look in her direction. "That does not insinuate that you can use that energy of yours on me." He wasn't actually worried about it, but he felt that if he didn't say it, then he wasn't actually drawing the line.

"And that cat is useless." He finished grumpily, his mood having shifted swiftly as he finally noted the water trailing down his face.

~!**!~

Big, round brown eyes searched the face of a friend who wasn't answering him, Nabu continuously calling her name, even asking if she'd throw the ball again because, sometimes, when she wouldn't answer him, that would get her attention. But not this time. He gave a small whine and looked up at the redhead that pat his furry head, his ears laying back in sadness.

"_Why isn't she talking?" _the dog yipped, taking to sitting at the man's feet, looking up at him in confusion and worry. "_It isn't like her. She always tells me to shut up." _He didn't know if this man could talk to her, like Akari could, but he hoped so. He smelled different than most of the two-legged people walking around, and he hoped that meant he was like Akari. "_Can you hear me?"_

Nabu jumped up so that he sat on his hind legs, his front paws held up and off the ground, reaching to touch the pants leg of the male but not making contact as he sat back down again. He remembered the last person he'd looked to for consolation this way, with mud on his paws. They'd struck him. Another whine, and he jumped up onto the bench, sitting beside the man and looking up at him cautiously, a single paw slowly reaching out, testing to see if he'd be stopped. If not, he'd lay on this quiet person and watch his best friend until she awoke. _*****_

Kurama regarded the dog curiously as it almost appeared to be trying to talk to him, unable to help the smile that touched his lips at this companion Akari somehow acquired since having taken up residence in Human World. He actually chuckled at the expression on the dog's face as it reached out again, this time from the bench, looking for a lap to climb into.

"These things can be washed." Kurama grabbed the dog gently about his middle and plopped him down, sitting up and pulling his feet up under the bench before he released the animal so the platform of his legs would be flat enough that the dog would not slip off.

As the dog settled down, Kurama found his eyes wandering over to Akari, taking her features in a new light with the loyalty of the animal making a nest for itself on his thighs. Maybe...maybe she wasn't quite as terrible as she liked to make it seem.

~!**!~

Before Hiei could say another word, Shikiyoku turned and grabbed for the fabric of his clothing at the shoulders, whipping them both around and slamming his back into the tree next to them, her demonic energy flaring out of her eyes as she smiled languidly into his, holding him in place with both her hands and her gaze and leaning in much closer.

"You realize, of course, that by telling me not to do something, it makes me want to do it in an exponentially greater proportion." She clenched her teeth together as the pact between them startled up in warning, but did not relent her grasp as she continued, "It's been fifteen _long_ years, and I'm nearly _ridiculous_ enough at this point to use you regardless of consequence."

She glanced up into the branches of the tree hanging above them, having become aware that their shelter prevented any further rain from falling on them.

Letting go of Hiei all at once, she lept up onto the lowest branch above them, then made another jump for a second one, disappearing into the green canopy.

She found a pleasant enough branch in the middle of the magnificent plant and stood on it with her back against the trunk for a moment, taking in a deep breath of the crisp, wet air around her. She then stretched out over the limb, crawling far enough that her feet barely rested against the bark of the trunk, laying on her stomach and folding her arms up to use as a pillow, resting her chin and watching the rain fall joyously to the ground in chorus. 3

Hiei didn't react to the sudden change in events, not exactly surprised. His expression stayed the same, irate, a frown stretching his lips downwards and his brows shadowing his eyes as they furrowed. He stood tall as he was backed into a tree, looking at the woman with a warning stare that said he wasn't in the mood for games. He felt the energy flux, and his eyes widened just a bit, but in a moment's notice, the eye contact had been broken and she was gone from his immediate eyesight.

He stayed there for a moment, relishing in the dry area, wiping a hand down his face to rid himself of the rainwater that was still attempting to glide into his eyes and mouth. He blew a breath from his lips, sending a spray of the water away from his face as he glanced up into the leaves. Still, he didn't see Shikiyoku, but he didn't make for her either. He knew she was nearby, he could simply _feel _that she was near. He wasn't worried a bit.

He shook his head, frowning more as water was slung everywhere from his hair, despite the little effort he put into it. "This is ridiculously foolish," he commented, referring to the rain. "No place should get this much moisture." he complained, staring out at the street and watching the droplets hit the puddles. A strike of lightning lit up the sky, and he watched it with familiarity; demon world always had thunder and lightning, but not so much rain.

After a few minutes, he looked again to the trees above, again looking for Shikiyoku. He didn't know how long she planned to stay there, or even if she was getting comfortable. "Do you plan to stay here all night?" he called, suddenly realizing it should be close to the early morning. Likely about four, if he was judging it right.

~!**!~

Nabu had let the male set him on his lap, and hadn't wasted any time in getting comfortable, his nose buried in his paws as his eyes watched Akari, her chest moving up and down with the rhythm of natural sleep. He was surprised that this person let him lay here like this, when only Akari had ever allowed him to do such a thing. Sure, a couple of children had seen him, but they had always been dragged away by mothers with disgusted eyes. Before Akari, he'd been alone in the world.

His head shifted to look at the redhead again, curious this time. He had only seen this one a few times with his friend, and never once had he gotten the impression of fondness. He stretched his legs out in front of himself and turned back to Akari, eyeing her as he heard a small sound come from her. A cough, he thought, but otherwise nothing changed.

And then suddenly, she shifted, her head turning to the side and a small groan rumbling. His ears shot forward and his head shot up, but he didn't move from the redhead's lap. "_Akari?" _he yipped, tail beginning to wag.

"Give me a second, Nabu."

"_Yay! I was worried!" _His tail began wagging with ferocious speed and he shifted his head to the male who had been so nice to him thus far. "_She's awake!" _He yipped enthusiastically, tongue lolling from his mouth. "_Thank you!"_

"Nabu, I said shush for a second, okay?" _*****_

"You're quite welcome." Kurama spoke down to the dog, guessing at the animal's expression, reaching his right arm from where it settled on the armrest and giving the other a scratch behind his ears. His left arm was stretched out over the back of the bench and he glanced down it to see if Akari had opened her eyes before turning back to the attention he gave to the excited pup in his lap.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's head popped out from the bottom row of leaves on the tree as Hiei finished asking his question, upside down with her long, dark hair streaming towards the ground. "It _is _kind of wet, isn't it? It's not so bad up here." She grinned, "We can go home if you want, though. It doesn't usually rain inside there."

Her eyes widened and she stared at him, completely and utterly entranced at the sight of his damp hair, still sticking straight up off the top of his head.

"It...it defies the laws of gravity..." Her voice held no small sense of awe and without thinking, she let one arm off the branch she had it curled about, pressing her stomach harder into the bark as she tried to reach close enough to touch it. She stretched farther and farther until, without warning, her knees slipped off behind the branch she'd propped them against to hang upside-down and she only managed to twist her body far enough to land on her stomach instead of her head, she was so close to the ground. 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku as she popped into view, her eyes immediately widening at the sight of him. He didn't like the feeling of her watching him so closely, or the fact that she seemed so delighted about his hair. It'd always been there, so why was she fascinated just now? He raised a brow in silent question, but watched her reach towards him anyway.

He had half a mind to step away so she couldn't touch his hair, but he stayed. He waited for the contact, wondering what would happen. And then, just like that, she slipped. For a moment, he was shocked. Then a millisecond later, he was a step away, eyes watching her fall until she landed on the ground. Amusement crossed his features before he snubbed it, forcing a mask of calm indifference.

"What did you expect?" he said casually, arms crossed over his chest.

~!**!~

Akari lay on the hard surface of what she assumed to be a bench, but she didn't know how she'd gotten there. She remembered everything except moving away from the tree where she had argued with the demon. After that, she recalled nothing but darkness. _Right, I fainted_, she thought, recognizing the sensation. How could she have forgotten what that felt like?

Her head throbbed, but otherwise, the pain was gone. She could hear the sound of rain falling and Nabu's excitement, but she tried tuning it out. Then she realized, Nabu wasn't speaking to her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, her face meeting a smooth surface that stuck to her face. Surprised, she ripped the jacket away and flung it to her lap, startled and confused as her wild eyes, ready for a fight, moved up to see Nabu laying in the lap of Kurama. Almost immediately, she hung her head and her vision swam; wasn't so much a good idea to move so quickly.

"Why are you here?" she grumbled, rubbing her face and feeling the rain hit her head again.

"_He helped; he watched over you and me! He's nice."_

Akari released a huff and grabbed the jacket from her lap, thrusting it in Kurama's direction. "I didn't need the assistance." _*****_

"I was simply enjoying the night air." Kurama looked up at the rain falling from the sky. "This bench looked like a pleasant enough place to rest for a moment, and the company wasn't half-bad either."

He turned his face to the dog that hadn't moved, giving him another scratch and calmly taking the jacket out of Akari's hands.

~!**!~

With demonic speed, Shikiyoku was on her feet and had circled around behind Hiei, staring up at his hair and slowing as she walked about him, her bare feet padding silently on the grass.

"For it to _not _stand straight up when drenched with rain?" Shikiyoku provided, making the circle one more time before ending up in front of him, still staring up at it. "You surely can't deny that it _is _rather strange for it to be able to do that." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke the next part under her breath to herself, reaching up with tentative fingers as if to touch it, "It _must _be so stiff." 3

Hiei scowled; he hadn't been referring to his hair. But, she was still going on about it. He hadn't seen it as that much of an interest, but he supposed for someone who'd never seen hair like his, it would be rather amusing. But when she reached up as if to touch it, he took another step away, stepping just out of her reach. He never let a person touch his hair; he simply didn't care for contact of any kind unless he was about to kill the person who got close.

"It's always done that," he replied tartly, brow raised still. "And it isn't stiff," he clarified, his head tilting to the side just a bit to show her that it moved without problem. Even the wind had it moving on occasion, but tonight the wind wasn't really blowing much at all.

~!**!~

Akari let out a breath of disbelief. "There are other benches," she grumbled as she swung her legs over the side of the wooden surface, her shoes touching the mud. She didn't stand yet, waiting to see if it was safe for her to move yet. When no more complications arose, she stood and turned to face Kurama, eyeing the hand that scratched at Nabu's ear. She took in the way his tongue lolled and his head tilted, and irritation skyrocketed.

"Why, out of every park in this town, and every _bench _in _this _park, did you decide to pick the one I was resting on?" she demanded to know, arms crossing her her chest with a small humpf. Nabu looked up at her, as if waiting for her to leave, but made no move to do the same. Her eyes roved up to meet the striking green irises of the redhead. _Why do you care? _she thought grumpily, huffing again as she stared at him. _*****_

Kurama's eyes flickered over at the only other bench nearby, which lay despondently in the wet grass, legs somehow uprooted from its concrete, returning his attention shortly thereafter to the dog.

"This is the largest park, not to mention the best one." He replied calmly. "And for all you know, I could have been sitting here the whole time. Maybe I should be the one asking you why _you_ chose the bench _I _was resting on." He lifted his eyes to meet hers.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes watched Hiei's hair flutter slightly. She pursed her lips together, fighting an urge to try reaching for it again, the thought leading to an image in her mind of Hiei physically fighting her off. She let out a brief laugh at the scenario and looked into his crimson eyes.

"Well, if you ever find yourself in an amiable mood..." She flickered her gaze back up to his hair, "I'd like to see for myself."

She glanced at the torn shoulder of her uniform and brushed a smidge of dirt away.

"Now," Her voice shifted to a more 'down-to-business' tone, "Did you want to go home, or should we stay here?" She tilted her head slightly to indicate the tree they still stood next to. 3

Hiei waited silently, expecting to have to swat her away and make a threat to be left alone. But, surprisingly, she retracted her hand with a laugh. At this, his shoulders relaxed and his hands slipped into his cloak pockets, his entire body relaxing; he hadn't realized he'd gotten so tense. His eyes flickered around their surroundings, looking at the different buildings nearby that were dark on the inside, aside from a few small stores; convenience stores, he remembered them being called. Gas stations, as well. He erased his mind of the trivial thoughts and turned back to Shikiyoku in time to see her brush at her shoulder, causing a small scoff to leave his lips at the demeanor she displayed.

Then, at her question, he thought for a moment. In truth, the water wasn't so bad here. It hardly touched his head from the cover of the treetop, and he was starting to dry off at a rapid rate due to his heat energy. But, he was growing tired again. And staying out in the rain did that to him at times, especially when his energy continuously fought against it.

"I'm growing tired of the rain," he answered honestly, his tone exasperated and expression slightly irate. And, without prompting, he turned to lead the way back to the house, uncaring if she wanted to take the lead or not.

~!**!~

Akari's chest swelled with the breath she took in, her nose flaring as she felt challenged. He hadn't been here earlier. Right? No, he hadn't. She'd been here all evening with Nabu, playing his ridiculous game of fetch. Speaking of, she looked around for the tennis ball, surprised to find it nearby. She walked over to it and picked it up, looking over her shoulder at Kurama. "While you think you're being funny, I have no interest in your stupid jokes. I've been here all evening, courtesy of the brat in your lap." she paused, staring at the dog with an intensity that made his ears lay back on his head. "Speaking of, I had said we were leaving earlier, did I not?"

"_But you're the one who stopped," _he retorted with a whine, immediately standing and glancing at Kurama once. She witnessed him licking his hand in thanks before hopping down and trotting over to her obediently, eyes watching her carefully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dog to feed and a warm place to be, and I do not want to waste anymore time in your "glorified" presence." With that, she turned and left, Nabu on her heels, occasionally glancing back. _*****_

Kurama watched them go, a smiling playing at his lips. He stood up after they had gone out of sight and wiped off some bits of the drier mud left on his clothing by the pup, watching it fall onto the path.

He stood up and glanced around for a moment longer at the scenery before putting a hand in his pocket and heading for home himself.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku watched Hiei turn to leave, amused as she watched his shoulders visibly hunch over as soon as he went back out into the rain.

A sudden thought crossed her mind, and before she could give it a second consideration, she ran past Hiei, intentionally, but barely, brushing his shoulder with hers and catching his eyes moving to regard her as she went by, in those milliseconds making sure he caught the impish grin on her lips as she released a small giggle in passing him, her eyes flashing challengingly, and then she was beyond him, easily making the leap about halfway up the nearest building, finding no trouble catching purchase on it in her bare feet, alighting only for an instant on the sheer vertical wall with her toes before jumping the rest of the way to the top, moving faster than any human eye could have ever seen and dashing almost instantaneously from rooftop to rooftop out of the business district and towards home. 3

Hiei hadn't been expecting the burst of pounding feet on the ground, so when Shikiyoku dashed past him, he turned to catch a glimpse of her, at first not caring for the smile she gave or the challenge she issued. He ignored it for a millisecond, until he caught her scaling up the side of a wall. He watched with interest, her disappearing from his view sparking a feeling inside him. A sneer formed on his features despite himself, and then he too was off, running at a speed that no mere human would be able to even sense, much less see. He, however, stayed on the sidewalks, deciding he'd see which route would be faster. He took alleyways as shortcuts, knowing them like the back of his hand, or perhaps the hilt of his Katana. He used his knowledge to his advantage, sprinting along the sidewalk and concrete as swiftly and quietly as possible, his mind basically mapping his route for him along the way.

In minutes, he was drawing close to the house, the open window he preferred using in sight. He could see the curtains billowing, even the raindrops touching down on the windowsill. But, what caught his attention as he came up just under it was the person sitting in his preferred tree. He stopped and stared up at her from the ground, a scowl coming to his face and lighting his eyes with disappointment. He'd never been declared slower than another being before now.

"Foolish game." he grumbled before jumping up, grasping the edge of the windowsill and pulling himself inside.

~!**!~

Akari ran her hands over her face as she stalked away from the park at a brisk pace, Nabu on her heels, looking up at her. "_You were really mean to him," _the dog voiced, earning nothing in response aside from her hands dropping to her sides, grabbing the ball from her pocket and bouncing it along the sidewalk absently. "_He was watching over you, when that other man was gonna leave you. And you were mean. Why were you mean?"_

"It doesn't matter, Nabu."

"_You should be nice to those who are nice to you. There are a lot of mean people in this world. You're being one of them."_

"Nabu, shh. It isn't important."

"_Yes it is, because one day, you'll kick him while he's down, and he's gonna bite you. Like a hurt animal."_

Akari gave a resigned sigh. "Yeah, yeah."

"_Don't be mean, because I know you aren't mean. Be the Akari you are with me!" __*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku slid in through the window after Hiei and came up behind him, throwing her arms over his shoulders and leaning into him, her chin resting on top of his shoulder near his neck. He was taller enough than her that she had to make a tiny leap first in order to make it, and she ended up with one of her toes barely touching the ground, her other leg bent behind her at the knee with him supporting her weight almost entirely.

"Because you lost?" She purred in response to Hiei's previous proclamation outside her window, glancing at his profile out of the corners of her eyes. "That was only because I got a head start, flame-boy, so that one doesn't really count. Don't be such a wet blanket, hm?" She gently pressed the side of her face into his, almost a nuzzle but not lasting long enough to qualify as such.

Slipping off, she glided past Hiei and started to tug her blouse out from the skirt it had managed to remain tucked into for the entire night, though the skirt was actually nearly down past her hips. She stopped when she got a couple of feet in front of him to concentrate better on the task.

Out of the rain now, she could practically feel the ickiness of the entire night-sickness to mud-coating her skin. Without pause, she lifted the shirt up over her head and ripped it off, lowering her arms to finish the task by peeling off first one sleeve then the other, thinking to herself how useless the garment would be anyway with the large tear it had in the shoulder. Shivering at the nastiness of the stained blouse as she removed it completely, she threw it down at the floor near the door frame.

She gathered her hair together in her hands and pulled it over one shoulder, examining the strands with growing distaste at the dirt from the rain water. When she released the hair from her scrutiny, it hung down almost to where her skirt had come to rest at the curve of her waist.

Shikiyoku turned back around to Hiei and put a hand on one hip, resting her weight on one leg, "I would imagine you can make yourself pretty dry pretty fast," Here she pointed at him with her other hand, "But if you can't do the same for the outside of that cloak, don't just stand there letting it drip all over the carpet. Take it off and hang it over the desk or something." She gestured to a corner of the room that had a relatively empty desk and chair as she moved towards the open bedroom door, pausing after a couple of steps.

"I'm taking a shower. You're welcome to join me," She said archly, her eyes glittering mischievously to mirror her tone as she glanced over her shoulder at Hiei. "Showers are much nicer than rain. They can get much _hotter_ too." She tossed her hair back and sashayed over the threshold of the room into the hallway, waving a hand behind her and calling pleasantly as she did so, "Make yourself comfortable."

As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she spotted the open door of the room across from her and made the extra step closer to shut it, moving down the hallway past another set of doors on either side to the last door on the left, the same side her bedroom had been on. This door was open as well, but she didn't bother shutting it behind her as she entered, and flipped on the light as carpet abruptly changed to tile with a rug in front of the sink-mirror-cabinets combination to her left, shower to her right. She ducked to the side of the simple-patterned curtain covering the shower and turned the water on, letting the steam fill the room as she stripped off the rest of her outfit that was steadily becoming more disgusting to her senses by the second. She grabbed two fluffy towels out of a cabinet and placed them on the countertop next to the sink, turning and shifting past the curtain into the shower and immediately feeling better as soon as the nearly-scalding water kissed her skin. 3

Hiei froze when he felt the pressure of the small girl on his back, arms around his shoulders. He had no idea what she was doing, and quite frankly, it didn't understand the meaning behind the gesture, which seemed to make him distressed only a little about the situation. So, he held still in his spot in the middle of the room. Her words made her breath gently move across her face, but he ignored it as he calmly listened to the words she purred out. A scoff left his throat at her proclamation and he pulled away just as she released her grasp on him. His arms immediately crossed over his chest to show he hadn't appreciated the close contact, his eyes alight with irritation. But still, he didn't reply to her words.

He watched her move, expecting her to leave the room as she moved in front of him, but instead, he witnessed her pulling an article of clothing over her head. He showed no external reaction other than scowling at her and turning so that his side was to her, his eyes to the side of the room where her bed was. And, after a small pause, he moved towards it, intent on making himself comfortable. That is, until she pointed out his dripping cloak. He glanced down at the hem of his favorite material and scowled at the small drops of water that continued to fall to the ground. Irritated that it had yet to dry out, he let his energy flare, causing the room temperature to drastically flux and the heat sear through the liquid water that he felt was defiling his clothing.

In little to no time, the dripping had ceased and his energy was pulled back, hidden from the world again with a satisfied glance-over. "Happy?" he grouched at her, glancing over in her direction in time to see her turn to the door, then look at him over her almost completely bare shoulder. He raised a brow that conveyed anything but curiosity, and watched as she took her leave.

"That woman is ridiculously impetuous."

Without asking or even thinking it'd be a bother, Hiei let himself get comfortable on the bed, legs stretched out languidly and crossed at the ankles while his hands were linked behind his head. His eyes slid closed as he listened to the silence, save for the shower in the bathroom somewhere down the house. His nose took in the scent of the rain, one he actually enjoyed surprisingly, and a calm expression took over his face as he lay there, not really sleeping but not fully aware of his surroundings either. _*****_

Emerging into the heavy fog that still filled the bathroom even once she turned off the shower, Shikiyoku reached for one of the towels she'd laid out and bent over to let her hair fall towards the floor, wrapping it up within the dry towel.

She twisted the towel and stood back up, releasing it so that it hung down her back and grabbing the second towel to secure it around her torso where it hung just above her knees, drying off only enough to prevent either her hair or her body from dripping.

She picked up the clothing she'd discarded onto the rug before climbing into the shower and made her way back to the bedroom, a smile flickering over her face when she spied Hiei already having made himself comfortable on the bed. It took a lot of willpower for her not to just tackle him outright, but she managed to merely unceremoniously dump the clothes she had been wearing on top of the blouse by the door.

Shikiyoku's eyes, attracted to the glint on the bedside table, fell on the bobby pins and she almost sighed. She sat down on the very edge of the bed, in an attempt to leave Hiei undisturbed, and stared at them as she took gently removed the towel from her head, holding it in her lap.

She picked one up and held it in her palm, closing her fingers part-way around it and letting its natural chill settle onto her skin. It tugged viciously at her demonic energy, creating a vacuum of empty power in her hand, though with just the one she hardly noticed.

Did Spirit World even remember her?

Quite likely. Their memory of her work within Youko's gang was no small thing to their minds, as they made obvious within the warrant they put out for her arrest.

But it had been such a very long time!

Fifteen years? Fifteen years was nothing. Now, had they stopped their immediate search for her? That was slightly more plausible. She looked different enough that if she didn't particularly bring attention to herself, namely by exuding too much energy in too short of a time span and create too many victims, it was quite possible that she could...

That she could what? Go back to Demon World? And how exactly did one propose she do that?

She felt an ache rip across her stomach, and the next breath she took was filled with Hiei's scent, his demonic presence behind her becoming oh-so-tantalizing. There was only so much one could stand.

Sweeping the rest of the seals into her hand, she rose abruptly and tossed the towel angrily at the pile of clothing next to the door and stalked out of the room, getting down the stairs and ending up in front of the couch within the blink of an eye. She looked down at the seals she held, a force more to be reckoned with now that they were all together in her grasp.

There was no telling how much longer she could stand it, how far the next demon actually was. She may have once been able to patiently seduce another for hours in order to pump them of the information she needed, but she never took fifteen years about the whole thing.

The thought of taking a human when aware she stood within close proximity of a demon as desirable as Hiei made her insides churn and she trembled with frustration, hand clenching the seals until they nearly bit into her palm. Centuries of perfecting various methods of torture that fell within the realm of her powers-and often did not constitute as so much 'torture'-did not mean she was completely immune from the concept herself. More resilient, yes. That came with the territory anyway. But this...this was nearly beyond her.

Shikiyoku derisively scattered the bobby pins over the coffee table and let out a huff of agony as she plopped down on the couch and glared at the seals.

So much freedom only to not be very free at all. Her lip curled upwards in disgust and she snatched up a seal with two of her fingers, turning it back and forth in front of her eyes. It would not be the last time she longed for Demon World, and neither was it the first.

No plans were readily forming in her mind, and if she was going to be forced to stay around this impertinent fire demon without being able to so much as _think _about doing anything fun with him, fine. She had little other choice.

She grumbled nonsensically to herself as she started to twist her hair together, resigned to slumber in a prison of her own design over her current torture. Combing her fingers through the strands of her hair to make things more smooth, she started replacing the bobby pins one-by-one.

As soon as the first one got buried, a jolt ran up Shikiyoku's arm and she sucked in a breath of surprise, but resolute in her decision she kept going. The jolting did not stop even as she placed the last one from the table in place and her vision swam, not from so much pain-which she felt none-but her eyes glazed over and she stood up, pinpricks of light that danced about the room causing her to squint.

Making little noise on the soft carpet, she stumbled over to the staircase and pulled herself up to the next floor with the help of the banister, getting to the bedroom and managing to collapse onto the bed, near the bedside table but facing the side on which Hiei lay, before her legs gave out. She brought her knees closer to her chest, her head pounding. Her eyes squeezed shut, forming a deep frown across her brow. Her entire body kept tensing and she twitched as if shivering with cold, conscious, but unable to react otherwise. 3

Hiei had heard the shower turn off, but hadn't really registered the sound. He had, instead, listened to the rain fall at the window, hitting the glass and the windowpane. No sounds of creatures were heard now, like earlier, but still he felt soothed, almost lulled to sleep, if it weren't for the fact that he was making himself stay at least half conscious of his surroundings. Instinct, he supposed, but he didn't think much of it.

As before, he had heard the door open, and Shikiyoku walk into the room. But this time, he opened a single eye to glance at her, then nonchalantly let it shut again, indifferent to the state in which she presented herself. His head shifted a bit so that his cheek just touched his right arm, giving a small sigh of content as he continued to relax, getting comfortable enough that he almost couldn't fight off sleep.

So comfortable and so close to sleep that he hadn't registered the sound of the demoness leaving the room. Or the rain he had been previously listening to. Or the sound of clumsy footsteps coming back up the stairs. He was so close to dreamland that when Shikiyoku plopped on the bed, his eyes flew open instinctively and he turned to her, glancing at her and visibly relaxing again, settling again on the bed the way he had been laying before.

"Could you be any more disruptive?" he grumbled before he sighed again in content, deciding he'd stay right where he was regardless if she wanted him there or not. And in no time at all, he was back where he'd been before she had stumbled into the room, and this time, he fell into a deep sleep with ease. _*****_

An indeterminate amount of time passed where Shikiyoku lay there, completely awake and incapable of movement other than the trembling her body did on its own, but as the room started to lighten up just enough to be noticeable, she blinked, one last shiver traveling all the way down her body. And then it all stopped.

She blinked again, listening to Hiei's steady breathing indicative of his slumber, and then silently got out of the bed without disturbing him. She stood still for a moment and the room continued to grow brighter around her, her mind swimming through a gelatinous sea of incomprehension. That is, until a wrack of pain made her stomach feel like it curled in on itself.

Once she got past the delicious smell of the demon behind her, she found her feet moving almost on their own out of the bedroom door that had remained open in the hours she lay unable to move.

She got downstairs with little difficulty, her nose sniffing the air and leading her over the tile and past the countertops to her left. She paused and crouched down, opening a cabinet in the middle of those on her left and rummaging noisily through it, another pang of what she realized was hunger cramping through her stomach. This time the organ made an audible noise and she cringed at the churning it made within her.

Her hands touched something other than metal and she eagerly pulled it out, frowning at the strange texture of the bag and experimentally nibbling on the edge of it.

A murl somewhere close to her knee pulled her away from the odd-smelling package, roughly half her size, and she glanced under an arm to see the bright eyes of the cat trying to climb over her thigh, pressing his head eagerly to the underside of her arm.

"You want _this?" _She asked, almost incredulous. She took another sniff and her lip curled, "I mean, I guess it _almost _smells like food."

The cat murled at her again and dropped from her leg as she released the package carelessly next to her where it came open and scattered some of its contents onto the floor.

The smell made Shikiyoku's nose scrunch up, and regardless of the gusto with which the cat crunched into the small, oddly shaped pieces, she decided she would pass on trying the stuff. She wasn't quite that desperate yet, though her stomach's next contraction told her otherwise.

Moving to the next cabinet down the row, this one under the sink, Shikiyoku found her nose inundated with smells that she would have likely equated more with poison than food were she actually human, though she did dig through the strangely shaped bottles and canisters anyway, on the off-chance that there was something else hiding that might be edible somewhere amongst them.

When she turned away disappointed, she moved to the cabinets on the other side of her, still hunched over to peer into them half-heartedly, but getting no real sense of anything other than the cardboard or plastic containers with contents that she assumed might have passed for food at some stage in their existence. Something in one of the higher cabinets caught her attention and she made a small jump onto the countertop and began pulling out cylindrical cans of metal, a few of which had a bit of edible scent to them, but she did not know how to remove them from their fortress of protection and she tossed them aside, a few falling on the floor to join the other strange metallic devices from the first cabinet-pots and pans, though she did not know that-and the tipped over bottles of poison, thankfully still closed, falling out from the second.

Frustrated, she sighed angrily and hopped down, leaving the cabinets up above open as she had the others. She absently kicked a strange metal bowl and momentarily enjoyed the clatter it made, though the cat looked up from his meal with no small expression of distaste.

Growling, she turned to the large, white thing to her right from where she could smell more food and grabbed for the handle, jerking it open and almost falling over at the ease with which it swung towards her. Curious at the wave of cool air that swept over her bare legs and shoulders, she opened the upper portion of the thing to have her face blasted with a chill she had not expected.

Nothing in the lower part appealed to her, even when she squatted down to give it several sniffs. There was a bit of fish wrapped up in some strange, sticky substance that refused to let go of itself until she tore into it with her teeth, but the flavor did not appeal to her in any way and she tossed it over her shoulder, minutely aware of the cat making a pleased noise and skittering across the tile to get at the meat.

Many strange things were neatly lined up in the cool container, but she let herself pass over every one of them, the contents mostly earning an ever-deepening scowl. There was a weird, rectangular block of something orangey that she almost sampled, but the color made her flinch and the texture was more rubbery than anything.

She stood up, defeated at the lower portion of the cooling thing and deciding to search within the upper part. She pushed past a heavy plastic container with a hand, but knocked it out onto the ground as she rummaged behind it.

Curious, she closed both of the white thing's doors and sat down on her feet, tilting her head first one way, then another. She lifted it up in both hands, finding that the same chill that struck her when she opened the place it had been sitting was inherently held within the plastic, and she rotated it a bit as the cold stuck to her hands.

It smelled good, once you got past the plastic. Which she had no idea how to do. She tried gnawing at a corner, but her teeth were not sharp enough anymore to make much of a dent. Confounded, she plopped the container back down on the floor and crossed her arms over the towel covering her chest, glaring at it as if it could be intimidated into revealing the secret of its contents. 3

Hiei turned over in his sleep, laying on his left side with his head on the crook of his elbow. He was starting to wake up, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on his face and, after a few minutes, seeing the light that washed over his closed eyelids. He huffed a small breath of air out through his lips and turned over to his opposite side, as if doing so would make the bed comfortable for him again and he'd be able to go back into slumber. But, it was already too late; his mind was wide awake, his ears picking up on the strangest noises that he couldn't identify.

Frustrated with himself, he finally rolled onto his back and sat up, running a hand over his face before he allowed his eyes to open, blinking once at the room to let it come into focus. Nothing seemed out of the normality, but he had the strangest sensation that something was amiss. He glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned at it; he hadn't slept much, but he still felt really well rested.

A clamour from downstairs made his ears twitch and his eyes turn to the door that stood open, letting him see into the empty hallway. Curious, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and followed the ruckus, adjusting his cloak as he walked and warily watching his surroundings. He felt no immediate sense of danger, but the ruckus in the kitchen- as he just identified- made him cautious.

And he had not been expecting the sight that met his eyes. A dark brow raised high enough to hide in his bangs, crimson eyes glittering with amusement as he witnessed Shikiyoku bite at a container, then let it fall to the ground in disappointment and irritation. A sneer touched his lips at the way she crossed her arms and glared at it, the object obviously not privy to such an attitude towards it.

"It's upside down," he said casually, noting the lid that was touching the smooth tile of the floor. Simultaneously, he noticed the mess in the kitchen floor, different things scattered everywhere- canned foods and pans alike. There was even a package being torn at by the cat, and it smelled suspiciously like a type of meat he wouldn't enjoy. He turned his nose up at the smell and stepped away from it, bringing him closer to the demoness who was still wrapped in the towel. Without giving her a chance to stop him, he grabbed the container, flipped it over, and pulled the lid off in the exact same manner he had witnessed Toriko do once, earning a small _pop _with the force he used on it. He eyed the substance inside with interest, taking a moment to inhale the scent before turning it towards Shikiyoku. "Sweet snow," he presented, forgetting the words Toriko had called it by. "With bits of…." he paused, trying to think back. "...strawberry." he deduced, tilting the container so she would get a good whiff of the smell. _*****_

The words 'sweet snow' seemed self-explanatory, but the next one he used that she did not recognize and made her frown as he stuck the now-opened container under her nose. Her eyes widened. It did in fact smell like the name it had, though there was another scent she picked up that she associated with the other word he used to describe it.

"Straw...berry..." She tried the word out on her own tongue. "And you eat it?" It seemed like the consistency was very hard, packed tightly against the sides of the container as it was. "How?" 3

Hiei inspected the contents of the container as well, thinking a little on the previous time he'd seen Toriko open it. He thought about each process she had made before giving it to him, and when he remembered her getting into a drawer, he turned and began sifting through each cabinet drawer, making a large amount of sound as he did so. "With spoons," he said finally as he found the objects, grabbing two of them and holding them up to show her what they were. He tossed her one, figuring she'd catch it, and then scooped his own spoon through the sweet snow, showing her that it came out rather easily despite its appearance. Then, he stuck the spoon between his teeth and tilted the small jug towards Shikiyoku, revelling in the melting substance in his mouth as he waited for her reaction as well. _*****_

The 'spoon' she _did _know, and he did not surprise her when he tossed it, though his throw was accurate enough that she hardly needed to put any effort into the catch.

Her eyes were wide with interest at each movement he made and she followed his example when he extended the container, surprised at how the sweet snow gave way to the spoon. She eyed both Hiei and the substance now on her utensil with wariness, but when Hiei did not immediately fall over and die upon consumption, she cautiously brought the spoon closer to her face, watching the edges of the chilly mound melt against the room-temperature metal of the spoon.

There were red bits of what she took to be strawberries littered throughout, and she didn't _think _they were poisonous, despite the vivid color. Her eyes flickered to Hiei again, but he still stood there, seeming no worse off than before.

The smell finally got to her and she went ahead and slowly opened her mouth and closed it around the spoon, pulling the utensil out and drawing her lips over it to keep the sweet snow within, her head tilting in the consideration of the flavor.

It was not, however, the flavor that she even noticed in the slightest as the sweet snow stung the back of her mouth and slithered down her throat, melting on the way down.

She coughed and sputtered at the shock of the temperature, sticking her tongue out and glaring up at him.

"It burns." She declared, accusingly, pursing her lips together as if he knew and purposefully had not told her. 3

Hiei raised a brow in amusement at her declaration, not hesitating in swallowing the substance and getting another spoon full. Without replying right away, he stuffed the bigger spoonful into his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor with amusement in his gaze as he watched the glare being sent to him.

"You'll get over it," he responded finally, his words slightly muffled from speaking around the colder substance. Again, he turned the tub to her, waiting to see if she'd take another bite. "Unless you want to continue searching for something else while I have this?" _*****_

"I've looked everywhere." Shikiyoku grumbled, gesturing with her other hand to indicate the torn-up kitchen as she dug her spoon in again when he offered, though her second portion smaller than the first. Before she could change her mind, she popped it into her mouth, swirling the sweet snow at the front of her tongue, controlling its location in her mouth as she had not before.

This time she caught the flavor as it melted, though it slid to the back of her throat again before she meant for it to and it still left the strange cold, but burning sensation as before when she swallowed.

"I do not understand." She found herself confused, "How does one make snow 'sweet?'" Without any further ceremony, she reached for another spoonful, putting this bite into her mouth with the same caution-to-the-wind mentality as with the last one. 3

Hiei considered her inquisition, suddenly realizing he hadn't asked that question before. Why he hadn't, he didn't understand. Perhaps he'd been too engrossed in this delicious treat to think of its actual contents. So, he didn't answer her, only took another scoop and put it in his mouth, dragging the spoon out and over his bottom lip to ensure he got every bit of it.

"Sugar," he said suddenly, remembering once watching a woman cook with the white substance, and it had been briefly explained by his redheaded friend when inquired of. "It is a powder that sweetens things," he explained briefly, feeling rather proud of himself for thinking of the substance. But, if she asked anything else, he wouldn't be able to answer. So he continued to stuff his mouth with the treat, eyeing the messy kitchen warily; Toriko wasn't going to be happy. _*****_

"Shu-gahr." The word was the weirdest one of them all. She didn't like how it made her tongue bend and tense up at the end, but she approved of whatever magic it worked on the snow. She found herself unable to resist going for more, getting one bite into her mouth and savoring it as she reached for a second. "Straw-berries?" She tilted her head, intending to ask what exactly a strawberry was, but with her mouth full, it was the only word she got out. 3

Hiei nodded silently at Shikiyoku, listening to her test the words. Then he realized she likely didn't know what a strawberry was, so he slid the tub into her grasp after another scoop and moved to the white box of cold, opening the larger door and looking among the contents; he knew they were there, he'd seen her grab them from here before.

His nose flared as he sniffed, searching for the particular smell. This brought him to a crouched position, nose close to a white drawer at the base of the box. He pulled on it, making larger, round objects clatter against the sides. His eyes laid sights on the strawberry container, and he lifted it with ease from the drawer, then stood, letting the large door shut, except he heard it clatter on the drawer and slam onto it. He glanced back at it, but ignored it as he walked over to the counter, trying to figure out how to open the plastic container.

After a few minutes, irritation grew and he merely ripped at the plastic, tearing the top off with an extremely loud and annoying sound, but he produced a strawberry from within and held it up for Shikiyoku. "Strawberry." _*****_

Shikiyoku did not reject the sweet snow when he handed it to her, and she was so engrossed in the next few bites that he popped her in the back with the door of the white thing before she could move out of the way. She scooted forward, one arm holding the sweet snow and the other at the spoon in her mouth, and glanced behind her, only half-interested as she continued to discover the true flavor of the treat she ingested.

She paid him no heed until he spoke, then looked up. Leaving the spoon hanging out of her mouth, she reached up and poked at the item he held out for her to see. She frowned as she lowered her hand and took the spoon back into her fingers.

"They are the same?" She lifted the sweet snow slightly to indicate it. 3

Hiei frowned slightly at her question, and without asking, pulled the tub from her grasp and used his fingers to pull out one of the red chunks inside the sweet snow. He inspected it, then the whole strawberry in his hand, and came to a conclusion. "This," he said, setting the container down on the counter and holding up the small chunk of red and the whole strawberry, "is the same." He paused and again inspected the chunk. "Probably." _*****_

Shikiyoku relinquished the container, but wasn't pleased when he took it, frowning as she put the sweet snow she'd managed to snitch before he grabbed it into her mouth.

"And you can eat that one the way it is?" She said around the spoon, pointing to the larger one. They seemed so different she was not sure. 3

Hiei inspected both products again before looking up to meet Shikiyoku's gaze, and nodding at her once. "They are the same, aside from the temperature." he explained, lifting the strawberry to his mouth and taking a bit out of it as an example. The taste was odd on its own, almost sour, but he enjoyed the taste and popped the rest of the strawberry into his mouth whole. As he munched on it, he snuck a spoonful of the sweet snow from the tub and into his mouth as well, the combination delightful to his senses. Then he offered one to Shikiyoku as well, still chewing at the fruit. _*****_

Delicately plucking the strawberry form Hiei's outstretched hand, Shikiyoku brought it up to her face, though not with nearly as much caution as she had scrutinized the sweet snow.

She squeezed it a little, spoon in her mouth, and her nose scrunched as the outer skin gave way, a few of the dots on it coming off onto her fingers, the texture squishy. The color was much more fresh than the one within the sweet snow. She tugged experimentally at one of the green things at the top and it came out, her eyebrows rising in surprise. She associated the slim, earthy green thing with leaves and glanced up at Hiei.

He had eaten the entire thing though and his eyes-usually devoid of emotion-revealed the slightest hint of pleasure past his normally stony façade at the stuff.

She snuffed a breath out of her nose and pulled the spoon out from her mouth, going ahead and tossing the entire thing past her parting lips.

The burst of juice as her teeth broke through the strawberry left behind a strange mixture of bitterly-sweet flavors, though the leaves marred any enjoyment she might have had, giving the consumption an overpowering sense of dirt that she cringed at, barely managing to swallow the thing.

She stuck her tongue out and made a face, doubtful if this, like the sweet snow, would get better the more she had of it. 3

Hiei sneered despite the chunks of strawberry behind his teeth. He didn't care if she enjoyed them or not, it only meant he could have more. "Suit yourself," he replied tartly as he took another spoonful of the sweet snow and another strawberry, popping them both into his mouth as soon as he swallowed his last combination of the two. Then he proceeded to grab the entire plastic container, glance at the still open door of the white box of cold, and leave the room.

He sauntered his way into the living room, glancing around at the couches and chairs before making himself comfortable on the floor, back against the base of the couch in front of the large box that showed him a reflection of the room in its dark surface. _*****_

"Hey!" Shikiyoku exclaimed as she pulled the spoon from her mouth and dashed after him, coming around to stand in front of him and crossing her arms, "I wasn't done with _that_." She pointed petulantly at the container of sweet snow. 3

Hiei's crimson eyes looked up at Shikiyoku with indifference, as if challenging her to take it from him. But, he sneered and passed it up to her, as if he'd been joking the whole time. Then he proceeded to set the second container, the strawberries, in his lap and pluck one from the top, taking a small bite from it and looking up at the demoness expectantly; he doubted she'd stand there the whole time, and he expected her to share. _*****_

He actually surprised her with how easily he gave up the sweet snow, though she had already felt her ire rising with the first look she got from him.

In a similar fashion, she remained standing and stared down at him as she took another bite for herself just long enough to make it appear like she had no plans on letting him get any more. The bite she took made her close her eyes and smile around her spoon and broke her attempt at a challenge however, and she turned to sink down to the carpet next to him, sitting down on her feet again-the only position she was capable of with the towel still wrapped around her-and completely unaware the she had settled closer than she intended, her shoulder against his.

She held the container steadily in her lap and continued shoveling into it for another morsel. 3

Hiei had, at first, glowered at the look she'd given him, but had stuffed another bite of the strawberry in his mouth and relaxed when he saw the smile stretch her lips as he munched and crunched on the small fruit while she got comfortable. As soon as she was settled beside him, he reached for another scoop of the sweet snow, driving the spoon into his mouth and leaving it hanging there as it melted on his tongue, eyes inspecting the screen of the box in front of him and wondering what it was, at the same time watching his own reflection and Shikiyoku's not noticing how close she'd sat to him. _*****_

A sudden feeling of uncomfortableness washed over Shikiyoku and she looked up, one hand on the spoon hanging out of her mouth, realizing that her feeling came from being watched.

Her eyes widened and she tensed up, sort of able to see Hiei staring at her in the strange reflective screen, but suddenly made aware of the presence of his shoulder against hers.

"I-I'm sorry!" She scooted twice to the right, getting half a foot away from him, neck turning slightly pink as she ducked her head back down to watch the process of digging her spoon into the sweet snow in her lap as if it were of great interest, not looking up even as she slid it into her mouth. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the sudden outburst from the demon beside him, his eyes slowly leaving the screen to look directly at Shikiyoku. He stared for a moment, confused. Had he done something wrong? A sneer came to his face but he said nothing. Instead he turned back to inspecting the large box. Again, he noted the reflective surface, and realized she must have noticed him staring at the reflection.

He turned again to look at her, this time his eyes going to the tub of sweet snow. He scowled at her in disappointment, then reached over and took it from her grasp, digging his spoon into it. "Fool." _*****_

Flinching, Shikiyoku made no protest when he grabbed it except for following its path with a brief, wide-eyed expression of longing, turning back to her lap where she pulled the last spoonful of sweet snow from her mouth and fiddled with the utensil, biting her lip but saying nothing. 3

Hiei stuffed a spoonful into his mouth, eyeing Shikiyoku from the corner of his eyes. He found himself surprised when she didn't resist, only looking at her now empty lap with surprise. He swallowed his mouthful of the sweet snow and then took another chunk of it onto his spoon, waiting for the moment she decided to fight him for it.

But it didn't happen, much to his surprise. So, he glanced down at the almost empty container, staring at the contents for a moment before making a small sound and slowly reaching over to her, outstretching the tub to her. He didn't look at her as he extended it to her peacefully, popping the rest of his strawberry in his mouth as he waited on her to take it.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	16. Episode 101 - Playing in the Park

**A/N: **Hello once again, Lovers of Yu Yu Hakusho!

The next chapter awaiteth!

In regards to how much Toriko/Hiei interaction there has been so far (and how little Akari/Kurama), it's mostly because there is more going on for the first pair right now than Akari, as Akari is mostly just wandering Human World trying not to stick out and it wouldn't make for very interesting plot.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Hiei and Shikiyoku make their way back to Toriko's home,  
>the latter eventually pinning up her hair before returning upstairs to sleep next to Hiei.<p>

However, when she woke up it appears that the bobby pins did not actually seal her away,  
>though she takes little notice, finding herself extremely hungry.<br>This leads to Hiei introducing her to 'sweet snow'- or rather, ice cream-as well as strawberries.

~!**!~

Kurama stayed with Akari and Nabu until Akari could leave the park on her own...

* * *

><p>"<em>...ri?"<em>

A small sigh left the demoness as she turned over, feeling an odd weight stumble about on her stomach. "Shh," she replied out of instinct, almost able to fall back asleep.

"_Akari!" _A wet substance met her cheek, and Akari released a sigh and a grumble.

"What is it, Nabu? Couldn't you let me sleep a little longer?"

"_The sun is up, and I'm bored." _There was a brief moment of silence, and she thought she'd been left alone. "_I wanta play. Please?"_

"Nabu, we played all night almost," she replied sleepily, opening a single eye to regard the still-muddy dog. "You're a mess; get off the couch."

"_Only if you get up and play with me!"_

"Nabu…" she complained, throwing her arm over her face. The next thing she knew, the dog had his teeth on her shirt and was pulling, tossing his head from side to side, her arm falling from her fae so the sunlight hit her eyes again. "Nabu!"

"_THe park!"_

Another sigh, a huff, and Akari was sitting up. "Fine. But we won't be there long," she said with exasperation, rubbing her head of messy hair. "But first, we are stopping by the nearest gym."

"_Why?"_

"The showers work there, not here."

"_Water?"_

"Yes, Nabu. Water." With that, Akari gathered a small bag that she had found days ago, stuffed a random outfit into it, along with Nabu's favorite toys, and hitched it over her shoulder. In no time at all, she was walking through alleyways and sneaking into a member's only gym through the air ducts, despite Nabu's complaints. _*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes brightened when she looked down at the container of sweet snow nudging her in the arm. She flickered her eyes up at Hiei who wasn't looking at her, then down into the nearly empty tub.

Disappointment flared up in her mind, but she considered what was left curiously, dividing a line invisibly down the middle of the remaining contents and reaching underneath the container to keep it steady, cutting her spoon through the line she envisioned and taking half of what was left, letting go of the tub and pulling her spoon to her face.

She did not give the mound any last rites, instead immediately wrapping her lips around it and turning back to the front, unable to help her smile, her face exuding an almost audible 'mmm' of pleasure. 3

Hiei had expected the tub to be relinquished from his grasp, but surprisingly, he felt it shift only a bit, pressure from Shikiyoku scooping out more of it before the pressure was released. This time, he glanced over at the demon to see the smile that riddled her features, then his eyes shifted to the container, taking in the small amount left. He hesitated for a moment before pulling the container back towards himself and taking the last bit of it onto his spoon, then into his mouth to slowly melt on his tongue, leaving only the chunks of strawberry behind.

When he swallowed the last bite, he let the container fall to the floor, forgotten, and he merely sat there in a daze, as if lost for what to do next. He was still hungry, especially for the sweet snow, but he knew there was no more left. So, he sat there with a look of disappointment on his face.

~!**!~

Akari had snuck into the facility easily, landing herself in the bathroom where the lights were still off, telling her the place had yet to open the doors. She smiled to herself at the thought and simply took over the shower closest to her, then going to the lockers where there were locks, knowing there were products held inside the ones that were locked. Instead of toying with them as she normally would, she simply sniffed out the most pleasant smell until she was satisfied, and broke the lock off with a single pull on the metal. It groaned, but gave way and snapped open. She eyed the only contents inside and took the largest bottle, reading "Shampoo" on it and, triumphant, making her way over to the shower.

She'd been quick about it, not really knowing the time or how long she had before someone entered the building, so before she had had a chance to even think about getting caught, she'd gotten in and out, dressed in a clean outfit that she'd possessed and braiding her hair. As she now walked the streets again, Nabu bouncing around and around her feet, she gave a relaxed sigh, breathing in the clean morning air.

"_Park now?"_

"Mhmm," she hummed to the dog, hitching the small duffel bag higher on her shoulder as she walked through the crowd of people rushing about for errands and whatever else humans did this early in the morning. "But Nabu, I _am _going to sit on a bench, not run around this time."

"_Okay! But will you chase me later?"_

"Probably not. I want to relax and do absolutely nothing today."

"_But that's __**every day**__!" _the pup whined as they crossed the entrance to the park, already catching a whiff of other dogs and people on the premises. "_Why do you get tired so easily?"_

"Nabu, fetch!" she yelled suddenly, throwing the tennis ball that she had prepared for this very moment. As expected, he immediately perked up and chased it, barking the entire way as it bounced and rolled in every which way possible. _*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku glanced at Hiei as the tub made a muted clatter onto the carpet, and his sudden forlorn expression made her uncomfortable. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips defiantly, glaring at the room around her.

"I want more." She declared in her bossiest voice. It was mostly true. The sweet snow had lessened her hunger, and she wasn't sure how much more of the treat she could take before she went insane and had to have something salty or with more substance, but at that very moment she wanted nothing more than to rid Hiei of his melancholy, to get any resemblance of his former joy back into his eyes, and if that meant getting him more, then she would get him more.

She stomped beyond the couch, back to the tiled area opposite it, and wrested open the top part of the white thing that the now-empty container had first fallen from. She crossed her arms and stared into the square box. Nothing inside remotely resembled the container they had just finished, but she hesitated to make that decision on her own.

"None of these have more?" She called to Hiei, pointing at the various other different items in front of her. 3

Instinctively, Hiei replied to Shikiyoku with a snide, "then get it yourself," though he did want more as well. He simply did not know where or how to get more. A store, perhaps, but he knew not of which one or how one would come to obtain such a thing as the currency to get it. Then again, he cared not for the laws of this world; they did not apply to a demon. At least, in his eyes they did not.

After a moment, his eyes moved up to follow the retreating back of Shikiyoku, and he raised a brow at her quizzically. He didn't think there would be more in there. But he waited anyways, until he heard her voice, in which case he too stood and shuffled his way into the kitchen, peering into the top part of the white box curiously. As suspected, none of the containers matched the previous. "No," he replied easily, his expression blank and tone nonchalant, as if he could care less. He proceeded to shut the door, glance down at the still-ajar bottom door, and scowl. Without prompting, he opened the large door and began working with the drawer inside that prevented it from closing. In seconds, the problem was fixed and the cold air ceased from flowing into the room. "You'll have to do without."

~!**!~

Akari, despite what she'd said to Nabu, had stayed standing in the park, moving around when Nabu couldn't see her and creating a game all her own. If he could find her, she would throw the ball. Then it would begin again.

At one point, the pup had dropped his ball and began calling out to her with a worried bark, as if fearing he'd been left behind. But she'd tossed another toy to get his attention, and he'd come running to her in a moment's notice, complaining yet barking excitedly for another throw.

"Why don't you play with the other dogs?" she asked him suddenly, eyeing the slobbery ball in her hand before looking up at the park full of children and their pets, their parents nearby. "I would have figured you, with as much energy as you have, would have more fun over there."

"_Nope! It's more fun if you play!"_

Akari smiled softly down at the dog and relented, throwing the ball again. He barked spastically as it soared, having not expected the swap from conversation to play. His yipping earned several annoyed stares, but she didn't care. She simply continued on with the game, finding another spot to hide- this time in the shadows behind a tree; simple enough, right? _*****_

Kurama took a deep breath of the park around him, able to analyze the aroma of each plant that came to him without putting much thought into it, aware at a very deep place with him of every growing object around, and enjoying their peaceful existences. They would feed well today on the rays of the sun, and the rain of the night before had left the freshest feeling upon all of them.

The sun was shining brightly, the day clear and the air warm, with a light breeze that occasionally whispered around him, making the tips of his hair dance. His head stayed down in the book he brought with him, leg crossed comfortably over the other with one hand holding it up and the other resting inside the pocket of the very light jacket he wore.

There were few people as deep into the park as he'd travelled, and he did not feel anyone in the immediate vicinity of the bench he'd chosen to rest upon. Not that he minded the bustle of others. Their own lives added another layer to the essence of the growth he could feel occurring all around him, the energy of the humans weaving in with the energy of the plants and creating a chorus of exuberance that beat steadily in an eternal song of life that no other realm could replicate. A song Kurama often found great comfort in quietly bearing witness to.

An alien noise to the song he felt in his soul pulled Kurama's head out of the book his eyes were committed to reading, and he watched as a ball soared at a great speed towards his lap, the arc lowering the closer it came to him.

He calmly bent his book back up against his knee, holding his page in place with one finger and catching the ball with the other three and his thumb as it neatly landed within his grasp. He looked up, expecting something to burst out from the general direction of the strong throw with an eyebrow raised in amusement, but just as quickly turned his head back down to the page, the ball well-hidden by the book's cover.

~!**!~

"But I'm _hungry_." Shikiyoku whined, lifting her face up to the ceiling, "And maybe I don't _want _to do without." She lowered her head to look over at him, arms still crossed over her chest, "You've lived here for-_ever_. How do we get more?" 3

Hiei scowled at Shikiyoku as he stood up straight, crossing his own arms over his chest to mirror her impatience. At her last words, his scowl deepened and he was left thinking for a moment, wondering if there was a specific place he knew to get the sweet snow. But of course, there wasn't.

"A store," he said, not-so-helpfully. And that was all he offered on information. "If you want it so bad, you can't go out like that. You'd draw attention," he remarked, gesturing to her towel with a nod of his head.

~!**!~

Nabu took off after the soaring ball, running in the direction he had seen her arm throw towards. He weaved through dog traffic and people expertly, his small size making it much easier to maneuver than most dogs. But as he ran, he realized he didn't see the ball, or even hear it, touch the ground. He slowed from a run to a decent trot, nose instinctively going to the ground for even a hint of his scent, which was bound to be all over the toy.

He trotted about for a few minutes, at first finding nothing. But then, he caught the scent, and his head was in the air and he was running again, panting. "_Wow, you threw it far!" _he barked into the air as loud as he could, his feet pounding on the grass as he continued to run through the trees and the bushes.

Suddenly, he broke through a rather tough bush, ignoring the tug of the thorns on his fur that acted as a protective layer over his skin, and he stopped, big brown eyes scouring the area. Only one person came into view, and immediately, his tail began wagging and his tongue lolled, his feet again pounding in the direction of the redhead. "_Hey! I know you! Have you seen my ball?" _he yipped, bouncing up so his feet touched the man's pants leg by means of getting his attention. "_Well, have you? I smell it nearby!" _*****

Kurama's lips broke into a small smile as he first heard, and then saw, the small shape he'd been expecting to approach.

"Are you looking for something?" He asked amiably, "Did you lose your ball? I'm not sure if I know where it is myself! Is it near here? Are you sure?"

~!**!~

"A store?" Shikiyoku's eyes brightened and she lowered her arms, then looked down at the towel still firmly in place around her torso, "And why not? I like attention." 3

Hiei let his brows settle into a lower place on his face, shadowing his eyes in a look of irritation at her question. "Discretion is your ally," he said, tone thick and heavy with exasperation. Never before had he met a demon like this who would so readily give them away. "I know the humans have currency, but I have acquired none of it, as I'm sure you have guessed. You can't exactly be discreet if one of you is without clothes," he remarked, as if it were plainly obvious of his intentions by now.

"Or I could go alone and you can stay here."

~!**!~

Akari had waited. And waited. And waited some more in the shadow of the tree. However, she grew tired of waiting and stepped out from behind the tree, figuring Nabu had simply taken to hoarding the ball for himself to chew on. But when her eyes swept the grounds, she saw no sign of him in the immediate area, and confusion hit her like a freight train. She hadn't thrown it _that _far, had she?

"Nabu?" she called, bending down to pick up her bag from the ground as she decided to search for her companion. Surely he hadn't gotten himself _lost_, like that one instance in town? "Nabu!"

No response came, so she heaved a sigh and reverted to a tactic she'd used in the similar situation: she stuck her nose in the air and took a large breath in, smelling the damp soil, the leftover scent of rainwater, and the scent of the people and animals around her. It didn't take her long to pinpoint Nabu's scent; he smelled faintly of the mold and dirt that littered the house they had taken over, making it much easier to pinpoint him than others.

So, she followed the direction for a while, crossing the large spacious plot of land at a casual pace with her bag tossed over her shoulder. "Nabu!" she called again, and this time, she heard a familiar yip, but it was not in response to her.

"_...You do! You're acting funny!" _she heard the dog, and Akari's footsteps carried her through the tangle of brush and tree limbs until she broke through, eyes seeing Nabu jumping up and down in front of Kurama. "_I'm sure it's near here! Do you have it? Throw it! Let's play!"_

Akari released a heavy sigh. "You have a habit of being nearby, you know that?" _*****_

Kurama had leaned forward to speak with the pup, but moved back against the bench and regarded Akari with no small amount of amusement shining in his eyes.

"And you have a decent throwing arm, did you know that?"

~!**!~

"Discretion may be _your _ally, Hiei Jaganshi," Shikiyoku gently jabbed a finger at his chest, "But getting noticed is part of my charm." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "And I'd like to know how exactly you intend on being quick about getting more sweet snow without _me_ along. I would bet you don't actually know where to get it. What are you expecting to do? Threaten someone for an answer with that sword of yours? Or getting the Jagan to force them to tell you? I'm sure neither of _those _ways will garner _any _attention whatsoever. And discretion _is _our ally." She crossed her arms back over her chest, eyes bright with triumph, sure that if he did not have any currency in the Human Realm that he also did not know that much of where to purchase things with it. 3

Hiei scowled even more at Shikiyoku, jaw clenching at her words; it was true, he knew not of where to get the sweet snow, not how he'd find out. Sure, he had originally planned to simply use his Jagan, but now that she had pointed it out, it did seem rather ridiculous. _However_, despite that, he wasn't going to allow her to leave like that.

"Going out like this will attract _too much_ from the humans. They may be generally stupid and oblivious, but they _do _tend to notice a woman without clothing. And here, that will get you nowhere. Again, _discretion_, to some degree." he countered again, sticking to his side of the argument. "I suggest clothing; I'm leaving in five minutes." with that, he turned and headed to the living room, not wanting to hear another remark; he simply wanted to get this over with so he could eat more sweet snow in peace.

~!**!~

Akari shut her eyes for a second and rubbed at her forehead, Nabu's barking growing louder and with less sense by the moment. "_Is it here? I wanna- help me find it!" _He paused to sneeze, his head jerking, but immediately picked back up where he left off. "_Akari, I can't find it! It's probably with another dog by now! I don't wanna lose it!"_

"Nabu, we'll find it," she grumbled, giving a sigh and reopening her eyes, meeting Kurama's gaze. "I would take it as a compliment, but that would mean you've been watching- to some degree." she countered, looking down at Nabu as he began jumping on her leg too, running back and forth in a frenzy. "Did you happen to see the ball fly by here?" _*****_

His expression changing in no way, Kurama nodded to his right, indicating a tree nearby and that the ball was caught up in its branches.

"A good arm. As I said." He waited for her to turn away, making for certain that she would not be able to spot the ball in his hand behind his book as she did so.

~!**!~

"So, naked is a no-go, then?" Shikiyoku called after Hiei, starting to unwind the towel from around her body, grinning at his back and not expecting him to not turn around, assuming he would not so much as grace her with a habitual scoff as he walked away. Without waiting for his response, she moved for the stairs as the towel came free, heading up and into the bedroom.

This towel got deposited on top of the other one resting over the dirty, formerly bright pink school uniform right within the doorway and she rummaged through drawers in the room, unsatisfied with her other side's clothing choices and half-wanting to go without at the sight of them. She finally managed to find a pair of what she somehow knew were 'blue jeans,' pulling them on snugly over the undergarments she found. The dresser drawer with shirts in it had them folded and in some sort of order that Shikiyoku promptly threw into disarray by unceremoniously tearing into the piles for a decent blouse. She held up a black one and shrugged, heading out the room and starting to go down the stairs as she pulled it on over her head, the cut of the shirt just as snug against her skin as her jeans and she liked the feeling.

By the time she started to pull edge of the shirt down past her stomach, she was in the living room and she smoothed the dark tee down before clearing her throat to catch Hiei's attention and spinning once in a circle.

"Adequate?" 3

Hiei had sat on the couch casually, ignoring Shikiyoku's rhetorical question as he merely lounged, his head laying back on the back of the couch and his legs stretched out as far as they could be in front of himself. His arms stayed loosely crossed over his chest, eyes staring up at the ceiling as if it held great interest, while in actuality he was counting by minutes. Literally by the second. He hadn't been joking when he said he'd be leaving.

When he reached about three and a little over half minutes, he heard footsteps at the top of the stairs and stopped counting, but he didn't look away from the odd pattern in the paint on the ceiling. Not until a small sound caught his attention and he looked up- or rather, down- to where Toriko was standing, turning in a full circle. He eyed the outfit once before standing, hands automatically sliding into his pockets. "Decent," he commented, turning for the door in a quiet prompting of "let's go". He was no longer patient on the subject; he wanted more sweet snow, and he was gonna have it.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes followed the direction Kurama had nodded in and she released another sigh. She hadn't planned on climbing any trees today, and this outfit was relatively new. _Guess I'll just have to be careful then, _she thought to herself. One glance back at the redhead and she stepped around Nabu, trying not to trip over his bouncing little body. "Nabu, move!" she complained, nearly tripping as he continued to bounce around her feet in excitement.

By the time she reached the tree, she was not happy. At all. She hated climbing trees to an extent; she wasn't very talented at it and had, as a child, often fallen from their heights. The thought left her staring up at the nearest branch with distaste. "You better thank me for this," she grumbled at Nabu before reaching up and grasping the branch with her dominant arm, using her other arm and both feet to put her weight on the trunk of the tree and pull herself up, all the while searching the vivid green leaves for a small yellow object. _*****_

Kurama's eyes followed her and took note of her hesitation when she reached the bottom of the tree, but as soon as her attention fell back to it, his eyes flickered at Nabu, the pup completely disinterested with him and running in circles around the bottom of the trunk.

Judging the distance and calculating the necessary requirements for what he was about to do had already been done the instant he had decided which tree he was going to indicate to her, and he merely timed his toss at just the moment where neither she nor the dog would see.

The bag she had over her shoulder had a small opening where the zipper was not shut all the way, and the placement of the ball inside hardly took more than an expert flick of Kurama's wrist. He did not watch the ball arc neatly through the air and into the bag just as it disappeared with Akari up the tree, but land within it the ball did, not making so much as a jostle or noise that would be noticed.

His eyes were planted firmly in the lines of his book, his mind reading the words as well as paying special attention to the demon up the tree, aware of her uncomfortableness within its branches and not expecting an accident, but prepared to intervene should one occur.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made sure she locked the door behind them as they left, jamming the keys into her front pocket and hopping down the steps after Hiei, joining him just as he turned at the end of the walkway onto the sidewalk of the street.

The concrete felt warm under the soles of her feet as she padded along beside him, hands clasped together behind her back as she practically bounced along, moving quickly beyond Hiei as she spotted a human walking in their direction further down in front of them.

"Excuse me," She tucked a portion of her hair that had fallen from her bun behind one ear in a demure fashion, after she swayed up to the human leaving Hiei several feet behind her, testing something she had not done in a long time. "Where is the nearest store to here?" She glanced coquettishly up through her lashes, blinking twice as she caught the other's gaze, her body language exuding a flirtatious posture, though she did not activate her demonic energy. Not yet.

The older woman smiled down at the petite creature before her, feeling warmth in her old bones just at the sunny expression aimed in her direction. She adjusted the slim purse she carried higher on her shoulder and stopped in front of the girl.

"You're quite near one, dearie. Keep going in this direction and there will be several that you will come to."

"And," Shikiyoku batted her eyelashes again, "Is there sweet snow in one of them?"

The woman tilted her head with questioning, a moment of doubt passing across her features. "Sweet snow?" She asked.

It was at the point that Shikiyoku let her eyes shimmer, something about the older lady's response troubling her enough into doing so, "Yes. Which one of them has it?"

Anything unsettling that the woman felt at the girl's former question vanished as she looked the younger one in the eyes, "That must be something new that an old fashion doddy like me isn't familiar with. Does it have another name? You kids are always coming up with newfangled ways of talking about things." 3

Hiei had lead the way out of the house, hands in his pockets casually and his eyes glancing around the bright outside of the home. He blinked once against the harsh rays of the sun, but otherwise reacted none at all to the change. He turned to walk due West, not caring when Shikiyoku passed by him to ask an older woman of their desired substance.

And the confusion they were met with made Hiei stop short; he still hadn't remembered what it was actually called. His expression shifted to forced neutrality as his eyes glazed over, his mind running through different memories of the extremely cold substance. He thought back to the most recent time he'd eaten it before today, and remembered sitting on the kitchen floor with Toriko. No name surfaced, so he thought further back.

He remembered seeing the tub, being passed a bowl of the substance with fresh strawberries on top and mixed in. He remembered his reaction to it, and glaring at Toriko, who had threatened to eat his for him.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he stepped up beside Shikiyoku, looking right at the elder human with determination. His lips parted, saying the magic words he knew would work. "Ice cream."

~!**!~

Akari sighed and stayed on the lower branch for a few minutes, searching with her eyes as much as possible for the little yellow ball. It was too easy to ignore Nabu when she was concentrating so hard on her footing, her balance. When she still saw no ball, she grumbled to herself and hitched her bag up higher, pulling herself up a few branches higher into the tree. Again, she searched, finding herself feeling extremely incredulous; there was no way she had thrown it so hard. At that thought, her eyes turned to the ground on the opposite side of the tree, where she hadn't looked, hoping to see the spherical object, but of course, it wasn't there either.

"All this for a dumb toy," she grumbled as she prepared to pull herself higher, but the bag on her shoulder became hitched on a branch, almost knocking her off balance. She fiddled with it until it was loose, and tried again, with the same result of being stuck where she was due to the bag. "Stupid," she snarled, pulling it from the branch and her shoulder, then unceremoniously letting it fall to the earth.

She didn't watch it hit the ground. In fact, she didn't even hear it. She simply climbed another branch higher, extremely cautious now; dogs were never meant for tree climbing.

"_Hey! YOU HAD IT THE WHOLE TIME!" _the dog suddenly barked up the tree, a small snarl in his tone, but otherwise he seemed joyous. Akari raised a brow and glanced down. Her mouth opened to ask what he meant, but instead she let it fall and hang open in surprise; there, on the ground by her fallen bag, was the ball. "_Why did you do that?"_

"Nabu! Where was it?!"

"_Your bag! You hid it from me!"_

"I did no such thin-" Akari's words cut off as realization hit her, and as she hugged at the branch nearest her, she sent a glare down to the redhead at the bench. "You think you're real funny, don't ya?" She yelled over at him, glancing down again. She did not enjoy the height she was at. "This isn't funny! You said it was in the tree!" _*****_

Kurama's eyebrows raised, but he did not look up from his book.

"Oh? Well, wasn't it?" He called, silently enjoying the fervor with which Nabu snatched the ball up.

The dog barked something around the ball held firmly in his teeth, presumably at Akari, and then ran excitedly up to Kurama, dropping the ball onto the bench where it rolled to the back and came to rest near Kurama's thigh. Nabu then began spinning in an enthusiastic circle, yipping something that Kurama could only assume had to do with himself and tossing the ball.

Obligingly, Kurama switched his book into his right hand and picked the ball up in his left, giving his wrist almost the exact same flick that had landed the object so neatly into Akari's bag, and releasing the ball so that it flew threw the air, Nabu after it the instant it left Kurama's hand.

The redhead watched Nabu take off, keeping tabs on Akari's position up in the tree. He spoke through the ground at his feet to the branches, asking them to be kind and not toss the intruder out, despite her obvious insecurity within their embrace. He knew that even if she fell he was more than capable of reaching her before she hit the grass, though he thought perhaps saving her with the plants about them might be his better option, one the female might receive as a boon from the earth rather than his own influence. He could only imagine that her rescue would not earn him any great respect, only ire at his having caused the accident in the first place. He did not find the predicament any less amusing, however.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku glanced over at Hiei in surprise. Iced-cream? It sounded disgusting. But his eyes told her that the words he used this time indicated the same treat they shared previously and now desired together, and so she turned back to the old woman, who waited for her to speak.

"What he said." She added blandly, nodding to Hiei.

"Oh my, well there are several shops you might purchase _ice cream _from."

Shikiyoku tried not to growl at the woman's emphasis of the word.

Ticking off her fingers one-by-one the elderly woman continued, giving names of stores and saying a little about what each one had, "...but the nearest one with the actual tubs, and not just one-serving icey-pops, is a little grey convenience store. There's a red sign at the front of the building that says..."

Shikiyoku stopped listening again, holding up a hand to prevent the woman from going further. "That's more than I ever wanted to know. Leave now."

Without a second glance, the elderly woman kept walking past them and Shikiyoku took a couple of steps before pausing and turning back, trotting to catch up with her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but you dropped this." She held out a thin, burgundy wallet about twice the length of her hand, turning away as soon as the wallet was taken from her and rejoining Hiei.

She continued walking and flipped part of her hair behind her shoulder, "I don't know what this realm uses as currency, but I'm almost positive that human had none of it on her, unless the tube of lipstick in her purse or the strange plastic card with her face and address on it in her wallet are some form of it." 3

Hiei turned to continue walking on, in the direction the woman had gestured to, determined to have more Ice Cream, as he had remembered it being named. He hadn't cared for the list she named off, his impatience carrying him to stuff his hands further into his pockets and ball his hands into fists in irritation. He never liked the way the elder humans spoke, as if they had all the time in the world to waste for others.

He glanced over his shoulder when Shikiyoku walked away from him again, following the elder woman with a small object in her hand. He sneered in recognition as he witnessed her return the object, realizing what she'd done without having actually witnessed the act. He hadn't been watching her every move like he would another demon; it was pointless, or so he'd thought. Now though, he wished he had, merely so that this would be more amusing.

When she returned, he took to walking at a leisurely pace again, not looking at her as she spoke to him, confirming his suspicions at how easily she had complied in returning it. "Pity," he replied sarcastically, searching for the sign that the woman had described and the store she had informed them of. "Too bad, I would have _enjoyed _playing by the rules," he mused sarcastically, referring to the laws of this world that he cared not about.

~!**!~

Akari snarled down at the redhead in response to his remark. But, otherwise, she had no answer for him at that instant. Instead, her eyes were on the ground, at least ten feet below her, and she was warily judging the best way down. After a moment, she had decided, and her eyes moved to the branch nearest her face, the one she currently embraced for security, and she reluctantly let go. "Ha-Ha," she finally answered, her tone mocking and irate, her voice only loud enough a demon could hear. "Very funny," she whispered under her breath, ignoring everything but the tree now, and her path downwards.

After slight hesitation, she sit down on the branch and let her feet touch the targeted one below, making sure she had her footing before she set her weight on said limb. And then she repeated the gesture, each step more cautious than the next. "When I get down, so help me," she grumbled as she continued her descent.

Finally, when she was nearest one of the lower branches, she let out a breath and sat down, letting her feet merely dangle off the side in relief, her palms resting on the branch as she glanced to the green grass below, now in a much better range than before. though her irrational fear of falling was still present beneath her relief.

"You're a jerk," she finally called to Kurama again, her voice carrying this time with ease, "and that was a rather stupid game." _*****_

"Game?" Kurama echoed as Nabu came running back. He bent down and the dog placed the slobbery ball in the hand he reached towards it. "I wasn't aware we were playing any game. Did you have one in mind?"

He sat up and actually cocked his arm back for a throw, but sent the ball careening across the ground where it jostled and bounced across the uneven path, just fast enough to send Nabu tearing madly after it.

~!**!~

As they continued walking, Shikiyoku let her eyebrows rise and turned to Hiei in mock-surprise, mimicking the dry tone that he'd just used, "_You?_ _**Not **_play by the rules? I can't believe the words that are coming out of your mouth."

Her 'astonishment' fell away at the grin she couldn't help, though she turned away and coughed into one hand to relax the muscles at the edge of her lips, mumbling to herself "And you seemed like such the upstanding citizen."

She raised her head to consider their path before going on, in a louder voice, "Surely you held some _brilliantly_ straight-and-narrow occupation when you were in Demon World. Let me guess. Propaganda? Party Leader? No, wait, politician!" 3

Hiei, for the most part, ignored Shikiyoku's mock surprise and her banter that went along with his own. He hadn't meant for it to be carried out; he had merely said it for his own amusement's sake. However, when she began suggesting occupations he _could _have held in demon world, his sneer grew to show his pointed canines. "That idea does sound appealing; entire armies at my dispatch." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but looked to the path ahead of himself again. "Maybe then I wouldn't be stuck on this plane of existence, under the thumb of a toddler."

He went silent again, sneer slowly sliding from his face as he caught sight of a building that matched the vague description they'd been given. "Perhaps the _Ice Cream_ is worth it," he mused suddenly, emphasizing the words the same way the human had with amusement. How could he have forgotten its strange name? He walked up to the doors of the store, looking for the handle to pull on, only for the doors to slide open magically when he got near, making him raise a brow. It was much similar to Demon World's doors, but slower and less grand. But he commented on nothing of it as he stepped inside, red eyes looking around at the bustling busy bodies of humans, no idea where to go from there.

~!**!~

Akari's head hurt. Not from her lack of meal, or from the loud barks that Nabu gave or even the barking and yelling she could hear in the distance, but from irritation. Her eyebrow twitched and she lifted a hand to smooth it out, rubbing her temple with her index finger. _This is ridiculous. _Her brown eyes travelled to the demon at the bench, suddenly wondering why he was so good-natured towards her. Suspicion arose, but she kept it from her tone and expression.

"_Your _game is no fun," she replied casually, suddenly very much under control of her words and tone. "However, I _was _in the middle of a game with Nabu," she continued as she let herself drop from the tree, landing on her feet nicely and grabbing her bag. She listened as the dog's feet tore at the earth, pounding with his small paws but great speed for his size. "Nabu," she called.

He looked up at her, pausing only for a moment where he stood, ball in his maw, before he turned and ran back to Kurama, completely ignoring her call. Disbelief hit her hard, like a punch, and she watched her friend bounce about Kurama's feet, demanding another throw with a wagging tail and lolling tongue of excitement. She didn't even bother calling again; she knew his determination well enough. That didn't mean she enjoyed this scene though, and her eyes conveyed her disdain to the redhead with a stony glare. _Of course, he'd strut in and- _She stopped the thought short with a cross of her arms, suddenly remembering Nabu's words from the night before and everything that had happened prior. _Damnit. __*****_

"Ah, well, I apologize. I did not mean to interrupt a game already in session." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he leaned down to retrieve the ball Nabu dropped at his feet once more. He smiled down at the animal whose body trembled anxiously with excitement, eyes trained on the ball Kurama now held in his fingers at ear-level.

Kurama made an extra effort this time at miming a hard throw, watching with amusement as Nabu took off without even bothering to look up. In the next moment, before the dog could realize the trick, Kurama made an easy lob in Akari's direction, aiming the toss to fall right in front of her nose where if she would simply hold out a hand near her stomach the ball would land neatly in her grasp.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes were bright with interest, everything new and foreign to her, taking in and analyzing the bustle occurring before her and Hiei, quickly moving a few steps to the side of the entrance in order to not get run over. Not a single human looked up or took notice of her, which set one of her eyebrows twitching, but she shook her head at her first instinct, to rally their attention, comforting herself with the fact that she, and Hiei too for that matter, _did _appear rather human. Had she made an entrance like that in demon form, they would have surely dropped everything they were doing and groveled at her feet.

Human were easy like that.

She made a small, derisive snort. Not that she cared about sniveling humans, but it was a small hitch in her pride to become so aware of her insignificance among them all at once.

Shikiyoku glanced over at Hiei, but the fire demon hadn't so much as given any indication as to what they were to do next, so she gave an almost unnoticeable shrug and padded away from him, the tile of the store feeling strange under her bare feet.

Once she got past the general smell of the humans, her nose started to become aware of other delicious things and she couldn't help but lick her lips at the prospect, though the sweet snow, or whatever, was still top priority for Hiei's sake.

After slipping around various humans standing about in one aisle, Shikiyoku spotted a lone one standing behind a counter towards the back of the store. Her eyes hardly took in the sign that read 'Pharmacy' above him, as it meant nothing to her, but his current customer thanked him and turned away just as Shikiyoku approached.

With little effort, she hopped on top of the counter, dangling her bare feet off the edge of it as she crossed her legs and leaned towards him, making sure he was looking her in the eyes. She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled, getting her lips close to his ear and whispering, "Tell me, where do you keep the iced cream?"

The man smiled genuinely back at her and pointed in a direction. Shikiyoku absently wrapped her fingers around his tie and caressed it, "You're going to get me some. Pick your favorite flavors." She allowed.

He said something agreeable and Shikiyoku hopped down as he came around through a different part of the counter, letting him lead her to a portion of the store slightly colder than the rest, an aisle with only one other human at the end of it. The see-through doors on the side the man approached had tubs of differing sizes and colors that made Shikiyoku's eyes widen with their number. He shuffled along and came to one such door, opening it and pulling out a tub with each hand. He turned to her and held them out, Shikiyoku assuming by their color that they were two different flavors, reading the word 'strawberry' on one of them.

She shrugged noncommittally, but then motioned for the man to bend down further and whispered something else into his ear. 3

Hiei had stood in front of the sliding doors for a few moments, taking in the sights and sounds of the so called store. He heard beeps from several machines, the rolling of wheels on the tile, and the voices of the many humans echoing throughout the large store. Babies cried, small children whined, and the noise all added up to a cacophony of sound that Hiei did not enjoy in the slightest. _Annoying_ was the first word that came to mind, but after that he searched for any clue of the whereabouts of Ice Cream. Of course, he earned nothing more than grumbled of people complaining about him being in the way and a large amount of confusion on his part. If it had been possible, question marks would have been dancing above his head.

Suddenly, Shikiyoku crossed his vision, gaining his undivided attention as she sauntered her way past him, her bare feet padding against the floor and briefly bringing his attention to them; how had he not noticed before? His eyebrow quirked, but otherwise he gave no indication of the abnormality for this world, and he instinctively followed her to the counter, where he saw her eyes were pointed with determination. Like she had, his eyes read the word Pharmacy, but it meant nothing to him. The smells nearby, however, told him that he would not enjoy any of the contents of the shelves around or behind the counter.

"_Look at his hair," _he suddenly heard whispered, and the red-eyed demon turned in the direction of the talk, meeting gazes that turned dumbfounded as soon as their eyes met. "_Is he looking at us?"_

"_I don't know."_

Hiei stared at them calmly for a moment before turning away, his back to the pair of women and children. "_That was weird."_

"_Do you think he heard us?"_

"_No, I don't think so."_

"_...how much product do you think that takes?"_

Hiei scoffed to himself and continued following the demoness he had arrived with, at first not seeing where she had gone, completely missing how she had entranced the man to do her bidding. But he didn't mind; he merely wanted to get out of this place as fast as he could, so he tagged along with the demon who seemed to know what she was doing. By the time he approached her, she was standing close to the man who held two tubs of the sweet snow, eyes wide and gleaming. But Hiei turned away from them to stare at the many different varieties of tubs, all in different shapes and sizes, all under the label of "Ice Cream" with numbers marked beneath them. He blinked; there were _this many choices?! _

~!**!~

Akari stared at Kurama, torn between the feelings he provoked from her and the words of Nabu from the night before; Kurama wasn't exactly being disruptive, just an annoyance. No, maybe not even that. He wasn't being crude towards her, like their previous encounters, and he wasn't glaring at her with irritation, or in the very least, suspicion. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself; with who, that was not the point. The point was: Nabu was right for once; Kurama was being civil, and Akari was not. A sigh left her lips and she turned to watch Nabu run off, her eyes turning back to Kurama when she realized that the ball was not in the air.

She looked just in time to snatch it from its arc, as if it had been a weapon aimed for her face and she'd nearly missed it. She made a face at the slobbery, muddy object, but turned to the direction Nabu had disappeared into the brush to, silently amused. And for a few moments, that's all she did was wait for the pup to return, and when he did, barking at her accusingly yet enthusiastically, she threw the ball as well, sending him on another chase.

The calm that had overtaken her had been so sudden that she didn't know what to do. So she lingered, still torn between what her instincts told her to do- which is get away and leave the redhead be before the situation went south- and what her mind spoke- telling her to stay and at least acknowledge the attitude change towards her. By the time Nabu came speeding back, she had made up her mind and threw the ball again, this time harder, so that it would go farther. She released another sigh when he was out of sight and turned, silently making her way to the bench and seating herself on the open space beside Kurama, not looking at him or saying anything. _*****_

After tossing the ball in Akari's direction, Kurama resituated himself to return to his book, feeling the girl move after a while to sit next to him.

With her this close his mind wandered to their previous encounters, beginning all the way with her involvement in Sensui's plans, Koenma's pardon, and their current predicament with the Yoko impersonator and Akari's association with the demon that appeared to be after Toriko. That's where his mind lingered the longest, thoughts of Toriko behind Akari in the alleyway dancing across his mental eye. Assuming that Akari was _not _somehow involved with the blonde-haired demon, the demon was going to a lot of trouble to make it appear so, and he wondered as to the motives behind such a risky maneuver.

He said nothing, simply letting the breeze blow by and sitting underneath the filtered sunshine that shone through the leaves of the tree behind them, waiting for the girl to speak if she wished to do so.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku slunk up to Hiei, the man she had been captivating going the opposite direction on the errand she'd sent him. Her eyes still held the brightness of the whole experience within them, her eagerness hardly containable.

"Do humans have anything _else _worth eating?" She stopped very close to him and whispered the question, her gaze flickering around in an excitement she had trouble suppressing. Her stomach growled and she winced, sheepishly looking up through her eyelashes at Hiei. It took a decent about of willpower for her to resist tearing into everything around them and searching for the source of the smells that tantalized her nose. 3

Hiei had been staring at the many varieties in front of him, considering each and every one of them seriously when Shikiyoku stepped up to him, whispered words reaching his ear and causing him to glance down at her from the corner of his eye in speculation and acknowledgement of her presence and question. He heard the sound her stomach made and gave a sneer. He raised a brow in thought, remembering things Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama had eaten before when they were in different missions together, stuck in each other's presences for extensive amounts of time, such as the Tournament. He remembered bags being crinkled and tossed around, their contents light and airy, but salty to the smell. He hadn't eaten one, but it was something to try.

But as another human passed, he caught the very tantalizing smell of something else, something new. His red eyes automatically shifted to the cart she was wheeling by, finding the source immediately and reading the label of the plastic container: Spicy Chicken Curry. A smirk came to his face and he caught one last word: Deli, before turning to Toriko. "Locate the _deli_, for whatever that is worth," he said, the word foreign but he grasped the general idea. "They have varieties of prepared foods." Of course, this knowledge was not just from a glance, but from things he'd picked up during his years here. Now, the word made sense, as did all associations with it.

Akari sat in silence, her mind blank for a few moments before she suddenly recalled the trip to Spirit World yesterday, and the circumstances she had been placed under. This lead her to think of Otento and his offer, which still stood as of today. His words echoed in her mind, his words of a _family _of demons, under no control other than the leader who devised the plans. His offer had been tempting, stirring her desire to get out of here and on her own terms into more than just a mere thought. She could grasp it, the possibility now.

But every time she thought of it, something made her stomach churn. Each time, she thought about Toriko and the attack that had been launched on the girl, the way Otento had spoken about her as if she were an _object_, not a person. The girl was simply too… small. Too… defenseless… for Akari to feel right about. The fact that she would be assisting in a plan that would inevitably snatch the girl, and likely end with a large battle that could ultimately kill her- she wasn't stronger than Kurama or Hiei or Yusuke, that was for sure- it made her rethink it.

Especially now that she sat there, beside an equally silent fox demon who had previously associated her on the same level as Toguro. Her head bowed, eyes on her linked hands, allowing her bangs to hide her eyes as she continued to think. But, unintentionally, she spoke aloud.

"I hadn't meant for her to come to harm." Her voice was small, reluctant, but her thoughts had been voiced, and she couldn't take them back now. "I was merely looking for answers. I hadn't known she was involved." _*****_

Kurama found himself surprised that Akari's train of thought so closely mirrored the direction his had taken, and it wasn't difficult for him to deduce that 'her' was actually 'Toriko' in this case.

"No." Kurama allowed, his voice equally as soft, "I don't suppose you did." He sat back further into the bench, lifting his head to gaze away from them thoughtfully. He turned his book over his knees and placed the elbow of the arm that had been holding it over the back of the bench. "You can hardly be at fault for that. You should have been kept in the loop." He paused, hesitating, "The demon we saw you with the other night...he broke into Toriko's home a few weeks back. From what I understand, he had every intention of raping the girl." Kurama closed his eyes, lowering his head back down, the admission painful to make, and the word making his lips curl in disgust at having to say it. "And very nearly got away with it." His thoughts fell onto Hiei, and Kurama silently expressed a thankfulness that his fiery friend had been nearby to stop it. "But there was no way you could have known that." He fell silent again.

~!**!~

"Deh-lee." Shikiyoku muttered to herself, eyes trailing after a human who had walked past them. Her gaze flickered from this one human to another that came back around the corner at the far end of the aisle. Her human. The one from the counter.

She moved to join him, meeting him about halfway. He opened the paper shopping bag he held for her to inspect, parting it with one hand on either of the handles. She stuck her nose close enough to spy the two tubs of ice cream within, nestled together at the bottom, nodded her approval, and then leaned back to look the man in the face, thinking hard about the word Hiei had used.

"Take me to the...deli." She ordered, hoping she pronounced the word correctly. It seemed to work, for the man nodded back to her and turned away as she followed him, biting her lip as they passed other groups of humans in the store. If this took much longer, she wasn't going to be able to stop herself. Her stomach felt as if it was folding over on itself, and if not for the warrant out for her arrest she likely would have simply fed on the entire store and been done with it. She wasn't exactly sure how Hiei would have felt about it though...

It took no time at all for the man to stop in front of a different glassed area than the colder one on the opposite side of the store. He looked down at her, his eyes kind.

"And what do you want from here?"

"Um..." Shikiyoku stalled. The smells that accosted her nose practically had her drooling at the mouth. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the human that made his way to them, Shikiyoku's approaching him jogging his memory of the human as the one she'd used to get the ice cream. He eyed the man, stubble on his face and a smile on his face despite his rather glassy eyes that almost said he wasn't actually paying attention. He continued to eye the uniform he wore, a white button-down shirt tucked into jeans and a pair of tennis shoes. He looked odd, like most humans did, in Hiei's opinion.

But when Shikiyoku said the magic words and the human turned away, Hiei followed casually, trying to ignore his own rumbling stomach. Before long, they were in a small area where a sign hung, reading "Deli", just as Hiei had seen on the white label of the plastic container the woman had had earlier. His own eyes looked over the many choices that ranged from American-style cuisine-whatever that meant-to soups and Ramen that he began to recognize. He glanced at Shikiyoku, noting her open mouth and wide eyes with amusement before he turned to the man. "The Spicy Chicken Curry for her," he called, eyeing the substance behind the glass heating area. He loved the feel of the radiating heat from the glass, but he didn't want to linger for too long, so he pointed to another small container that contained small rolls of fish in rice with dark paper-like substance binding it, something he personally saw as appetizing. "That as well," he demanded, turning his eyes to Shikiyoku to see if she would have to give the order herself for it to work. After this, they would be long gone from this store and on their way to eat.

~!**!~

Akari tried to suppress it to the best of her abilities, but the physical flinch at the word Kurama used to describe Toriko's previous dealings with Otento couldn't be held back. Disgust rolled through her very core at the thought, though she didn't dare linger on her feelings on the matter. That was not meant for a time like this, where her inner musings would become evident to another. So, she kept her eyes down and hidden from view, closed eyelids against the light of the sun.

Now her mind was made up. She hadn't been entirely sure a moment ago, but with the new intel she'd been given, she had no problem with the decision at hand for her.

There was no way in _hell_, or anything of the like, she would allow herself near such a demon. If they were _anything _like humans, it was in the aspect that they took what they wanted without remorse. Without hesitation.

Nabu suddenly sped into view, bouncing around at her feet and gaining her attention, despite the emotions that threatened to show on her face. She gave a sigh and reached a hand down, accepting the ball only to throw it again. "Fetch," she whispered as he took off like a rocket, leaving her alone with Kurama again.

"He's offered a position in his ranks to me several times." she hesitated after this admission, but after a moment she sat back, not letting her hair hide her eyes anymore but still not meeting his gaze. "I was trying to gather more information on his whereabouts when he isn't tracking me down, more information on his intentions." She reached and pulled a folded up card from her back pocket, the very card that held scrawled information inside. She passed it to Kurama, mentally going over the memorized words of _We have big plans for you, if only you meet us halfway. _There was more that would be written, but it was faded from the wear of being carried in her back pocket or even by Nabu, who constantly kept it nearby as a reminder.

She briefly considered Otento telling her of his plans for meeting, considered telling this to Kurama, but she hesitated. In the end, she tucked that piece of information away in her mind for safe keeping. "His requests and information have all been vague. Too vague to make much sense. And each time I see him, he disappears before I reach him." _*****_

Kurama glanced down at the paper she handed to him, studying as much of the words as he was able.

"Playing a double-cross is a dangerous game." He commented, giving Akari the benefit of the doubt as to her original intentions in remaining in contact with the demon, "But I'm sure we can use it to our advantage somehow, if you were willing." He considered the paper thoughtfully. "I'm almost certain Toriko is central to this entire mess, but she's being well taken care of at the moment and shouldn't be an immediate concern." Since for whatever reason Hiei had taken to guarding the girl, Kurama added to himself. Which let a load of concerns stay lifted from the fox demon's mind, even if it left other questions in its wake. "Is there anything he's told you about himself or his intentions that might help us formulate some plan of attack? Anything at all that he has said to you that we could use against him?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave Hiei a grateful look when the fire demon took over and made immediate decisions about the food that otherwise left her speechless at the prospect of choosing something from amongst them.

She smiled sweetly at the human, but her attention hadn't exactly been on Hiei as he spoke and she recalled nothing of what the fire demon said, so she let her eyes shimmer over with the slightest hint of energy and nodded when the man looked back to her for guidance.

Her human turned to another standing behind the food, and when the second human leaned over the counter to catch a glimpse of her and Hiei at the first's indication that the food was for them, she stood taller, eyes gleaming into the eyes of the one considering her, alluding without words that the second was to do everything the first said.

A suggestive smile broke out over the second human's face as he came under her power, but Shikiyoku ignored anything said by either human, instead turning to watch the second retrieve the different foods she assumed correlated with the ones Hiei pointed out.

Her human congenially put the resulting packages down in the bag, and though Shikiyoku frowned at the thought of the sweet snow getting melted she said nothing of it, the smells mixing together in the bag and driving her crazy. The pair of humans exchanged some sort of pleasantry or another in the form of excusing themselves from the other's company, and the human behind the counter made a surprisingly vulgar remark to her as she walked away with her originally mesmerized human that she only half-heard, and completely disregarded.

As her human made his way to the front of the store with the paper bag still in his hand, Shikiyoku's ears twitched and she focused in on a whispered conversation happening somewhere behind them, slowing her pace as Hiei and their human leader kept moving past her.

"_...can't get past how __**hot **__he is."_

"_Did you see those eyes!"_

"_He's got to be some kind of celebrity!"_

"_Soooo gorgeous."_

If they had been demons, and this Demon World, Shikiyoku would have had the luxury of ordering the immediate deaths of the arrogant females.

The rarity for such words to be uttered within earshot of a demon of her kind-unless the speaker desired to take part in the services she might grace them with-was only matched by the rarity of it happening when she walked with company. Especially if the words were aimed at her company. It would have been assumed that the two were together discussing business or pleasure, or both, and her species was well-known for being quite territorial, regardless of how true the compliments might have been.

The transgression these human females unknowingly committed against Shikiyoku was nearly tripled in this particular case as the demon they so candidly admired from afar held the esteemed position of her Champion. Within the realm of demons there would have been no mistaking Hiei for anything else. But this was not Demon World. And these were not demons.

Beyond her initial flash of anger at their slight, Shikiyoku forced back her temper as she could not punish the humans for their indiscretion without creating a scene, convincing herself anyway that they were not worth the trouble and knew nothing of what they did. She turned back and broke into a trot to catch up with Hiei, and then matched his pace when she reached him. She considered him briefly out of the corner of her eyes, but dropped her gaze back down at the floor and blushed.

Her instinct at the moment she rejoined him had been to plant a kiss on his cheek. She knew the females still had their eyes trained on him, and the act would have made crystal clear her position, as well as theirs, on the matter. Something held her back though, and it also caused the blush that turned the edges of her cheeks pink. Maybe it was the discomfort he radiated anytime she got close, his standoffishness abundantly and almost painfully clear to her.

She nearly threw her head back and let loose an ironic burst of laughter at her predicament. The first and only demon she knew in this entire realm, one that she found especially attractive and desirable nonetheless, just happened to not be able to stand her being in close physical proximity.

Under normal circumstances she would have simply mesmerized him, seduced him and done as she wished with him, to hell with his haughty attitude or his dislike for her general existence. His innocence, along with his complete disregard and distaste for her touching him, would have made the conquest that much more satisfying, actually. Shikiyoku would have reveled in bringing about his cries, in his voice begging her to continue once he fell to her power. So much so in fact that she could easily picture herself going another fifteen whole years being satiated by just that one encounter.

But to top it all off, along with everything else, he ALSO, _**just happened**_ to be her protector, making him virtually untouchable for her in every way imaginable. Had he shown the slightest interest in her, the sigh that she now released would not have been so forlorn. As it was, she felt that she would _need_ her powers to spark any sort of interest from him in her, and the prospects of anything occurring between them without said powers appeared absolutely nil chance-wise.

Even amongst the rather limited number of protectors she'd formed pacts with in the past, her very nature-albeit her demonic form being of assistance-eventually led to all but one becoming romantically involved with her much to her great delight and pleasure, and the one who had not she chalked up to their pact breaking well before it should have, well before the relationship had been given enough time to fully bloom. This one, though...

A second sigh audibly passed over her lips as they crossed the threshold of the store, the human they followed turning back to her after they moved roughly fifteen feet to the left beyond the door.

Her mood still sour, Shikiyoku informally took the bag the human extended down to her and almost sighed again when he still stared at her, his hands clasped together, his eyes bright and receptive to her next words, whatever they might be.

"Yes, yes." She grumbled, "Your work was sufficient, I suppose." She arranged the handles of the bag in one hand and held the other out towards him, palm down, her gaze cast to the side as if he were not worthy of meeting her full-on.

He murmured some sort of thanks or another and took her hand in both of his, pressing his awkward human lips onto her skin.

Shikiyoku snatched her hand away from him as soon as he brushed her with the kiss, "Go away now."

"When will I-"

"I said go away, worm." She commanded, and he turned to go, "And I hope 'never.'" She added in response to the question she did not let him finish as she released him from her influence. She made an awful face and wiped the back of her hand onto her black shirt. Her stomach churned angrily and she impatiently started to reach down into the bag for something to eat right then and there. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	17. Episode 102 - Nabu Finds Friends

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of this FanFiction Realm!

I am personally of the school that says nothing is put into a story without reason. If something is mentioned or pointed out, it should be important later, otherwise what was the point of mentioning it? That's the idea I've tried to keep in mind while working on this RP. If there are any questions about what's going on or why something happened, please feel free to ask (in a PM would probably be best) because we certainly want things to not be confusing. At the same time, it might be the very thing you want to ask about has a place later on and the response you'll get from me will likely insinuate that, tee hee.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Nabu journey to the park to play,  
>and Kurama gets mixed up in their game of fetch by accident<br>when Akari sends a long toss through the park that he catches.

The two of them talk about Otento and what Toriko's role is in whatever his gang is planning.

~!**!~

Hiei and Shikiyoku steal "sweet snow" from a grocery store,  
>and just as soon as they get a ways from the door,<br>Shikiyoku stopped and hunched over their bag,  
>too hungry to wait any longer...<p>

* * *

><p>Hiei had waited just about as patiently as he could for the humans to chatter and arrange the food he had demanded in the way they saw fit, while they also seemed to dawdle and drawl about something he didn't care enough to listen in to. With his arms crossed and eyes searching the glass before him, he briefly considered something else that looked… decently appetizing… but he decided against it, figuring that the less they took, the more inconspicuous they would be. By the time the first human had the bag with their nicely-smelling grub was ready to go, Hiei was shifting his weight, eyes scouring the moving people behind him, searching for the source of watching eyes. He found them quickly enough, but easily determined it was not of a threat, and dismissed their entire existence altogether, turning to Shikiyoku with impatient irises. "I'm sick of being in the company of these beings," he commented, nose slightly wrinkled to highlight his distaste. Other than that, he said no more and simply followed after her, creating a train-like line of three. Briefly, he pondered the human reference to such a thing, trying to remember what a <em>train <em>actually was, but gave up and simply brushed it away. The thought was banished in a moment's noticed, and with it ll feelings of curiosity. Now, the only thing he could feel was irritation and impatience, accompanied by the constant feel of eyes on his back. In the demon world, that feeling meant danger, and eventually the death of one party or another. Here, he couldn't make a decision like that so quickly.

As the doors labeled with the word "Automatic" slid open to let them outside the small store, Hiei continued past the human and Shikiyoku, continuing just a little ways down the sidewalk, all thoughts on food now. Behind him, he could hear Shikiyoku dismissing the human and, shortly after his departure, the rustling of the bag in her hands. He spared a glance back at her and offered a sneer of amusement.

All of this, just for sweet snow. Or, _Ice Cream, _as the humans deemed it named. Such an odd name for the substance.

"All too easy." His red eyes turned forward again, hands in his pockets as he considered how Kurama would react if he knew of such a tirade here. _Better keep it to myself,_ he thought in amusement.

~!**!~

Akari thought for a moment, her mind roving over every single encounter she'd had with Otento. The only thing that ever stood out to her was his ability to get away so easily, to disappear from view, after his message had been given. With eyes still trained on the very spot Nabu had disappeared from her sight, she gave a sigh and repeated her thoughts, this time aloud so Kurama would know of them.

"None, really. As you have very obviously seen, he does well in keeping things under wraps. I haven't seen enough of the world to be able to deduce much from a character like him, who's always three steps ahead of me." She felt physical pain by admitting such a weakness, but she figured he would have already deduced this much about her.

"He's blatantly said that Toriko is a target," She clicked her tongue in thought, eyes hardening as Kurama's previous words echoed in her mind. Again, she felt disgust and many other emotions, but this time the anger was stronger than them all. "I asked what he meant, but never got an answer. Whatever he wants, he won't say it outright. The only way to find out is either a middle-man or actually waiting until he makes his last move." She paused, sliding her eyes to look at the redhead from the corners, "I'm not of much help in such situations, but I plan to do as I am able…" _*****_

"As are we all." Kurama added to the end of her sentence. He sat for a moment in silence, in thought, then sighed and started to rise from his seat on the bench, "I suppose the only thing to do now is wait. Either Koenma will get us the information we need to take further steps, or the stranger will make another move and we will be forced into action." He took a step forward, making as if to leave, "Either way, watch your back. This man is obviously interested in you as well, and it would not do well for you to be off your guard."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku plopped unceremoniously onto the concrete of the sidewalk, taking no notice-and for that matter not caring-of her surroundings.

She sat criss-cross on the ground, her legs encircling the paper bag with the items they'd pilfered, and huffed a bit of impatient air, feeling that the ravenousness of her stomach drove her mad. Did her other side never eat?

She didn't have the brain capacity to consider the answer, instead reaching down into the bag. Luckily, the container of chicken was on top, otherwise it might have been the sushi Hiei ordered for himself that she now tore into with gusto, ripping the lid off with one fatal tug and discarding it over a shoulder without a second thought. She reached in with one hand to first snatch a single piece from within the opened container, simultaneously putting the whole piece in her mouth while reaching once more into the bag to pull the entire container out and closer to her face. 3

Hiei sauntered at a leisurely pace away from the store, taking his time and, without consciously having made the decision to do so, listened for the footsteps of Shikiyoku to catch up with his own. Occasionally, a human would pass him by and nod hello, as he assumed what they did, or brush into him and continue walking with an air of impatience. At one point, he'd even had to step aside for a man on the run, huffing as he raced by, an officer on his tail.

This pause is what made Hiei realize Shikiyoku wasn't behind him. His red eyes turned back and searched for her, not expecting the sight he was met with. With her legs crossed on the ground and food stuffed between her teeth, he had the vague sense of a child given a treat and eating it before being scolded. He likely would have sneered, were it not for the fact that there were humans with eyes on her, bringing attention to the demoness.

"Shikiyoku," he called, his tone light, as if they were good friends from many years past. He didn't wait for her to look up. In fact, he didn't think she would, so he simply made his way back to her, stopping and standing over her. "You're drawing attention," he said, voice only low enough for someone with demonic senses to hear. It was a warning, because quite frankly he didn't like the fact that a demon was running around, attacking her repeatedly, and being able to go unnoticed the way he could. Hiei used to be the only one able to do such a thing, and now he was having to face someone else who, even without a Jagan, could do the same. Quite frankly, he didn't want to face that demon at the moment, and being unable to tell of his whereabouts made the fire demon a bit antsy, though he wouldn't show it. "Eat and walk simultaneously. The sweet snow is melting, and will continue to melt if you sit here. And, as I'm sure you can guess, melted sweet snow is likely not a very appetizing treat."

~!**!~

On a normal day, Kurama would have made her sneer or perhaps laugh, but she didn't feel like today was the normal day. After all, this demon who had disliked her from the very beginning was suddenly being cordial, even acting as if she were an actual part of the group, and it set her a bit on edge. Most demons who acted this way had other intentions, and she had learned to be weary. "Of course," she finally said to his back, pushing to stand as well.

As if on cue, Nabu came running back, neon yellow ball in his mouth and drool dripping over its coarse surface. He halted in front of Akari and sat on his haunches, a curious gleam in his eyes. "_Are we leaving already?"_

Akari glanced down at him briefly before turning to Kurama again, thinking. "If I see him again, you'll know. He finds amusement in sticking me in funny situations." She gave a lopsided sneer, as if she found Otento's antics amusing. The sneer left in a second though. Curiosity hit her like a ton of bricks, and suddenly she had the odd desire to inquire about his cordiality. She opened her mouth, but closed it again and turned to Nabu, retrieving the ball from his maw. "Maybe your boss will find something before we end up too far behind."

"_Who's boss?" __*****_

"He's your boss too, now!" Kurama remarked as he walked off, waving a hand in the air briefly to bid Akari goodbye. He did not wait to see if she had a quip to fire back at him, thoughts of making his way to Spirit World and seeing for himself whether or not Koenma made a breakthrough running through his mind. He had an option or two to present the toddler-prince with should there be no further progress, and he felt eager to speak about them.

~!**!~

It was in fact the absolutely alien tone in which Hiei first called out her name that pulled Shikiyoku almost immediately from her reverie, her eyes widened with astonishment and uncertainty when she looked up at him after he came to her side.

This tone he used had not given her enough of a fright that she stopped stuffing her face however, and she downed two more pieces of chicken in the time it took him to reach her.

She felt somewhere in the back of her mind an itch as he continued to murmur at her once in close proximity, and the itching conveyed to her a deep-set concern about...something, but she didn't know what. Nor did she know exactly from where the warning originated, but for some reason she found herself standing abruptly, half a piece of chicken still being chewed in her mouth and a frown across her brow.

Her expression flickered once with that itch again as she met Hiei's eyes after getting up.

"Yes. The sweet snow." She said absently, the paper bag with their pilfered goods inside being disregarded, remaining on the ground by her feet as her eyes stared beyond Hiei now, her words obviously conveying that the 'sweet snow' was no more than an excuse, even if she did not understand what she was excusing.

She did not move, hesitating and unsure as to what to do. Her gaze came back to the present, returning to Hiei, her facial expression blank, but looking to him for the next move and wishing the unsettled feeling in her stomach would go away. 3

Hiei hadn't expected such an abrupt response from Shikiyoku, so when she stood up as quickly as she did, he gave a small step back to give her her own space. But as she remained standing there, he realized she wasn't sure what to do. He gave a small sound of impatience and stepped closer, picking up the paper bag from the ground with a single hand, the crinkling sound seeming to break the silence of the afternoon. By the time he was standing upright again, her gaze was on him. He assessed her for a moment. Her expression conveyed nothing of her thoughts, but the air around her made him decide he was to take the lead, again.

So, without any further ado, he turned and wordlessly motioned with his head for her to follow, his Jagan automatically taking in his surrounds, along with the rest of his senses. His free hand swayed by his side with his lazy gait while his other hand that held the bag stayed motionless, almost, as if it would pain him to move that arm. In reality, his body was simply readying for anything that might happen, even though there was no real logical reason for his sudden distress. As far as he could tell, there were no eyes on him nor his company, and thus there was no threat. So, by the time they reached the house, he had his jaw set and eyes watching behind Shikiyoku as he stepped aside to allow her in first, as he'd learned was a human tradition here.

~!**!~

Akari ignored Kurama's words, turning her eyes pointedly the other direction. "_You have a boss?"_ Nabu asked, tail wagging slower than before in curiosity. She rolled her eyes at him, but nodded at the pup before her eyes turned to watch the retreating back of Kurama. "_See, if you're nice, so are they!"_

"Nabu, are you-"

"_No, I'm not hungry. Can we play something else?" _Akari gave a small sigh, but a smile formed on her lips despite her gesture. "_Maybe Flowers can play some more too!"_

Akari raised a brow. "Flowers?"

"_The one with the tail." _When Akari gave no response aside from her brow raising higher, he snorted at her impatiently and sat on his rump after shifting some more. "_The guy who just left!"_

Akari gave a laugh that, on a quiet day, might have echoed through the air. "No, Flowers won't be here. Just us and this park is fine." With that, she tossed the ball in the air again and watched as Nabu instead began kicking it around in the mud.

"_But I like Flowers…" __*****_

~!**!~

The closer they got to the house, the more the sudden feelings of trepidation lessened and Shikiyoku stepped beyond Hiei when the fire demon stopped next to her and let her pass, fishing the keys out of her pocket and unlocking the door, pushing it inwards and going inside, moving out of the way to let Hiei into the room, but keeping her hand on the knob.

Once he passed through the portal, she shut the door behind him, and then turned to face him, eyes training themselves on his person to see what they should do next. 3

Hiei passed Shikiyoku, listening for the closing of the door until even the click was gone from the air. By that time, his Jagan had told him that the domain was safe, no intruder detectable anywhere in the house. Everything was just as they had left it, and that made his frame relax a bit more. He sauntered slowly into the kitchen, listening to the quiet house just in case.

When he set the paper bag on the table, the small form of Maneshi slinked into the room, gaining Hiei's attention only for a moment before the fire demon began rummaging through the bag for his sushi. Unlike humans, he didn't mind using his hands, so when he turned to Shikiyoku to eye her curiously, he already had a sushi roll stuck against the inside of his cheek, the taste a peculiar one.

~!**!~

Nabu had played and played and played until Akari had simply called it quits, waving for him to follow after her and back to the house. He'd done as she asked happily, obliging since she'd given in to his request for a generous amount of playtime. "_How come you like to move around so much?" _he suddenly asked her, curious. After all, the first day he'd met her, she'd done nothing but lay around and sleep, and that week had been a slow one of trying to wriggle his way into her domain for shelter. He'd been accepted rather quickly, and he found his best friend a curious creature.

"Nabu, shush."

Of course, she still acted like this from time to time, as if he were nothing more than a burden, but he didn't mind. He figured it must be tiring to only walk around on two feet all day. By the time they'd gotten back to the house, he was curling up on the dirt-covered couch, watching her move around in one spot, the air around her trembling with emotions she always held around him. "_What's wrong?"_

"Nabu, I'll be back. You stay, okay?"

The pup cocked his head to the side, tongue lolling out as she disappeared again. He liked this game in particular, because it didn't require too much running around after he'd done so much running already. He began counting, and then when his mind reached twenty, he bounded from the cushion and followed after her scent, nose to the ground as he ventured into town. _*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku did nothing up until the moment Hiei put the paper bag in his hand down on the table, his body visibly relaxing to her eyes-which followed his every move-and the itch in the back of her mind simmering away into nothingness.

When it was gone, she blinked, suddenly realizing she had somehow gotten back into her other side's home, but the process of doing so being fuzzy in her head. She didn't realize her body had been so tense until she blinked and all the tension melted away.

She turned back and locked the front door, putting a hand up to a temple briefly and shaking her head once as if to free her tumbled thoughts. Her stomach gave a large roil in her torso, loud enough to reach her ears, and she briskly pivoted on a heel to get the paper bag Hiei hovered over.

Without removing the chicken container this time, she grabbed a piece from the bag and put the whole thing in her mouth, staring down at the counter and refusing to meet Hiei's curious stare.

For his part, Maneshi murled and jumped up onto the counter, unabashedly sticking his head over the edge of the paper bag, his eyes brightly exploring the contents that his nose told him he would enjoying snagging a bit of. 3

Hiei chewed at the sticky, seaweed-wrapped rice roll for a few moments as he watched Shikiyoku join him in the room, grabbing her own meal from the brown paper sack as well. He pulled another bite from the bag, this time some sort of raw fish, and stuffed it in his mouth too, eyeing the cat that suddenly hopped onto the table and stuck the entirety of his head into the bag. The fire demon sneered in amusement at Maneshi before batting at the air beside his head, telling the cat to remove himself from the food. "Careful, feline," he said, his tone lazy despite his words.

He reached in and pulled out the rest of his sushi, placing the plastic container on the table and retrieving the first piece of fish he saw, tearing it in two, and for once, reaching out and offering the smallest piece to the cat. "Now, leave it be," he commented as he stuffed another bite into his own mouth, turning to put the sweet snow's tub in the top door of the cooling mechanism, as he'd seen Toriko do before.

~!**!~

Nabu followed the trail of Akari's scent rather easily, her scent being so dominantly canine that it was almost impossible to miss. His feet moved at a decent pace, ears flopping a bit at the slow trot he moved at. But when his paws met the asphalt of the street, he stopped and backtracked, staring at the busy road in front of him in disdain, ears laid back. "_This isn't funny!" _He barked into the wind, thinking Akari would be close by, laughing at his reluctance. When no answer came, he circled the spot where he didn't dare leave the sidewalk, gave a whine, and plopped his rear down on the hot concrete.

He sat in that spot for a few moments, tail wagging curiously as he tried to think how he could get across the road. Becoming slightly disheartened at the sight of the zooming machines, he resorted to laying down, chin on the top of his paws and eyes on the path he could smell stretching ahead for miles.

Akari always made moves like this that put him in a stalemate. She was so mean, always winning at this game. _*****_

"Urameshi! Watch where you're going, you idiot!" Kuwabara reached out as if to pull back at Yusuke's shirt sleeve, his classmate stomping angrily down the sidewalk.

Their activities had most recently consisted of the games at the arcade in town, but it had been a particularly bad session for Yusuke and the boy left in a quite literally "stomping mad" attitude.

Yusuke check himself before lowering his foot, having completely missed the small shape of the pup laying forlornly with the tips of his paws and nose at the very edge of the sidewalk.

In the next instant, Yusuke swept the dog up into his arms and began cooing at it.

"Hey there little buddy! Where did _you _come from?"

"Is he hurt?" Kuwabara came up beside him and peered over Yusuke's shoulder at the small pup.

Yusuke jealously held the dog closer to his chest, "I dunno, but _**I **_found him, so don't even think of stealing him away."

Kuwabara scoffed, "Yeah, right. Like Eichiki needs more stress in his life. You aren't seriously considering taking home are you?"

"Well, yeah! Sure! Why not!" Yusuke began marching down the sidewalk towards home.

"Uh, because your mom's gonna throw a fit? And do you even know if your new apartment allows pets?"

"Doesn't matter." Yusuke answered both questions at the same time, continuing his trek without pause. "He's mine now. Just look at this face." He held the dog up to his nose as he walked, cooing at it once more.

~!**!~

Maneshi started back at the woosh of air that passed his head when Hiei swatted near him, but his eyes grew wide with pleased astonishment when, after having removed the best smelling thing in the bag, Hiei turned and offered him some of what he'd wanted to most. He delicately took the small feast and in no time at all chewed it apart until he had the middle of it, the fishy part, in his mouth and swallowed it down.

He jumped off the counter at that point and wove himself around and between Hiei's ankles in a sleek figure eight pattern as the fire demon moved off, meowing happily the whole time, his face the peak of kitty happiness.

After completing the winding pattern three times, on the last circling, he gathered his body together and easily made the jump to Hiei's shoulders, stretching himself across them and settling down, a mighty purr vibrating his chest as he rubbed the top of his head onto Hiei's left ear in thanks.

Shikiyoku watched the parade of the cat absently, following Hiei with the second tub of iced cream after he grabbed for the first from the bag and placing it inside the freezer as he did, the containers stacking nicely on top of one another.

She returned to the paper bag in which the opened pile of chicken still rested, reaching in and grabbing for more without hesitation, but remaining quiet and staring down at the counter next to the sack from the grocery store. 3

Hiei waited until Shikiyoku's hand was out of the freezer before letting it slowly shut on its own, not really even glancing at the cat that had began rubbing at his ear. Quietly, he wondered when _he _had become so soft, as he often accused Kurama of being. After all, in previous years, if a feline had done as Maneshi was doing now, he would've killed it without hesitation. Also, he wouldn't have stuck around someone like Shikiyoku, since his temper would have been much shorter. Again, he wondered when, and why, he'd become so soft. But, at the same time, he didn't mind it, since it kept him out of useless trouble most of the time.

Yet, as he stuck another piece of fish in his mouth, he eyed the female beside him, thinking of the trouble that came with the demon that was after her. Many years ago, he would've wrote the situation off as her problem and gone about his business. So why had he gotten so involved? Perhaps it was because she was a friend of Kurama's, which had initially made him curious of her.

He brushed those thoughts away, and with it all thoughts of _why _he was where he was. "You're taking to the food much better than I did," he suddenly commented, realizing that her first experience with human grub was vastly different than his. He'd spat it out just as quickly as he'd plopped it in his mouth, and only because Kurama had goaded him to try it again did he end up eating a bit of it. Now, he ate it merely out of habit. The thought of that day made him sneer as he chewed on another rice roll, giving the crab from inside to the cat on his shoulders; he didn't care for the smell of the crab at all, much less the rubbery taste.

~!**!~

Nabu gave a small whine at suddenly being swept up from the ground and suspended in the air, surprise making him wiggle in fear. "_I don't like heights!"_ he barked out at the boy holding him up, his equally brown eyes flickering to the ground below before resettling on the boy's face. At first, he was confused by the markings, but then he realized that the air around this… creature… was not a dangerous one. Instead, this person seemed to be rather joyous about Nabu's presence, making funny noises at him and sticking his face into Nabu's.

The pup immediately responded with the lolling of his tongue and a wag of his tail. "_Hi to you too!"_ His eyes turned to the other boy, seeing the odd way his fur curled on his head. The pup turned his head in curiosity at the boy, smelling cat on him. But otherwise, he ignored the brute and turned his eyes back to the boy who held him, listening to the words "..keep him."

"_Have you seen Akari? She went that way!"_ He barked, nose turning to sniff the air in the direction of the road, even as he was taken away from the path. _*****_

"And how exactly are you planning on getting him in your apartment without anyone seeing, Urameshi?"

"Oh, I could just hide him under my jacket or something. It won't be that hard."

"And your mom?"

"What's not to love about this face?" He promptly turned, walking backwards down the sidewalk, and stuck the dog's nose up until its wetness was nearly touching Kuwabara's own nose. He pulled the dog back into the crook of his arm and held it at his stomach, making sure all four of its paws rested on his forearm and then holding him steady with the other hand. "If she doesn't like him, she can just deal with it."

~!**!~

For the second time in such a short while, Hiei's words pulled Shikiyoku from her thoughts and made her stare down at the next piece of chicken she had been prepared to stuff into her mouth. She considered it for a moment, turning it this way and that.

Truth be told, she hadn't thought much about the flavor, so intense was her desire to dull the ravenous hunger that swept over her. She never looked over at Hiei, but her eyes flashed dangerously as she considered the item in her hand, another pang hitting her stomach. She quickly stuffed the chicken in her mouth and the next turn of her stomach was not nearly as hard, though her eyes lost none of their intensity. She finally decided to speak once her mouth was cleared.

"I figured it would be better for me to try to mute the hunger and eat this than consuming the souls of those in the store. Because it seemed you did not think such an action to be wise." She clarified, "And for that reason only, I assure you." She reached for another piece and held it up to her face again, turning it like she had the last one. She shrugged after she ran her tongue over her teeth, truly tasting the flavor for the first time, and popped it into her mouth as well. This time she spoke around the piece instead of waiting, immediately picking up another piece. "I assume that my other side has been eating their food for fifteen years. Ask _her _how the first taste-test went. I do not know if our powers being suppressed would have made it a pleasant experience or not." 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, slightly amused that she'd been so _considerate _of his opinion. He rolled the rice ball around on his tongue for a moment, deciding he wouldn't say the comment he had initially thought up, and gave himself a second longer to find a more suitable answer than the one he first generated. He swallowed his bite before settling for the next-best reply he'd have for her comment.

"I assumed you wouldn't want Koenma on your tail," he casually remarked with a small shrug, not much caring if he disturbed the cat on his shoulders or not. His lips formed a toothy sneer, red eyes glimmering with his burst of amusement that, really, wasn't rationally necessary. "I suppose if you really _wanted to_, I'd allow you to eat human souls, but only if you enjoy all of Spirit World suddenly finding out of your existence. You've done well to stay under their radar for this long." He turned his eyes to the car on his shoulder, as if the thought was even more amusing than it actually was to him. The cat responded with a curious gaze, a single ear twitching against the air the fire demon blew from his nose.

~!**!~

Nabu let his body relax in the boy's arms, his nose running against the smooth fabric of the jacket that ruffled his fur with static. A small sneeze left him at the odd smell that lingered, but otherwise he didn't mind this person… creature… that held him. His curious gaze turned up to the boy, then down to the arm that held him in curiosity. He decided to show his fondness in the normal fashion he used to display with children, running his tongue over the person's hand and then nuzzling his nose against it.

"_Do you have food?"_ He asked, not having yet realized this person couldn't hear him like Akari could. At the thought of any type of grub, his tail began moving, thumping against the jacket loudly as he yipped again. "_I'm Nabu!"_ _*****_

"What do dogs eat?" Yusuke wondered aloud.

"I dunno." Kuwabara shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Dog food?"

"Hm. Well, I doubt we have any of that stuff at the apartment. ...but I do know that mom bought a couple of steaks home the other night! I'll feed him that."

Out from the alley next to them, a gang of seven or eight boys stepped into Yusuke's path.

"Whaddya doin' on our territory, Urameshi?" The boy in the front asked gruffly. "Haven't you learned your place yet?"

"I don't think this is a good idea, boss." One of the other boys in the back said, his voice wavering.

"It's a great idea, stupid! We've got them outnumbered!" The leader barked.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku coughed, not expecting Hiei to give her what she thought might be a sincere compliment. She covered her uncomfortableness by stuffing another piece of chicken in her mouth before she finished with the one she chewed.

Her eyes took on a more mischievous gleam, though she still did not look up from the food, "In truth, running might be more entertaining at this point. This world is boring. Is there nothing of interest to do here? I only see eating and sleeping in my immediate future."

Her rhetorical question was followed by a long-suffering sigh of despondency. She swallowed and hesitated briefly, reaching for another piece and hold it up to her eyes before speaking again, her voice quieter, "How do you manage it? I would manipulate and control the worthless humans for fun, and in truth it is only by your word of caution that I find myself able to hold back, but you...you have such self-restraint. I envy you." Her last sentence faded almost to silence as her voice grew softer as she spoke and she breathed it out with a true air of the envy mentioned. 3

Hiei's sneer became more of a toothy grin at the fact that no immediate reply was given. He settled for chewing on the last piece of fish he had while the silence enveloped the room, though his eyes never left her. Again he found himself wondering why he had bothered with this person, but again he found himself brushing the thought away; why muse over it? It was only a waste of time.

Hiei glanced at the cat that stretched further on his shoulders, paws flexing and claws digging into his skin a bit as the purrs quieted. A small sound escaped Hiei that would normally be a warning, but it was really just a sound pulled out of instinct. It was cut short though at Shikiyoku's sudden comment, which brought his curious fiery gaze to her again. He gave a scoff, her words reminding him of his own thoughts about this plane when he'd arrived. But, as she continued speaking, he found that her comment made him feel a bit taken aback. In truth, he hadn't ever really thought about the exact reason behind his own restraint. At least, not enough to be able to explain his own thoughts to another.

He gave a small scoff. "It comes with the territory," he finally responded, leaning back so that his weight was almost entirely on his heels, alost not catching her last words.

He raised a brow at her, his expression shifting from a sneer to a blank expression altogether. Never before had he actually had someone say something like that to him, much less about him. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond, so he settled for a loud release of air through his teeth. With that, he turned and grabbed the strawberry sweet snow from the freezer, hunted down a spoon, and simply pried the lid off and stuck a spoonful of it in his mouth.

~!**!~

Nabu's ears perked up at the conversation at hand, glad that his question seemed to have been heard and understood by the boy. Of course, at the sound of the words "Dog Food" together, his mind flashed an image of those small, dry bits of flavored grains that he saw other dogs eating from time to time, and he wondered if it did taste good, unlike the smell. However, at the word "steak", he was immediately wagging his tail just as fast as it could go, tongue lolling and his breathing much quicker than before out of sheer excitement. "_Steak is good!"_

However, the air became tense, and his ears immediately laid down on the top of his head, his eyes shooting the the source of the tense atmosphere. Almost immediately he realized that this was likely not a good situation he found himself in, a small pup unable to get away. But what worried him most was the dark air around the group of people in front of him, speaking to the person who held him. Instinct left him curling his lip upwards, showing his teeth, but his growl not audible, staying stuck in his chest.

Yet, simultaneously, he shrunk into the jacket, as if he could go unnoticed. "_Your air is bad,"_ he whined out, eyes looking up to the boy. "_What now?"_ _*****_

"Well, lookie here, Kuwabara." Yusuke shuffled his grip on the dog a bit so that just the one arm underneath it would keep it from falling, "They're still letting all the stupid walk around on the streets." Yusuke shifted his stance enough to brandish one fist.

"You're going soft, Urameshi!" The leader yelled, "And I intend to take over once I wipe the floor with you!"

"They never learn, do they?" Kuwabara grinned, "I think we're the ones assigned to clean-up duty this week."

"That doesn't seem like it'll be too much of a problem. Good thing they don't seem like much. I was afraid I might have to put the dog down."

The leader's anger continued to be more and more obvious, his muscles flexing and he finally pointed at the pair and yelled to his gang members, "Get 'em!"

The two boys only had to throw as many punches total as there were gang members, Yusuke having an easy time blocking and punching with just the one arm, able to safely hold the dog next to his body without so much as a hitch.

"I don't know why they ever think its going to work." Yusuke commented as he and Kuwabara kept walking down the sidewalk.

"Beats me. Maybe they're just getting stupider or something."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku watched out of the corner of her eye when she heard the freezer opening, seeing Hiei pull out a tub of a color she recognized as the "strawberry" one. Polishing off the last of her chicken and felt more adventurous than he, she walked to the freezer herself and grabbed the other tub with the nondisclosed flavor, plopping it down on the counter and stepping around the mess of the kitchen floor that she left from earlier without so much as a second thought to get to the drawers.

She knew she needed a spoon, or whatever, but didn't recall which drawer Hiei retrieved his from. She walked down the length of the counter to the farthest end and began opening drawers, slowly pulling them towards her, scanning the contents carefully, and closing them once she did not see what she sought. 3

Hiei had easily scooped several spoonfuls of the sweet snow into his mouth, enjoyed each bite, and then even gone in for another before he realized Shikiyoku was searching for something. His eyes turned to her, tearing from the ice cream that had dominated his attention so easily, eyeing her for a moment as she searched the drawer she held open. He raised a brow in amusement, suddenly realizing that Toriko was the one who actually knew where everything was, and Shikiyoku didn't. The only reason Hiei had known is because he had watched, observing where she kept her things in reference to the things he used occasionally.

He stuck another spoonful in his mouth, watching Shikiyoku's back for a moment longer, suddenly deciding he wanted to find a way to amuse himself.

"Next one over," he said casually, knowing full well that there was no silverware in the drawer he had instructed her to look in. He wondered how long she would allow him to make her go on a scavenger hunt.

~!**!~

Nabu had adjusted his own weight as the boy adjusted his hold on him, making it significantly easier for Nabu to hide himself after the comment over, what he assumed, to be himself. He hadn't made any audible noise against what the person had said, since the only times he had done so had ended with him running in fear.

Still, the air around him changed. Not his own emotions, but the feelings he could practically smell rolling off of the creature holding him became slightly different. He glanced up at the boy's face, only to see the markings on his face were darker, more filled out, bolder. Nabu's ears immediately laid back, flattening out completely on his head in confusion and wariness. It even looked as if the dark hair atop his head had grown a bit, his eyes changing, widening, but the moment was over, and with it left the changes.

Nabu gave a small whine, trying to gain the attention of this "Urameshi" and try and get a better look at him and his odd markings. "_You're similar to Flowers."_ he said slowly, eyes narrowing a bit. "_But you're different."_ _*****_

The boys made it to Yusuke's apartment without further incident, managing to smuggle the dog inside with no trouble.

"Mom!" Yusuke called, slipping his shoes off at the door as Kuwabara did the same, "I'm home! Kuwabara's here too!"

"Sure! Fine!" She responded from in front of the television, waving a hand dismissively at the pair, "But if he wants to eat dinner here, you're cooking."

"Yeah, yeah. Like I don't cook most of the meals around here anyway." Yusuke grumbled, getting over into the kitchen and opening the refridgerator, leaning over with the dog still in arm to peer into and look for the steaks he mentioned earlier.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku did not make as if she heard Hiei's helpfulness, going ahead and opening the drawer as she already intended doing, but speaking up once she saw not what she looked for, "Wrong." She moved down the row again. 3

Hiei raised a brow, not really amused with the initial outcome of his sudden attempt at his own game. He raised a brow. "Was it?" he responded, his tone low as if he'd actually thought it would be right. "Try the one on the other side of it," he commented, eyes staring at the drawer he had mentioned as if trying to imagine the contents inside, which he knew was also not said drawer she was looking for.

Would she actually go along with him? It wouldn't be any fun if she didn't.

~!**!~

Nabu had sunk back into silence, quietly watching the boy the entire walk to wherever they were going. Once they were inside, his nose crinkled at the smell in the house, a smell he often found in wafts on the street as smoke from a person's mouth. He'd found the origin of the smoke before, a stick with odd things in it, and had chewed it up for fun. He hadn't enjoyed it at all.

Suddenly, cool air hit his face, and he slowly stretched his neck, sniffing the interior of the refrigerator. At first, he wasn't as interested, so he sat back and wiggled a bit, hoping he'd be let down to wander curiously around the house, like Akari had let him do numerous times. _*****_

"Does steak sound okay, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked off-hand, eyes searching for the paper-wrapped package he knew was in there somewhere.

"Sure." His friend shrugged noncommittally.

"Hold still," Yusuke gave the dog the tiniest of squeezes closer to his body, speaking a low tone, "I don't know how mom'll react about you yet."

"How I'll react about what?" She asked from behind him at the entryway to the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest.

"Uh, n-nothing!" Yusuke responded, frozen in place.

"You aren't looking for those steaks, are you?" Her voice held no small amount of warning.

"Uh, y-yeah! I was going to cook them up for dinner."

"As long as you leave me some, then I guess I'll allow it." She responded flippantly, taking another drag from the cigarette between two fingers of one hand and turning to leave, the noises from the television catching her attention.

~!**!~

As with the last time, Shikiyoku assumed he did not mean the drawer on the side she had opened moments before, but she frowned down at the handle she placed her hand on, the next one in the line, opening it and still not seeing a single utensil useful to her situation. She chewed at one lip in slight irritation, moving to another drawer she hadn't opened. 3

Suddenly, Hiei found himself completely and utterly amused with the fact that she gave no reply. He gave a smile that to others would look demeaning, but the sparkle in his eyes told a different story. He settled himself to watch Shikiyoku as she continued to the next drawer, and it took a significant amount of effort not to snort in amusement.

"Oh, right." he spoke, tone thoughtful. "Last one on the end," he said, this time giving her the actual drawer, wondering if she'd believe him this time or ignore him completely. Either way, it would be fine with him.

~!**!~

Nabu immediately stopped moving when he was squeezed just a bit more, a gesture he knew well. He settled his chin to rest on the boy's arm, only twisting an ear to show he heard what he had been told. When he heard another voice, one he hadn't expected, he almost swiveled his head to look at the woman, but decided against in and instead only listened to the uneasy conversation. Again, the word "steak" popped into the air, and his ears perked up, tail moving just a bit, though he tried to wait patiently to be let down.

"_I really wanna go look!"_ he whined softly, looking up from under his eyebrows at the boy in a way that had often earned him some attention. _*****_

"Yusuke..."

The tone his mom gave him made the boy tense up again. She hadn't actually left the room yet, but he remained facing forward.

"...what are you holding in your arms?"

"N-nothing." Yusuke responded, sounding oh-so-suspicious.

He suddenly felt the clamp of a hand on his shoulder and he gave out a noise of protest as his mom spun him around suddenly.

She snatched the dog out of his arms and made sounds of glee as she lifted him around in the air, "I thought I heard a doggy-noise! Just look at this cutie! Aren't you adorable!" She stuck the dog's nose in her face and rubbed her nose against his.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's ears twitched in irritation, reaching stubbornly for the next drawer with no intention of changing her current path down the side of the counter. This one proved no more fruitful than the last and her eyes flickered briefly to the one on the end, at least five drawers away.

Refusing to believe he actually intended to be helpful, she continued in the order she started, finally making a noise of success and reaching down to rummage in the drawer she opened. 3

Hiei raised a brow, silently struggling with himself at the fact that Shikiyoku had completely ignored him and continued on her own path. This time, he shoved a large spoonful of ice cream to stifle any noise he might even consider making, settling for watching her continue through the line of drawers. He considered prodding her a little further, but settled for simply observing as she reached the end, pulling open a drawer and making a small gesture of success.

Hiei merely turned to his tub of ice cream and continued eating in silence, no longer using Shikiyoku as a form of entertainment.

~!**!~

Nabu himself reacted to the voice he heard, his own ears laying back as if he'd been scolded. When he was suddenly suspended in the air, in a much quicker motion than earlier today, he gave an actual cry and kicked his feet, panicking until his nose met the woman's. Only then did his entire body relax and he tentatively licked at her nose, testing her to see if she was as friendly as she made herself out to be. _*****_

"How cyUUUTE!" She gave another squeal as the pup licked her nose.

"Mooooom!" Yusuke whined, walking over to where his mother had danced into the living room, "_I'm _the one that found him!" He reached up to try and get the dog back.

"Too bad!" She spun away from him, holding the dog higher where Yusuke couldn't reach, "He's too cute for you!" She turned back to the pup and started speaking at a higher-pitch, rubbing their noses together again, "Aren't you? Aren't you just the cutest thing ever!"

~!**!~

"Ha! You were wrong!" Shikiyoku spun around on the tile and triumphantly held out a spoon that likely would have been placed into a dish and used to scoop servings onto a dinner plate. As such, it was at least twice, if not three times the size of the spoon Hiei was using.

She practically skipped forward, away the from the row of drawers behind her, the last three she hadn't bothered to close, but the "spoon" she retrieved very obviously coming from the second-to-last drawer. The one right next to the drawer Hiei suggested.

Happy with her prize, Shikiyoku went to pry apart the lid from the tub, but frowned after two unsuccessful attempts. Opening her mouth and then closing it again just as quickly, she reached down to try again.

Her face wrought with conflicting emotions, Shikiyoku ground her teeth together and picked up the tub with her free hand, shoving it towards Hiei's face but refusing to look at him, obviously displeased with what she was about to have to do.

"Can you...open it...please..." She muttered, glaring down at the table. 3

Hiei looked up in time to see Shikiyoku spin around, a large… spoon-like object in her hand. He stared at it in confusion; he hadn't known spoons like that existed. He frowned, realizing that she'd gotten it from the next to last drawer. His brows furrowed and, quite honestly, he wondered if perhaps he might find one similar. His eyes flickered to the drawer before he looked back to her, a brow raised in consideration. "Are you sure you can handle that?" he suddenly harped, finding sudden amusement in the mental image of her being unable to eat from it, picturing her trying to stick the entire spoon into her mouth. The mental image made his eyes flash in amusement.

When he realized she was also struggling with the tub, his amusement level increased tenfold. At first, he merely looked at it, as if her request were absurd. But after a moment, he took it from her grasp and began slowly pulling at the lid, taking his sweet time in hopes that he'd frustrate her enough to try again herself.

~!**!~

Nabu wasn't sure what he'd expected, but the amount of pleased dialogue from this woman was not it. So when she continued, his tail began to whip back and forth wildly, his tongue lolling. "_You're really nice! Wanna play?"_ he asked as he reached out a paw, just touching her face and then letting it fall away again. "_Actually, can I sit with you?" _he suddenly asked, head turning to the side and letting his nose touch hers back. "_I've run a lot today… I'm kinda tired, but I'm hungry…. so I don't wanna sleep yet…"_ He kicked his front paws lightly again, rubbing his face on hers.

"_I like you people."_ _*****_

"Yusuke, the steaks are on the bottom left. Why don't you grab a plate and put one on it and bring it here. Just cook the other one up."

"Sure thing!" Yusuke grinned as she sat down and put the pup on the floor, Kuwabara going to join them. He turned and went back into the kitchen to do as she suggested, going ahead and turning on the oven and coming back out with the other raw piece of meat and plopping down on the floor with the rest, putting the plate in the middle of the triangle shape the three human bodies formed.

~!**!~

The low sound coming from Shikiyoku was almost a growl and she flexed her jaw impatiently, but refused at first to turn and watch Hiei as he began pulling apart the lid from the tub. After a moment, she couldn't stand his slowness and whipped back towards him, reaching for the tub he seemed to be taunting her with.

"You're slow!" Came her protest, intending to snatch the ice cream away. 3

Hiei found himself sneering more and more as the seconds ticked by, until she finally whipped around to face him. Immediately, he leaned back in his chair, keeping the tub from her reach. However, instead of taking his sweet time this time, he actually pulled the lid off and glanced inside at its contents, only to meet disgust at the mere appearance of the substance. He continued to eye the green substance, his nose lightly sniffing at it, but only meeting cold air and the smell of something sweet. he scrunched his nose and held it out to her with a _good luck_ nod in her direction. "All yours," he said casually as he offered it to her, no longer amused, but disgusted with it.

After all, every green substance in the demon realm was poisonous, so this was nowhere near appetizing to him. It actually sent alarms in the back of his head, but he ignored them completely, knowing his lack of knowledge about the human realm could affect him in numerous ways, and overreacting being one of them.

~!**!~

Nabu felt an immense amount of relief at being placed on his own feet, suddenly glad to not be in the air anymore, despite the attention he'd been getting. Akari never acted like this around him, so he was basking in the joy that filled the atmosphere of the house, even adding his own to it. He sniffed the hardwood floor and looked back up in time to see a plate set on the floor. He quickly made his way to the pink substance on the plate, and immediately found that the smell was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed.

Without any hesitation, he tore into it, using a paw to hold it still so he could break off bite-sized pieces one by one, all the while mentally thanking these people for the meal. _*****_

"Aw, look at him." Kuwabara finally spoke up, "He's pretty adorable. I mean, he's no Eichiki," He quickly retracted, "But cute."

"What's his name, Yusuke?" Atsuko asked as they watched the little one tear into the food.

Yusuke shrugged. "I just found him on the sidewalk. No collar or anything, so he must be a stray. Hadn't really thought of a name."

Atsuko put a hand up to her chin as if in thought, "You know, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to have animals in the apartment."

Yusuke frowned, "Yeah, I thought about that."

"But what they don't know won't hurt 'em, right?" She laughed.

Yusuke grinned, thankful his mom took to the dog as much as he had, "I'm gonna go check on the oven!" He got up and left the room.

Shikiyoku took it from him without so much as a 'thanks,' turning away and coveting the tub close to her body, and without hesitation digging her spoon and rolling a large portion into the awkward utensil for consumption.

She managed to get the bite past her lips with no issue, squinting one eye as she'd forgotten even in the short time it'd been since first having the stuff of how cold it stung.

As the flavor took hold on her tongue, her grip on the tub itself slipped and it clattered to the floor. Her eyes shone brightly as the strange flavor prickled up and out her nose, releasing the most heavenly taste she had ever been introduced to. Her demonic energy hummed underneath her skin, briefly weaving around her body visibly on the air as an aura of power before it disappeared again and she collapsed onto the floor in a dead faint, the spoon still clutched tightly in her other hand. 3

Hiei had looked away for a second, but a second was all it took. In the time it took for him to scoop some more ice cream in his own spoon, something had hit the floor, and then the air had become charged. By the time he had looked up, Shikiyoku was gone from his sight, the sound of her body hitting the floor echoing through not only the air, but his very core. He was shocked still for a moment, staring down at her feet, the only part of her body he could see from around the corner of the table.

Energy hummed through him slowly at first, and then fully exploded through his veins just as he exploded from his seat, taking only a millisecond to reach her side, crouching over her body where she lay on the hardwood floor. His hands moved, two fingers automatically touching the skin at her jugular in an automatic check for a pulse, his mind calming only a bit when the normal hum of energy, that to a human feigned as a heartbeat, thrummed there. He sat back on his heels, rolling her over and using his Jagan to immediately search for any sign of something attacking the girl he'd sworn to protect. _No ridiculous poison will best me. _

~!**!~

Nabu continued to eat at the wonderful meat, its juicy tenderness making him rip at it in a consistent speed. He only glanced up for a moment when Yusuke moved from the room, but in another second he was tearing at the meat again. He hadn't known he was this hungry until now.

Then again, it could have been all the other foods he'd been eating lately, none of which were meat in any shape nor form.

When he finished, he proceeded to lick the plate clean of the flavor of the meat. Even long after the taste was gone, his tongue continued to rove over the glass surface. _That was amazing,_ he thought to himself. _I wonder if Akari has ever had this? _

The thought was gone, and with it all curiosity and energy he'd had before. Now that he was full, he found himself sitting down in front of the plate, watching each person in turn, wondering which person would let him lay on them for a nap. _*****_

Atsuko stood up and tousled the pup's ears, returning to her cushion to watch more of the television as Yusuke came back into the room and scooped the dog up into his arms.

"Feel better now?" He asked, giving the dog a good scratch on the back as he jerked his head at Kuwabara, "We can go into my room. The steak won't be done for a while and I've got my video games set up." Yusuke walked off for the room with Kuwabara trailing behind him.

Yusuke put the dog back down on the ground after getting into his room, he and Kuwabara sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of a television with a game system hooked up. The pair busied themselves with grabbing controllers and setting up the game, though Yusuke did pat the floor and turn to the dog once he got settled.

"C'mon over here, doggie! Just don't chew on the cables..."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku floated somewhere very far away on clouds of minty-green and happiness with bits of chocolate in the air beside her. Of course, she did not have names for "mint" and "chocolate," but that didn't stop her from frolicking about in la-la-land with the pair of flavors still sitting on her tongue. 3

Hiei let his Jagan search for any immediate danger, though he knew it wouldn't do him much good since he wasn't an expert at things like this, unlike Kurama. Suddenly, it occurred to him that maybe she hadn't completely swallowed it yet, and his hands immediately went to her face, one moving her head so he could see her face and the other forcing her jaw open to take a look. To his dismay, there was only a few traces of the substance, those traces being little dark chunks stuck in her teeth.

He thought for a moment before sitting back, an odd feeling sweeping through him. He considered going out and searching for Kurama, who would be much better at this, but if his Jagan couldn't reach him, as it was attempting to right now, it wouldn't matter by the time they got back.

Frustration hit Hiei like a ton of bricks in his gut, making his body thrum with energy and his mind whir with many different scenarios. He could… but no, that wouldn't work…

He could…

That would do more harm than good…

He gave a frustrated sound and looked around the room in desperation, his eyes suddenly falling on the spoon in her hand. He growled as if it had offended him personally and ripped it from her grasp, a hand staying around her wrist as he chunked it across the room, not noticing how his emotions made the heat in his body rise enough to make the spoon conform to his grasp. He began shaking Shikiyoku, frantically trying to think of something else.

_Water._

_What if the poison is accelerated by hydration?_

_**Damn it all. **_

~!**!~

Nabu wasn't too bothered when he was lifted from the floor again, this time completely trusting that he wouldn't be dropped by the boy who had fed him. When he was set down again, he looked around the room, easily finding a bed with comfortable looking blankets and a pillow. There were clothes on the floor too, and almost automatically he recalled laying in old shirts when he was even younger, before he'd been taken in.

Almost immediately, he sauntered to the nearest t-shirt, ducking his head and making his way underneath it. He shimmied his way around the cloth until he was completely covered, only pausing when Yusuke called out to him. His head popped out from under the cloth, beady brown eyes looking at Yusuke in curiosity. "_You want me nearby?"_ He asked, as if it were the most absurd thing ever. Sure, he always slept near Akari and sometimes even on her stomach, but other than that, he hadn't been allowed much close proximity to people when napping.

So, when prompted, he giddily made his way to the boy, dragging the shirt with him and simply curling into the boy's lap, using the shirt as a blanket, hoping the mud had dried enough to keep him from dirtying the cloth too much and potentially angering the person. Finally, he rested in a tight ball in Yusuke's lap, his chin resting on the boy's knee and eyes pointed to the screen that flashed pictures. _*****_

Yusuke laughed and pointed for Kuwabara to look as the dog dragged the dirty old t-shirt across the floor and promptly dropped into Yusuke's lap with it. Yusuke gave the dog's back several good strokes with one hand as he went through the menu options on the video game with the other, and he and Kuwabara settled into a rhythm, though the dark-haired boy was never too long in dropping a hand from the controller to give the dog another pat.

~!**!~

Through the entire escapade, Maneshi had maintained his position on Hiei's shoulder, and even as the fire demon bent over the woman on the floor, he showed no concern.

The black cat slipped down onto the tile floor and stuck his nose in the tub on the ground, giving the contents of the bucket a good three or four licks before turning to Shikiyoku's still form, the end of his little pink tongue sticking out of his mouth. He moved another step or two out of the way, opposite the direction that Hiei hovered, and sat down on his haunches, regarding Hiei with the same tongue-out-of-mouth expression, his gaze steady, awaiting what the fire demon would do next. 3

Hiei reacted completely out of the norm at the movement on his shoulders; he actually jumped in surprise, a hand flitting to his Katana out of sheer instinct. His eyes laid sight on the cat and he immediately dismissed the momentary panic, turning back to the actual problem at hand. His eyes roved over Shikiyoku, searching for evidence of anything lethal, but again found nothing. He looked around the room, searching for something of use, but just as before, he came up with nothing.

A scowl etched into his face much further than before, seeming as if etched in stone. He grit his teeth and stood up, a hand rubbing his temple as he forced himself to stop and think.

_Water won't do. If it's powered by hydration, then it would kill her in a moment. Perhaps…_ His eyes turned to the window, looking to the outside world and at the greenery he could see. None of it appeared to be any type of medical herb that he knew of. _Think. _

Again, he bent over Shikiyoku, this time his eyes meeting those of the feline across from him for guidance. No response, and his frustration flared into full-on anger. Explosive anger, at that. His energy broiled and his mind reeled, going into irrational mode. "How about instead of sitting on your lazy ass, you do something," he growled at the cat.

He turned his angry irises to the culprit of the situation, and his anger became lethal. He approached it and took a sniff at it, as he had earlier. Again, he only had the experience of cold and sweet. But, feeling as if he couldn't do anything at all, he simply set it aflame in his hand, finding an intense emotion in watching it burn, in smelling the burning container. _**Die.**_

~!**!~

Nabu got comfortable very quickly, his full stomach making it hard for him to stay awake. He stretched only slightly before resettling back into his most comfortable position and letting his eyes slide closed. A puff of air left him in a puppy sigh, and before too long, his head began to slip down little by little, and he was off in little puppy dreams.

~!**!~

Akari walked through the front door for the first time ever, not caring if any of the nearby humans saw her enter the closed-off territory. "Nabu," she called, holding up a bag that rustled in her grasp, "I'm back, and I have food." She shut the door behind her, locking it easily despite the very obvious hole in the side of the building. She gave a sigh and turned to the couch, expecting the pup to be laying on it, but unable to see him for the back of the couch. "Nabu, nap time is over," she said casually, walking to a desk that was actually cleaned off and setting down the plastic bag. "Come on, Nabu, I-" she turned to look at the couch, and was met with empty furniture.

"Nabu!" She called, looking to the stairs that were blocked off with fallen debris from the upper floor. She knew of the small hole he could fit through, but didn't think he'd have gone through there and ignore her warning of the danger. "If you don't get down here, I'll eat all of it myself!"

Silence.

Worry suddenly hit her. Hard. "Nabu, this isn't funny! Get down here, NOW!"

Nothing.

She felt sick. Physically sick. Without another call to the house she knew was empty, she turned and left the house through the gaping hole in the building, easily finding the faint scent of the pup. She didn't know why, but the thought of the pup being by himself in the crowded city made her feel ill in almost every aspect. _*****_

~!**!~

"_How about instead of flying off the handle, you take a moment and think?" _Maneshi finally replied, his voice dry against the inferno of Hiei's mind. The very tip of his tail twitched once in a while and the mismatched color of his gaze stayed steady on Hiei.

"_You have been afforded several certain...advantages in regards to her now. The most prominent is your bond with her that will confirm or deny if she is truly in any danger here, but you cannot access its presence between you if you are already enraged. Calm yourself." _3

Hiei whirled around to meet the gaze of the cat, not caring that the container was still melting in his very hand at that moment. But he listened to Maneshi all the same. _Advantages? _he thought, confused. The confusion made his anger level deplete almost entirely, his mind clearing despite the hidden emotions underneath. "What do you mean, _use the bond_?" he repeated, his tone completely different than the moment before.

There was another way?

Plus, the cat was calm, meaning… he should be too, right? If the cat wasn't worried, barking orders, then Hiei shouldn't be worried, right? _Right? _He hoped that was indeed the case. "How?"

~!**!~

Akari moved, finding herself retracing her own steps. _Dammit Nabu, I said not to follow me. _The demoness made her way briskly through the thickening crowd, this being the middle of the dinner rush hour. But, as she continued to walk, she suddenly realized that his scent was stronger in certain places, as if…

As if he'd backtracked.

Akari's eyes turned in the direction she assumed the pup had gone, her nose flaring as she sniffed. Then, with the realization came utter anger. _If you touched him, I swear to Enma that you will die by my hands,_ she thought, her stomach rolling with protective worry over the pup. After all, the two boys didn't like her. It was understandable, but at the same time, disdain could drive one to do stupid things.

She followed the scents until, eventually, she was standing at an apartment door, fist hitting it loudly. _If he's hurt… __*****_

Atsuko stood bent over the oven when the pounding came at the front door, attempting to stick a fork through the steak that was now finished cooking.

"Somebody at the door, Yusuke!" She yelled, trying for another stab.

"Get it yourself, mom! I'm busy!" Came her son's voice from the back room.

Atsuko grumbled to herself, but did manage to get the steak on her fork and stood up from the oven, closing it and turning it off before heading for the door.

Upon opening it, her eyebrows raised slightly over the steak that she had moved over to her mouth to take a bite from, "You lookin' for something, sweetie?" She asked, her mouth full.

~!**!~

Maneshi's tailed curled around the tops of his front paws.

"_If you're calm, you should simply be able to __**feel **__within yourself whether or not she is injured at this moment. Overreacting for nothing could someday put the both of you in more trouble than staying calm and assessing the situation first. If she is hurt, or in pain, you will know. If her life is threatened, you will sense it. The bond is of course stronger the closer your proximity, but even at a distance you can reach through it to check on her. Furthermore, if you believe she is in danger, she will look to you for guidance and insight in the situation. You could not protect someone if you were not apt at sensing the approach of those with ill intent, and wouldn't have been able to accept the task if it were the case. But your fury will be your undoing." _3

Hiei raised a brow at the cat, his chest deflating completely now that his anger left him, replaced with this new information. As the cat continued speaking, his voice brushing Hiei's mind and wiping out the flames of fury with cool confidence, Hiei began trying to do as Maneshi said he should be able to- feel the bond. After a few moments, Hiei's entire mind was a dull hum, not even taking in the words of wisdom from the cat as he felt an odd sensation take over.

It was… calm? No, but something very similar, in his opinion. He assessed it further, eyes drooping shut as even his own body relaxed. _Is this what it feels like? _It was so bizarre, this odd feeling. All was well and good, but even so he let his mind linger on that feeling. It was almost like a string in his mind that continuously reverberated with the energy that hummed in the air, giving feedback depending on the atmosphere.

Finally, he withdrew from it and opened his eyes to meet a silent cat, all trace of anger gone, along with the flame he'd been previously holding in his hand. "Then… why..?" He suddenly inquired, glancing at Shikiyoku curiously.*

* * *

><p><span>Eikichi<span> - no meaning

Atsuko - Female given name or forename

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	18. Episode 103 - And So Does Akari

**A/N: **Hello once again, Audience!

Another chapter awaits!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Hiei and Shikiyoku return to Toriko's home after gathering food and sweet snow.  
>Upon consuming "mint chocolate" ice cream, Shikiyoku faints and Hiei learns,<br>via Maneshi, that he can check on her health by accessing a bond within himself,  
>one that allows him to assess her well-being.<p>

~!**!~

Akari leaves Nabu at home, but the curious pup follows her after a while,  
>ending up with Kuwabara and Yusuke. Akari tracks him to Yusuke and Atsuko's apartment...<p>

* * *

><p>Akari's fist lowered to her side as she listened to the shouts from behind the door, realizing she hadn't taken into account the possibility of another human nearby. <em>I'll just have to work around it. <em>By the time the door was open, Akari's expression was neutral, but on the verge of rushed. She opened her mouth to speak, but the wafting smell of the steak hit her hard, causing her stomach to roll; she'd been avoiding meats like the plague, and this certainly wasn't helping. Her nose crinkled up, her brows furrowing.

Then she realized the woman had spoke to her. "Yes, is Yusuke home? I'm… a friend of his…" she said slowly, her tone carefully even despite the fact that Nabu's scent was very strong inside the home. "I need to speak to him about… school work…" she said carefully, eyes roaming past her head and to the apartment beyond. _*****_

"Oh my! Well, please come on in! He's just back here!" Atsuko turned away and started walking for the back of the apartment, "Yusuke! There's a cute girl here to see you! You'd better not be cheating on Keiko!" The last sentence came out much more harsh than the others and she stomped the last two feet into Yusuke's room.

"Mom, you know I wouldn't-" Yusuke did a double take, his jaw dropping open, "MOM! YOU'RE EATING MY STEAK!" If he didn't have the sleeping dog under the t-shirt in his lap he would have jumped up and tried to snatch it from her.

"You're too slow!" Atsuko waved the steak around on the fork for a bit tauntingly, then left the room after Akari walked in.

"What do _you _want?" Yusuke grumbled at her, both he and Kuwabara turning back to their game.

~!**!~

Maneshi's eyes sparkled, "_Well, it's quite possible that she is having some sort of reaction to either the 'mint' or the 'chocolate' contained within the ice cream. Or perhaps she's only being overly dramatic." _He stood before Hiei could say anything else and calmly walked out of earshot, disappearing up the stairs. 3

Hiei felt his brow disappear in his bangs just as the cat disappeared from his immediate eyesight, making the fire demon turn to the girl in confusion and curiosity. Now that he was calm, he could easily see there was no immediate danger, without even having to refer to the _bond_, as Maneshi so pointedly called it. Physically she was fine, aside from a few marks here and there, which he realized was only by his own doing. If it were in his nature, he would have uttered the single word, _oops_. Instead, he settled for a sigh and resigned himself into lightly tapping Shikiyoku's face repeatedly, wondering if this would wake her from whatever had made her come to such a condition.

_You're a pain._

~!**!~

Akari gave a small smile to the human who stepped aside, and then lead her straight to the back of the apartment, yelling the entire way. _Cute?_ she thought to herself, a brow raised. _I'm not __**cute**__, dammit. _She followed the woman into the back room, arms crossing over her chest as she waited for the two humans to stop chattering and for the older woman to leave.

And at Yusuke's question, her temper flared. "Where is he?" she demanded, fingers tapping on her arm as if it was a great struggle to keep them from around his neck. "Nabu's scent is all over this room." Her tone was mild, but her gaze was smoldering. She suppressed the urge to give a verbal warning, only because the human woman in the next room would be able to hear her, since her own voice carried easily. _*****_

"What are you going on about?" Yusuke asked off-handedly, "Can't you see we're in the middle of something important here?"

"Who's Nabu?" Kuwabara wanted to know, neither boy looking up from their game.

~!**!~

Floating amongst minty-chocolate, Shikiyoku wondered at the ridiculousness of the situation. How in the three worlds could a bite of this strangely flavored sweet snow make her faint? She wondered if Toriko knew anything about this.

The middle of her wonderings were suddenly interrupted by an incessant tapping that originated somewhere outside of the green-cloud fantasy land and she felt her eyelids shudder, then slowly blink open and she sat up abruptly. 3

Hiei watched her fluttering eyelids patiently, his tapping ceasing as soon as there was signs of consciousness in Shikiyoku. By now, he'd completely forgotten the melted green and brown mess on the floor that he'd made.

When she sat up, Hiei rocked to his heels to give space, then slowly stood up, standing over her with an air of calm amusement. "Moron," he commented, turning his eyes to the side for a bit before they flickered down to her again, and he held a hand out to help her up.

~!**!~

Akari immediately felt her eyebrow twitch. Who else would she be asking about? Frustrated that they wouldn't look at her properly, or even consider a proper answer, she reached a hand out to the person closest to her, Yusuke, intending to grab him by the head. However, a small huff caught her attention, causing her hand to still just inches from his gelled back head of hair. Her eyes slid down the Yusuke's lap, finding a t-shirt rolled into a ball that moved periodically, light snores vaguely heard if she listened hard enough. Nabu's snores.

She stared down at the lump of what she now knew to be her sleeping companion, and relief flooded her. It hit her hard enough that she took two steps away, to Yusuke's right, and simply plopped down on his bed unceremoniously, as if she'd done so hundreds of times before.

He wasn't hurt. _He's just sleeping… _She didn't want to wake him. After all, she'd run his little heart out today in hopes he _would _sleep, and now that he was, she couldn't bring herself to wake him up by picking him up and leaving.

"Nabu is the dog." she finally answered Kuwabara, eyes shut. She said nothing more about it, only gave a sigh of relief. _*****_

"Aw, so he's _yours_?" Yusuke moaned, "That just figures. I get the thing home and even mom likes the little guy and somebody else owns him. I guess you want him back now, huh?" Yusuke shifted around a little and started to place his controller on the floor with the intention of extricating the tiny body from his lap.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took the hand extended to her, saying nothing, and let Hiei pull her to her feet. She ran a hand over her forehead where it hit the floor, but got distracted by tiny pricks of pain up and down her forearms, turning the both of them face up and seeing what looked like burn marks. Her eyes trailed over to the puddle on the floor and it didn't take much to put two and two together.

Her eyes grew large and glassy, but just as quickly narrowed again and in an instant stood next to the front door, reaching up to unlock it. 3

Hiei's eyes widened at the sudden burst from the woman he'd helped up, his eyes following her every move. "And where are you going?" He asked calmly, his crimson orbs flashing with curiosity and amusement as he could already just guess. It didn't take too much for him to realize, after having followed the trail he gaze had made. He raised a brow, as if disappointed, wondering how she'd react to this gesture.

~!**!~

Akari's brows furrowed together. "Answer me this, Urameshi. If you have a child, do you, say, _own_ that child?" she asked suddenly, tone hard as her eyelids slid open so she could assess his reaction. "Or, say, if you lived with Kuwabara, would you _own _him?" A sneer touched her lips, but disappeared. "No use in waking him now, detective. He's comfortable, and won't be going anywhere." _*****_

Yusuke stopped fidgeting around and returned Akari's gaze.

"So, can I keep him?" He piped up eyes slightly more eager than they had been moments ago.

Kuwabara laughed, "I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant, Urameshi."

"Shuddup." Yusuke reached over and punched Kuwabara in the shoulder, grumbling and picking his controller back up.

Kuwabara scooted over as if to make room on the floor in front of the television, then turned to Akari and held out his own controller.

"Urameshi's really easy to beat, so you should practice on him first before you take me on!"

Yusuke bonked Kuwabara again.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku only took the briefest of seconds after unlocking the door to turn and stick her tongue out impetuously at Hiei before throwing the thing wide and stepping out again, turning and bending her knees to jump up onto the roof. 3

Hiei's eyebrows shot up, surprised by Shikiyoku's reply. "Childish," he scoffed out, watching her swing up onto the roof with ease. "You do realize going to the same place twice will raise suspicion, right?" he called casually, slowly making his way out the door and shutting it behind himself, taking to walking down the street instead of using the rooftops as she did. "Find another place to get it. It shouldn't be that difficult."

~!**!~

Akari's entire expression twitched into irritation, her fist clenching as she considered hitting the boy. But, he was saved by Kuwabara, who spoke up on her behalf. Suddenly, she realized that the atmosphere was.. a cordial one. Unlike last time she'd been in the same room as the detective, her presence seemed… accepted. _First the fox, and now the humans? _She ran a hand through her hair; why were they all being so nice all of the sudden?

_Sure;y it's not because Koenma told them to be,_ she thought to herself some more, eyeing the duo warily. But, the sound of sleeping Nabu made her doubt her initial instincts about the sudden shift in the group, and she wondered if perhaps this time, she were being paranoid.

Then again, that's what had happened last time.

"No," she suddenly replied, realizing Kuwabara had been offering the controller to her. "Demons and video games do not mix well." She waved her hand dismissively before crossing her legs underneath herself, resigning herself to wait until Nabu awoke. _*****_

"What? Why not?" Kuwabara retracted his offer out of instinct, worried that she might go feral or something if she got a hold of the controller.

"It's not true." Yusuke piped up, his eyes never leaving the screen. "I've played with Kurama plenty of times and _he's _never had a problem with it."

Kuwabara offered the controller again, "You might as well. No sense in being bored."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku paused on top of one of the roofs, her bare feet landing silently, and looked down at Hiei walking along the sidewalk below. She had a sudden desire to lose him, to run off and leave him behind, to be by herself. Why had he followed her anyway? She was surprised he'd even stayed around her for this long. Her eyes followed the lowering sunbeams of the evening.

She missed Demon World. Her most vivid memories beyond her escape into the Human World were from over fifteen years ago and were all ones within her home realm. She missed the smells, the sounds… even if walking around for someone like her was more of a liability than it was for most demon-types, she craved even that promise of hardship. What was there here to live for?

Perhaps that's the reason why she bolted out the door when she realize Hiei had melted the ice cream after she fainted. If she could leave this blasted world even for just a few moments, then it was worth it to retrieve more of the stuff.

Maybe she was much weaker than Toriko after all…

Shikiyoku took off again, still heading in the direction of the store they left earlier. 3

Hiei eyed the form of Shikiyoku as she stood on the building, as if considering his words. He didn't say anything more, since it was to be assumed that she didn't care at all about what he'd had to say. So he kept his lips sealed, hands in his pockets as he walked, his mind curiously roving to the bond. He assessed the calmness through it, the small hum of energy completely taking over his mind, his feet automatically following the path that the energy made for him. It was a curious thing, the bond.

He wondered if, perhaps, he could manipulate it to give his own feedback, if ever necessary.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Kuwabara's reaction, his expression becoming one of an odd form of fear. She could only imagine what he was thinking. She would have said something smart about it, but she didn't see any reason to do so. As Yusuke spoke up, her eyes flashed to him, who hadn't turned to face her as he spoke.

"Well, your friend Kurama has a temper that is under easy control," she remarked casually, shrugging a single shoulder as she slid from the bed anyways and plopped herself down on the floor between the two boys. As the saying went, _if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. _"What game?" she inquired, taking the controller from Kuwabara's hand gingerly. _Might as well play nice like everyone else. __*****_

"It's a racing game. But we're actually in the same car." Yusuke began explaining.

"The controls are pretty easy." Kuwabara leaned over to point them out. "That one to accelerate, that one to steer. The other guy sits on the back of the car and throws stuff at the other players. If you wanna switch and sit on the back and throw stuff, you hit that button at the same time as your partner."

~!**!~

Going at a non-human speed, it didn't take long at all to arrive back at the store, though Shikiyoku ended up on the roof this time.

She leaned over the edge of the front of the building to look down at the people below, none of whom could be bothered to raise their eyes her direction.

"_I know I shouldn't come back here...but it's the only place I know to go!" _She pouted as she squatted down and leaned her arms on the edge of the roof, resting her chin on her wrists. The more she thought, the bigger and glassier her eyes became, "_Plus, I have no idea what that sweet snow is called since Hiei destroyed the container._" Her gaze flickered to the burn marks on her arms that were slowly healing themselves away, "_So I __**have **__to go inside and ask the man from before...He's the only one who knows which container was grabbed! ...even though I'd just as soon never see him again." _She huffed out a breath, and didn't move, a despondent expression on her face. 3

Hiei continued on his same path, at the same casual pace as he'd taken since leaving the house. He was in no hurry, though after a moment his mind broke away from the bond and his eyes refocused on the people moving around him. He finally found himself focusing on something ahead of him that quietly piqued his curiosity.

"Give it to me, I said," a gruff voice whispered, Hiei only being able to see the broad shoulder of the man around the corner of the alleyway ahead. A sneer formed on his face; he'd done this only once before now, and it always made things easier.

The fire demon rounded the corner and stepped into the alleyway in time to see the smaller human run away at the word "scram" from the larger one. In the man's hand was a small leather object that he recognized as a wallet. Without an inkling of hesitation, Hiei stood in front of the 6'3" man, looking at him without much difficulty. "I do believe that belongs to another," the fire demon said, red eyes glinting.

"Oh, another one? How fun! My luck is great!" The older man boomed out a chuckle, then met Hiei's gaze squarely. "You have money you want to offer too, small fry?"

A pause. Hiei's eyes darkened as his energy thrummed through him, his Jagan opening behind the white cloth that hid it from view. "No, but you will be giving me yours."

"Tch. Like that will happ-" the man's words halted as his eyes widened. The sharpened features drained of color, and that was the moment Hiei realized he was dealing with a human who had a decent amount of the sixth sense. A sneer formed. "W-what?"

"As I said, you will be handing that over to me."

A couple minutes later, Hiei was walking down the street with a pocket full of currency, arriving to the store and immediately looking up at Shikiyoku. "_Follow my lead," _his mind whispered to hers, and he turned to continue down the road to the next store- information he had gotten from the human before leaving.

~!**!~

Akari's eye twitched. Racing? What was racing? She didn't ask though, soon enough getting her answer when Kuwabara continued explaining the game to her and its controls. With each button he announced, she touched in turn, memorizing all she could from his informative speech.

"Okay," she said slowly, going over each button in her mind again. "I'm the one that throws things to destroy other players?" she asked, surmising that this was her basic duty. Easy enough, right? _*****_

"If you're sitting on the back." Yusuke added. "The way it is right now, you'll be driving. If you want to switch, we can, but we'll have to do it after the course has started."

"Urameshi is terrible at driving though-"

"I am not yah blockhead!"

"Then how come I'm always doing it?"

"Because you never let me drive!"

"Because you're terrible at it!"

"How am I supposed to get better without practice, huh?"

"Psh. Yah right." Kuwabara leaned back onto his hands, but whispered over to Akari, "Don't let him drive! You'll totally lose."

"I heard that." Yusuke glared over at him.

"The game's starting." Kuwabara nodded at the TV screen and Yusuke whipped his head back as the countdown timer began.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes watched Hiei's approach, catching his glance up in her direction just before his presence brushed against her mind, startling her.

"Follow your lead, huh?" She muttered under her breath, not moving for another moment as he turned and kept going. She bit her lip and regarded the sidewalk below just in front of the store. What _exactly _was Hiei planning?

A handful of seconds passed before she stood up, deciding her curiosity as to Hiei's request outweighed her own indecisiveness about entering or not entering the store beneath her feet. She could always come back later.

With only one last forlorn glance at the store containing her heart's desire below, she moved to follow in Hiei's direction, her bare feet padding silently on the rooftop, too fast for human eyes to see, until she got close enough to the next building to make the leap between them. 3

Hiei didn't wait for Shikiyoku for even a second. He didn't even glance back to see if she was following. He had full confidence that she'd trust his judgement and simply go with him on this. His hands fingered at the money in his pocket casually, knowing it was more than enough to get what he needed. Or, rather, what Shikiyoku thought she needed. He gave a slight sound to himself that was somewhere between irritation and amusement.

_The lengths I go to for this impetuous woman…_

His thoughts suddenly stopped when he realized that he had just passed the sign he'd been searching for, reading the words "FOOD ON THE GO" that was brandished in giant, all capitalized red letters. The sign above that was even larger, with the words "GRAND OPENING" written in black against a yellow fabric that should have caught his eye earlier.

He lingered outside the store for a moment, glancing at the door as a human walked out, waving goodbye to someone over her shoulder. She met his gaze, gave a nod, then continued on as if he were part of her everyday life. With a casual look up for Shikiyoku, he took a few steps inside the store, his eyes looking around curiously, searching for the nearest uniform-clad worker.

~!**!~

Akari gave a loud, obnoxious sigh at the two boys who continued to bicker around her. "Enough," she grumbled, her hands holding the controller in the most uncomfortable of ways. She adjusted her grasp until it finally felt right, her thumbs hovering over the swivel-sticks and the buttons that were lit up at her. To her, this looked like such a high-tech thing. "Wait, _I'm driving?" _she suddenly asked, realizing she'd completely ignored their bickering until it became relevant to her. "why?"

But the weirdest sound buzzed from the speakers of the screen: horn, and then the word "GO!" flashed across the screen. Almost instinctively, she pushed the first button she thought of, which miraculously led to their vehicle shooting forward, albeit at the oddest angle and, eventually, into the wall. _*****_

"Because you have the first player controller." Kuwabara explained.

"Let's switch, let's switch!" Yusuke chanted excitedly, mashing on the button that would allow the pair to switch places should Akari decide to hit it.

"Don't listen to him." Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "If you want to drive, go for it. Use that one to steer the car around. You press and hold the one that accelerates you and then you steer around with that one." He reached over and pointed at the stick on the controller that she needed to use.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wasn't sure whether to jump down and join the fire demon or not. To be honest, she still wasn't really sure what he was doing. Did he remember another yummy treat they didn't get at the other place? She licked her lips in anticipation, momentarily forgetting her desire for the sweet snow.

"Hey! What are you doing up here?"

Shikiyoku spun around to see a man beginning to walk towards her, a rooftop door open widely behind him. 3

Hiei, completely unaware of what was going on up on the roof, continued to search the inside of the store until a small, dainty human woman bounced up to him, smiling and batting her lashes. "Hello and welcome to our new store! Is there anything I can help you find?"

The fire demon raised a brow and shrugged his shoulders, suddenly deciding to act just as human as he possibly could. "Ice cream," he said casually, eyes searching the area behind her.

"Right this way!" the girl cheered, swinging her arms violently as she turned and began her bouncing, merry way through the crowded store, Hiei following silently the whole way.

~!**!~

.Akari practically jumped when the game suddenly stopped, a big box enveloping the screen with numerous options to choose from. She raised a brow and turned expectantly to Yusuke, waiting. But as Kuwabara grabbed her attention, she was again looking down at the plastic object in her hands and watching Kuwabara's fingers gesture to the buttons he spoke of.

"I think I got it," she said slowly, her tone only slightly hesitant as she turned to Yusuke, determination making her irises gleam. "Make that box-thing disappear. I wanna try." _*****_

"Dang it, Kuwabara…" Yusuke muttered, hitting the start button again so the game would continue.

Kuwabara looked smugly pleased with himself and crossed his arms over his chest to watch the result.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku tried to gather her thoughts together, but her stomach lurched at the presence of the lone human and she struggled against her first instinct, which was to mesmerize the being.

"I'm..." What _was _she doing up here?

"You aren't supposed to be here." The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he got closer, seeing the short female with dark clothing and no shoes. "How did you get up here?"

"I, uhm..." Shikiyoku glanced over her shoulder at the street below, cautiously taking a step away from the edge of the building. 3

Hiei sauntered behind the cheery girl for a bit until he was left facing an aisle that radiated cold energy, and for a moment he basked in the difference there was between it and his skin, which always seemed to be smoldering, though he knew how to ignore it. "Here you are! We have a lot of the top-name brands and-"

"That'll do," Hiei cut her off, briskly marching by her and turning to face the glass doors. In his mind, he pictured the very container he had seethed at earlier, focusing until each detail came into clear view before he found the one he needed.

WIthout another second's hesitation, he pulled on the dark handle and grabbed the very tub he needed, then immediately turned away, not even noticing the door stayed wide open behind him.

By the time he was at the front of the store again, the lines to each register were filled with at least ten people each. His face twitched, but he stayed calm, knowing there wasn't anything he could do about it.

~!**!~

Akari Sneered at Yusuke and turned to the screen in time to see the black box disappear and the game begin again. As before, the car continued to crash into the wall repeatedly, until Akari realized her movements were too jerky. Her mind told her to calm herself, breathe, and to remain calm.

_Treat it like a strategy being executed._

_Turn left._

With each thought, her grin grew wider as the control became smoother, the screen becoming much more stable than before. But when something suddenly slammed into their vehicle, she let out a low growl and straightened the game back up. "Who calls _this _fun?" _*****_

"It's more fun to throoow thiiiings!" Yusuke crowed in a sing-songy voice. "You know you want to!"

Kuwabara just scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You just want to get to drive."

"So what?!"

~!**!~

"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me, miss." The man began to walk towards her.

"And I'm afraid you're going to leave me alone now." Safe from the edge, Shikiyoku crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flashing.

"Unlikely." The man continued his stride forwards, his steps determined and his expression the same. He only got close enough to grab Shikiyoku's arm because of her surprise at his ignoring her order. "Come along."

They got several steps closer to the door through which the man first came before Shikiyoku planted her feet in the ground and the man found himself unable to drag her along.

Irritated at her, he gripped tighter and turned, his eyes growing wide when he found her expression had completely changed.

Shikiyoku batted her eyelashes at him, her expression more devious and flirty than before, reaching up with her free hand to stroke his cheek before grabbing his tie and pulling his head closer.

"You're going to let me go now."

It took another moment of their locked gazes before his hand loosened and finally fell to his side.

Shikiyoku licked her lips, their close proximity to one another making her head pound with desire. She had not activated any energy yet, but she could feel the need beginning to boil just below the surface.

_You have such self-restraint. I envy you._

Her own words echoing back into her thoughts gave Shikiyoku pause. Did she really want Spirit World coming after her again? As much entertainment as she might get from the chase, she was not whole and would definitely be fighting a losing battle. Perhaps...perhaps _that _is what stayed Hiei's hand.

Shikiyoku pushed the man away with the hand that held his tie, releasing it as he was forced to take a step back to regain his balance.

"Go away." Shikiyoku broke eye-contact and the man stumbled towards the door and out of sight, closing it behind him. She sighed into the empty air and suddenly felt very oppressed by the sights of a city built by human hands. Her core ached for Demon World, longed to return to some of its lowest depths with its wild undergrowth and wide open skies.

Without another thought, knowing if he wished to find her Hiei would have no problem doing so, Shikiyoku took off over the rooftops again. It did not take her long to get out of town and into the woodsy area that surrounded the city. She scaled one of the largest trees without pause and sat in its branches, watching the sun go down beneath the horizon. 3

As Hiei stood, he began shifting his weight impatiently. He'd been in line for five minutes, and that was already wearing on his nerves. His general dislike of being in such a crowded area left his eyes narrowing and flashing at the people around him. His uneasiness was growing the longer he stood, the smaller the steps became between people.

Finally, his mind registered that his unease was unorthodox compared to his earlier emotions. His crimson eyes looked around his surroundings, searching for the source. He found it in a single human that wandered by, eyes unfocused and tie ruffled compared to his neat hair and suit. He eyed the man further, wondering what about this human drew his attention.

Then the smell hit him. It was faint from the distance of the human that disappeared into an office, but it told him all he needed to know. His mind began searching for the bond he'd been toying with for the past few minutes, easily establishing the contact as he approached the counter and plopped the tub of Ice cream down on it. He waited for the _beep _of the scanner, then when the cashier informed him of his total, Hiei merely placed the entirety of the currency onto the counter, listening to coins bounce around on the metallic surface. "Keep the remaining amount," he said casually, turning and leaving with the tub.

Complete silence followed after him, until he was almost gone.

"...did that man just give you two-hundred and…"

The rest of the question was unheard by the fire demon. He stepped outside, his mind probing the bond until his feet automatically turned and moved in a direction all of their own, until he was nearing a spot where Shikiyoku's scent was strongest.

"I have the sweet snow," he said casually, not bothering to raise his voice above a calm banter.

~!**!~

Akari made a small sound that even she couldn't identify. Was it a laugh? A scoff? She didn't know. But what she did know was that… she actually enjoyed this game. "Stop it, that- that green thing!" She all but yelled at Yusuke, referring to the fast-moving shell that veered across the screen, missing their vehicle by an inch.

But when an odd sound came whirring through the speakers f the television loudly, she instinctively glanced around the room, distracted by the sound that she hadn't known was a strike in the game until the sound of the thunder met her ears, her eyes seeing the spinning cart of her's and Yusuke's characters in the middle of the screen.

"What the _hell _was that?"*

"That, my good demon, would be what is called a blue shell." Yusuke put a hand behind his head and scratched at his hairline. "Can't do a thing about that stuff. Comes after you when you're in first place."

At least two, if not three or four, cars zoomed past them while their car remained out of their control, and by the time they managed to pass the finish line the song that played out of the speakers was a depressed version of the usual theme and their characters were crying at the loss.

~!**!~

It wasn't that Shikiyoku did not hear Hiei's words from below, but that her mind had wandered into a different place entirely and it took a bit of a pause for her to register that the voice from somewhere outside her body was actually speaking to her specifically.

After the line played back in her head, Shikiyoku brought her legs underneath her and leapt down from the tree, starting to walk towards Hiei with her head down and both hands stuffed in her pockets.

A slight wind picked up and blew her hair in her face and she finally looked up, off to the side, into the distance, her gaze far away as she reached up to weave some of the hair behind an ear.

"Hiei...do you know how to get back to Demon World?" Her voice was quiet, wistful. 3

Hiei waited patiently for a reply, not looking up at Shikiyoku since he knew where she was specifically. He didn't have to see her with his eyes to know she had heard him. He simply… assumed, and waited patiently.

However, when she approached him, he refrained from holding out the tub of ice cream to her at the look on her face. He didn't like it. It automatically set his mind on an edge, as if he knew what was coming next, even though he didn't.

At her question, he eyed her calmly, expression very carefully blank. He'd been searching for this kind of secret for years, and at the time he'd finally thought he might be able to go back, it had fallen through. Completely. A scowl pulled the corners of his lips downward.

"No," he answered simply, hoping that by extending the ice cream to her, the subject would be dropped.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow and glanced over at Yusuke. "_My good demon"? Who says things like that? _She considered him for a moment before blowing out a large puff of air from her nose. _Why so nice? _She pushed the thought away and shifted the way she sat, adjusting so that her right ankle was still under her, but her left leg was outstretched, the odd feeling of it being asleep momentarily distracting her.

"I hate those," she finally commented, scratching at her face as she waited for the game to let her move again. And, after a moment, she was watching the game go about the track on its own, without her help, a large 5 displayed on the screen. "This is ridiculous…"

She let the pause linger in the air, glancing at Kuwabara for a minute before sighing and turning her head to Yusuke, holding out her controller. "You drive. I want to attack now." _*****_

"YES! WINNING!" Yusuke happily tossed the controller in a lovely arc aiming for Akari's lap as he took the controlled her held out for him in exchange.

"You're gonna lose." Kuwabara warned.

"Watch me, punk!" Yusuke stuck his tongue out at the other boy and then prepared himself for the next race.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let out the sigh of a thousand lifetimes.

"Good." She said before turning to take the sweet snow from him. "I am not yet strong enough to go back there yet. And if you knew how to return, I would likely be unable to stop myself from going, getting killed much too quickly once I passed over."

Shikiyoku refused to look at Hiei even as she swept past him in the direction of her home. She felt her features were much too solemn at the moment for anyone to see, deep lines of loneliness etched across her expression. Her core still ached for Demon World. Being lonely there would surely be infinitely better than being lonely on this soil. 3

Hiei hadn't expected her retort, but hadn't responded to it either. In a sense, he wasn't very surprised by her words. Perhaps it was because they rang true for most demons, maybe even himself included. After all, it wasn't uncommon knowledge that Hiei would do anything to get back, and that amount of effort could likely lead to his demise in the long run.

Especially with his abrasiveness, as Maneshi had so pointed out earlier. Indirectly, of course.

Perhaps it was a good thing _he himself _didn't know of a way back.

With that thought, he turned and followed after Shikiyoku, his own hands stuffing into the pockets of his cloak. As he walked, his head moved, his chin raising so that his eyes could get a look at the skies of this plane. From here, away from most of the city lights, he could see what humans called _stars_. They reminded him of Yukina, and the ice kingdom she'd left in search for him. What was his sister doing now?

His eyes softened at the thought, his brows relaxing and his lips forming a small, pensive frown. A gentle breeze blew by, rustling his hair, and suddenly he sneered.

"Once you find your own challenges, you won't be bored," he finally remarked to Shikiyoku.

~!**!~

Akari sneered and glanced at Kuwabara, offering a shrug. "Might as well play it his way, so he will stop whining."

With that, she flashed a toothy grin, making sure her pointed canines were shown before she turned back to the screen, patiently waiting on Yusuke to start the game. "Maybe I won't suck like you did." _*****_

"Not you too! I'll show both of you! I'll be amazing!"

Kuwabara pointed at the screen, "If by amazing you mean missing the start of the race, then I'd say you're already on the right track."

"What the sh-" Yusuke whipped his head back to the screen, "AAAH!"

They had already fallen way behind by the time Yusuke pressed the gas.

~!**!~

"Challenges, eh?" And with his words, Shikiyoku felt her mood passing. She threw the plastic bag of sweet snow over her shoulder and stuck her nose in the air as she continued to prance towards home, "For someone who can get whatever they want with the bat of an eyelash? Ha! No. Such. Thing." 3

Hiei was suddenly sneering with such intensity that he wondered if Shikiyoku could feel it, the gaze on the back of her head. His eyes sparkled with mischief, despite his own thoughts and emotions over this topic. This was, however, how he dealt with it.

"Challenges." he repeated, tone filled with the amusement he felt. "Believe it or not, there will be some, even for the brats of the world."

~!**!~

AKari's eyes widened as the screen read "GO!", and their cart didn't , she tried to push the button that had made it move before, but she remembered that she wasn't the driver this time, and she whacked Yusuke on the arm. "Pay attention!" She immediately was ready for gameplay when he realized he had waited too long, putting them in last place with an immense gap. "Moron!" _*****_

"And why don't _you_ pay attention, miss smarty-pants!" Yusuke fired right back, "I just picked up a lightning strike for you and you haven't even bothered to use it yet!"

Kuwabara sat snickering at the two as the banter began.

~!**!~

"Then I suppose you've gotten more than your fair share of them, kid." Shikiyoku retorted smartly. "Gotta keep the young things busy and let us adults do the real work." If it was possible, her nose stuck itself higher up in the air. 3

Hiei snorted, his amusement turning to dignity. "I may be a child to you, but I assume that would make you nothing more than old dirt to the rest of the world," he remarked, his eyes flashing with the challenge. He wasn't sure, but a small part of him might… actually… enjoy this banter.

At that thought, a snort came from his nose, shortly followed by a scoff, for good measure. "And as I'm sure you're aware, us _young_ are able to do more." he added, referring to the amount of athletic energy, as related to the humans.

~!**!~

Akari made an odd sound from the back of her throat at Yusuke that was almost a strangled sound of frustration as she pressed all of the buttons at once, until finally, the blue shell was gone. How had she forgotten the different buttons already? "Don't patronize me, you moron!" _*****_

"Well, it worked, didn't it?!" Yusuke shot back, beginning to laugh as they shot past their incapacitated opponents.

"_He...he might actually win one." _Kuwabara watched in amazement as they climbed up in the rankings.

~!**!~

"_Age _equals _power_, youngling. The longer we're alive, the stronger we get in every way. You're a complete weakling compared to me!" Shikiyoku let a grin slip over her lips, "We're also smarter too. Get you to wear yourselves out doing all the mundane work so you can't even consider revolting. It's the best way to get things done." 3

"Assuming all younger than you are weaker is the best way to find death." he suddenly remarked, thinking very specifically of someone he knew in the area. He'd made that mistake once. And he wouldn't make it twice. But, a smile suddenly stretched his lips, twisting the edges into an ironic sneer at the thought of weakened Shikiyoku and completely energy-filled Yusuke in battle. That was one he wouldn't mind seeing…

If it weren't for the ease in which the detective's mind would be taken over.

His good mood fled entirely now at the thought. _Imbecile._

~!**!~

Akari was grinning now as Yusuke drove himself and her through the track, around car after car. She'd figured out the buttons now, and was throwing attacks left and right, each time Yusuke hit a mystery box that allowed her to use it. Before long, they were fighting for first, Akari's eyes sparkling with mirth at the aspect of winning such a simple game.

"Faster!" _*****_

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Yusuke gritted his teeth together, his thumb practically white at the knuckle from pressing the button so hard.

"Uh, Urameshi..."

"WHAT?" Yusuke growled.

The screen exploded in a ball of blue energy and light, careening their car off the track and allowing a handful of competitors to zoom past.

"BULLSHIT!" Yusuke yelled, smashing his thumb on the gas and causing them to spin out again as their car righted itself.

~!**!~

"They can't kill you if they only want to touch you." Shikiyoku purred, a finger tracing the side of Hiei's jaw. Her appearance in front of him hadn't taken a second, and in another second she had turned away, continuing to walk down the block, the sweet snow banging softly against her shoulder, her other hand down in her pocket once more. 3

Hiei hadn't reacted as he assumed she wanted him to. He'd tried to minimize his reactions to her rambunctious actions, and it took a great amount of restraint not to jerk his chin from her out of surprise. "You're a pain," he commented for what felt like the tenth time just today. His steps widened, allowing him to catch up with and even surpass Shikiyoku.

Akari's eyes were narrowed in concentration at the screen, her fingers making quick work at the controller in her hand. She'd been so preoccupied with timing the next attack- banana peels- that she hadn't noticed anything wrong until the screen erupted with light, making her jump back and growl in surprise. She herself considered yelling a word or two, but Yusuke had covered it nicely himself.

"Don't kill us!" She yelled at him, sticking her foot out and lightly kicking his knee to emphasize her point. _*****_

"It's not like I'm doing it on purpose!" He shouted, getting their car running smoothly down the track again as he tried desperately to catch up. The next few items they snagged quickly took down the competition and they easily sped into first place once more.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes softened once Hiei passed her and she was looking at the back of his head, but that didn't mean her next words sounded any nicer than his. He was good company, truth be told.

"And you're a nuisance." She stopped in her tracks, her free hand on her hip as he kept walking. She shook her head and turned to go up the walkway to her front door. 3

Hiei scoffed, but otherwise ignored Shikiyoku's comment, since it didn't really counter his own statement. It merely equalled his, though reversed onto him, and he saw no reason to refute it with anything clever. So he continued walking in silence, right up to the door and twisting the knob, pushing the wooden door open and continuing into the house. He waited not even for a moment to saunter into the kitchen, ready for some of his own sweet snow….

Except it had been left out, on the table, where he'd left it after Shikiyoku's scene. He stared at the melted, creamy substance within the tub that leaked very little here and there. A scowl formed on his face as he dipped a finger into the lukewarm substance and raised his finger to his nose, sniffing it once. The smell hadn't changed… too much. so he took a chance and flicked his tongue out at it.

Immediately, his expression shifted to disgust and he looked around for a paper towel, finding one easily and cleaning his index finger of the vile liquid, making a point to put it in the trash before turning to face Shikiyoku with a curious gaze. Perhaps the green one wouldn't be so bad…?

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Yusuke, again concentrating on the attacks Yusuke managed to obtain for her. She'd thrown them all as soon as she'd gotten them, and before long she was cheering at being back in first. "_That's _how you do it!" She yelled with a small laugh, tossing her head back for a moment before a sound made her ears twitch.

"NO!" She countered with a growl as the television _again _burst into sound and light from the blue shell. "That's BULL! TWO IN A ROW?!" _*****_

Yusuke said nothing this time, gritting his teeth together harder and waiting until their car righted, pressing the gas at just the right time to give them a boost, shooting them past the car that put them in second and managing to gain first again in a matter of seconds.

The two cars sped nearly neck-and-neck towards the finish line, on the last lap of the race, the players' car managing to squeak out a few feet of a lead.

The tell-tale beeping of a third incoming blue shell made even Kuwabara raise his voice in protest, and as the shell homed in on their position and hit them square on, it knocked the second place car a good distance behind them, but smacked their car forward and sent it spinning across the finish line, ending the race with a bounce.

"YES!" Yusuke shot up off the ground and pumped a fist in the air in victory.

~!**!~

Coming inside after him, Shikiyoku practically hummed to herself as she stepped around the mess of the kitchen and accidentally opened the correct drawer for the normal-sized spoons, grabbing one without much thought and prancing back over to the messy table. She plopped the tub down and wrestled for a moment with the bag, clearing the way to the lid and, for once, pulling it off on the first try. 3

Hiei eyed Shikiyoku as she got situated at the table, his crimson orbs considering the green ice cream for a moment. It looked utterly vile, as if it had been sitting somewhere in the heat for weeks, despite the glint that the light gave off from the cold. But if she was eating it, wouldn't that mean that it was actually worth trying? He scowled in frustration.

He'd just go without, he told himself. After all, making another trip to the store was useless and a waste of time. So he settled for simply sitting across from Shikiyoku, watching her eat in comfortable silence.

At least, to _him _it was comfortable.

~!**!~

Nabu had been so happy within his dream. He'd played with a family, children who had a frisbee, and they'd fed him steak at every meal. In his dream, the sun was out and the ground was dry, and people were always loving on him. He'd just been getting a scratch behind the ear when he was jolted awake, practically thrown to the floor in a heap of puppy body and cloth. Instinctively, not recognizing the smell of his surroundings, his lip curled upwards at the loud noises in the room and he snarled as loudly as his little lungs would let him, his head finally finding its way out from under the mess of the t-shirt.

But the sight before him was an odd one that made even his shock from the rude awakening fade.

His best friend was here, smiling, laughing even. She tossed some odd object in the air at the boy next to her, yelling "See Kuwabara, THAT'S how you do it!" And for a moment, the pup didn't move.

Never had his best friend smiled like that before. _*****_

Almost immediately, Yusuke realized his mistake in rising as the feeling started to return to his legs and he crumpled back down to the floor.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry little guy!" Yusuke whipped the t-shirt off the rest of the little pup still hiding underneath and lifted the dog to coddle him close to his chest, giving him a good scratch around the ears. "I didn't mean to! You were so quiet I forgot you were there!" He buried his face in the dog's fur and nuzzled it in his apology.

"You jerk, Urameshi!"

"Hey! I got excited okay!" Yusuke jerked his head back to glare at Kuwabara for a moment. "And anyway, I think he's alright. The tumble wasn't too far."

Kuwabara leaned closer to give the dog a scratch as well.

~!**!~

It took absolutely no time at all for Shikiyoku to burn through half the container of sweet snow, shoveling and consuming constantly in a rapid pattern.

It was at that point, when half the container was gone, that Shikiyoku slumped forward over the table, her hand shoving the tub across to Hiei until it stopped just short of falling into his lap as her other hand stretched out as well and her face plopped down between them, nose squashed against the table itself. She had left the spoon in the tub.

"You eat...the rest of that for me...okay?" She mumbled into the table's surface, staggering to her feet after a moment and roughly pushing the chair under the table. "And...thank you..." She pointed at him, "You...act like a bastard...sometimes...but you're not all that bad for a brat...so it's okay..." Her words almost sounded slurred and she smacked her lips together, frowning as she realized she couldn't feel her tongue and remaining completely oblivious of anything else going on in the room at that moment.

Her head lolled around unsteadily on her neck a little and she spied the container of strawberry sweet snow that Hiei hadn't touched. With a dexterity that seemed out of place, she swiftly snatched the lid and clicked it into place before picking it up, walking over to the freezer, opening it, and shoving the melted mess inside. She nodded affirmatively at the tub as the freezer door started to close, nearly skinning her nose in the process.

"I'm gonna...go tah bed now..." She gestured vaguely in the direction of her bedroom upstairs and started to walk that way.

Getting to the top, she turned right and went into the room, realized she went the wrong way, and walked over to the window, pulling it shut and locking it before stumbling back across the hall. She scowled at the open window here as well, closing and locking it when a thought hit her and she managed to get back out to the top of the stairs.

She yelled down at Hiei, "Hey!...You take that key," Here she pointed to the key next to the front door, "And you lock that door behind you when you leave, okay? Okay." She didn't wait for an answer, getting back into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. She collapsed onto the bed face-first and took no time at all in getting lost among mint-chocolatey clouds. 3

Hiei had gotten comfortable without much trouble, one foot propped up on the foot rest of the chair. He sat forward, elbows on the table casually, eyes shining with amusement at the scene in front of him. Spoonful after spoonful was shoved into Shikiyoku's mouth one after another, without even a pause between them. The sound of her smacking lips against the ice cream made the scene even more comical to him.

He didn't know how long he sat and watched her shovel the sweet treat into her mouth, but suddenly he had the tub and spoon in front of himself, his crimson eyes glinting curiously at first the leftover sweet snow, and then at Shikiyoku as she stood.

Her clumsy footsteps made his brow raise and his lips twitch upward at the left corner, creating a lopsided sneer as a small chuckle left his throat. She acted as if she were intoxicated to the extreme. Her cheeks were even a bit red, making him have the mental image of a drunken fighter he'd met in the demon world.

In compliance with Shikiyoku's demand, Hiei decided to try the ice cream, slowly sticking a spoonful of the grotesquely colored treat. The fire demon, at first, disliked the taste. But, after a moment, he grew accustomed to it. Before Shikiyoku disappeared up the stairs, Hiei was eating big spoonfuls at a time, as she had, but not at such a quick rate.

His eyes never left her as she stumbled up the stairs and shuffled out of sight, then back to the top of the stairs. He listened with great effort, actually having trouble differentiating between certain words.

"Fool," he grumbled when she disappeared out of sight again, and he continued eating.

~!**!~

Akari had immediately reacted to the sound out of pure instinct, her eyes narrowing and all cheers halting as she turned to glare at Yusuke as he held Nabu in the air. "Maybe you should be careful next time," she said casually, her tone completely contradicting her expression. But her look of irritation was gone when Nabu stuck his nose to Yusuke's face, licking at his cheek several times before retracting and letting his tongue loll out.

"_I like you." _the dog said quietly, paws twitching in cheer. "_You and Flowers both!"_

Akari gave a snort. "He says it's okay."

"_Yeah, that too." _*****

Yusuke eyed Akari as he set the pup gently down on the carpet, raising an eyebrow at her, "He says it's okay, huh?"

The pair of boys let the question hang in the air, Yusuke turning back to give the dog another set of scratches while Kuwabara regarded Akari curiously.

~!**!~

"_I...don't think the mint agrees with her system." _Maneshi appeared seemingly out of nowhere next to Hiei's chair, eyes trained up the stairs in the direction of Shikiyoku's disappearance with his tail slowly swaying back and forth in the air. He calmly turned his head to regard Hiei, "_I might suggest you either finish that or get rid of it. For your sake. And hers." _He added as an afterthought. His gaze flickered towards the tub of ice cream, tiny pink nose and long whiskers twitching thoughtfully.

"_Please do make sure you lock the door behind you when you leave. The key is next to it hanging on the wall." _Maneshi hopped up onto Hiei's lap, rubbing his body against Hiei's middle, taking extra care to let the top of his head smooth against the arm opposite of his gentle leap as he ducked underneath and landed back down on the floor, raising his feet regally as he marched off towards the stairs. "_I can't reach the mechanism."_

He took the stairs two at a time, getting to the top and pressing his nose between the door and the frame, turning his face to the side and running it either direction as he attempted to get it open. He pulled back after fruitless efforts and huffed a small breath as he stared at the corner of the two. She must have locked it, he surmised.

Locks meant nothing to a cat, of course, and without another pause, Maneshi slinked into the room as only a feline could do, not disturbing the position or locked state of the door in the slightest, but appearing in a beam of moonlight shining in from the window seconds later, his own eyes glowing as they reflected the beam.

Shikiyoku's bare feet hung off the edge of the bed, looking very much like she had fell onto the bed without much thought, and her breathing was deep and steady.

Maneshi slipped underneath the bed-skirt and moved to the farthest corner away from the edge, curling up into a tight ball in the utter darkness and closing his eyes, quickly falling asleep himself. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised by the appearance of Maneshi, even though he wasn't able to sense the cat's arrival in the room. The fire demon merely regarded the cat with a single look as he ate slowly, raising a brow curiously, but not replying. This substance was delicious, and he wasn't about to chance giving it time to melt, as his own had.

But, when the cat mentioned the door, Hiei took that as a sign that he had stayed past his welcome- not that he cared. He'd only sit outside anyways. So, as Maneshi had advised, Hiei took the ice cream with him to rid Shikiyoku of any access to it, and went out the door, locking it with the key before sliding it back inside through the mail opening- something only the older houses featured on their front doors.

With that, he turned and took his snack to the trees nearest Toriko's/Shikiyoku's window, finding the tree he preferred and perching high enough that, if the female were to look out, she'd have to look up considerably in able to see him.

~!**!~

Akari eyed Nabu, at first not realizing that the two boys weren't as quick as Kurama, who'd figured it out almost as soon as Nabu's presence had become known. Perhaps even before then, the redhead had figured out her breed of demon, and all that came with it. So, when a question hung in the air, Akari took a moment before it registered that, perhaps she _could _enlighten them.

But what would be the fun in that?

"Just a guess," she said with a shrug, her eyes never leaving Nabu, who looked at her and made a small sound that held absolutely no meaning whatsoever. She rolled her eyes at the pup before finally pushing herself to stand. "While this was fun…" she began, glancing at the television and considering the gaming console for a moment longer. But she didn't finish her sentence.

"_Can we stay just a little longer? They have steak!"_

Akari sighed. "I have things to do, to catch up on for… school… among other things," she finally said, waving her hand dismissively. "Next time, don't pick up a random dog from the street." _*****_

"Suit yourself." Yusuke shrugged, dropping the subject, but continuing to pet the dog. "You're welcome to come over any time you like, though. I had fun."

Kuwabara nodded in agreement, "And the pup is really cute. Bring him over too!"

"Uh, Akari?" A voice came from outside the room, Atsuko, who said the name with the hesitation of one you hadn't seen or spoken the name before, "I'm guessing _you're _Akari?" She appeared at the door and walked over to the girl, handing her a folded slip of paper with her name on it. "You know, it's the weirdest thing. I'm sitting there watching TV and suddenly this thing comes dropping in the window, glowing this weird purple color and stuff and lands next to my feet."

Kuwabara and Yusuke exchange dark glances and slowly stood up.

"You think _this _is their next move?" Yusuke asked of Kuwabara.

"I dunno, man, but I've suddenly got this really bad vibe that's something's gone wrong. You'd better open it, Akari." Kuwabara looked as if he'd been spooked, his eyes wide and staring at the paper in Atsuko's hand.

~!**!~

"Is everything ready?" Otento's eyes flashed dangerously, knowing that tonight all the planning came together.

"Yes. We are only missing the final piece of the puzzle." A second voice answered from somewhere in the gloom.

"Then let us set this into motion, shall we? Terepo? Are you prepared?"

Terepo nodded, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes as he began to chant, his demonic energy flaring out from his body in purple waves as Otento moved closer.

"I will not be able to mask her energy signal while we travel as it would disrupt your work as well." Otento reminded him, "So this needs to be done as quickly as possible. I fear she has acquired a new protector in this short time, and until I can suppress her pattern we are vulnerable to the bond they share as well as any seeking her through other means."

Terepo heard the concerns that Otento held and was prepared to make the quick return needed.

"Have you found her yet?" Otento asked anxiously.

"It will be but a- yes. There she is." Terepo opened an eye and regarded Otento, "Your poison appears to have done its work."

Otento looked pleased with himself, "The _Toriko _has no energy to speak of, but by forcing out her true form, she is easily trackable. It was an old virus, but it did what it was meant to do."

Terepo closed his eyes and began to finish the chant.

"And you...you are ready to play your part?" Otento turned to the other presence in the room.

"I am."

Otento could pick out the black hair and bright green eyes even in the low-light. "Good. Let's be off."

In a brilliant flash, both Terepo and Otento were gone.

They reappeared moments later and immediately Terepo shifted the position of his hands.

Otento's eyes immediately recognized "Toriko's" room, seeing that he and Terepo stood next to her bed.

"We need but a word to return." Terepo murmured.

Otento could not help letting himself gaze at the demoness' sleeping form for a moment, but he roughly grabbed for her arm after, jerking her into a stand next to him.

Shikiyoku's eyes drowsily lifted at the handling, but at the smell of strangers they flew open the rest of the way, regarding both Otento and Terepo with an expression of confusion.

"What's going on?" She demanded, "Unhand me!"

"No can do, my pet." Otento purred.

Shikiyoku's demonic energy flared up in an attempt at defensiveness like it always did without her asking, becoming very aware that these men meant her harm, but the blond man holding onto her arm only closed his eyes as if in ecstasy at her attempt, his head lifting slightly and his nose twitching.

"Go!" Otento demanded of Terepo, his eyes flying open and turning to look at the other man in the room, "Now!"

Terepo spoke a single word and his demonic energy flashed around the three of them, leaving the room empty after another half-second.

The three reappeared in the same dark room they left.

"Step back!" Otento ordered, throwing a hand in front of Terepo, "You have one last thing to do so we cannot have you debilitated!"

Terepo took the step back as he was told.

Before Shikiyoku could make sense of her surroundings, Otento grabbed her shoulders with both hands and stared into her eyes.

Demonic energy erupted from around him, a heavy black color that enveloped them both in a circle of pulsating light.

Immediately, Shikiyoku's own energy was forced back into her body, her legs giving out underneath her as her power disappeared instantly, locked away inside her behind a cage of Otento's devising. Her head fell forward as Otento's energy retracted back inside himself, masking his own power once more.

"Is it finished?" A voice called.

"It is." Otento smiled wickedly.

"Then I shall take her." The dark haired figure from before stepped forward as Otento pulled away and Shikiyoku's eyes struggled to stay open, her knees beginning to buckle under her. Something seemed very familiar about the face that stuck itself in front of hers, but the figure laughed an evil laugh and directed a punch towards her temple that knocked her out in one blow.

Otento pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Terepo. Terepo opened it as Otento gave his instructions.

"Make sure that gets to Akari."

"_We have her now. All you must do is come to..." _The rest of the text was the address of the building they stood in.

Terepo nodded and folded the paper so that the word _Akari _on the backside was plainly written on the top. He held the paper out in his hand and closed her eyes, murmuring another chant. The paper began to glow a purple color and then blinked out of existence.

"It is done."

Otento's grin had not disappeared, "Then let us prepare for our guests." 3

* * *

><p><span>Terepo<span> - (as terepoーto:) teleport

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	19. Episode 104 - Kidnapped

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

Another warning is in order for the contents of this chapter as there is some vivid blood/gore imagery.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari finds Nabu with Yusuke and Kuwabara and she joins them in playing some video games.

~!**!~

Meanwhile Hiei and Shikiyoku make another small expedition for ice cream,  
>which ends with Shikiyoku stumbling upstairs to go to bed<br>and Hiei retiring to a nearby tree outside of her window.

~!**!~

As a letter is sent off to Akari, Otento teleports directly into Shikiyoku's room  
>and Shikiyoku is kidnapped out from under Hiei's nose...<p>

* * *

><p>Hiei got comfortable, tub in hand, spoon hanging from his lips as his tongue rolled around the most recent scoop from the delicious substance. He was practically in heaven, as a human would say. "Cloud Nine", as another saying went. But, that reference he didn't understand, at all. <em>Perhaps it has a secret meaning…<em> he pondered, rolling the spoon over with the use of his tongue and lips. The single pop his jaw gave from the flexing of those muscles made him cringe, the sensation causing his eyes to shut for only a moment.

But that moment had been all it took. That single moment where his eyes were off of the woman he'd sworn to protect. For, in the next moment, his nose found the faintest of smell of others seeping through the atmosphere. Shikiyoku's energy flared to a great sea of power inside the house. And, by the time he opened his eyes, he caught sight of the demon he'd been weary of all day, and every inch of his body rang in alarm that also echoed Shikiyoku's. He dropped everything and moved towards the window, trying to force it open and growling when he found it locked.

But they were gone before the spoon hit the ground below, and the fire demon was left staring at the empty room, white knuckles on the edges of the window and flames dancing through his irises. He stood as still as everything else around him. The silence of the night was a deafening one as his mind tried to find the bond he shared with Shikiyoku, but grasped at emptiness. Everything was still, it seemed, even time.

And then, just like the nightlife, Hiei began to move again. His teeth were gritted, every muscle taut with the strain to not strike the window, his mind frantic despite his attempts at staying calm.

And as he turned and dropped to the ground, a single thought fled through his mind.

_I'm going to slay them all._

~!**!~

Akari heaved a great sigh and glanced at Kuwabara. "Nabu. His name is Nabu," she informed, waving to the pup as she did so. "We'll see," she responded in regards to Yusuke's request of returning; she had no intentions of coming back without actual reason.

When she turned to leave, attempting to hide the small smile of satisfaction at the day she'd had, the human woman stepped into view, saying her name reluctantly. _I don't remember informing you of my name, _she thought curiously, head tilted slightly in curiosity.

But the moment her eyes saw the note, she felt urgency. Confusion. What should she do? Open it? Leave with it? Neither seemed like a good idea, so she simply did as she figured was expected of her. She accepted the letter and peeled it open, her thin fingers running over the scrawled letters inside as she read them, but kept the note pointed so that only she could read it.

And what was there made her feel sick in every possible way. _Toriko_…

With that, the address was burned into her brain and she tossed the note at Yusuke and Kuwabara, turning her face to the door in consideration. "Koenma is behind. Locate your friends…" Even as she spoke, Akari couldn't decide: leave now, alone, and head to the address, or wait? Team player, or attempt to clean up the mess she was now directly involved in?

Otento's words echoed in her mind from days before. "_If you'll assist me in her capture, I can guarantee you a place in our little family... I extend the offer only because I know how wretched it can be having to slave underneath another human. Demons deal with things much differently than any human or inhabitant of the Spirit World."_

Akari's gut twisted, her expression twisting with it into a look of uncertainty. She quickly turned on her heels and called to Nabu. "We're leaving."

"_What's going on?"_

"Yusuke…"

She paused, not looking at him, but keeping her back to the boys. "I'll meet you there. You find the others." She gave a small sneer at herself; what a sticky situation. "Don't be late." With that, she continued on her way out, Nabu easily keeping up as she took her leave silently. _*****_

"I think we should stay together…" Kuwabara called out, he and Yusuke following her.

Yusuke made a glance at his friend. While Yusuke didn't want her going by herself for more nefarious reasons, like her possibly helping out the bad guys-though the expression on her face after reading the note was quickly dissuading him on the fact that she was the evil one here-Kuwabara on the other hand looked outright scared. Like he was getting one of his "feelings" again.

They got outside and Yusuke spoke up again, "We should get Kurama first." He and Kuwabara started off in the direction of their red-haired friend, going at a fast trot, "And maybe he'll know how to find Hiei." Yusuke turned and waved at Akari to join them, "Unless you want to try and find Hiei with me… You comin'?" 3

The demoness kept walking, her eyes forward as she stepped outside, completely and fully aware that the duo was following her out the door before either of them had even said anything. She had expected them too; it was something she'd noticed about the group: no one moves alone during dire situations. She didn't say anything at first. Only when Nabu spoke up again did she speak.

"_What's wrong? Is it bad? __**Bad **__bad? Do I need to come with you for extra help?"_

"No, Nabu. You're going home. And don't you dare argue. For once in your tiny life, please listen to what I tell you. Where I'm going right now, you will be in the way. go home, no matter what."

The pup gave a sound of sadness and indecisiveness, but the glare Akari shot at him ceased the sound and he began to slink in the direction of the house. "Thank you." Finally, she turned to Yusuke and Kuwabara, her expression blank as she spoke. "I understand that your ways of doing things are different than mine," she began, her gut twisting with each word she said, "but you're going to have to let me part ways here." For a minescule moment, a smile touched her lips as Otento's speech again echoed in her mind. Again, uncertainty hit her like a ton of bricks, and she shifted her weight uncomfortably. _Toriko, _her mind reminded her, along with the information Kurama had given her earlier that day. Her smile turned vicious. "You'll just have to trust my judgement, despite everything you know- or think you know- about me." _*****_

"What I wouldn't give to have Botan come wheeling in right about now…" Kuwabara murmured, his eyes on the skies above them.

Yusuke for his part kept his gaze trained on Akari. His eyes flickered towards Nabu as the pup ran off. The knowledge that she had such an animal running around with her, and the loyalty that it showed in relation to her made his reluctance to have her go alone sway, but then he shook his head.

"I understand that you want to be all heroic and go in there by yourself, but there is a greater strength in numbers, not to mention the fact that as the more experienced Spirit Detective here I can tell you that going off by yourself never, ever ends well."

~!**!~

Kurama could feel the sweat drip down his back underneath his school uniform, a sheen of moisture covering his entire body. He released a breath of strained air, squeezing his eyelids together tightly.

Ever since the Dark Tournament and the momentary return to Youko Kurama being in control, he'd been having cyclical encounters with that side of him. His disposition would change to better resemble the personality of the other, and the body of Shuichi struggled to return to Youko's form.

Normally the midnight hour would not have had Kurama awake, but he'd spent the entire day in a foul mood, his thoughts seemingly not his own.

Another sweeping pass of almost foreign-feeling demonic energy within his veins sent a shiver down his spine, and then the struggle stopped.

Momentarily of course, Kurama knew, and the struggle would not stop until much later in the morning, but it seemed that perhaps for the moment he could relax.

He flopped back onto his bed, hair in disarray across the bedspread and breathing heavily from the exertion. 3

Hiei had stood in one place for what felt like an eternity, his darkened irises on the ground as his mind whirled around and around for a probable plan of action. But with each idea came the reminder of Maneshi's words, telling him that if he wasn't careful, it could end very badly for not only Toriko, but himself as well. The single thought made his body stiff with urgency. Every muscle told him to act as soon as possible, but his mind continued to whisper _think, don't miss a single detail._

And suddenly, he was whirling around, his feet moving automatically, carrying him to the place where he knew it'd be best to get something done. After all, he'd seen at least two people, and while that wasn't normally a problem for him, his instincts screamed at him to gather the others. His anger told him to have no mercy, while his anxiety told him to get in and out, as quickly as possible.

So his feet made the decision, moving at his top speed towards Kurama's house, his Jagan having zoned in on the fox's energy. As soon as his feet were touching the green grass of his comrade's lawn, his mind reached out, touching Kurama's to confirm the fox was awake, as the lamp light in his window suggested.

~!**!~

Akari let out a dry, hoarse laugh into the night air, throwing her head back with the single burst. A second later, her sharp irises met Yusuke's, darkly amused. "Heroes? I'm sorry to tell you, boy, but there are no such thing. It's just something you humans came up with so you could cope with the corruptness of your short lives. If you want something done, no one is going to swoop in and volunteer help. People do things not because they are right and just, but because they feel towards them, whether it be vengeful or pity. You're no hero, and nor am I. I never will try to be."

Her teeth flashed in the moonlight suddenly, matching the glint that flashed in her eyes. "You may help people, but that makes you no hero. Why? Because everyone's view of justice is different. While you may be a hero to one person, to the other you are the villain. No one is ever a hero because there is no stable definition as such." she paused, her lips curling upwards. "I'll go along, but not because of you." _*****_

"Did I say heroes?" Yusuke grinned at her decision, "I'm only in it for the fighting. Did I mention we're delinquents?"

"Of course we're heroes!" Kuwabara protested, though he couldn't help his smile, "We're all that's standing in the way of humans and total destruction!"

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke punched his arm, then turned to start running for Kurama's home, "Now hurry up!"

~!**!~

As soon as he felt Hiei's presence brush against his mind, Kurama was at a stand again, smoothing his hair down into place and leaving his room, quietly exiting his house and moving towards where Hiei waited for him.

"What is it?" He asked simply. 3

Hiei waited just as patiently as he could, his arms hanging at his sides with his hands balled into fists. As soon as his former partner-in-crime was in view, he noticed the light sheen of sweat on his face, momentarily distracted enough to comment, "You look like hell."

As soon as those words left him, he was back on track, arms crossing over his chest and eyes turning darker than ever before. "Toriko is gone." Those three words were so simple, but the impact they had on him just by saying it aloud was hard to keep under wraps. He hadn't struggled so hard to appear calm like this in a long time. "She was-"

Footsteps drew his attention and he glanced to the side, catching sight of three people heading their direction. He continued, changing what he was saying. "She's locatable, but only dimly."

Akari slowed her run to a stride, letting Yusuke and Kuwabara run ahead of her the last few steps it took for her to approach the other two. "Convenient," she commented as she stood near Kurama, but a bit back from the others. "We have a problem." _*****_

"Toriko's been taken." Yusuke added.

"So I've heard." Kurama glanced over at Hiei briefly.

"But we know where she is." Yusuke pulled the slip of paper his mother handed Akari earlier out of his pocket and Kurama took it from him.

"When did you get this?" Kurama wanted to know, his eyes scanning the page.

"It flew in the window at his apartment," Kuwabara nodded at Yusuke, "We left right after that."

"So, around midnight." Kurama murmured. He looked up at the others, passing the piece of paper back to Akari, "I was hoping Koenma would have more information for us before it came to this. If our enemy has even the slightest inkling that Akari might show this information to us, then we can be certain we are walking into a trap and Toriko's life likely hangs in the balance."

"That creep using her for bait." Kuwabara ground his teeth together, having obviously gotten over his previous heebie-jeebies and ready for action. "Why doesn't he just come out and face us like a man?"

"We do not know what his true motives are here, Kuwabara. That means we need to exercise caution. I do not think charging into this battle through the front door is going to be our best choice."

~!**!~

"Well...it looks like charging into battle through the front door is our _only _choice." Yusuke commented, looking up at the large grey building that stretched up in front of them.

There were no other entrances save for two large metal doors that they stood in front of. No windows. No rooftop access. Just the doors.

Even Kurama had nothing to say about this, his breath beginning to come heavier than before and his mind distracted with keeping his outward appearance as calm and collected as usual.

"Front door it is!" Kuwabara pronounced, he and Yusuke each grabbing for a handle and pushing the doors inwards.

The group cautiously walked forward, but as soon as they were all inside, the doors boomed shut behind them.

The first thing everyone noticed was the smell, a scent so intoxicating that it stopped them dead in their tracks. The perfume was heavy, permeating every corner of what their eyes soon adjusted to see was a large, empty rectangular room. The entire atmosphere of the place seemed off, but their minds could not linger away from the smell for long and they could not see how far the room extended away from them for the lighting was limited.

"Oh, look at you," a voice purred, "A new recruit and you're already bringing us presents."

Their eyes realized that about twenty feet away from them, sitting in a chair as if awaiting their arrival was...Toriko.

Her hair fell freely around her face and in front of her shoulders, her eyes bright green and gleaming even in the near-darkness as she stood and began walking towards them. Her clothing was dark and she almost blended in with the room around them.

Kurama struggled as he met with those eyes, sensing that both Kuwabara and Yusuke to his right were instantly mesmerized and completely useless. The smell was not the only thing heavy in the room around them and Kurama began seeing in his peripheral vision bits of demonic energy laced throughout the air that he knew no normal human would be able to see. Toriko's energy. There was no mistaking that.

Kurama did not realize until this moment how hard it would be to resist her, but now he finally understood her hesitations in their session, how completely she could hold him in her grasp. He felt Youko tugging at his prison within Shuichi's body, and was certain he would be of little more help than the humans. It was as if now surrounded by her energy that Youko's desire to be free had grown exponentially.

Toriko came directly up to him and peered into his face, a solid smirk lining her lips as he looked down to meet her eyes.

Kurama blinked and she had moved on, over to Yusuke and Kuwabara on his right.

"That...is not Toriko." He managed to mumble to Akari, standing directly to his left. The eyes of the one who had just stared at him did not radiate the same kind of power that floated about in the room, but instead seemed more like an echo of the energy around them. And at the same time, what did it matter? His eyes began roving over Toriko as she walked, taking in the way her long hair followed the curve of her hips.

Toriko moved back past the two human boys and glanced at Akari as she went, stopping in front of Hiei and gazing deeply into his crimson eyes, reaching up with the back of her hand and lightly drawing it down a portion of his cheek.

After that pause, she turned away and began walking back to the chair she occupied when they entered the room.

"Be a good girl and bring me the invitation you received tonight. We'll consider your initiation complete." Toriko sat down and held out a hand, her eyes flashing as she looked at Akari. 3

Akari had been silent the entire trip here, her mind whirring with possibility after possibility. She'd considered going ahead, simply disappearing from the group and beating them there to get a good look at the situation, but with Kurama and Hiei's keen eyes, it was hard to do anything of the sort. So, she'd stuck with the group, even as they approached the building and looked all around for another entrance. It didn't surprise her that there was only one way in and out. _Almost like a prison…_

She hadn't let herself stop the two boys. Instead, she went along with whatever the group was doing, deciding to play along and do what was necessary, when it was necessary.

The moment her feet were in the room, pain engulfed her head. Yet, she didn't flinch. She simply stood, eyes searching the room through the shadows, realizing that the dim lighting was a rather invigorating thing for her; she hadn't used her energy since that day in the park with the demon side of Toriko…

As a voice echoed in the room, calling to her attention, she _felt _rather than heard that something was off. She turned and met the gaze of Toriko-or rather, a very convincing lookalike. Her mind snapped into the game, fighting through the haze of red-hot pain that continued to hit her from every angle. A sneer formed on her face, not looking at Kurama as he told her exactly what she already knew. She couldn't see the true form of the person beneath the façade, but the clash of energy trying to mimic another energy was so plainly obvious to her- thanks to vigorous training from her childhood.

Silently, Akari's eyes followed the motions of the imposter, watching each reaction of each person she approached, meeting the gaze squarely when she stopped in front of her for a moment. She stuffed her hands into her back pockets, her body twitching only slightly in protest to the motion due to the extreme amount of exposure to the energy she was experiencing. Again, she surveyed the rest of the group, taking in their blank stares and their stiff bodies. "You know, your power is interesting," she said casually to the demon, walking forward as demanded, more out of instinct from the demand than anything else. "It takes over even the strongest of demons, leaving them unable to do a thing." She pulled the note from her back pocket and extended it to Toriko, all clashing thoughts gone now that the moment had presented itself. "I was beginning to wonder when I'd meet someone other than that vague bastard," she commented with a sidelong grin. "I mean, the winning side is always the best side, right?"

~!**!~

Hiei hadn't been expecting it, since he couldn't feel the bond anymore. So, when the doors were pushed open and they all made their way inside, the energy that hit him stunned him still. Before he knew what was going on, he was standing rigid in place, mind completely blank and eyes glazed to the extreme. By the time Toriko came into view, he was completely mesmerized, taken completely by her appearance in the room.

She seemed to glow, radiate a kind of light that left his eyes trailing after her, thoughts that he'd never had before fermenting in his brain. What he wouldn't give…

A part of him stirred as she made her rounds, her words going almost completely over his head, as she paid special attention to the others. His body stiffened, his mind momentarily telling him that she shouldn't be anywhere near the others, only him.

But when she passed him by, brushing a hand over his cheek, he caught her gaze. Something within him twitched, then began to scream at him, but he ignored it, too happy to be touched by this woman who gave him silent promise. Even as she turned away, his eyes watched her every move, glinting slightly as she continued walk away from him. _*****_

As Akari extended her hand towards Toriko, a single drop of blood fell silently from somewhere above her and landed on the knuckle of her thumb, resting there, quivering.

Should she look up, she would see the real Toriko, or rather Shikiyoku, suspended above her from the rafters not fifteen feet from her head. Ropes held her in place, tied around her torso and arms, keeping her ankles together. Her hair was matted down against her face, sweat and blood mingled together from a cut down her cheek. Her eyes were closed, but she could feel the others in the room. And make no sense of them.

The clothing she had chosen from Toriko's drawers were hardly recognizable, the shirt hanging in tatters, the jeans ripped to shreds, barely enough of either to maintain her dignity.

There were new bruises darkening the parts of the skin one could see, their purple and red color fierce and angry. Her legs had been cut, and the drop of blood now quivering on Akari's thumb originated from a gash that tore through her calf, the red river slowly wrapping around to her ankle where it pooled together to finally begin to drip below.

While the body of Shikiyoku did indeed hang from the ceiling, her mind was in tatters, her energy flowing freely without her control, leaving a sheen over her entire body that almost sparkled with beauty despite, or perhaps in spite of, the condition she was actually in. 3

Something was off. He could feel it, but that hunch was simply smothered, drowned out by the things he felt in that very moment from the girl in the room. Part of him registered that Akari and Toriko speaking like this was a sign he should take note of, but, again, it was smothered, and all he could do was stare at the woman who spoke very little, but had his complete undivided attention.

Except, something caught his eye. A small drop of.. something… fell from the sky, and naturally, his eyes broke away from the girl to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that had fallen. His crimson gaze landed on the falling drop, and he realized that it was a vivid color he would recognize anywhere.

At that same moment, his nose twitched, picking up the smallest scent of something rustic. Without thinking, he looked to the origin of the blood, and at first, he didn't register the scene. He stared for a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity as his mind seemed to awaken, his body released from whatever had held him captive to the spot he stood. All of his earlier emotions and thoughts were overtaken, thrown to the side by the tide of anger, disgust, and even other emotions he hadn't felt very often in his life. His pupils visibly dilated, watching each motion of the girl suspended in the air, who really didn't move at all. She was, in a sense, lifeless.

His teeth crashed together, though he hadn't know that they'd parted just a bit in awe minutes before. They ground together with enough force to cause him pain, but that was all he allowed his face to show when he forced his gaze away from Toriko- the _real _Toriko. His glare landed on the imposter, each flaw suddenly crystal clear. His earlier thought suddenly echoed in his mind, over and over, until it flowed into one long, never-ending sentence. _I'll slay them all, I'll slay them all, I'll-_

It took everything in his power to keep himself still in his place, to not simply charge forward with his sword. He forced his jaw slack and his eyes to relax, so as to not be noticed, and he forced himself to think: _What next?_

~!**!~

Akari released the note to Toriko, keeping all eye contact established and a sneer on her face to show she approved of this person's abilities. But she felt something hit her thumb; she'd seen it fall from above her, but she didn't dare look. The smell of it wafted to her nose after just a second, and after that, it dominated her senses entirely. _Blood._ _Ignore it. _She placed her hand on her hip in expectation, waiting for the next order casually, not daring to open her mouth or even break the eye contact. _*****_

"Oh, I'm sorry...is she a little worse for the wear?" A voice came from somewhere back in the darkest section of the room, away from the eyes that sought it, a sleek velvety voice whose owner had seen Hiei look up and break the spell held over him, sounding smug and self-assured.

"Some of the lower members of the gang got a hold of her before we could stop them. They managed to get rather far with her. Farther than we intended, of course." While there was no discounting the suggestiveness of what had been said, the last bit reverberated with an almost flippant tone.

She could feel the others in the room. With her eyes closed, they were there. They were many. Or was it few? They babbled on and on, voices echoing on the air. A hot air. Heavy. With her own energy, wafting, pushed downwards by the strange fan that hung behind her head. It made her power dance about the room. She could feel it dancing. Wrapping around the others, holding them. All but one. Or was it two?

"_Get me down...please...I don't...want to be here anymore. Please..." _3

Hiei's eyes slid to the voice that was obviously directed to himself, but the words made the fire glow in his eyes. He'd been discovered too soon for himself to come up with anything, or even begin to attempt getting the other's attentions. He was stuck, in a way, between a rock and a hard place. But the voice continued talking, continued telling him things he hadn't wanted to imagine, confirming his own suspicions and making his anger skyrocket until, quite literally, it became a visible aura that quivered in the air just around him, mixing with the energy that continued to climb with his rising anger. His arms trembled, his frame shook with the effort it took to stand still, motionless. His teeth were clenched so hard together that all feeling was lost.

But what sent him raging mad was the tone the voice used, as if something such as what he implied was as simple as a daily routine. Comment after comment fled across the forefront of his mind, but really, he was speechless.

He'd let them get away with her. He'd broken the promise to protect her, and now… His eyes flit up for only a moment before he was again glaring at the figure he could just make out in the distance.

"I suggest that you sort out any fears you have of death. When this night is over, you will cease to even exist. Koenma won't have to deal with a soul to place." His voice, low and menacing, shook just before he paused. "If you're wise, you'll run- not that it will matter. By dawn, my blade will be embedded in your skull."

~!**!~

Akari wasn't surprised by the new voice in the room, so her facade didn't break. At first. She glanced over the look alike's shoulder and searched the room for the demon, finding only a silhouette in the darkness, even with her keen gaze. But his words answered all of her questions, all of her suspicions. Without much thought about the action, she too looked to the ceiling, her eyes finding the scene she had already imagined, but it was worse than she'd expected. Similar, yes, but just a fraction worse. She forced her expression to remain the same as she turned away, despite the enormous amount of emotion that swamped her, the memories conjoining with those emotions and temporarily leaving her breathless. But she recovered, crossed her arms, and spoke:

"I missed the fun."

_How could people like this sleep at night?_ She forced her mind blank only for a moment, heaving a sigh. Hiei was free of the energy, but the others were not. That was a problem.

Her ears burned. Her head was on fire. Her body screamed. But all of this was nothing compared to the images that threatened to swallow her. "Too bad." she added to her own comment, suddenly remembering something she'd been taught as a child. Now, all she needed….. was a distraction…. _*****_

"Oh?" The voice addressed Hiei once more. "Is that so? I do hope you realize that you should be more concerned about the woman up there than you think. Or would you prefer that she bleed to death? Or perhaps that we dry her of all demonic energy? Surely even you can tell that she hasn't got much left.

"Now, Akari. I want you to know that this sort of thing may happen from time to time. Mind you, it's rare. And this is a particularly exceptional case. However, I understand completely if you're too weak to handle it." 3

AKari raised a brow, her lips suddenly drawing together into a thin line. She took a second to take a deep breath before giving a shrug. "It's not something I can't handle," she finally answered, even letting her head tilt to the side just slightly in dismissal. "I've gotten over it," she finished, suddenly turning to look at Hiei with a sneer. "But I don't think someone like him will. After all, he is rather… close… with her."

The utter rage on the fire demon's face likely would have terrified her, if Akari hadn't achieved exactly what she'd hoped would happen. The male's mental voice suddenly echoed in her mind, as if out of his control, with angry threats and images of her's and Otento's very vivid deaths. She turned away, looking into the direction of Otento. "What do you think?"

"_Hiei," _her mind reached out, hoping to kami he didn't give her away and that her voice only was heard by him. This risk was larger than any she'd taken for a long time. "_Distract them, please. I know you're angry, but if you fight right now, you'll lose. If there's Otento hiding in the background, then who else? Remember Kurama's words of caution, and please-"_

"_Begging for your life will do you-"_

"_**Shut up and listen.**_" Silence. "_Toriko is keeping everyone occupied. By yourself, you'll die, and so will she. Distract them, and give me time."_

She cut off there, the conversation only lasting a few moments before she cut the connection completely. Her eyes lifted to Toriko again. A sneer formed for a moment as she heard Hiei's voice speak up behind her, and that's when she looked towards Otento, closed her eyes as if amused by the fire demon, and imagined the only scene that had ever relaxed her: A snowy field in the middle of winter. She placed herself in this field, the cold wind nipping at her nose and completely blocking out reality, even for her, as she reached for Toriko mentally, hoping the girl's image would appear before her.

~!**!~

Pure rage, but what else could he do? He was stuck. He didn't like the situation, but what could he do other than go against his judgement and trust the outsider. Hiei's red eyes searched for the shadow of Otento in the background. "You'll be dead before that happens." _*****_

"Will I? If you're so sure of yourself, then why haven't you bothered to move yet?"

The Toriko sitting in front of Akari looked harshly at the girl, eyes narrowing suspiciously as she felt something begin tickling at the back of her head.

"I'll have your hand now." Toriko said, holding out her palm face-upwards, "We have places to go."

Above them, Shikiyoku could feel the air around her grow cooler. Strange. If she could but open her eyes perhaps she could see snowflakes. She hadn't seen snowflakes in a very long time. And maybe there were trees, maybe she could smell them, and-

Her eyes opened, but the pain of doing so ripped across her face, jarring the image that had started to form in her head into one of darkness and blood, a downward spiral from which there was no return. She blinked, seeing nothing for a moment longer, then the room around her began to slowly take shape. She found that she did not have the strength to lift her head and so it hung towards the floor. But in doing so, she could make out a single beacon that set her energy humming once more.

"_Hiei..." _He was not looking at her, and her mind remained scattered and unfocused so that she did not consider attempting to reach to him through their bond, but the hum that started coursing through her found it almost instinctively and began reaching towards him. Her eyes shimmered with power and her entire body ached from hanging in the same place for so long, the ropes digging in everywhere they touched her and leaving wicked marks.

Something else called to her even as she reached towards him and she could almost feel a winter's breeze lifting her hair, but her fragmented mind could not concentrate on anything, her pain too great to consider much else. 3

Hiei snarled, and it was not a small sound either. His lip positively curled and his right canine became prominent. He was having trouble containing himself, as Maneshi had advised. Suddenly, though, he couldn't care less about what the damn cat had told him. The situation was not a normal one, and he had too many things to worry about at once now to even consider playing anything the way it should be. After all, it was now him against everyone else, and the only thing he could do was… well, fight.

So, without a second's hesitation, he drew his katana, still going against all normalities and trusting the one who'd been tossed to them after her help with the end of the world. "Sorry to inform you, but you're going nowhere." Flames burst to life, enveloping his body along with his weapon, and slowly, he stepped forward. "I've been holding back, but now you've made me tired of waiting." Now, he decided to play a card he hadn't ever considered playing. "It's obvious that her energy won't be spent before you all scatter. So, I'll have to do this my way."

With that, he charged at the false Toriko, hoping like hell that Akari was quick at her work.

And it took everything in his power to ignore the pull he suddenly felt.

~!**!~

Akari had seen the outline of Toriko, but only for a moment before she'd disappeared all over again. "No," she grumbled, realizing how difficult this was going to be, especially with the little grip she had on this power at the moment. She was surprised she'd even been able to do _that_. "Come back… C'mon…"

She tried harder, not caring at all that she was standing next to another illusionist in reality, who would soon feel the energy, just as she could. She could take anything, so long as she kept conscious. She pushed the energy harder, searching for Toriko with every ounce of energy she had. "_Come here… It's important… C'mon…" _*****

The Toriko in front of Akari frowned, now sure that something else was going on. She reached out and grabbed for Akari's wrist, intending to wrench the girl's face towards her own, glaring into her eyes. She got sucked for a moment into a world of snow as soon as she touched the other demon and then she blinked, now knowing what Akari was meaning to do.

"You will not distract her." Toriko said between gritted teeth, eyes flashing with as much energy from the powers surrounding her as possible. 3

Akari stood, arms crossed, waiting, concentrating. But the Toriko that popped up was not the one she wanted, and it was immediately noticeable just by the slight change in the atmosphere and the increase of mental pain. Warfare in this kind of environment is difficult, as she'd been told, and sometimes dangerous if done properly. A smile formed on her lips, however. This was _her _domain, and her kind were not very nice when their territory was breached.

"Who said I wanted to distract her?" she said with a sickly sweet voice, as if she'd expected this. "You see, there's a plan to everything, and back up plans for those. Plans a-z, and then backup plans z-a. You're not quick enough to pick up on that, are you?" She paused, smile turning vicious as her energy swirled, illusion mixing with shadow, creating a very cold atmosphere. The white flakes turned to shards of darkened ice, the snow beneath her feet turning solid. "You see, I've made mistakes, and learned to adjust. Have you?" _*****_

Toriko sucked in a harsh breath, realizing too late her mistake in attempting to go up against this demon in her own realm. But Otento had said the one on the ceiling must not be distracted. He did not say what kind of powers the one in front of her held. The way Toriko came by her abilities were through another, and she did not know what to do with them other than what she had been told.

_It's the eyes. Use the eyes._

Caught now, it was all she could to do muster strength via the demonic energy around her, channeling them into her eyes and demanding of the other, "You _will _stop this at once." 3

Akari's smile shifted as she witnessed first the fear of the person standing opposite of her, and then the sudden light bulb that almost quite literally lit up over her head. In a moment's notice, the pain inside her intensified, now affecting more than just her head, but her chest, her fingers, her concentration.

And that made her very, very angry.

Her expression again shifted, this time to dark malice, so dark that she felt the energy around her change with it, the illusion turning even darker with the shadows that moved without her consent, making the ice turn from translucent to completely opaque, shrouded in darkness. Akari hadn't allowed anger this strong to be known in _years_, and finally, she had a reason to use it _all_. "You are in **my **domain, and you try to take over _**my **_illusion?" The next thing that she thought of was pain. While it hit her as well, the feeling of a white-hot rod being slowly shifted through the abdomen became a dominant thought, a dominant desire to have the other feel. "Learn your place, thief. Borrowing another's energy gets you nowhere but _here_."

And then Akari was frowning in disappointment as her eyes witnessed the slight shiver through the frame of the other woman. She knew what this meant. "What a shame."

~!**!~

Hiei had seen the Toriko doppelganger reach for Akari, even grab the girl. The fire demon thought quick, hoping she wouldn't be too interrupted to delay all plans of action any longer; he didn't know how much longer the other in the room would wait. So, he struck the woman in the torso, let his fire engulf her before he noticed the glassy gaze she held. Curiosity gripped him for a moment before satisfaction took over; one down, at least two others to go.

He turned from the burning corpse, letting his flame die away from his body.

But not before he caught sight of the others in the room.

He definitely was outnumbered, and he considered telling Akari to get her ass in gear, but he figured she understood that. So, he only stood there, even as the darkness enveloped the four individuals again. _*****_

Toriko's eyes rolled into the back of her head and then her expression was no longer relevant. The body that flamed and fell to the ground, however, very quickly changed forms, and while that form was male, there was not much else to be said about the blackened remains.

At the initial igniting, the back of the room suddenly became clearer.

Something akin to a throne, made of demonic plants and with a large pink flower opened near the top, stood in the middle of three others. And none other than Youko Kurama himself sat on that throne. Around him stood Otento, and another male demon. A few feet to Youko's left another male demon sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed and hands held together.

The light that suddenly illuminated them, and the woosh of hot air that travelled outwards from Hiei's attack, appeared to make them waver and shimmer, but it lasted only a moment and could almost have been a trick of the fire's light.

Hot. The coldness from before was replaced with heat and that heat made her toes almost curl. Almost. They hurt too much to move. Everything hurt. That's all she could think about. Pain in her legs. Pain from the rope. Pain where she hung from the ceiling. Her mind tried to wander outside of its own walls, but she could not do much more than breathe. 3

Akari stood there, looking at the different things that had changed in the mere moments an intruder had been inside her mind. Spikes of ice were everywhere, colored black, and the sky had gone from a calm winter morning to dark and threatening, clouds rolling by menacingly. The flakes that fell looked more like ashes than shards of ice. And, the scary part was, Akari liked the scene. It fueled her, made her feel motivated to fight, to make up for the things she'd done wrong and seen in her life.

It made her want to atone.

But now wasn't the time. She took a deep breath and shifted the image again, this time waiting until everything was calm, even adding a calm little cabin behind her that billowed smoke from the chimney. But each attempt she made at Toriko, her image appeared, then disappeared. It never stayed, and she realized that she hadn't taken into account the amount of stress her body and mind were under.

She took a deep, calming breath before letting her energy recede away. The snow melted, the cabin disappeared, and then she was enveloped in darkness.

Her eyes slid open to view the darkened room, the only change being the burned remains on the floor next to her. She turned around, observing the room again to see the group of three still immobilized and glassy-eyed, and Hiei was simply… gone. Or at least, that's what she'd thought. But a second later, she heard the smallest sound, and she turned her face upwards to see the fire demon working at the ropes that held Toriko suspended above them. "Caution, Hiei." she called, suddenly not worried about appearances anymore, nor what the others in the room would do.

~!**!~

Hiei had taken that momentary look at the four demons and tried to memorize everything about them. But, he'd been too surprised by the appearance of Youko, and he'd even turned to look at Kurama, as if it were even a slim possibility that he too was in on the deal. Of course, he was proven wrong, and when he turned back to the group, they were darkened out again. He could hardly make out silhouettes, much less facial features.

So, he took this as a momentary reprieve. They weren't attacking, as far as he could tell, so he would take this chance. He turned and, using every ounce of muscle he had, quite literally jumped up and climbed the walls, using the beams of the ceiling's structure to move around to Shikiyoku, his katana in hand. He looked at her face for a minute, being extra cautious to keep his eyes _only _on her face, so the other wounds wouldn't distract him and cause his anger to flare. After all, his temper made his temperature rise as well at times, and he didn't want to do more harm to the female. So, he began slowly cutting away at the ropes. "Don't move," he said, his voice low.

Akari's voice from below caught his attention, but he didn't stop what he was doing. "Why did you stop?"

"Her discomfort, among other things, is making things difficult," she replied, tone solemn and thoughtful. "I can't do anything while her mind is stuck on her discomfort."

He grunted to let her know she'd been heard, his katana slicing through the last rope. He grabbed the woman before she could fall, holding her in both arms as he dropped to the floor. _*****_

"I think we've seen all we need to here. Shikiyoku would not join us willingly, as you might have guessed, but there is another of her ilk who might decide fill her position instead. I'm disappointed in you, Akari. I would very much have liked to call you sister." Otento's voice rang out clearly in the room. The others did not see it, but he nodded as if in signal and the image of those standing in the back of the room fizzled quietly and then disappeared.

From somewhere far off, Shikiyoku could hear a voice speaking to her and she desperately tried to grasp at its sound.

"H-...Hiei?" She croaked quietly, one of her lips splitting, blood trickling from it to her chin and cutting off anything else she had to say.

She winced at every single jostle he made while cutting the ropes, but tried to remain as still as possible. When she felt the last one cut free she hissed in a sharp intake of breath, and actually let out a small cry of pain when he caught her in his arms, her muscles shaking with weakness. She let out another muffled cry when they hit the floor and the shock jarred her body.

At his touch though, she knew Hiei was the one who held her now and she opened her eyes, power seeping out almost unnaturally from them and coaxing him.

Everything would be fine now. Her breathing became more even, if still raggard from her pain. His warmth radiated over her with great comfort and she relaxed into his arms, his presence soothing her thoughts and preventing them from unraveling as they wanted to do at that moment. Nothing could harm her. She parted her lips again to speak, but knew she would not find her voice and so closed them again.

"_Hiei...take me home...please...I want...to go home..." _Images of him speeding off into the night while holding her, of her bedroom that they would arrive in, flickered in her mind's eye, of the soft bed that awaited her with a pillow under her head. And Hiei with her. Close by. Safe. 3

Hiei landed, trying his best to keep the wounded woman in his arms from feeling the shock too much. Despite his best efforts though, her cry sounded, making him wince internally; he'd tortured others before, but seeing this- someone he knew directly- made it seem worse than anything in the world. He didn't know what to do, except to be as gentle as he possibly could.

He looked around the room once, making sure the surroundings were safe, before her voice just touched his mind, which he'd been slowly opening to her without even realizing. His crimson irises slid down to her face, suddenly nonplussed by any of the blood, sweat or blood that was dried there. She suddenly looked more like a warrior princess than a victim, and the request she made was an easy one to follow. His very core wanted to take her back and let her rest, let her recover from the day.

He didn't even realize he was being addressed as he stood and turned to leave.

~!**!~

Akari hadn't looked towards Otento when he spoke, his words meaning next to nothing to her. But, at the same time, the sudden silence made her uneasy. Why had one of them tried keeping her from distracting Toriko, when the others don't seem to care about it at all? It made no sense whatsoever…

She gave a small breath of relief as Hiei landed, her eyes turning to the rest of the group who still stood as motionless as statues. If Otento wasn't going to attack at this very moment, then what would he gain from keeping the team like this? "Hiei, I need you to-" she turned to look at the fire demon again, but he wasn't in his original place. Alarm instinctively hit her, full force, and she turned around, finding that the fire demon was… leaving? "Where are you going?!" She called, appalled by the scene. That was when she realized that her thoughts had scattered even more, meaning the energy in the room had thickened, even if just a fraction. "Hiei," she said slowly as she approached, taking hold of the demon and stopping him- something she normally wouldn't dare to do. "If you leave, everyone could die." The look on his face told her he didn't hear her words, so she set her teeth. "Sorry," she mumbled before reaching forward.

"You'll meet an early death." His warning sounded, striking the smallest amount of amusement.

"I've been killed twice already. It won't make a difference," she said casually as her mind opened up, an image clear in her head, this time of the inside of a small cabin aglow with the fireplace. Before the fire demon could stop her, she placed her hand on Toriko's shoulder lightly, hoping like hell it worked.

But he jerked away, turning to walk with her intended target of the scene. A snarl. "You are killing her!" With that, she grabbed the back of his cloak roughly, pulling him back until he lost his footing, unable to do anything but fall since he held Toriko. "Look around, at your team." As soon as his eyes, narrowed, turned to Yusuke and the others, she reached down, grabbed Toriko, and used her other hand to push Hiei away, sliding Toriko to the floor in front of her, shadows appearing to make a wall to keep Hiei away. That was when she receded into her own illusion again, using her physical hold on the girl as a medium for the same illusion. _*** **_

The closeness to Hiei that she had felt up until that moment, the warmth and safety that he extended her, disappeared all at once and a vague panic settled over Shikiyoku's eyes which flew open and immediately began searching for him.

Instead of seeing his face, another peered down into hers, a slowly falling flurry of snowflakes beginning to slide around in the air behind this newcomer's head.

"It's...cold..." She managed to say, a shiver radiating down her spine and causing her to flinch in pain. She could feel the cuts on her body bleeding onto what felt like a pile of snow underneath her that she had just begun sinking into.

The face that was not Hiei's did not appear clearly to her eyes, even as she blinked again, and that feeling of panic from before had not dissipated.

Mustering what little strength she had left, Shikiyoku drew in a breath, a shake ravaging her ribcage as she did so, and spoke.

"Where...am I? Where have you taken me? Where is-" Her stomach tightened and cut off her last words, but her eyes, still flowing with a power that she knew would soon be all but gone, pleaded with whoever had captured her to place her back into her protector's arms where she might feel safe. 3

Akari felt immense relief when Toriko did indeed appear in the illusion, though she realized the cold may keep her mind aware, but it also caused more discomfort. The snow fell lightly, sticking to her face and hair. Personally, Akari enjoyed the snow, since she'd only seen it a few times in her life, but as she stared at Toriko, she realized two more things. One, her face was as white as the snow, almost. Two, this person wasn't Toriko, in a sense. Same power, but she realized it was the demon she'd met only once, in the park.

The pained expression made Akari's own soften, her eyes glint slightly with repressed memories and sympathy. "Im sorry for the discomfort, but it is the only way I am a hundred percent sure your mind will stay aware…" She paused, sitting back on her heels and, for once, she didn't know what to say to someone. "We haven't officially met. I'm… an ally… of your friend's." She paused, looking around their surroundings thoughtfully. She considered the idea of a log cabin and a fireplace, but again, the worry that the comfort of such warmth would lull this one to sleep kept her where she crouched, the scene remaining the soft snowfall. "I'm well aware of your condition, so I again apologize for the cold, but for now, just listen to me, okay?"

A deep sigh before she continued made the air in front of her face fog up. "Your energy is expelling itself at an enormous rate, even for one of your power stature. While we are in the clear now, you are still in danger, as are everyone in the room. I know it's hard, but I'm asking- no, pleading with you- to try and pull in your energy. It will probably hurt… but if you don't…" she paused, thinking quickly, hoping this worked as she hoped it would, "if you don't at least try, Hiei and the others will die trying to get you out… Hiei will try to escape, but since we know nothing about the enemy, the outcome is not good…" Slowly, she let the scene change so that the snow stopped falling, and even faded a little with just a bit more warmth in the air, but not enough to allow the girl to get comfortable enough to sleep. "I understand how you feel, but please try." _*****_

Shikiyoku blinked once as a stray snowflake caught on her eyelash briefly before melting away.

Even simply listening, understanding, took a great deal of effort, and she remained silent for a long while as her brain sifted through the information this demon fed to her.

She came to realize as the demon spoke that the scene around her was of the newcomer's design. Not...newcomer...a memory stirred and Shikiyoku released a huff of air that in a better moment would have been a dry bark of laughter.

"...worm..." She breathed, the corners of her lips twitching in want of a smile as she remembered this demon interrupting her in the park what seemed like eons ago. She meant to say more, but she winced again and stayed quiet.

Out of everything the demon said, the only word Shikiyoku recognized was 'Hiei.' She knew of no friends, nor of who this demon before her truly was or why she would care. Shikiyoku did know however, that her powers were draining fast, feeling her energy out in the room around her expanding to limits she had not practiced in a long time, at a density that she knew was incredible.

"Help me...stand..." Shikiyoku finally replied. "And then release me from your world." Her chest quivered, a spike of pain that ended with a thousand needles down her foot making her teeth grit together. As best she could, she started to lift an arm, reaching for assistance. 3

Akari momentarily smiled at the name she suddenly breathed, remembering the night in the park. That had been…. a rather interesting encounter… But she waited in silence, watching Toriko's expression carefully despite the strain she felt from outside the illusion; Hiei was likely swinging his sword at her barrier, but the only thing it would do for now was tire both of them out.

When she became aware of the demon again, she heard the commands given to her. A frown settled on her face, and for a second, she contemplated. Would she pull her energy in once the image was gone? That was something she wasn't sure of. But, despite that, she gently, or as gentle as she could be, assisted the demoness into standing. And as she stood, something dawned on her that she should have noticed long before this moment. "Hiei is your…" she searched for the word, knowing there was likely a very specific term… but she only came up with "Consort?" It was close, she could feel it, but not the same. "He's panicking right now, and could accidentally do something he will regret later. Can you feel it?" she asked suddenly, the wear on her suddenly growing at an even faster rate. She paused, wondering if there was any way this demon could access such a feeling at this time. "He's not thinking. Your energy is attacking him, keeping him from being able to be logical. If I release you, and you don't attempt to pull your energy in, he will lose his life, and you will lose your protector." _*****_

Shikiyoku rose slowly, every muscle screaming at her, but managed to stay on her feet, causing droplets of blood to shake off her skin and make tiny crimson holes in the snow.

"...another time..." Was all Shikiyoku managed to grunt out in response to any questions Akari had. Her lungs shivered as she took in a second breath to speak. "...let me go...your power...hinders me...and keeps us apart..." 3

Frustration seeped into her and Akari took a deep breath. She needed to reason with someone who wasn't able to do so at the moment, and it wasn't very easy. How had Sensui done it? The man's face became an image in her mind and she frowned pensively. "You do not understand what I'm saying." she said suddenly, trying one more time before she resorted to another tactic. "If you do not do it now, you won't have a...whatever...to return to. All you will achieve is killing the one closest to you." _*****_

Shikiyoku coughed, tasting blood in her mouth and lacking the strength to reach up and wipe away the bit that pooled in the crease of her lips.

"_Hiei...stop this at once." _The energy around her flared, and she hoped it reached him. Within the illusion, she could feel her power throughout the room, permeating every corner, but without sight of those she affected, she had trouble concentrating it. "_Your rage is misplaced and...unhelpful. I need your strength, not your distraction."_

Shikiyoku felt her legs beginning to buckle underneath her, the image of snow wavering as she began being pulled into a dark spiral of unconsciousness. 3

Akari frowned at the coughing woman, finding herself growing with worry about her worsening condition. She waited only a bit longer, searching her own energy until the wear suddenly lessened. As soon as it did, she dropped the illusion, her eyes seeing the swaying of Toriko just before the illusion was gone. She blinked, and she was looking at a wall of darkness that rolled with shadows protectively in front of her. But she turned to look at Toriko, realizing she was standing along with the demon, whose knees threatened to buckle. She instinctively reached forward, passing her arm underneath Toriko's for support. "I apologize for that," she said slowly, frowning. Her eyes shot to her wall that disappeared, then to the boys on the other side of her, still standing in the place they'd been earlier. "I'm sorry, but one more try… For the others…" she whispered, frowning in sympathy and apology as her eyes pointedly turned to Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara.

There was no way she could express how awful she felt about pushing her like this. _*****_

Shikiyoku felt as though she tore her eyes open at being caught so great did it hurt her to keep them from closing, fighting against the desire to let go of consciousness and drop to the ground. She struggled to stand upright once more, but at the sight of the rest of the room, began drawing her demonic energy back into her body.

The tendrils of it at the very edges of the room began weaving a slow path back to her, and she caught a glimpse of three others whose faces were trained on her movements, knowing they were mesmerized.

Strangely enough, the energy around them did not seem to want to leave and it felt almost foreign to Shikiyoku, as if it had been away from her for a very long time, almost unrecognizable to her tentative probings.

As her demonic energy began to return, Shikiyoku felt strength returning to her being, enough that she took a hesitant step forward towards the three figures standing twenty feet or so away, grimacing in pain as she shifted her weight to her other foot. Another wave of exhaustion swept over her.

"_Hiei..." _She lost the strength to even think words, images floating in her head that showed her reaching out and physically placing a hand in turn on the each of the three who were captivated, accompanied by an emotion of "need," otherwise she would not be able to rid them of their state. 3

The fire demon had halted every attempt to get through the darkened barrier between himself and the demoness he'd sworn to protect to the best of his ability. He hadn't walked away from it though, as most likely would have. Instead, he stepped as close to it as he could, staring at the substance that had let his sword pass through, but not his body.

Then, it began to move even more, and he swore the color was diminishing in it. Before he knew it, he could see through the barrier almost entirely, and his red eyes trained on Shikiyoku immediately, physical pain hitting him at the sight of the wounds that colored her skin. He had to look away, but each time he tried, he ended up watching her again, not because he was mesmerized but because he didn't want her to be taken from his sight again.

Her frame wavered and her knees scooped lower, her shoulders slumping forward even more than before, and the fire demon moved without thinking, suddenly finding that the barrier was generous, letting him pass without problem. In seconds, he was next to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling an arm over his shoulders for support until she was done with her duty. He was too afraid to move her too much.*

* * *

><p><span>Youko Kurama<span> - (youko:) mythological fox spirit  
>Yōko Kurama<br>Kurama the Yoko

_There is a bit of discrepancy as to how our favorite silver haired kitsune's name is spelled, and I've given all three examples of what I know to be true. When CM and I started out the RP, we began using 'Yoko,' but somewhere along the way I changed over to 'Youko,' and have been going back and replacing the former with the latter as I have been posting the chapters to FF. I ended up switching because the word 'youko' actually translates as 'mythological fox spirit' and 'yoko' does not. _

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	20. Episode 105 - The Aftermath

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

Without further ado: Chapter Twenty!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Our favorite heroes end up at a warehouse, the address Akari had been given in a letter.

Apparently Shikiyoku would not willingly join the fake Youko's gang,  
>but the Youko wanted to test Akari out and see where her loyalties would lie,<br>so a scenario was set up in order to discover whether or not she would actually join them.

Otento, the fake Youko, Terepo, and one other demon were all spotted at the back of the room,  
>but their images were only being projected into the area and they did nothing as Akari and Hiei,<br>the only two demons capable of resisting Shikiyoku's energy,  
>manage to kill a demon posing as Toriko while Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama stood mesmerized.<p>

Once Shikiyoku could concentrate, she began withdrawing her energy into the room,  
>asking Hiei to help her walk over to the other three mesmerized persons so she could free them from the spell...<p>

* * *

><p>Akari let Toriko go as she pleased, her expression solemn as the girl made her way to the three who stood under her influence. She tugged at her own energy, trying to draw it back in, silently dismissing all shadows from her immediate control.<p>

When Hiei passed through it, she felt the difference of her energy shifting, letting him move by her, his own energy allowing him to pass through with ease. Now that he was no threat, her energy simply let him by, the parting of it moving like liquid, the hole remaining as the last of the dome shrank away into nothing, leaving her trying not to let her breathlessness show. _*****_

Shikiyoku gratefully let Hiei manipulate her arm, slumping heavily into his firm weight, nodding in the direction of the other three after she got her feet under her body and started to put one in front of the other.

As more energy in the room returned to her, so did her awareness of the situation and she knew the looks in the eyes of those she made her way towards.

She reached one with black hair slicked away from his face, first. Lifting her arm, she rested it on his chest, but resisted closing her eyes as she wanted, instead meeting him gaze for gaze.

Her eyes shimmered, and after a moment of tugging with it, her energy recognized its true owner and began pulling out of him. The young man's knees bent slightly as she released him, and she left him shaking his head as his mind started to clear itself. She did the same with the taller red-head next to him, her power taking a moment to adjust back to her before she could begin drawing it out.

When she came to the last, her stance was taller. Her body felt no less weak than before, and her mind still had trouble focusing, but her spirit was willing to do the work needed.

As she placed her hand onto the red-head's chest, something in his eyes gave her pause. His expression was not only one mesmerized, but cruel and calculating, staring intensely at her with a glare that made her heart shimmy in her chest once.

The energy that hummed around him took no longer than the others in recognizing its true owner, but as she started attempting to draw it away from him, she could not get it to recede and her hand lifted from his chest as if she had been burnt, her eyes growing wide.

"What…?" 3

Hiei adjusted her weight accordingly, allowing Shikiyoku to lean every ounce of her weight into him. If he weren't so aware of every single mark that blemished her skin in the most angry of ways, he would have simply carried her where she needed to be. But, her wounds were so great that he feared if he jostled her too much, she'd simply pass out. Go comatose…

So he settled for taking each step with her, slowly.

As they stood in front of Kurama, Hiei stared at his friend, waiting for the change that would come. After all, Kurama was a better candidate for watching their backs than Akari was, since he wasn't sure what Otento and the other three were up to. They hadn't attacked, but surely they wouldn't just let this go on without a hitch? There had to be a point to everything, and the fire demon was having trouble seeing the points.

But no change came over his friend, and Shikiyoku's gasped question left him looking between Kurama and her in confusion. "What's happened?" he inquired, his tone even with slight curiosity despite his displeasure at the thought that Kurama wasn't in his right mind; he was a valuable team member…

~!**!~

Akari looked around the room, keeping her breaths quiet as she regained her own thoughts. Now that Toriko's energy was lessening in the air, her body began telling her just how much she'd withstood in such a short amount of time exposed to it. Her legs shook only slightly, her fingers twitching and her eyes drooping only a little as the pressure in her head lifted little by little.

She paid no mind to the others in the room for the moment, her eyes searching the darkness for the other male she knew had been there. But now, no silhouette could be seen. _When did he leave? _Curious, to say the least, the demon began walking towards the shadowed area, staying cautious as her energy billowed out just a little again, grasping at the darkness that she was so acquainted with.

Her power whispered to them, asking silent questions and probing them for information. But they hummed her energy back, like a sonar radar telling her that nothing was nearby. She frowned and let her energy taper off, receding into her body again, completely unaware of the happenings with Hiei and Toriko. _*****_

As that woman approached him, something within Kurama stirred and he briefly woke up from his standstill to blink and catch her eyes with his own.

Even through the pain plain in her expression, or perhaps because of it, Kurama saw promises within desires shimmering before him. His mind struggled to remember something...something...important...about her, about those green eyes that locked with his as she reached out to place her hand on his sternum.

As she touched him, he felt his ribcage shiver underneath those fingertips, and then it was as if a veil had dropped from his eyes, but remained hovering around his body, holding him, compelling him to reach out as she started back in what seemed like so much surprise.

"Who...who _are _you?" Shikiyoku breathed as they continued to stare at one another, a sensation of recognition flittering on the edge of her awareness, but remaining out of her reach.

As Kurama extended a hand to her, his appearance grew more angular, and his body became enveloped all at once with a silver light, his form shifting.

As the silver light withdrew from him, it revealed not Kurama, but Youko, complete with golden eyes and silver hair, his ears tipped forward with great interest, his tail twitching once behind him before growing still. Shikiyoku hissed in a sharp breath and her eyes widened at his appearance.

He completed the gesture he had started while Kurama, placing his long fingers on her cheek.

"...Yoku." His lips did not curve into his usual smirk, and neither did his eyes soften at the sight of her. His brow turned downward briefly at her wounds, and he instinctively sought out the bond that they once had between them in an attempt to gauge how badly she had been injured, but he came up with nothing, grasping at emptiness where once that bond had been.

At that discovery, his eyes widened briefly and Shikiyoku knew exactly by his change in disposition what he in that moment realized, but she had known all along.

"Fitting." He said simply, "I grew much too weak."

Shikiyoku's head nodded slightly, still in so much awe at standing in front of the bandit.

"So, this is what it is like to be under your control..." He struggled mightily to leave his fingers where they rested, still on her cheek. Echoes of the unspoken danced in his mind.

The energy of the room was almost completely withdrawn into Shikiyoku's body now, the little bit left much less than that which wove around Youko now.

"Were you truly under my control, you would not know it." Shikiyoku responded.

"Then it is as I thought." Youko mused, "The longer around you, the worse it gets."

Shikiyoku merely raised an eyebrow, this being the first time she'd heard mention of his theory. 3

Hiei hadn't moved a single step when he saw the energy fill the air, clouding his vision with silver that he recognized. But, what he didn't understand was why. Yet he didn't say anything, since he really didn't have anything to say about the situation at all. He merely stood silently, watching as Youko Kurama made his appearance and spoke with a nickname he'd only heard Maneshi use once before. His own brows drew together, his instincts suddenly kicking in and keeping him wary.

Yes, he trusted this demon, but the familiarity, especially with the fox's touch, made the fire demon cautious. Perhaps it was natural, something that came with the title of Champion, he did not know. But he eyed the fox carefully, searching for any sign of thoughts that would end up with a scene.

And Enma knows Hiei wanted to fight Kurama just about as much as he wanted to go stand in a crowded building of humans. No, that didn't fit properly. The comparison did no justice to the feeling that rocked him at the mere thought of a scene.

His eyes slid to Shikiyoku, waiting for a hint of any kind for the situation. But it didn't seem that it was dire, yet, so he turned back to Youko with a calm expression, finally nodding his greeting and simply saying, "Fox." And that was all the greeting he would use to make his presence known.

~!**!~

Akari frowned at the shadows in confusion, but her attention was pulled with the sudden shift in the air. She turned, anticipating a fight with the foreign energy and the person she hadn't known had entered the room. Her body buzzed with energy, ready for anything.

Instead, she was left baffled.

A demon stood where the red-headed Kurama had, speaking to Toriko and Hiei. His golden eyes held centuries within them, she could tell even from this distance. His ears were a smooth silver, as was his tail, and she found herself in awe of the features. _So this is… Kurama's form? _she thought, remembering Sensui telling her about the separate form the redhead held from his demon blood.

She had fully intended to turn away, but each time she tried, another feature of the demon caught her eye, making her curious. _Now why had a demon of this stature come here, to the human world, again? _It was obvious that he had a high amount of power, so why would a being like this doom himself to the human world?_*****_

"You appear not to notice, but your energy is constantly at work around you on a level too high for weaker demons to sense." Youko explained, wiping away a trail of blood that had not dried and started to swept down to her jaw. "It has been this way ever since...ever since we met."

"Hey! What's going on!"

As the last of Shikiyoku's power withdrew into her, Yusuke and Kuwabara began to see clearly, spying Akari off to the side and both boys dropping into a more defensive stance, wary and eyeing the room around them. 3

Hiei had gone silent again, eyeing the fox demon wearily before his attention was turned to the two humans on the side, who immediately reacted defensively, like a couple of skittish kittens startled awake. He raised a brow at them before replying with, "You fools were of no help. I killed one, but four remain."

He didn't say anything more after that, since that was about all he himself knew, but his eyes did trail to the darkness on the other side of the room, again searching for outlines of demons, but he only saw shadows.

~!**!~

Akari blinked once, then crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Yusuke as he moved, his mouth finally opening as his body shifted to a stance she had fully expected, as did Kuwabara. Her frown remained in place as she watched the boys silently for a moment, wondering if they'd be able to tell that the room was empty.

But after a moment, she saved them the trouble of searching. "They're gone. Left some time ago, apparently." _*****_

"What? Who?" Yusuke relaxed only a little before tensing up again, "And where's Toriko?" He spied the chair she had been occupying at the moment they entered the building, but she was no longer there. In fact, it appeared that a lot of things that weren't the way he remembered them being. Namely...the silver-haired fox-looking demon standing tall next to him.

"Youko?" Kuwabara exclaimed before Yusuke had a chance.

The two of them spied Hiei holding up-

"Toriko?" They both sucked in a harsh breath of air at the sight of the dark-haired girl who had an arm thrown over Hiei's shoulders and was obviously barely standing in place. At the same time, they both moved to stand near her.

"How yah holdin' up, short-stuff?" Yusuke dropped to one knee to peer up at her face.

Shikiyoku once again felt her eyebrow raise, seemingly unsurprised at the sudden friendliness of the two considering how long they had been under the influence of her powers.

"Not Toriko." She clarified. "My true name is Shikiyoku, though the side of me that you apparently know goes by 'Toriko.'"

Yusuke considered her for a moment, then turned to look at Youko, then back to her.

"So how long have _you two _known each other?" He grinned, catching on quickly. "You seem to have had the same idea!"

"How _did_ you do it?" Shikiyoku's expression perked with interest at the kitsune.

"He invaded some poor kid's body." Kuwabara remarked bluntly.

It was Youko's turn to raise an eyebrow. "That is...a rather blasé what of putting it, but succinct. My spirit entered a fetus to recover."

"I took on a more human form and sealed away myself and my powers within that form." Shikiyoku explained for her part.

The others kept talking, but a wave of exhaustion swept over Shikiyoku again and she leaned more heavily than before into Hiei.

"_I need rest." _A line of pain creased her brow, her body awash with the frailty of her recent encounters. She did not know what to do about her energy surrounding Youko, and as such her concern became second to her physical exertions. 3

Hiei resigned himself to simply stand there until this idle chat was over, deciding there was no need to rush if she could chat like this. But the moment his body suddenly buzzed with the feel of the bond being touched with pain and exhaustion, he turned to Shikiyoku and acted without permission, simply crouching so the strain on her would not hurt her more than necessary as he scooped her up in his arms, turning to Yusuke and Kuwabara. "The Toriko you saw earlier was not the true Toriko. The imposter was killed, but Shikiyoku has been through enough. Her blood loss is significant and life-threatening." He turned without another word, now set on leaving while the moment seemed to allow it.

Akari stepped forward, silently joining the group and standing with the team, her mouth pressed together. Would they be allowed to leave? Her brows drew together and her arms crossed even tighter together. "Do you think Otento would let us leave so quickly?" _*****_

While Yusuke and Kuwabara's jaws dropped at both the number of Hiei's words as well as his apparent protectiveness, Youko's face remained grim, knowing exactly what drove Hiei to his otherwise out-of-place actions. As such, Youko turned to follow, his longer legs allowing him to stride past Hiei and heave open the large metal door with a shoulder, letting in some of the cooler night air.

"I will be accompanying you." Youko left no room for argument from the fire demon. He felt amused as he looked at Shikiyoku's face, her eyes all but closed, bruises and blood covering her body, her clothing almost nonexistent... A near replica of their first meeting, though in a more human form. Of course, his desire to be with her stemmed from her power still holding sway, and the intellectual side of him realized this, but found that it could do nothing to resist it. Nor did it seem to want to.

Shikiyoku made no protest to Youko's statement. Humans caught under her mesmer were, oddly enough, better suited to shaking off the effects of her powers after a short while. Demons, however...demons caught by her energy were relentless in their pursuit of her and she felt no need to make a scene with the fox who up to this point had reacted stoically.

Yusuke and Kuwabara turned to one another after watching Hiei and Youko walk off together, eyebrows raised.

"...I guess we're done here?" Kuwabara shrugged, starting to methodically make his way around the room, though his senses told him there was no longer any threat here.

"I get the feeling this case isn't closed. I didn't even get to kick some ass!" Yusuke formed a fist with one hand, spying Akari out of the corner of his eye and turning to her, putting his hands on both hips and giving her a hard stare, "For some reason I feel like we owe you thanks for watching our backs. So...thanks." He extended a hand towards her in a gesture of shaking on it. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Youko, but turned to leave anyway, completely dismissing anything Youko had to say and writing it off completely as something he didn't completely understand at the moment. He didn't care that the demon fox lead the way out of the building, despite all logic that screamed that this wasn't over. But he was too worried about other things at the moment.

So he merely continued on, walking with steps as light as possible, eyes glancing at Shikiyoku for just a moment before returning to the path ahead of him.

~!**!~

Akari wasn't happy. Something was off, but she just couldn't… It couldn't be this easy. She'd dealt with Otento enough to know that he had many layers of plans ready for each circumstance, for anything that would happen. He had always been three steps ahead, so why were they able to leave so suddenly?

Yusuke voiced her concerns, though in a way she herself found tacky. Her eyes found him and she gave a look of disapproval, though she didn't have room to judge. When he too turned to her, thrusting a hand to her, she stared at his offer for a moment before slowly, tentatively, taking the offer of a shake. "Really, you should thank Hiei. He did the hard work. All I did was distract, as I always do." With that, she brushed by him and followed the others to the door. "Next time, don't get caught in the trap and maybe the fire demon and I won't have to save your ass." _*****_

Kuwabara wanted to say something snarky at Yusuke, but bit his tongue, knowing he had fallen in just as easily as his friend.

"Yeah, well," Yusuke began as they started to follow her out the door, "Who knows what would have happened if you'd gotten here by yourself. For what it's worth, I'm glad you stayed with us." 3

Akari glanced back at Yusuke with a raised brow, a corner of her lips raising up. "I'm pretty sure the same thing would have happened. You would've been useless, Hiei would've gotten out of it, and maybe Kurama wouldn't have transformed and we probably would have gotten out of there quicker. Granted, it could have also gone the complete other direction, and I could have died, but hey, what does that matter?" She stretched her arms above her head, feeling the extreme strain in the muscles from the weight Toriko's energy had pressed onto her. Bones cracked and her body suddenly relaxed almost as if she'd had a nice long nap. She turned her eyes forward again, deciding that the night had actually come to an end here, since they were actually being allowed to leave. _*****_

The moon was still in the sky, casting its muted light down on the town below and Yusuke took a deep breath, feeling unresolved and wanting to find something to punch.

Kuwabara, seeing Akari give a stretch, yawned and did the same, "I'm dog-tired." He rubbed at his eyes. "I think I'm going to head home." 3

Akari made a sound similar to a groan before her hands linked behind her head, arms loosely positioned on each side of her head so that her peripherals were cut off by the limbs. A part of her wondered if Nabu had actually listened for once, and hoped he actually had.

But Kuwabara's next words made her give a dry laugh. "Was that intentional?" _*****_

"Huh?" He blinked sleepily at her, closing one eye first and then the other.

Yusuke gave Akari a strange look before making a small laugh to himself. "And _that's _how I knew you were gonna be swell as part of the team tonight." He said cryptically, reaching up to stroke a nonexistent goatee and raising an eyebrow as if he were a villain with a secret. 3

Curiosity touched the edges of Akari's mind and she again glanced back at Yusuke. She assessed his odd pose for a moment before sighing, deciding to take the bait. "And what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked, eyes turning to the sky and look at the moon in the sky and the stars. Here, they shined brightly, calming her nerves almost entirely.

~!**!~

Hiei had stayed silent the entire walk back, thinking about next to nothing other than getting to the house and staunching wounds, something he half-expected Youko wanting to do as well. So, he hadn't considered the possibility of what he encountered when he stepped up to the front door and reached for the knob. His hand, still under Shikiyoku, tried to twist the metal orb, but nothing happened. His grip wasn't sufficient at first, so he tried again.

This time, he was met with resistance. The knob stopped turning a quarter of the way, making a sound that he recognized with irritation. He stepped back, letting the fox demon see the door knob and lock, red eyes finding gold ones. "It's locked," he said bluntly, figuring Youko would understand his silent request. _*****_

Youko said nothing, though the thought crossed his mind, sweeping silently up the step or two leading to the door and crouching, peering into the keyhole. He thought about the size and type of the lock for a moment, reaching up in the meantime to curl a bit of hair that had fallen in front of his face back behind one ear.

As the fingers of that same hand came back down level with the lock, a small, dark plant began growing from underneath his palm and he held it much like one would hold a key when it grew long enough.

It continued growing past the tips of his nails and he slipped it inside, the sinuous plant easily molding to the locking mechanism, then suddenly hardening and becoming wiry.

Youko gave his wrist a flick and the lock came undone. As he stood, the plant withered in his grasp and turned to dust, blown away by a slight breeze. He confidently encircled the knob with his other hand and gave it a twist, the door silently swinging inward as he stepped inside the dark house.

His foot pressed down on top of something that felt very key-like on top of the tile at the entrance. He left it, stepping to the side to allow Hiei to enter.

At the same time in which he entered the house, his nose became accosted with a multitude of different smells that he knew originated from his left when he first came in. He smelled fish, and chicken, as well as sugar, more prominent than what he considered the "normal" smells of a home such as this, like the upholstery, the wood, the metal.

His eyes glanced in the direction of the smells to spy what he knew was considered a kitchen, able to see the mess on the table nearby, the discarded food on the floor. His nose twitched. 3

Hiei was silently thankful for the fox demon at this moment, despite his earlier thought about telling him to go elsewhere. He waited until the fox was in the house before following, naturally ignoring everything else in the house that didn't pertain to his immediate thoughts. He passed by Youko and turned to the stairs, going up them carefully, but not slowing his pace as he headed for the bathroom, where he knew of the easiest way to get this amount of wounds clean. _*****_

Youko closed the door once Hiei entered, his feet padding silently across the carpet as he followed the fire demon. His eyes were ever watchful of their immediate area, taking in all escape routes as well as memorizing the floor plan. In the back of his mind he counted the medicinal plants he had on his immediate person that would be of some use once Hiei found a suitable place to put Shikiyoku down. 3

The fire demon reached the top landing of the stairs and continued down the hall a short ways until he found a door he remembered to be the bathroom. He easily had the door open before he was faced with the trouble of staring at the bathtub, suddenly realizing he didn't understand the mechanics in this one. He'd only used the ones in Demon World, and they were always more complex, more knobs that made it easy to get the temperature just right. After a single moment of hesitation, he slowly let down and laid Shikiyoku in the empty tub.

After another second, he leaned over the sides of the tub and slowly turned the two knobs to an equal degree, or so he hoped. _*****_

When Youko saw Hiei leaning over what he recognized to be a tub, he immediately looked along the wall for a light switch and flicked it on. He busied himself with scavenging around in the cabinets for anything useful for their situation, and managed to come up with a roll of what he knew could be used as bandages, as well as a handful of cloth that he promptly claimed as well. Another cabinet proved to have towels and he made no hesitation in grabbing as many as he could with one hand.

One of his ears twitched as water began filling the tub more than a few inches.

"Not too much." He intoned as he grasped the towels and pulled away from the cabinet to close it. "It will be bloody and useless soon enough. Likely need to be drained and refilled to a low point several times." 3

Hiei listened idly to the sounds in the room, ranging from the water in the tub to the wood of the cabinets hitting together when shut. He could hear the soft sound of cloth rubbing together, the sound of soft breathing. It was so quiet that when Youko spoke up, it was almost out of place.

And he did lean over and turn the water off, having been watching it carefully and gauging how much he should leave for this time that would likely take a while. _*****_

Youko came to Shikiyoku's side next to the tub and bent down on one knee, placing the towels to his right and balancing the smaller cloths on his raised leg. His expression twitched as he held up the bandages and he tossed them behind him where they landed softly in the sink and rolled around, but remained contained.

The first thing he did was pass a hand over the water that had only just reached a few inches in height. A powder began to fall from his out-stretched palm, leaving a light dusting on both Shikiyoku and within the water itself.

He placed what at first seemed like nothing along the edge of the tub, but in reality the small seeds there he coaxed with energy and they slowly began to grow. In the meantime, he placed a cloth in the water that was already beginning to smell of iron and shade into a dirty brown-red, gently bringing it up to Shikiyoku's face and starting to pat and wipe away the blood there. 3

Hiei had sat back for a moment to give Youko room for what he needed to do, watching carefully as if he would be able to learn anything from this scene. Of course, it was evident that he wouldn't be able to do any of this since he had no abilities even remotely similar to Youko's, but still, he was a curious creature by nature.

After a few moments, he again sat forward, grabbing one of the smaller towels and following Youko's lead, though on the arms and across Shikiyoku's collarbone. The cloth quickly turned from white to reddish-brown from the dried, crusted blood he worked at gently. _*****_

As the plants along the edge of the tub continued to slowly grow, Youko pulled back and tossed his head slightly, both to move his hair from his face and to release a pollen in the air that spread outwards towards the ceiling, but did not fall back down. Instead, the pollen grew larger until they resembled so many circular bowls and suspended around the room, releasing a soothing scent that cleared away the messy smell of their work.

Gesturing with his free hand by turning the wrist in a circle, he flowed his energy into another plant that burst upwards from his palm. This one he set on the floor between his knee and foot where it continued to sprout and take on a very leafy shape.

Reaching behind his ear for one last plant seed, this one became like a disc no larger around than a half-dollar coin and Youko tenderly tipped Shikiyoku's chin upwards, her face still mostly bloody, her hair matted down to her cheeks in a mixture of sweat and dried blood.

"For me, Yoku." Youko murmured when her eyes fluttered at his touch, bringing the disc to her lips.

They parted slightly at his request and he slipped it into her mouth.

The effects were almost immediate as the disc started melting on her tongue. Her eyes came open, though she winced at the light and still appeared to be unfocused.

"Hiei?" She croaked, looking over at Youko, attempting to rise out of the water.

At her first word being a query of the fire demon, Youko's core tripped once inside his chest and a great sadness surged up from deep within his body, filled him in place of what would for most in his position likely be jealousy. That she would ask after another first…

Youko shook his head, both to Shikiyoku and himself. He could still feel her power humming through him, and she asked for the one Youko immediately knew at the sight of the two had taken his place as her protector.

"Not Hiei." He placed a light hand on her shoulder as soon as she started trying to get up, preventing her from leaving.

Shikiyoku blinked again, but she said nothing for a moment as Youko rung the wet cloth out and dipped it in the water in a place that looked less contaminated than the others. He went back to trying to clear the cuts of her face from blood so that they could be treated.

"Thank you...Yo-chan." She breathed once she recognized his face, leaning back against the tub but continuing to watch him.

The disc in her mouth was all but gone and she took a deep breath, raising her arm and placing her hand on Youko's bare chest where his tunic gapped apart as he leaned over her.

She closed her eyes, beckoning what remained of the spell outside her body, and Youko frozen in place. It still took her more than a few seconds to get the attention of the energy around him and as she drew it back to herself, it practically fought with her, much more reluctant to return than any of the others she dealt with that night.

A minute passed. Then two. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead near her hairline as she was forced to meticulously grab each strand around him and practically tug them back into herself.

Finally the last bit of energy struggled one last time against her call, then slipped away, returning to its rightful place.

At that moment, Youko blinked, his mind clear.

Hiei had been working silently here and there, mainly trying to stay out of Youko's way when Shikiyoku's quiet voice piped up, asking for him. But, the fire demon didn't answer. Instead, he sat back even further, withdrawing the hand that had held a cloth and watching the interaction between her and Youko. He was curious about several things, but he assumed that he had gotten the gist of it:

Youko had once been in the place where Hiei now was with Shikiyoku, her Champion. That much he'd understood from their first conversation. After that, things seemed vague. For all he knew, they could have been lovers, but that was only a matter he was curious over, since it didn't matter to him in the least.

Hiei's keen crimson irises picked up on each movement the two made, looking at body language as they spoke. But the talking, the chatter, ended with Shikiyoku's hand on the fox demon's chest. At first, he saw the gesture as one of fondness. But after a few minutes, he noted the sweat that beaded on Shikiyoku's forehead, and he understood. His curiosity lead him to assessing everything that happened and waiting to see the outcome; if his guess was right, and it soon was proven to be, the fox demon would turn rather cold once Shikiyoku's energy was gone from his system._*****_

Youko glanced sharply over at Hiei, then down at the dirty cloth in his hand.

Had Hiei not been there, it was likely the kitsune would have stayed and tended to the battered woman, and while none of his thoughts reached his eyes, he felt keenly a pang of displacement at no longer being her Champion.

He rose to his feet, wishing for some time alone to consider better how Shikiyoku's powers worked now that he had finally experienced them first-hand, even if they were channeled through another.

He dropped the cloth without care onto the tile and said loftily, "The leaves of that plant, when crushed with the fingers, will serve as a paste that will get rid of bruises when it is spread over them." He pointed at the plant that had been placed between his knee and his foot.

"Those buds," He pointed next at the first plant growing on the edge of the tub, whose demonic form included buds all along the vines that were spilling over the outside of the tub to the tile floor, "Contain a liquid cleaning solution for wounds when squeezed. It is a painful process, but it will insure there are no infections and will also cleanse impurities since we do not know whether she was struck with poisoned blades or not."

He gestured openly to the rest, "The others will seal the wounds if you draw them over it." They each appeared to be a root similar to ginger and there were a handful or so, each about the length and width of a finger, though the last one was twice the size. "And can be used more than once." Youko started to turn away, "I suggest you save the largest one on the end for the gash down her calf."

He swept out of the room without further delay, his tail and hair trailing slighting behind him. 3

Hiei listened very carefully to each word Youko even uttered after his abrupt change in demeanor. With each gesture the silver-haired demon made, Hiei's eyes followed, taking in the information with an amount of curiosity that almost rivaled with the duty he felt towards healing Shikiyoku and serving as her champion.

He would have thanked the fox, if it were in his nature to do such a thing. In truth, he wasn't even sure what to say to the demon he hadn't seen since the tournament. So, instead, he merely nodded once to his comrade, unsure why he felt the small amount of relief that he did in the moment that the fox turned to leave.

Without even looking up again, Hiei picked up his own cloth again, dipped it in the water before draining it out and running fresh water, and continuing where Youko had left off, using the information and plants he'd been given to his advantage when necessary.

~!**!~

Akari landed on the concrete slab of the sidewalk and turned to the blue-haired woman who floated in front of her, smiling cordially as if they'd been friends for an eternity. "Thank you for complying and coming to see Koenma. I'm sure he appreciates everything you've done, despite…"

Akari felt the corners of her lips lift into a sarcastic sneer. "Despite my association with his former detective?"

A nervous laugh escaped Botan before she waved her hand as if waving away the subject. "You know, from what I can tell, they really seem to have gotten used to you. You're-"

"Don't go there." Akari interrupted, a hand in the air as she turned to leave. "No sentimentality. Just because they put up with my presence doesn't mean they care."

A small giggle followed after Akari's retreating steps into the night. The next sound she heard was of Botan's oar soaring into the highest parts of the sky and away into the next world, and Akari was left unsure of whether to go home, where she knew Nabu and his million questions were, or to wander until she felt tired enough mentally to sleep. _*****_

~!**!~

As soon as he got outside, Youko took in a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily and choosing to think about nothing.

After his pause he slunk out into the dark night, sticking to the shadows and avoiding contact with anyone that walked the streets at the hour.

His mind buzzed at the recent events involving Shikiyoku. And he found himself reflecting on memories he had not called upon in a long time...

"_Ah, ah, ah, my dear." Youko reprimanded, tapping a finger smartly on Shikiyoku's nose, "You're not to practice your wiles on me." He took her firmly by the shoulders and forced her to step back._

_Shikiyoku pouted, her lower lip protruding out in a lovely manner, "You never let me have any fun at all, Yo-chan."_

"_Yoku," Youko cooed, "Don't be like that." He playfully grabbed her protruding lip between his thumb and forefinger and made a small, gentle tug, "I can get you another play-thing any time you want."_

_Shikiyoku pulled away from him and huffed herself into a chair at the table in the room, flouncing down into the chair and leaning against the table, putting one elbow down and resting her face in that hand as she continued to pout. "But they're all so boring." She continued._

"_Then I'll find you an exciting one." Youko countered, taking note that the blindfold he required her to wear in his presence was not hindering her as much as it did when she first arrived. She must sense things out much more adeptly than before. He was mildly impressed._

"_But they're all __**boring**__." She protested, feeling Youko move to sit in the seat next to her, facing her, and she turned towards him, "You on the other hand…" She reached over and drew the back of her hand down the bare shoulder, "Would be much more thrilling."_

"_Mm." Youko intoned noncommittally. "Then I'll have to find someone like me."_

_Shikiyoku made a noise of discontent, "But there __**isn't**_ _anyone like you. Not in a million, billion years." As her hand slid down the inside of his upper arm, she tilted her head as if able to watch the movement._

_Youko grabbed for it, taking her slightly by surprise, but he simply put her hand back in her lap and stood up, holding onto it a moment longer and he bent over and purred into her ear, "Then I'd better start looking." He planted his usual chaste kiss on her soft cheek __before letting go of her hand and standing up straight, turning to go._

"_Hmph." Shikiyoku sniffed, "You're so mean to me. Tease."_

_Youko laughed outright, pausing near the door, "__**I'm**_ _the tease, my seductress? I find that hard to believe."_

"_You are and you know it. That's what makes it so hard." She whined, disappointed he was leaving so soon._

_He smiled at her distraught expression. "I'll find something special this next time."_

"_You'd better." She crossed her arms and he chuckled again and closed the door, locking it behind him._

_As she heard him going down the hall after a moment, she pulled her blindfold up to her forehead and turned back to pull her feet underneath the table and put her arms down on top, inspecting her hands, frowning as she flexed them._

_Youko let out a whoosh of air as he leaned against her door briefly, his expression losing its amiable cast that he found it acquiring more and more often in their encounters._

_It was getting harder not to give in. Not suddenly, not all at once, but slowly. His eyes narrowed as he wondered if she was doing it on purpose, trying to draw him in without his notice. _

_He walked off down the hall, mind still dwelling on the thought. If her previous track-record was any indication, she did not actually mean to make it harder for him, and it meant her energy acted on its own to an extent._

_No wonder she was in such trouble when he first came across her._

_It also meant that he needed to keep his time around her to a minimum as there would be an eventual moment where he would no longer be able to resist her. Not that he hadn't already thought of a few very specific things he would like to do to or with her, but...once in her clutches...well, he had seen the eyes of her prey after she finished with them and it seemed almost a kindness to put them out of their misery. _

_**His**_ _being caught by her would cause many problems he did not want to have to deal with and he would by no means put himself in that situation willingly. Perhaps she would become of no more used to him long before that moment...though he dismissed the thought almost as soon as if formed. She was invaluable to him, and the instant she realized it, he would be in trouble enough. He knew her next play-thing would have to be something special indeed..._

~!**!~

Shikiyoku shifted uncomfortably as she felt the water draining from around her legs, her eyes slowly fluttering open at the touch of someone she couldn't at first make out.

"Hiei…?" She blinked, her vision blurry with pain and the muscles around her eyes tightening in a grimace until she squeezed her eyes shut, opening them again to see the red-eyed demon bent over her.

The smell of the demonic plants in the air soothed her disjointed thoughts, and she took to watching Hiei go about his self-imposed duty, her gaze soft on his frame as he worked, taking the quiet moment to appreciate the inherent gracefulness in his movements.

She tried to keep any protests she had to herself as he cleaned her wounds, only releasing uncomfortable bits of breath when the pain grew too much for her to stay silent about, which happened much more often than she liked. She ruefully thought of the high tolerance for such things that her other side now coveted, feeling rather embarrassed for appearing so weak in front of the warrior beside her.

She cast her eyes downward at the sudden thought, staring blankly at her torn clothing and wishing, not for the first time, that she didn't have to rely on others for her own safety. That was one thing it appeared Toriko got right at least.

This time, however, her wish grew out of a desire for this fire demon to have a reason to view her as an equal, instead of a mess of trouble that he had been forced into by chance. If only she could match his speed, or his swordplay. If only she could meet him blow for blow on a battlefield. If only her demonic energy could be channeled into death-inducing spells instead of being an irresistible bother for her and any around her.

If only she were back in Demon World...3

Time seemed to pass on one end or the other of the spectrum, one moment feeling as if the time would pass without his notice, the next making him feel as if he'd been in this spot for an eternity. Half of the time, his hand that held the cloth moved almost on its own, his mind blank completely as he methodically went about dabbing at wounds, occasionally dipping into the water that had been, moments before, almost crystal clear. Now, it was a rustic color again, and without hesitation he drained it out and refilled with fresh water again, watching it turn only a slightly different color, unlike before when it would immediately turn brown.

By the time he had wiped away most of the dried, crusted blood, he was recalling every detail of what Youko had said before leaving. As he recalled the fox's instructions, the fire demon reached first for the plant used for cleaning the cuts, slowly picking a bud from the vine-like stem before lightly squeezing it curiously, watching a small drop of a cream-like substance rise to the surface. His gaze turned to the injured woman in the tub, meeting her gaze that he hadn't realized had been on him and giving a brief pause. "Prepare yourself," he muttered before leaning further over the tub and squeezing the bud over one of the smaller cuts on her arm.

~!**!~

Akari walked under the moonlight, eyes pointedly focused forward as she considered her options. If she went back to the place she currently called home, Nabu would be waiting and berate her with questions as soon as she stepped inside, just as he had earlier before Botan had shown up. But, she would also get to lay on the cushioned couch and stretch her tired body. She wouldn't sleep, she knew, but her body would thank her later.

But it would be noisy.

She could go to the park. No humans would be wandering through there this time of night, and it'd be quiet. Sure, the bench wouldn't be as comfortable, but she could make it work. Perhaps the ground would work too, if it weren't for the rain they'd had the day before.

She'd just have to make due.

With that thought, she altered her course and continued through town, ignoring the city lights of the night and the sounds of the nightlife roaming about. And with her mind forcefully blank, it didn't take her too long before she was entering the park. _*****_

~!**!~

Youko reached a slightly more wooded area, one that he recognized was the town's park by the landscaping, and he slowed to a walk, still sticking to the shadows. He felt the presence of no one in the immediate area when he first arrived, but kept moving.

His mind remained too preoccupied with analysis of how the enemy made use of Shikiyoku's powers for him to take much notice of the fact that his core had begun pulsating. He noted somewhere in the back of his mind that his fox-form was slipping away and after a few minutes in the park, silver hair gave way to red, tail and ears disappearing as Kurama gained control once more.

He did not feel whole enough to return to his house and kept wandering around, though not quite as reclusive about it as before, strolling along the pathways in the moonlight.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had not until that moment taken much notice of the plants that were littered about the bathroom, but when she heard Hiei's brief warning and noted the bud in his hand, her eyes widened. Youko had used this very method of cleaning wounds when they'd first met and the pain had been excruciating even _with _her high tolerance for such things.

Had he given her just a moment more, Shikiyoku would have attempted to lift her hand and grip the edge of the tub, but she did not have time to gather strength in her weak body to do so before he leaned over and placed the substance on a cut. A rather small one.

The cleanser rested for a moment above the opening and Shikiyoku felt her entire body tensing in anticipation.

As soon as it dove beneath the surface, Shikyoku's jaw clenched together and her arm twitched violently where it lay as if trying to remove a fly that landed and would not leave.

Her energy burst out into the room defensively, though it mingled with the smell of the demonic plants hanging overhead that had been constantly releasing their heavy perfume into the air and its powers were greatly nullified, and Shikiyoku's jaw relaxed, sinking herself into the shimmer that settled over her body, her skin tingling.

This happened very quickly, and also dissipated very quickly, her energy retreating and her jaw tensing up again as she tried not to cry out in pain.

The cleanser turned a sickly yellow color all at once and the pain was over, Shikiyoku's eyes sliding open again-she did not remember when they closed-and staring up at the ceiling. 3

Hiei paused briefly at the energy that momentarily grabbed his attention, but easily dropped back into the groove of his tedious work, slowly rubbing the substance he considered to be an ointment over the cut, only with his index finger. Once that bud was spent, he picked another, giving Shikiyoku some time to recover her breath before holding it up briefly in silent warning and squeezing the bud over another, larger gash that ran along her collarbone, frowning pensively as he did the same as before and rubbed the substance in slowly.

He continued this, repeating the same step over and over in several places and ignoring all jerks and sounds of pain Shikiyoku made, knowing that listening to them wouldn't do much good.

~!**!~

Akari walked into the park with small, leisurely steps. She stretched just a bit, popping her back in the process, and released a heavy sigh. She _could _lay on a bench, but what fun would that be? That would just stress her muscles more. So, she decided to keep moving, passing the benches completely and finding a path through the more wooded area. Her eyes searched for the owls that hooted above, the mice that scampered around on the earth floor, and sometimes for the insects that buzzed by her face.

Had she been paying any less attention than that, she wouldn't have noticed the shadowed figure walking on a path perpendicular to hers. She assessed the outline of the person, curious as to why a human would be out at such a late hour. Or maybe it was early? She didn't know anymore. So she simply chose to ignore them, continuing along the path until it intersected with his, not looking to see who it was at first. _*****_

Kurama's feet stopped on their own, his body sensing that he was about to run into someone, but his mind not registering that it was happening. He blinked, and realized he stood near Akari, a ghost of a smile passing over his lips.

"Seems we run into each other more and more often of late."

~!**!~

Each time the cleanser was placed on a wound and began setting to its work, Shikiyoku's energy would flare up in reaction, but each time it happened, the amount of demonic energy sent out into the room became less and less until finally the energy only extended just beyond her body and she could not hold back an actual cry of pain at the terrible stinging sensation that wracked her body, ridding the cuts of any infection or impurities in the process.

A sheen of sweat settled onto her skin and with the most recent application of the plant, her right hand-which had moved up to grip the edge of the tub-actually squeezed so tightly on it that it sent several cracks running abruptly out from her fingers.

The cleanser turned black on the outside of that last, larger wound and a tremble ran the entire course of her body before she sat still, breathing heavily. 3

Hiei frowned at the blackened substance, his pupils dilating a fraction as he wondered if that was an indicator of poisons. He wasn't sure if he needed to leave it or rub it away, so for an extra moment, he let it sit before he took a cloth- a clean one this time, just in case- and wiped away the cream. As an extra precaution, he added another bud to the very same wound, then sat back as he decided to let the cream sit and continue cleaning the wounds for a few moments longer, and, also, to give Shikiyoku a small break to catch her breath.

He glanced at her sweat-covered face and took in the paleness of her features, the darkness under her eyes. He released a small breath and sat on his rump, one leg crossed under the knee of the other. He couldn't find anything to say, so he simply watched Shikiyoku in silence.

~!**!~

Akari took an extra step before turning to Kurama, a brow raised at his cordiality. She stared for a moment before making a small sound that even she didn't recognize before she released a sigh. "That's what happens when two people enjoy the same area." she countered, her eyes sliding to the side and away from his features. "Of course, I've always enjoyed the park. Your recent liking of it is what's causing this." she taunted lightly, though her tone was even and expression void of any emotion other than light curiosity. _*****_

"Hm. Is that right?" He countered amiably, "And how long have you been in this area exactly? If it's more than maybe a decade, then I'll have to concede your point." This time the smile actually rested over his features. A small one, but a smile nonetheless.

~!**!~

Her chest still heaving under her clothes, Shikiyoku's eyes came back open, staring up at the ceiling.

"Thank you..." She managed to say, though whether for his rescue of her earlier or the current reprise that he afforded her by not applying more cleanser than was already slathered over her wounds even she did not know.

After her last outburst, Maneshi appeared moments later, trotting into the open door of the room, his heterochromatic eyes wide with concern. The smells had already penetrated his senses even before he made it half-way up the stairs-he had been within the closet in the living room and did not realize Shikiyoku and the others had arrived.

He paused for a moment when he came upon the scene, his tail slowly weaving a back and forth pattern in the air as he calculated the meaning of what his eyes saw.

His whiskers shivered once in distaste at the water, and as he carefully plodded forward, he avoided any point of the stuff along the way, skirting the discarded, bloody cloths.

Maneshi walked right up to Hiei and promptly stepped into the fire demon's lap for warmth, his muscles tight with the same concern that he now used to warily peer over the edge of the tub at what he could make out of Shikiyoku.

He stretched his neck too close to one of the demonic plants sitting along the edge and he sneezed violently, drawing back and leaning heavily into Hiei's body, waiting and watching. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku's thanks, not sure if he should respond or not. So, he didn't. He simply stayed where he sat, adjusting just a bit so that his katana, still sheathed under his cloak, didn't jab into his side as it had been. His eyes slid to the cat that made his way over to the fire demon, watching the reaction of Maneshi blandly, not actually very interested in how he reacted to the plants and such. But when the cat sneezed and leaned against him, he raised a hand and gently patted the top of his head twice before leaning back, palms on the tiled floor so that his shoulders could stretch just a bit.

"You should rest," he said suddenly, knowing that Shikiyoku was completely exhausted. Then again, when he was to get back to work on her wounds, he knew she'd just be awoken by the pain again. So, really, he didn't think she'd listen to him in the slightest.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes to the sky, but realized she'd been rather stupid in saying something like that. Of course he'd been here longer, enjoyed something like this longer than she, since she'd been kept near Sensui for years.

"Touché," she finally admitted, crossing her arms in defiance and giving a small huff. Then she eyed him slowly, considering him for a minute before saying, "you look more in your right mind than earlier. How's it feel?" _*****_

"Awful." He answered truthfully, thinking about how worn out he actually felt, not to mention how his mind kept returning to Toriko for some reason. His brows turned downward slightly and he hesitated, "What...what happened back there? Exactly? I'm getting bits and pieces, but can't seem to fit them together."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku did not feel as if she had the strength to nod at Hiei's observation, so she closed her eyes instead, twitching every-so-often as another pang of the cleanser did its job. She concentrated on reducing her rate of breath and finally managed to get it under control. The cleansing process did not allow her much rest as it was on-going, but centering her thoughts and reigning in the frantic beat of her core did help and she felt grateful once again to Hiei for mentioning rest.

The plants suspended in the air of the room gave off much less scent that before, their internal lights muted in response. The bathroom lights from overhead made Shikiyoku cringe the more she calmed herself, and she thought briefly of asking Hiei to turn them off, but her mind did not stick with the thought long enough for her to form the words to accompany it.

She did wander back to earlier musings, still finding Hiei's position as her Champion as a source of strangeness.

Each previous demon who held the title gained a mutually beneficial...something from it. In fact, they could not have taken the 'oath,' as it were, unless they desired something from her. Youko used her within his bandit gang as an information gatherer. The others too had similar reasons for accepting, and Shikiyoku became for each of them a tool most willingly at their beck and call in exchange for their protection.

She saw herself as nothing more than a bother with this newest acquisition, wondering what in the three worlds compelled him to answer "yes" when her other side presented him with the question. She could certainly think of no reason. She had no place alongside a warrior of his caliber... So, what made him accept it?

With the question repeatedly echoing around inside her head, she shifted around to try and get more comfortable before gathering her strength to try and ask.

"I am useless to you. You have no need of me. You should have let me die and been rid of your curse." She did not open her eyes, remaining in the more meditative, resting state she had slipped into.

Well. That wasn't exactly what she meant to say, she thought to herself, though it properly conveyed her emotions on the subject. Her jaw snapped back shut as soon as the words tumbled beyond her mouth. 3

Hiei patted Maneshi between the ears again, his eyes trailing from the demoness in the tub to the worried feline. It didn't take much for the fire demon to see the cat's distress, but he didn't say anything about it. He merely pet him a few times here and there, as if comforting him, watching small tufts of fur float in the air from his shedding. A few pieces of fur landed on his face, and he brushed them away casually before returning to his petting of the cat.

When Shikiyoku was moving, his eyes shot up at her, wondering just what the hell she was doing, before she spoke up. He raised a brow, eyeing her for a moment. Her words rang true, he told himself; he gained nothing much of use from such an agreement. However, the last sentence she said made his brows furrow. He scoffed. "A death wish?" he finally asked, his tone mocking. "I knew you were ridiculously impetuous, but this is new." he taunted, his head tilting to the left only slightly.

~!**!~

Akari hadn't expected such an honest reply, truthfully. But as he asked, as she had been expecting him to do, she herself took a second's hesitation. She took a deep breath. "Not too much, I suppose." she stated, her eyes closing as she thought about the moments after they had entered the building. "We learned that they have a demon with the ability to use illusions. Hiei killed one of their members, who utilized that power into looking starkly similar to Toriko." Here, she paused again, her mind giving her the image of the wounded Toriko and repeating Otento's words about her condition.

"Toriko herself, however, was suspended from the ceiling. She's…" Akari paused, searching for a way to say this without going into detail. "In short, they had their… _fun_… and.." An image passed Akari's mind's eye that hadn't been relevant to the evening, causing her to pause and force her eyes open, watching Kurama's reaction instead. "She's in bad shape, last I saw her. Hiei is with her, I presume." Another image passed unbiddingly, this time harder to ignore. "She's lucky to have survived such.." This time, the image that hit her came with an itch that told her she needed to stop talking, concentrate on herself and force the wall in her mind back up. _*****_

Kurama blinked as he watched Akari speak. He remembered everything after the spell held over he and the human boys had been broken, though it was in the distance behind Youko's personality, to ridiculously simplify the relationship held with Shuichi's body and Youko's spirit.

At the moment, none of that seemed to matter as his world focused in on Akari and her twinges. He stepped closer and held an arm out behind her back, not touching her, but silently in place as he scrutinized her features. He said nothing, knowing she was not okay, knowing something was wrong, and instead standing nearby and hoping that simply his presence would be of some support.

~!**!~

"I have no death wish." Shikiyoku replied simply. "But were I you, I would have removed my head from my neck the instant I became more trouble than I am worth. For what _am_ I worth to a warrior like you? I see no reason you could possibly have in keeping me alive, and better to kill me and return you your freedom. I am at my weakest and will not be able to stop you." 3

Hiei felt an emotion pass through him momentarily. This was ridiculous. He sat forward, leaning over Maneshi who had took to laying in his lap, eyes rolling between himself and Shikiyoku. Finally, he opened his mouth, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone, "You think I didn't consider such a thing?" His expression was blank, tone harsh, but his eyes sparked with the emotion of irritation about the subject. "I could have found a way back to Demon World by now if I had so desired, yet you get in my way constantly."

He paused, the air in the room turning uncomfortable, even for him. "However, it isn't your fault you're useless." He stated offhandedly, tone quieter than before. "You're a pain, you're impetuous and mildly annoying. However…" he paused again, stretching the moment as he searched for something else to say. "However, I don't know what made me feel obligated to agree." Sure, impulsiveness wasn't normally the cause for him being in such situations, but for the moment, that was all he could come up with. Especially since he didn't understand why he'd agreed yet himself.

"You'll just have to deal with it." He finished nonchalantly.*

* * *

><p><em>I didn't really think about this until just now, but the usage of "Shikiyoku" and "Toriko" can sometimes be confusing, so I'm going to attempt to explain her situation a little more in detail.<em>

_Akari did not know about "Shikiyoku," so she referred to "Shikiyoku" as "Toriko." The same goes for Kuwabara and Yusuke; they only knew her as "Toriko," and it's a habit, so that's the name they're likely to fall back to most often._

_Toriko was a personality that manifested out of Shikiyoku's need to hide from Spirit World's Hunters. Shikiyoku locked her powers and her demonic form away and basically became a human so that the Hunters could no longer track her down. As a defensive mechanism, the personality called "Toriko" manifested to take care of the daily grind, kind of like how Sensui established separate personalities to take care of specific tasks. Toriko's personality is strong enough to almost be considered a separate entity, similar to Youko and Shuichi, but unlike the kitsune that entity/personality is only in FULL control when her hair is pinned back with the enchanted bobby pins (and Youko and Shuichi are two actual spirits in one body, while I associate Toriko/Shikiyoku as two personalities in one body-it's not terribly dissimilar from Disassociate Identity Disorder) and she is wearing the thick-lensed glasses. Without the bobby pins AND the glasses in place, Shikiyoku is allowed more freedom to be herself._

_Hope that helps!_

Yo-chan - Shikiyoku's 'nickname' for Youko Kurama. The honorific -chan (according to wikipedia) "is a diminutive suffix; it expresses that the speaker finds a person endearing. ... [_chan_] may also be used towards cute animals, lovers, close friends, any youthful woman, or between friends."

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	21. Next Saga! :: Ep 106 - Kidnapped? Again?

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!

I give to you Chapter Twenty-One!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Youko and Hiei take Shikiyoku back to Toriko's home and begin cleaning her wounds,  
>and once Shikiyoku has gathered enough strength she is able to recall her energy from Youko.<br>The kitsune leaves Hiei to take care of her and heads towards the park.

~!**!~

Akari herself also heads to the park and by the time she arrives,  
>Youko has given way to Kurama once more.<p>

While they are talking about the events in the warehouse,  
>Akari starts to have flashbacks to her past,<br>ones which render her unresponsive to the outside world...

* * *

><p>Akari felt several sensations at once, beginning with slight panic that it was becoming increasingly difficult to brush aside the pictures, the faces that flashed in her mind. Next came the feeling of phantom pain- something Sensui had explained to hear within the first year of her acquaintance with him. She took a deep breath, her hands moving to her head instinctively, rubbing at her temples in an attempt to rub away the sensations that were continuing to build up.<p>

Next, the smell. She could clearly smell blood, chemicals that were used to cover such a scent and clean up such a mess. The smell of ropes and chains, the smell of sweat and tears. Humans. Demons. Everywhere.

She grimaced without knowing, her breathing hitching occasionally when another scent hit her.

But when she could feel the ropes around her wrists, the iron chains against her waist, she realized what was happening. In the next second, she was physically in a large warehouse- or so it seemed. Her shoulders were in excruciating pain, her eyes stinging from tears she refused to shed for the people who stood in front of her now, different things in their hands.

"_Ah, you're awake again." _the closest one said, his tone so filled with glee that she felt physically sick.

She looked down and saw cuts and bruises that colored her skin on almost every inch. Even a few needles were placed here and there, protruding only because she'd grown thin enough for them to stick out from her skin where they had once been embedded for electrical treatment. That's when her breathing stopped.

She wasn't supposed to be here. Not again, not ever. _*****_

Kurama had not moved, his eyes constantly roving her face, catching her glance down at her hands and her breath becoming unsteady in places.

At the haunting look that her eyes suddenly retracted into, he finally spoke.

"Akari? Akari, I need you to stay with me. Here. In the park." He could tell that she was seeing something around her that was not actually there, and he could hazard a guess as to what was going on within her head. He waited another moment, unsure if actually making physical contact now would be wise. "Akari, you can't leave this place. Nabu is looking for you." He waited again to see if she could even hear him before he decided on his move.

~!**!~

"I'm certain you _have _considered killing me." Shikiyoku's tone remained as frank as it had been the entire conversation. "I am _not _certain why you have no done it yet. Or what compelled you to agree when you had no ulterior plan in mind."

Their conversing dulled her mind from the pain of the cleansing process and so she continued before it could slip back into her consciousness, "I won't complain about you allowing me my life, but it's definitely the first time I'm stuck with someone who doesn't know what to do with me."

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke almost to herself thoughtfully, "Perhaps its your age. Or inexperience."

Again, she kept going as her arm started to twitch with pain once more, speaking louder and directly to him, "You should come up with an answer for yourself, or I might feel forced to seek an alternative means to breaking our contract."

Her voice grew vehement, full of a simmering anger, "I _hate _being useless." 3

Hiei felt a frown forming on his features as if it were chiseled in his skin like stone. He wasn't sure why, but her last words disturbed him, which contrasted against the amusement he'd felt at first. Of course, he didn't retort right away with the first thing that came to mind. Instead, he thought carefully about his reply, taking a moment before he finally met her gaze squarely, flashing like flames.

"You may be useless, but without a protector, you're dead." His words were said in a casual tone, as if he had only just realized this. But he continued. "Should you break the contract, I may be released from you entirely, but what good would it do? You still have enemies looking for you. Simply because I do not wish to use you like a toy, that should not mean that you rid of me. I simply believed you were sick of being used."

With that, he sat back even further, stretching for a second before he picked up his towel and continued cleaning wounds again. "I suppose if you'd rather be killed for the amusement of another than useless to someone who could care less what you do, then go ahead."

~!**!~

Fear. That's what was now enveloping Akari as she looked around herself, trying to avoid the humans in front of her. But one stepped forward, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. A gaze so clouded with darkness that not even her own shadows could compare. "You will look at me when I am speaking to you." He threatened, flicking the weapon in his hand so that it struck her skin full-force. She gave a small cry, despite her defiance, and tried adjusting so that the binding around her wrists would, hopefully, lessen. They instead ground against her skin, creating new lesions that spilled a sticky substance down her arms.

Her lips clamped closed again, jaw trembling at the amount of restraint it took to keep from saying foul language, which had landed her where she hung now, alone with only one other demon in the room who was currently unconscious. Or perhaps dead, she didn't know.

"Now, we're going to try something new today, because the big man is coming down soon." That single sentence made her retch, but only once because she was struck again, this time with a rustic length of barbed wire. "You see.."

"_Akari…" _a voice suddenly sounded, making her blink once and glance to the side. "_Nabu.."_

"What?" she croaked, dried vocal cords only managing a small sound that might have resembled a grunt.

"What did I just tell you?!" The human before her shouted, while another swung something large at her face, striking her cheek and causing blood to spill over while the third stepped closer, placing a hand on her raw cheek. "Repeat what I said to you!"

And she did as told. _*****_

Kurama held his breath at a steady rate, reaching out to gently rest a hand on her neck, calling her name again, "Akari. Listen to me. I cannot bring you out of this on my own. You're going to have to help me." His mind rushed to what plants he had on his person.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes finally whipped open, her anger smoldering just below the surface of her eyes, but she remained staring up at the ceiling as she spoke.

"I would rather throw myself into the hands of a pack of demons and die at their behest doing what I appear to have been born to do, than walk around alive and well and _useless_." Her voice was fierce and left no room for doubt as to her feelings.

"Without purpose, one is already dead, the body has simply not been given time to catch up yet." 3

Hiei snorted at her, not really able to disagree with her last statement. But, at the same time, he felt she wasn't one hundred percent correct. He just couldn't put a finger on what made him think such a thing, when that had once been his own way of thinking. Wait, was it not that way now?

"Tch." He suddenly spat, taking the second plant and ruthlessly rubbing it against her wounds to close the ones he'd already cleansed of the ointment. "Perhaps you should find your own purpose, rather than sticking to the one you'd been _taught _you had."

~!**!~

Akari repeated the words she had been told, beginning from "_Ah, she's awake" _to the most recent ones, despite the painful resistance her throat and lungs made. When she finished, she took a shaky breath inwards, only to have it thrown out of her desperate lungs with a knife to her gut. "Wrong. You missed a word."

This time, the tears fell unbiddingly and her mouth opened for a scream or cry of pain, but nothing came out. He twisted it, and Akari could practically hear the carving out of her insides. "P-please…" she begged, head hanging as the knife stilled and the room silenced again. "Just kill me."

"Now why would I do that, when you're the most entertaining of all?"

A dry laugh shook her body, causing more tears to fall and less air when the knife sliced again at her, this time by her own movements. She wanted to call him a name, but refrained again, opening and then closing her mouth, instead running her dry tongue over her cracked lips. Finally, she spoke without thinking. "Kiss my ass."

The human closest to her ran his fingers from her cheek downwards, resting his hand over her chest. "Gladly." _*****_

Kurama moved to stand in front of her, putting his hands on her cheeks and lifting her face so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"Akari." He said, more sternly than before.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of two more behind him out of nowhere.

"You're coming with us." A heavy hand dropped onto his shoulder and started to turn him around and in the next moment, Kurama felt himself being teleported away, the ground disappearing underneath him and reappearing mere seconds later.

He could see nothing, could hear nothing, and yet his first reaction was to turn back to Akari, whose cheek he still felt under one of his hands, and make sure her condition had not worsened.

~!**!~

"You think I didn't consider such a thing?" She fired his words from before right back at him, shifting around again with the intention of getting up and leaving the situation that steadily made her angrier, but feeling the slice along her calf and her weak muscles and knowing she would not get very far, settling back down into stillness again.

"And what great purpose do _you _have, oh wise one?" She continued mockingly, "Don't tell me _you _were taught one purpose and then defied it and made another." 3

Hiei sneered, not surprised by the turn of events that lead to his own words fired back at her. But, at her last few sentences, the sneer disappeared. His expression became blank and his mind replayed memories from the very early stages of his life, but he brushed them away with a swipe of the plant in his hand across her cuts and bruises.

He didn't answer for a few minutes. He thought, considering even the thought of answering. At first, he thought against it. But his mouth had other ideas. "I was taught to kill everything in sight and steal what I could." He didn't even pause in what he was doing, not even to look up at her to witness her reaction.

~!**!~

For a split moment, Akari had seen a change in the eyes of one of the men. From dark, nasty, muddy brown that flashed with unspeakable thoughts to a brilliant green that shone with concern and other things. Wisdom? The flash had been too brief for it to matter to her, because in the next second, she felt the soft, warm lips of the man closest to her make contact with her neck, a very stark contrast to everything else about him.

And she kicked her feet up, crying out in pain with the knife that became embedded at the hilt, and kicked the man as far away from her as her shaking limbs would allow. She pulled on the ropes, hearing them break under the weight that had been continuously pulling at them as such, and she hit the floor. It jarred her, and suddenly she wasn't seeing a warehouse. The image was gone, but the pain itself was not. At first, she didn't understand what had happened, and she swiped at the hand on her cheek out of pure reflex, grabbing the wrist and pulling the perpetrator forward with every intention of breaking his nose with her opposite hand, which shot out just as quick in an attack.

"You will die!" she growled, wild eyes not seeing Kurama for who he really was. _*****_

Even in the utter darkness that Kurama now found the two of them in, it did not stop him from easily grasping her fist in his free hand, giving the other a sharp twist to release it from where she held on, moving again before she could react.

He grabbed her shoulder and pushed them both forward, slamming her back into the stone wall behind them and hoping the force would jarr her thoughts back to the present.

"We are not alone." He hissed very quietly at her, unable to see but the edges of her features even from as close as he now stood.

~!**!~

"Ah, the life of a bandit." Shikiyoku enjoyed Hiei revealing this bit of information to her as it gave her insight as to his actions up to this point. "Typical demon behavior."

She dropped the other subject, though her mind still burned with curiosity. He did not have a use for her but left her alive. How un-demon-like.

Her arm jerked out of his grasp once as he worked, in more of an involuntary reaction to what he did than with any real purpose. 3

Hiei ignored her completely, simply continuing about his business with addressing the wounds one by one as he had been doing. He actually wasn't sure how he felt about her having that information, not that it was much of a secret. If the others asked, he would likely tell them right out just as he had here. However, he didn't much appreciate being deemed under the same dub as other demons, despite the truth behind such words.

When she jerked, he grabbed her arm again and lowered her wrist until the underside of her arm was resting on the cool surface of the edge of the tub. "It'd do well to stay still."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't been expecting the extreme reaction she was given, and for a split moment, she made a sound that resembled a growl and a squeal mixed, but it was gone before her back hit the wall. The hands on her shoulders were firm, keeping her in place as she assessed the outline of this person before her, the voice that hissed at her familiar, but not one that alarmed her, aside from the meaning behind them.

She took a shaky breath and clenched her jaw closed, fighting against the panic she still felt. A dark place, where she couldn't see her surroundings, and people in the room she couldn't make out…

A scene similar flashed in her mind's eye, and she shook her head back and forth jerkily, not realizing tears had formed in her eyes until they fell down her face with the force of her shaking head.

Then she stilled again, raising her hands to remove Kurama's from her shoulders, silently letting him know she was aware, even if just enough to know it was him. _*****_

"Indeed you are not, Kurama. Or should I say, Youko Kurama? How unfortunate for you both to end up trapped down here, but I suppose it can't be helped." There was no mistaking Otento's velvety voice speaking from somewhere behind him.

Kurama said nothing, allowing Akari to do as she wished in removing his hands slowly before he turned around to face the direction the voice came from, keeping her body hidden behind his own, satisfied that she would do no more to him for the moment.

He had not wished to be so forceful with her, but he sensed the presence of Otento as well as the wall behind her when they teleported, and took advantage of the opportunity when he did not think they would have much time to gather themselves.

As it was, he felt no maliciousness aimed for them and remained quiet and calculating.

"What do you want of me?" He called.

"Absolutely nothing." Otento responded in kind, "Just to keep you out of the way."

"Then let her go."

"Not a chance."

He sensed a huge flare of demonic energy came from where Kurama assumed Otento stood, and he raised his arms as if to block whatever headed for them.

The energy, instead smashing into him as he expected blew right through him as if incorporeal, a portion of it falling into his body. It clamped down over where Kurama knew his own demonic energy lay, an impenetrable orb of completely black energy and cutting off Kurama's access.

Otento's footfalls began and Kurama knew he was walking away.

"So you will leave us here to die?" Kurama asked, taking a step forward.

There came no answer and Kurama kept walking forward with one hand out until his fingers brushed against something in his way that he could not see.

Satisfied momentarily that they were in a limited prison cell, Kurama went back to Akari, having no trouble finding her and placing a hand briefly on the top of her shoulder to let her know he was there.

~!**!~

"Easy for _you _to say." Shikiyoku's voice resonated from low within her chest and she growled once, her lip rising on one side to reveal her clenched teeth. "But I've been through this before. And it _**hurts**_." 3

Hiei felt a corner of his lips lift up into a sneer at the hiss he received, suddenly finding an odd amount of amusement from her reaction. "How about this," he suddenly spoke up, halting in his tracks to meet her gaze evenly. "Be useful and sit still. If you want to be of use, then stop moving and let me do my job."

~!**!~

There were only a few things Akari were aware of, and the situation in which Kurama was dealing with was not one of them. Sure, she knew that they were no longer in the park, but how they'd gotten here, wherever _here _was, and who was addressing Kurama, she didn't know. She couldn't exactly focus straight, her vision- not that it would help in the darkness- was blurred out and her mind was torn, making it hard for her to be sure what was reality and what was just an illusion created by her own sick memories.

There was pain, as if her skin had been sliced inch by inch. There was a sound she could hear that, maybe, sounded like a cry for help, but she wasn't sure of that either. And occasionally, she found herself back in a room that was starkly similar to what she knew of this one- dark, closed-in, and very, very uncomfortable to her. Dog demons never did well with dark spaces, especially dark, small spaces, though she wasn't sure she was even in a small space or if that too was part of her memory.

Angrily, she wiped at her face, as if it would clear the fogginess from her mind. Instead, it only made the feeling stronger, and her breath hitched when a hand again touched her, making her jump slightly before she remembered who she was with.

"Space," she suddenly said, her body reflexively shrinking against the sharp edges of the rugged wall behind her, her shoulderblades digging in with extra force when she realized _this _pain made her feel more in control. "Please, space," she begged, despite all efforts of putting up a front. After all, the last time she'd dealt with a moment like this, she'd had a punching bag and a man who gave pep talks when needed. _*****_

"We are alone. For now." Kurama said to her, "Take all the time you need." He stepped back and turned away.

Kurama reached into his pocket and pulled a small seed, experimentally attempting to tap into his demonic energy, not feeling surprised in the slightest that he garnered no response and the seed remained the same as before in his hand.

He put it back in his pocket, frustrated that he could do nothing to fight back the darkness, which seemed more oppressive and heavy than any normal sort.

He walked forward again until he found the invisible wall with his hand, running his fingers over its smooth surface. He decided to follow it in one direction, coming to find that there were two right turns which eventually put him right back near Akari, where he walked past her and continued, turning right twice again and picturing their square prison in his mind.

The two walls on either side of where Akari stood were stone of some sort as well, the ground underneath them one of dirt, and the fourth wall smooth, Kurama unable to tell what exactly it was that prevented him from going further.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku opened her mouth, intending to fire something full of as much snark as he blessed her with, but quickly closed it again as her arm twitched. She turned her head away towards the other side of the tub so she wouldn't have to look at him, struggling still to not move and managing to continue to be unsuccessful at it unless he paid specific attention to keeping his grasp firm.

She wished it was _her _having to tend to _his _injuries. Then they'd see just how much _he _squirmed.

She managed to pull her other arm up and rested her elbow on the other edge of the tub, leaning her cheek into her hand and making another face down at the rust-colored water. 3

Hiei sneered again when he had no reply given to him other than another twitch of her muscles. Seems like he finally found a way to best her at her own game, it seemed. Not that it mattered, he told himself. He merely continued with what he was doing, a few moments passing by before he got irritated at her jerking muscles.

"Train your body to sit still," he all but demanded of her, but in a way, he was telling her of his own ability to do such. "It's basic for anything. I assume you've attempted fighting before," he continued, never looking up from his work as he continued around the cuts with the plant that he ran over it, watching wounds beginning to seal, just as Youko had said they would. "Even in fighting, you have to keep every muscle under control. Perhaps you should practice that _now_."

~!**!~

Akari stood in silence with her own thoughts and images, taking deep breaths and digging her shoulders into the wall behind her, little by little, hoping that her mind would clear if she created _real _pain, instead of focusing on the pain that was only a part of her imagination.

But after a few minutes, the desired effect wasn't being achieved, so she tried focusing on the sound of Kurama moving about the room. That did nothing but remind her of her own movements when she'd been in a similar situation, and she took another deep, shaky breath. She held that breath, an idea coming to mind.

And before it would become clouded with her inability to see between reality and illusion, she acted on it, letting her head fall forward for a moment, breath still held, and then jerking it back against the wall. The breath left her through clenched teeth as pebbles rolled to the ground behind her. Her eyes remained open despite the pain she now was focused on, trying to fixate on something tangible in the room to see.

But it didn't seem necessary. As the pain continued to blossom in the back of her head, the images began fading as if they had been nothing more than lightning strikes through a night sky, disappearing just as quick as they'd come.

And in relief, she slid to the dirt floor below her, her knees touching her chest and her forehead resting on her kneecaps, arms hanging loosely at her sides. _*****_

Kurama felt that he would gain nothing more from attempting to examine their prison, and he came back and sat down against the stone wall near Akari, leaning back and bending his legs at the knees, letting his arms rest on top of them and closing his eyes. He spent a moment in silence, letting his breathing slow as if he entered a meditative state, hoping to clear his mind and be able to examine their predicament clearly.

~!**!~

"I-..." Shikiyoku began, releasing her breath and refusing once more to look at him, her cheek still resting on her hand, but beginning to burn with a blush of embarrassment even without the admission he inadvertently almost drew from her.

Of course she'd never attempting fighting. Her energy didn't work that way so why try? Any target she'd ever had was eliminated for her by another's hand once she used them past their point of usefulness. No fighting required. The very idea of throwing a punch or actively seeking to kill someone-much less completing such an act-held a foreign place in her head, along with the amused notion that he hadn't killed her yet.

If she was honest...truly the thought of killing another unsettled her. And she remembered vividly mesmerizing victims only to have Youko kill them once she was through...and trying to hide tears from him when he had done so.

She did at least feel worn out and her eyes slid closed. Control, no. Relaxed, yes. How did she come to feel so uncomfortable with his handling of her? Had her mind cleared enough-though she certainly still felt rather weary-that his touch bothered her on some level? A strange thought...3

Hiei raised a brow curiously, waiting for the rest of that sentence, and soon realizing there wouldn't be one. Instead, he learned new information that actually left him a bit surprised. Here she was, barking about being useful, had never had tried fighting. He scoffed once at the thought; was that considered hypocritical, or simple ridiculous? Either way worked for him, so he didn't linger on the specifics of the vocabulary for very long. He did, however, pause when she moved, glancing at her to see what she was doing before going back to work indifferently as she continued to get comfortable.

He half expected her to begin falling asleep, since she had to be worn out by now. It was a wonder she hadn't passed out again from the amount of fatigue her body and mind was sure to be dealing with.

After a few more minutes, he moved to her calves, the last part of her body he hadn't worked on yet, since he'd been so amused with their small battle earlier.

"Will you be able to bathe?" he suddenly inquired, referring to the time _after _he had dealt with her. One look at her hair and he himself felt as if he needed a brief cleaning; there were so many knots, clumps of foreign substances, and etcetera that matched the film of sweat that had dried on her face from the amount of pain she'd dealt with during this healing process.

~!**!~

Even in the darkness, Akari was aware of each movement Kurama made, even as he simply sat on the ground. Focusing on the sounds of his breathing helped hers come to a steady rhythm as well, though now that her body began relaxing she half regretted her decision about smashing her head into the wall. It pounded ferociously with pain, throbbed in a spot where she was surprised she hadn't began bleeding. In fact, she'd refrained from drawing any blood at all, which was a surprise even to her.

Suddenly, she realized just how calm she actually was, her mind even wondering about how Nabu would be without her around for… however long she were here. She gave a small sigh at the thought; the pup had become so dependant of her as of late. A frown settled on her face at the thought of it.

She moved on to something else, turning her head so that her cheek rested on her knees and her eyes were pointed at the outline she could just make out, if she looked hard enough. "I apologize for… earlier.." she mumbled, not sure of anything else to say besides _yeah, I tried to kill you. Sorry about that. __*****_

."Think nothing of it." Kurama did not hesitate to reply. "I am simply grateful that I did not have to attempt to do more to pull you from your...thoughts." He waited another moment before speaking up again, "What do you make of our situation?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wavered right in between the state of awakeness and sleep, her eyes unable to open and her thoughts muddled. Her constitution was certainly nothing to scoff at, former occupations had required high endurance for many reasons, but even she had her limits and she neared the wall where she would be able to go no farther.

When she heard Hiei speaking to her, it sounded very far away, but pulled her back from slumber enough to decode his words.

"Of course." She mumbled, her lips barely parting. Unless he meant this very minute. She didn't think she could do much of anything in the immediate future. 3

Hiei nodded once to her reply, noting very easily that her words were muffled slightly, slurred just a bit by slumber. As he had thought, she'd begun to fall asleep before he'd spoken and interrupted her near-peacefulness. So he shut his jaw and continued on with his work, swapping plants again to the third and last one, which he figured wouldn't be too hard nor time-consuming, unlike the others. But he waited a moment before continuing as his eyes glanced to the water, realizing that, one, it was dirty and, two, it was likely lukewarm by now. So he drained it out, waiting approximately five minutes before turning the knobs for fresh water, easily balancing the two temperatures, but adjusting just a bit so that a little more warmth would filter through to ease any physical discomforts Shikiyoku might be having now.

It wasn't much, but he figured she'd need it, so he waited until the water, which stayed clean aside from the herbs and a very small amount of discoloration, was a little higher than before, enveloping not just a few inches of her skin, but enough to almost completely cover her legs as if a blanket. In truth, he hadn't meant to wait that long, but had anyway without thinking.

And it didn't even hinder his movements as he continued on with his duty.

~!**!~

The desire to argue arose for only a split moment before Kurama's next words cut her off, making her realize she had actually witnessed a bit of his attempts at getting through to her, such as Nabu's name and the flash of green she'd thought she'd imagined. She made a small sound somewhere between a huff and a sigh, turning her head the opposite direction to look at nothing but darkness that rivaled even the shadows from hell she had seen in her lifetime.

She frowned at Kurama's question, her immediate thought being that she didn't know a single thing of the situation, not even how it had arose. But she took a moment to think back, try to sift through what she hadn't been able to discern between reality and illusionary.

And without hesitation, her mouth uttered the words, "we're underground." There was a short pause as she sifted through the past few minutes quietly, but she continued with, "Not far, because there's no water dripping, but underground nevertheless." The smell was awful to her, sickening and made her feel like she were to be crushed. The mustiness of the dirt almost convinced her she was claustrophobic, but she knew she wasn't such a thing. "Other than that, I don't have a clue." She finally admitted, her eyes sliding to a close. She was now tired in every aspect, but despite that she wouldn't be able to sleep, because if she did, she knew what would follow.

And she didn't want Kurama to witness that pitiful sight a second time.

"Well, we know one thing: I wasn't necessary. So, the question is: how did you get on his radar so specifically?" _*****_

"I am the true Youko." Kurama replied simply, "If my former name is being used, it is better that I am out of the way. I changed forms before them and they learned the truth."

Kurama thought on Akari's observations that they were underground and he found that he could not see fault with them. The question was...how exactly did he plan on getting them out?

~!**!~

Shikiyoku continued drifting along, awake, but relaxed to the point beyond outer movement, listening to Hiei's movements and now fully able to appreciate the dextrous, soft attentions that he continued to give her. She smiled.

As soon as Hiei had moved away from his reclined position, Maneshi had slipped off the fire demon's lap and spent a few minutes sitting on his haunches nearby, still as a statue save for an occasional twitching of an ear.

Once Shikiyoku leaned to the side and he noted no further movement from her, Maneshi trotted over to the edge of the tub and stood on his back legs, leaning his front paws against the side and taking an experimental sniff with his body extended, his tail gently swaying back and forth from behind. 3

Hiei worked methodically, shifting his weight from the balls of his feet to the heels several times as he moved about, the plant doing its job just as efficiently as he had hoped it would. Before too long, Shikiyoku began looking like she'd merely had a skirmish rather than just getting out of a deadly war from hell. And by the time he'd sprinkled the plants that Youko had so graciously left him, the difference was astonishing, even to him. He'd known Youko was a master at his work, but for even Hiei to have no trouble with it made him feel a bit more respective towards the fox demon- if that were even possible.

He sat back on his heels again, this time dropping everything he'd held in his tired hands to the floor before he stood, some bones popping and some muscles tingling with sleep as he moved about the tub a bit. "Now its time for you to do your part," he said casually, bending down and picking up every single towel, bandage, and plant that had been discarded on the floor without remorse. "Or else it'll have been for nothing."

Of course, he knew that wasn't true, but he said it anyway on his way out the bathroom door, shutting it until only a small crack was open enough for the cat to move around, if he so pleased.

~!**!~

She didn't know how long they'd sat there, but the silence in the room was deafening to Akari. Her mind wandered from place to place, never really mingling with important things such as getting out, since for her, she didn't see a way out. She couldn't make any plans without knowing the layout of the area above them, and that was impossible since they'd been teleported, as she had guessed.

But slowly, her eyes had drifted closed all over again, this time her eyelids too heavy to keep open much longer. She had no energy of any kind, be it to fight or to even talk, it was gone almost completely. But she shifted her weight again, this time raising her head and stretching her legs out in front of her, lightly tapping her numb foot on the floor.

"Any ideas, wise guy?" she finally grumbled, making a weak attempt at lightening the atmosphere. _*****_

"Besides the fact that I could really go for some sushi about now, nothing seems to be coming to mind." With the darkness around them, it did not matter if he smiled while attempting to sound dry and humorless, and he did so. "You?"

~!**!~

By the time Hiei walked from the room, Maneshi had climbed up and weaved himself behind Shikiyoku's shoulders, laying down with his limbs hanging on either side of her neck.

He lifted his head slightly, peering at Hiei leaving the door open a little, but rested his chin back down between Shikiyoku's arm that her cheek still lay on and her shoulder when she did not make as if she heard him.

Hiei's words had indeed not landed on deaf ears, for when he spoke again he drew her more towards the waking world. She sat immobile, however, completely confused as to what he meant in any way, shape, or form.

She woke up further when his hands stopped attending her, suddenly left to her own devices and she would have let out a huff of unhappy air had she the strength to protest him leaving her alone.

Maneshi began purring in her ear, but it did not seem to have any effect whatsoever. Not that it stopped him from doing so. 3

Hiei stood in the hallway for a moment in consideration, glancing down at the materials in his hands. First, the plants. He would throw them out, since he had no further use for them. So, he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, finding the trash can easily and simply dumping the green, leafy plants into the bag. It didn't take long for the herbal scent to cover the scent of the kitchen's mess, though he hardly noticed it. Instead, his eyes turned to the freezer curiously; hadn't Shikiyoku put up his strawberry ice cream?

He sauntered his way to the odd contraption and pulled the top door open, glad to see that his memory had served right. He pulled the half-gallon from the cold environment and peeled the lid away, tossing it to the counter before he looked for a spoon. As soon as he found one, he scooped some of the sugary substance into his mouth, finding that while the taste was somewhat diminished from having been melted and then refrozen, he didn't mind it so much. So he carried it, along with his other arm-full of towels, back up the stairs in search for a room dedicated to dirty cloths and clothing, as most human dwellings had.

When he didn't find one, he merely turned back the way he came and tried searching downstairs until the machines were in his sights. He didn't know how to use them, so he merely dumped his load onto the white basket that was already filled with clothing. Without another thought, he turned and again walked up the stairs, this time realizing he didn't hear any running water. So, without thinking, he opened the bathroom door, only to see Shikiyoku as he had left her. He raised a slightly twitching brow.

"I didn't mean to sit around. Bathe," he grumbled around the spoon, waving his hand in a "get up" gesture. "You want to be useful? Get through the struggle."

~!**!~

Akari would have laughed if she weren't so tired. With her eyes still closed, her head rested back against the rock wall, not caring that the tender spot on her head slightly ached in protest to the contact. "Sushi?" she repeated, suddenly realizing she'd never had any. Each time Sensui had had some, she'd thought it had smelled repulsive and had turned it down. Then again, she didn't care for seafood either.

Her stomach grumbled at the idea of it now, though, making her realize that she hadn't eaten since about noon. A frown settled on her face. "What sounds nice right about now," she began, her tone matching his earlier one, "is a nice, long vacation away from humans and morons." She paused, then gave a laugh that was completely humorless. If she went by those standards, her vacation would be now, in this room. "How long do you think it'll take the others to notice?"_*****_

"It's an acquired taste." Kurama admitted when she sounded skeptical about his food choice. He listened to her next words, thinking in the back of his mind that he had no idea the time and that he had not gotten any sleep since the previous night.

"Should you find such a place that exists, I would appreciate knowing where it is located." Kurama sighed and went on, "I do not know. I feel as if it is still night, if very early morning, and I would imagine that everyone is asleep now." He allowed himself to blink his eyes sleepily, "Perhaps they will take action in the morning?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wasn't sure what struggle Hiei was talking about, unless he meant her struggle to stay awake.

In an attempt to appease him, as he appeared to be still at the door, Shikiyoku moved, placing her hands palms down on either edge of the tub she still sat in, pushing herself up without much thought.

Or, so she wished to do.

She only her rear a few inches away from the bottom of the tub before her arms trembled violently and gave way without her consent.

Maneshi made no sound of protest, but he did bite her left ear as if to emphasize her stupidity at trying.

"Ow." Shikiyoku mumbled, her lips again not opening much to let the muted exclamation pass through them.

Instead of trying again, she felt around for the bottom edge of the remains of the shirt she wore, but was unable to make sense of the tatters, instead simply fumbling to grasp at it. As she went to pull it over her head, she did not get very far before her muscles seized again and she was forced to drop them back down.

That time, Maneshi did meow a protest, reminding her that if she had been successful, she likely would have knocked him into the water.

Shikiyoku found herself no longer caring about what Hiei thought she should be doing and leaned heavily up against the wall next to her.

"Sleep first." She mumbled again. "_Bath later." _She didn't even get the second half out of her mouth. 3

Hiei eyed the muscles that twitched and jerked at each motion Shikiyoku made, dully noting the fact that he would have to, in the very least, help her up. But as she completely gave in, her body slumping in exhaustion, he too gave in on the notion and reached over to the sink, setting his strawberry ice cream down beside the handles, spoon safely lodged into the frozen treat. Without much hesitation, other than considering the way the cat wound himself around Shikiyoku's shoulders. After that single moment's hesitation, he reached for the cat first, making a point to keep his claws from digging into Shikiyoku's shoulders as he pulled Maneshi away slowly and carefully.

"Go on," he grumbled as he let the cat drop to the tile floor on his feet, making a motion for him to scram from the room, or in the very least, out of his way. Then he turned and found a clean towel still left on the ground, picked it up, and, while the water drained from the tub, thought about how he was going to do this.

By the time the water was gone, he wrapped the towel around Shikiyoku's shoulders and, with one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, lifted her with ease from the tub, ignoring the droplets of water that followed her as he turned and carried her from the bathroom and to the nearest room that wasn't known as_Toriko's_ room. He figured that he'd made enough of a mess in her house, might as well keep the bed nice and clean.

It wasn't hard to open the guest-room door and cross the room to the bed, not even in the dark. And within what felt like milliseconds, he had Shikiyoku laying on the top blanket of the bed, towel keeping her wet skin from sticking to the comforter. Now, he needed to look around for another blanket, just in case…

~!**!~

Akari smiled into the darkness, amused that he'd simply bypassed her blunder and continued on anyway. Her eyelids were now too heavy to even think about lifting, and her body had gone still, her breathing slowly beginning to become calmer than normal despite her desire to stay awake. For a moment, she didn't understand what Kurama's last words were about, but she gave a sound of acknowledgement despite her own feelings of the situation.

She suddenly thought of the speech she'd given Yusuke earlier, about heroes, and realized that she was now expecting him to fill a similar role, despite the fact that there were no emotional attachments to the human. A huff left her as her head rolled to the side just a bit. _Moron._

And after that, she found her mind going completely and utterly blank, and the darkness that she was met with was different than the darkness of the small room she was enclosed in. It became a comfortable darkness that promised peace, even if just for a little bit.

And unbeknownst to her, the motion her body made during her drift-off to sleep landed her head right on the shoulder of the person next to her, her own shoulder meeting his. _*****_

Kurama was not surprised when she fell asleep first, but he had been forcing himself to stay awake, thinking that perhaps conversation would hold off her nightmares.

So, when he felt her relaxing next to him, he finally allowed his own eyes to close, listening briefly to her soft breathing that slowed to a pace indicating her slumber. He found himself unconsciously matching it and he did not know the exact moment when he slipped into sleep himself, but slip he did, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

~!**!~

When Hiei removed him, Maneshi tried not to protest too loudly as he sensed Shikiyoku falling asleep, but his initial yowl at being removed reverberated off the echoing walls of the bathroom. He landed on his feet and swiftly dodged out of the way when Hiei moved as if to kick him aside.

Shikiyoku was, of course, no help at all, though she relaxed mightily once in Hiei's arms, feeling his core beating steadily underneath her arm as she let her head drop against his shoulder.

When he set her down, her eyes came open, the feeling of safety abruptly removed from around her. She made sleepy noises that held no actual coherence, unsure where he had gone and determined that she could not sleep until his return. She even went so far as to manage to roll onto her side, groaning at the dull ache her entire body broadcasted at any movement. 3

For a moment, the fire demon turned to glance at Shikiyoku's odd protest, watching as she even rolled over, but the next moment he turned to ignore it, eyes searching for something useful to him. At first, he didn't see one, so he silently left the room despite all instincts yelling at him not to do such a thing. He slipped into the bathroom briefly, snatching the ice cream from the sink-top and then swiftly maneuvering his way down the stairs, using his speed to his advantage and having not only put up the ice cream, but had another bite in his mouth and found a blanket before returning to the top of the stairs, making his way into the room the same way he had left, calmly and quietly.

He crossed the room and, without any prompting or announcement, tossed the blanket over Shikiyoku, not caring if she protested or not. He didn't think she could afford to get sick, despite the demon's vastly greater immune system.

He paused a moment, staring down at her thoughtfully. "Will you sleep now?" he asked suddenly, not really sure what made him ask if she was even able to fall into slumber. Why wouldn't she, he asked himself. _*****_

Shikiyoku shook her head back and forth, "_Nuh-uh."_

She scrunched her face together in an attempt to open her mouth to speak.

"You...didn't share." 3

A brow raised slightly, making a shadow fall over one crimson eye. He gave a small sound that, for anyone else, might have been a sigh. But to him, it was nothing of consequence and held no meaning. At her last words, however, he scoffed very quietly. "Too bad." he replied, moving around the bed to the other side, deciding he might as well get some sleep as well. So, he plopped down on the bed unceremoniously and crossed his ankles, his hands lacing underneath his head as they always did. "Now sleep." _*****_

"Meanie." Shikiyoku mumbled.

The thought crossed her mind to roll back over and scoot closer to him, but she became very aware of her general uncleanliness as she considered it and decided on staying farther away intentionally. She knew her hair was matted, and despite her legs having been in the water, she didn't want to consider the state of the rest of her and so shoved it away, wondering if sleep would actually let her regain strength or not and feeling for certain she would never fully slip away.

The act of laying down woke her up more, against all odds, but she found she couldn't move about and released a sigh, her mind buzzing with a lack of sleep. 3

Hiei, despite his own sudden realization that he was tired, found himself turning a single eye over to Shikiyoku, who hadn't moved as he had expected her to. In truth, he had expected a repeat of the night with Toriko, where he'd made his agreement and sealed his own fate of being the protector of this woman, who now lay with her back to him.

Yes, he was tired now that he was comfortable, but a slight discomfort somewhere else in his being was distracting him, keeping a single eye open and trained on Shikiyoku. He'd expected her to almost entirely pass out…

After a moment, he let his eye close, the darkness enveloping his being a calm one, but not one where he could sleep. Not yet.

He huffed at Shikiyoku impatiently, realizing it was the bond that was keeping him awake, and he tossed an arm at her lazily, just brushing her tangled hair. "Stop," he mumbled, retracting his arm just as quickly and turning over so his back now faced hers. "It doesn't matter," he finished, referring to whatever it was she was thinking. "Not now." _*****_

If Shikiyoku had been able to keep her eyes open, they would have widened at both Hiei's touch and his comment, both of which were gone as quickly as they had happened.

It wasn't fair that he had the Jagan and could listen in whenever he wanted, she thought sleepily to herself.

In spite of her reservations from moments before, Shikiyoku went ahead and turned back over after uttering a quiet, "Fine."

A gasp of pain shivering from her lungs as she faced Hiei on the bed, lying very still for a moment and then realizing she probably could not get her body to scoot any closer.

Instead, she reached an arm out and around his waist and pulled him back towards her with relative ease for her state, mumbling through her teeth again, "Stupid telepath."

As a result, she banged the sheathe of his sword hanging down his legs against her knee without even considering it as an option and immediately jerked her arm off of him to clutch at it on where it hit. She bit her lip to prevent herself from uttering a sound, but drew blood that trickled down the side of her face and towards the bed. 3

Hiei had gotten comfortable with a single arm under his head, the other stretched out in front of him. He was so close to sleep, that he could almost just imagine the dream that was to come. Instead, however, he was surprised by suddenly being moved; he'd been so close to sleep, despite Shikiyoku and the bond, that he hadn't realized she'd moved at all.

But the sound of his sheathed sword hitting her knee made his eyes open reflexively, the sound bringing him to full awareness out of pure self-preservation that he'd learned over the many years. He waited a moment, until he smelled blood, before shutting his eyelids in consideration and then rolling over again to his back, keeping only one arm under his head, the other with his hand on his stomach.

"What part of _sit still _don't you understand?" he mumbled, though the amused smirk on his face was undeniable, especially when he registered what she'd called him. He didn't even deny it, despite the fact that his Jagan was, as he himself should be, fast asleep. _*****_

"The part where shut _**up**_ you're too far away." Shikiyoku fired back sleepily, afterwards snaking her tongue out of her mouth and trying to lick away the blood that slipped between her lips and dribbled down the side of her face.

If anyone had been looking, the sight of her trying to catch it and just barely failing would have been amusing, her face tense with the concentration on the attempt that was simply not physically possible. After a small noise of frustration, she gave up, a frowning heavy across her brow.

"If you didn't get so far away, I wouldn't have a reason to _not _sit still." 3

Hiei suddenly felt like he was speaking to a human child who refused to take an afternoon nap so that their caretaker could rest as well. His brows drew together only slightly in frustration, but the wrinkles smoothed out just as quickly as they had formed when it was quiet again. With both eyes shut, he missed the scene he could only imagine as his ears picked up on the sound of Shikiyoku licking at her lips and then getting frustrated- at what, he didn't know nor care.

Again, he ignored her retort, this time tossing his arm from where it lay on his stomach to cover his eyes, as if doing so would shut out the noise in the room as well. _Curse demon senses_. Perhaps, just perhaps, if he didn't say anything, she would fall asleep as well… _*****_

Shikiyoku growled suddenly, reaching out again and pulling Hiei closer once more, this time leaving her arm over his body and snuggling her face against his ribcage.

A smile settled on her lips and her breathing grew more steady, Shikiyoku feeling as if his warmth swept over her, relaxing her. She hovered on the edge of sleep, content for perhaps the first time in a long while. 3

As Hiei was suddenly moved, for the second time, he made a sound of impatience and opened his mouth reflexively. "Remember when I said there were times I had considered killing you? _This _is one of those times." Of course, he didn't actually mean those words… to a degree. He merely wanted her to sit still, and sleep, so that he too could find a night of peaceful rest.

And sit still she finally did, after she got comfortable. But for a few moments, he was uncomfortable, which led him to making another sound. Despite this, however, he didn't move. Instead, he decided it wouldn't matter, and he merely stretched his legs a little further out before his body relaxed again, his mind easily falling back into the state it had been in earlier now that the room was quiet. _*****_

"Then do it..." Shikiyoku grumbled at him, knowing the threat was an empty one.

She slipped off into sleep and lay still, but after a minute or two her head lifted and ended up across his chest as she mumbled something incoherent, her other hand moving closer to her face, those fingers softly taking ahold of the dark cloak underneath them. 3

~!**!~

Akari's eyes moved rapidly below her eyelids, her fingers twitching every so often with the dream that was playing out in her mind. It wasn't an important one, per say, but it wasn't exactly one of the imagination either, it seemed. It made fear make its way into her core, swirling slowly at first until her breaths were inconsistent and ragged.

And then all of a sudden, her eyes were open. At first, she blinked, confused at first by the darkness and unfamiliar surroundings. And then she noticed the weight on her head, and, still half asleep, gave a full-body jerk to the side, away from the person she could now smell and sense being way too close in her personal space. A growl reflexively escaped her mouth, her lips curling up to show her teeth, even though it would be a pointless warning in the dark. "Where am I?" she demanded in a snarl, mind still stuck in whatever nightmare she'd been having just enough to keep her slightly panicked. _*****_

"Next to me." Kurama responded immediately. He paused. "Other than that, your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid." He blinked sleepily, having no sense of how much time passed, but being jolted away by her sudden movements left him no less tired than before.

He was not surprised at this. His recent changes into Youko often brought a greater weariness than he was formerly used to and he attributed it to the strain it put on Shuichi's body. 3

Akari was crouched a few feet from the voice that replied almost too calmly back at her, and suddenly her memory came back, hitting her like a brick wall and causing her to deflate entirely, accompanied with a loud puff of air through her teeth. What had she been dreaming about again? She wasn't sure.

"Sorry," he grumbled as she simply sat where she had ended up, legs crossed underneath her as she gave a small yawn. How long had she slept? There was no way to know down here, but it hadn't felt like a very long, satisfying sleep. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep," she said simply, as if talking to Nabu, not even realizing just how she might sound to the redhead._*****_

"Mm." Was all Kurama managed to get out at first, his eyes closing again as if he meant to oblige. He stayed silent for a moment longer before gathering himself to reply.

"Don't apologize." He said kindly, "This darkness is rather disorienting." Another pause. "Did you sleep well considering our situation?" 3

Akari stretched her arms over her head, finding that she was becoming a bit sore in her shoulders and neck from sleeping the way she had. She almost considered sprawling out on the dirt floor, but she decided against it and instead simply crossed her arms over her chest, making herself as small as possible in hopes of popping a few bones.

"I suppose," Akari replied, making her tone sound just as nonchalant as she could to cover the lie. "Just about as well as anyone. You?"

She felt even more exhausted than before, but she wasn't one to whine about it, especially not to someone who'd already seen her have one of her _spells_. The thought of another being considering her _weak _and _unstable _left a bad taste in her mouth. She didn't want him to feel as if he had to keep an eye on her constantly. _*****_

"That makes one of us I suppose." Kurama made no attempt to hide the yawn he now made, "I feel as if I could sleep another week and still be tired."

He slowly stood up, stretching his legs and walking about for a moment.

The limited rest he'd gotten, which left him feeling less refreshed than before if possible, had not provided him upon waking with a way out of their predicament, and he decided to muse on the fact that _someone _had to be paying attention and realize they were gone. His guess rested on Koenma being the first to realize, though he nervously thought of his mother and wished he could contact her in order to assure her he was well, if otherwise occupied. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	22. Episode 107 - The Cave and The Cat

**A/N: **Hello once again, Readers!

I am such a huge fan of Keiko/Yusuke and I gotta admit I loved writing the interactions between the two of them in this chapter.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Hiei continues tending to Shikiyoku's wounds,  
>and upon finishing carries her into one of the guest bedrooms,<br>the two of them falling asleep quickly thereafter.

~!**!~

Meanwhile, Akari and Kurama spend their time in whatever prison in which Otento placed them...

* * *

><p>Akari gave a small sigh, listening to the movements about the room. Part of her was bored and wanted to use her energy as a form of entertainment, but after a minute she realized it wasn't possible. She could feel her energy, but as if it were behind a dam. Her frown deepened, creating wrinkles between her brows. "Not being able to access energy you know is there is kind of disturbing," she admitted, ears following the sound of his wandering as she realized she wasn't sure how it had turned out that way. "Who's doing was that...?" <strong>*<strong>

"It seems that our captor is able to lock away other energy. Which would explain why Koenma has had such trouble gathering information on this gang, and why we have been unable to track him down ourselves." Kurama sighed, stretching his arms toward the ceiling, "I can think of a dozen ways to free ourselves, but none that do not involve the use of energy. I'm sure you feel the same." He found a portion of the wall again and sat down, putting his arms behind his head with his feet out straight, crossed at the ankles. "I can think of nothing to do other than wait." 3

Akari nodded once, her hair falling in front of her face before she realized the motion was meaningless. "Well, if we knew where we were and the layout of the ground above, we would be able to at least think about it. But without that basic knowledge, we could end up just stuck under the underside of a building. That's not fun, even if you have energy."

Akari suddenly went quiet, thinking of the one instance similar to this one she had experienced, that expedition ending just as she had told Kurama. She bowed her head, eyes closing as she concentrated on her core, playing and poking the barrier she could feel. *****

Kurama said nothing as she spoke the truth, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander, but coming up with no way out of their current situation.

"I suppose all we can do is wait. It appears we are at the mercy of our captors." He smiled, "I imagine we'll be missed at _some_ point or another." 3

Kurama's musings hadn't fallen on deaf ears, but she didn't reply to his words. There was no point, really. Why linger on facts that could turn to, in some cases, depressing musings about how stuck they actually were and what could happen in the meantime? She instead continued toying with the energy she couldn't manipulate at all, finding dry humor In the fact that it would have been useless in this situation anyway. Illusions and shadows would do nothing in a cell with a comrade.

"Surely it can break," she grumbled, more to herself than to Kurama. *

Since the barrier had been placed, Kurama had not stopped examining the strange black orb that he felt surrounding his energy, but to his knowledge it would remain forever in place. He had not noticed any reduction of intensity or weak points and unlike his encounter with his energy being locked away at the Dark Tournament he could not feel the makeup-seals slowly draining.

"I for one am hoping that Yusuke doesn't oversleep." Kurama spoke up after a moment. Though, he reflected silently, if they were only able to depend on the Spirit Detective by himself, they might be down here for quite a while. 3

A small huff of air escaped Akari's lips in slight frustration at the amount of uselessness she felt. She pulled away from her inner musings in time to catch Kurama's words of Yusuke. The mental image of the human sleeping the day away was too easy to conjure, suddenly making it difficult to rely on his assistance.

"I told Nabu I wouldn't be back until later today," she added, tone even as if she were talking about the weather. She sighed for the upteenth time and suddenly pushed herself to stand. "Well, might as well," she mumbled before walking around the room, a hand running over each wall curiously as she thought of ways to amuse herself. *

"If I had realized I was going to be held captive, I would have at least stuck a packet of cards in my pocket." Kurama noted. He kept his eyes closed, listening for any indication that they would have company, attempting to sense any energy around them, but coming back with nothing on both counts. He took a breath and tried to relax, wondering if it would be asking too much to fall back asleep. 3

Akari continued walking around the room, making two laps before she decided to stop at the smooth wall, pressing both hands against it curiously as if she would be able to make out what it was made of by simply feeling and staring at the darkness before her. She considered touching her nose to it, but with the smell of dirt everywhere, she wouldn't be able to find a scent anyway. She half wondered if they were watching her and Kurama, which made her turn and look up at the nearest corner of the room. _Cameras? _She wondered, considering the option of one might being present somewhere. Without thinking, she moved to the corner of the room and stretched her arm up, curious of what kind of surveillance they might have. *

"So, how did the dog come to follow you around? Besides the obvious reason, as I imagine he took a liking to you rather quickly." Kurama broke the silence, feeling too awake to slip into nap for the moment. 3

Akari paused only for a millisecond at Kurama's topic choice, glancing in the direction of the voice. Shortly after she continued, standing on her toes in attempt to find the ceiling. No such luck, so far.

"Um," she began, voice strained like her body as she stretched even more, "he just... found me?" She knew it wasn't a sufficient answer, so she thought harder. "I guess after you and I parted ways that day, and I shooed him away, I kinda went back to the park for a nap. When I woke up, he was there, asleep on me. I guess I just couldn't make him leave." She made a small laughing sound and dropped back to her heels and moved to the next corner. "At first it was annoying. But he kinda grew on me."*

"Well, he thinks very highly of you, I can tell." Kurama also thought privately the pup was good for her , especially after having been caught up with Sensui for who knows how long. That sort of ultra-loyal companion was likely just what she needed to get her all sorted out. And not leave her lonely and self-destructive. 3

Akari gave a small smile at the thought of Nabu running around her feet excitedly at the times when she had left him alone for several hours. "I find amusement in him from time to time." She admitted, reaching the next corner of the room and continuing her survey of her surroundings. "He's taken a liking to you, but your competition is Yusuke, all because he got steak." She made a small sound to herself as she recalled the sleeping dog in Yusuke's lap. Just the thought made her feel a touch of worry for the pup, left alone again. _*****_

Kurama knew she found much more than amusement in him.

"Uh oh, I'd better get on the ball, then. Yusuke is much more likeable than I. And steak simply makes matters worse for me." Kurama replied loftily. "I'll have to remedy his lead as quickly as possible." 3

A small laugh escaped Akari's lips unbidden, Kurama's tone making his words even funnier to her. As her hand grasped at nothing but air, she gave a grunt and landed on her heels again, this time turning and simply standing there in thought. If they were to be under watch by camera, those two corners would have been the best option.

"He calls you _flowers_," she suddenly informed Kurama, her tone matter-of-fact as she turned back to the direction of the smooth wall. It seemed so out of place, with no door, in this rocky room. "It's funny, actually." _*****_

"Flowers?" Kurama raised an eyebrow in the darkness, still smiling, "I can't imagine why. Did he explain it to you?" 3

"Your scent," she replied automatically, not even giving a thought to it. Even she had had the same thought as Nabu when she had first stepped in front of Kurama on the overpass that day. Not even the human child had been able to cover the scent of plants and herbs that radiated from the redhead, whether he held a weapon or herb or not.

Then she gave a dry laugh as a thought crossed her mind. If there were no cameras, there had to be another way they were being watched. She didn't voice her thoughts yet though, since she wasn't exactly sure. _*****_

Kurama figured as much, though he didn't tend to take particular notice unless he felt like it.

The near-quiet of the space coupled with his exhaustion from the night before had Kurama lulling himself into sleep again when Akari did not at first speak further. His mind went back through the events of the night before and away from their present situation. 3

The sudden silence in the room left Akari turning around and around, trying to think of a way to prove or disprove her thoughts, but coming up empty. She considered shouting to get the attention of Otento and them with something stupid like "at least provide entertainment", but she knew better than that. Doing things like that never lead down a good road when in captivity.

She paced for a few minutes, then got tired of moving and simply took to standing in the middle of the room, pulling the tangles from her hair one by one.

And again, she found herself bored. So she moved and found the spot she'd been in earlier, this time laying on her back in the dirt, not caring if it messed up the work she'd just done on her tangles. She hadn't meant to, but she just realized that her head was pretty close to Kurama's legs, her eyes making out the outline of his body almost perfectly now that her vision had adjusted accordingly. Was he asleep? She closed her eyes, wondering if she even had such a possibility such as falling back into a comfortable sleep.

Instead, she found herself staring into the darkness over her head, bored and her mind buzzing with thoughts of nothing important. Again she sat up, this time facing Kurama with legs crossed underneath her, trying to determine if he was indeed asleep. _*****_

Working backwards, Kurama could not make a particular connection as to the ulterior motive behind the situation in which they found themselves. Sure, he could reason out an individual "why" for each separate event, but nothing seemed to string together into a tapestry of any particular coherence.

Kurama picked up Akari's movements somewhere outside of his head, but he allowed himself to slip one step farther into sleep, lowering his breathing and heart-rate, but remaining aware of the room should something suddenly change. And if he happened to fall asleep in the next few minutes, so be it. He was exhausted. 3

Akari stared at the outline of Kurama, trying to picture the scene as if it were in full light. Yes, she was that bored. She considered speaking up, but nothing came to mind. So her mouth remained closed and she continued to sit there, coming up with random images in her mind for personal amusement, whether it be the room and how it would look if lit, or even something as ridiculous as a video game.

She didn't know how much time passed before that too became boring and she sighed heavily, placing an elbow on her knee and resting her chin in her hand. She figured Kurama was just as tired as she felt, but luckily for him, he seemed able to sleep- as his breathing was beginning to indicate.

Her own eyes slid closed again, and she thought of the smells in the room and the conversation she and Kurama had had earlier, realizing that even now she could smell the plants that the fox demon likely had with him. Suddenly, she remembered Sensui telling her the prime place where the redhead hid his seeds, and she was leaning forward, eyes open and hands in her lap, eyes on the outline of the head of hair next to her. _There's no way that's possible._ Sure, his hair was thick, but to hold seeds, and _not lose them?_ That wasn't possible, was it?

Curiosity began nagging at her, and her head tilted to the side as she tried picturing something such as that. But nothing came to mind, and she was left even more curious than before. _Did Sensui lie about that, too? _

Despite all attempts at self-restraint, Akari found her hand moving, stretching out towards the fox, stopping just short of his hair that hung in front of his face. She knew she shouldn't but the curious part of her was just so demanding, that she couldn't really keep her hand from lightly taking hold of a bit of his hair, inspecting it in search of seeds. _There's no possible way. __*****_

Somewhere on the edge of his consciousness, Kurama knew what Akari was doing, felt her reaching for him on some unexplained urge. He kept none of his poisonous plants there, not that they could do anything unless he manipulated them, so he merely maintained his trance-like state and let her satisfy her curiosity for now. There certainly wasn't anything better to do and a small part of him felt amused that she was being so bold. 3

When she at first didn't find a seed of any kind, Akari dropped the hold she had on his hair, slightly disappointed. But her curiosity was still just as strong, so her hand moved without thinking and she found another parting in his hair and lightly ran her index finger through it curiously, hoping he wouldn't wake up while she was still messing with his hair.

She continued doing this for what seemed like an eternity, until she realized that maybe the seeds would be closer to the scalp than she'd been searching. Her bottom lip jutted out in silent debate with herself; should she try it, or give up before he woke up and likely ended up irritated at her imposing?

Then again, finding a seed would be rather fun…

Decision made, she tried again, this time slower and much gentler than before, weaving her fingers through the hair that she knew would be red if she could see it, until her fingers found something she knew shouldn't be there. She grabbed it with her thumb and index finger and pulled as slowly as possible, until she held the seed in the palm of her hand, almost giving an audible "_aha!" _into the darkened room. _*****_

Kurama could feel the instant she found one, his awareness of each and every one of the pieces in his arsenal bar none. He tried not to smile to himself at the one she just happened to pick. She came away with the very rose seed he used in battle. For some reason the thought pleased him and he hoped she would keep it. For added measure, he heaved a sigh and moved, laying down on his side with his back to the wall, one arm being used as a pillow for his head. 3

Akari withdrew only a little, inspecting the object between her thumb and index finger as much as she possibly could in the darkness of the room. Of course, she had no idea what type of seed it was, but when she held it up to her nose, she didn't get a vile smell. In fact, it almost reminded her of the weapon he'd used on the overpass when Sniper had left. A vine, of some sort?

Just as she decided to attempt and put it back, Kurama huffed and then moved, making her jump just a bit in surprise, thinking he was waking up again. Instead, she listened as he got comfortable again, his movements stopping not too long after they'd begun.

She reached for his hair again, only to find that his back was to the wall, almost entirely up against it, and an arm was under his head. _Well…_ She thought, frowning and sitting back with one palm on the dirt floor behind her. There wasn't any way she could put it back now, she knew. So, she let the seed fall into her palm, closed her fingers into a fist around it, and then rested her elbow on her knee, her chin on her knuckles. _What now? _

Now that her curiosity had been satisfied, she was left bored in the quiet all over again. But this time, her mind was blank, and she actually considered sleep. But in the end, she decided not to, since Kurama was, and she didn't know if Otento would be returning or not. _*****_

Satisfied that she appeared to be keeping the seed, at least for the moment, Kurama finally let himself truly return to sleep, knowing that even if Akari slept as well, one or the both of them would have enough wits about them to awake in an instant. 3

~!**!~

Sunlight made him slightly uncomfortable as Hiei came to waking, the warmth from the rays hitting his eyelids and making him painfully aware of how he felt a bit sore, as if he hadn't moved at all during his slumber. He lay there despite his discomfort, trying to figure out just how long he'd been asleep before even looking at a clock- not that it mattered, he hadn't seen the time before going to sleep anyway.

After a moment or two, the fire demon stretched his body out languidly on the bed, almost having forgotten Shikiyoku was nearby, laying against him and still asleep.

Finally, his eyes opened to look down at the girl, blinking sleep from his sight. _*****_

"_Sh-Shiki...I don't want to die..."_

_..._

"_But I'm not doing this for HIM, I'm doing it for YOU."_

Toriko stirred, her dreams of speaking with her other side dancing through her mind. Something about...a deadly virus. And she remembered there was pain, a lot of pain, and an aching in her right shoulder.

In fact, it still felt like the pain was there, pulsing downwards from that joint akin to a thousand tiny needles. When she shifted in her sleep, that feeling jolted like lightening down the rest of her arm and she could feel her brow turning downward in a frown. She thought Shiki was supposed to take care of it. Toriko certainly couldn't. She didn't have free access to their power. Or not enough of it at least.

The sheet under her cheek felt warm and soft and she released a contented sigh, nuzzling her face into it as if to keep the sun away that threatened to pierce through her eyelids and welcome her into the day. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku shift just slightly, her face rubbing against his cloak and pulling it even tighter around his body, until the cloth hugged his entire body, making even his sheathed sword noticeable. For a millisecond, he didn't care. But very, very quickly he became uncomfortable with the tautness of his cloak, and without any thought, he used his free hand that had been resting beside his body to tug on the cloth, peeling it out from her grasp and adjusting it so that it wasn't as tight around him. Other than that, he had no plans to move, since he figured disturbing a demoness who'd had a night like last night was not wise. _*****_

Toriko tried to move and get the arm she lay on top of, which was in pain from lack of circulation, out from under her, but found that her muscles did not wish to respond, which brought her further out of sleep and into more awareness of the situation.

Her initial shock at realizing her head was actually on top of _someone_ caused her core to jump violently, pumping a massive dose of adrenaline into her brain which allowed her senses to quickly feed her information before she even opened her eyes: the smell of cloves and fiery cinnamon, the unnatural warmth that seeped through the cloth under her head...

"Hiei?" Her eyes came open more slowly and she immediately recognized the black cloak under her, but did _not _recognize any features of the room she could make out. 3

The fire demon frowned; he'd thought he hadn't moved enough to wake her. However, when she spoke up, as if unsure it was him, his brows furrowed even more. Of course it was him; she'd fallen asleep next to him…

"What?" he grumbled out, eyes sliding closed again as he tossed his arm over them again, as he had last night. From the brief moment he'd looked around the room, he'd noted that it was early afternoon, perhaps just a bit after one o'clock or so. Or at least, that was his best guess. _*****_

Toriko blinked, and wanted to move, to sit up, to look over at him, but found that she simply did not have the strength.

The virus must have taken more out of her than she'd thought.

"Where are we?" She mumbled, closing her eyes again, wondering at how strange the predicament she found herself in seemed. What possessed the fire demon to let her sleep next to him in this manner? She blushed. Not that she found she minded. Quite the opposite...3

Hiei let out a slow breath from his nose, suddenly realizing what was actually wrong with the situation. It wasn't Shikiyoku next to him, but the more human half, as Shikiyoku would have put it, Toriko. He again took in a large breath of air and let it out through his nose, as if in doing so he could clear away the odd situation.

There was no way in hell he was about to bring up what had actually happened.

"Your house," he replied nonchalantly, removing the arm from his face and slowly moving to sit up, but not really getting far. Instead he only scooted enough to adjust his position a touch, releasing the uncomfortable twinge in his muscles and relaxing completely with one leg propped up on the knee of the other, laying almost entirely on his left hip. "A guest room, since you were wet." _*****_

Toriko's eyes flew open again, feeling the towel underneath her for the first time, and in the same moment being assured that she did in fact have some sort of clothing on, though she couldn't imagine what it was. It felt too drafty to be anything she usually would wear.

She almost hated to ask, but…

"Why was I wet, exactly?" 3

A scoff left Hiei as he glanced down at Toriko, taking only a millisecond before considering his answer. It wasn't like it wasn't the truth. "Cleaned the wound of poison." Sure, it wasn't too far from the truth. He _had _cleaned wounds, one that had turned the ointment and odd color made him assume there to be poison. "It's not an easy task with a simple cloth." _*****_

"Oh..." Toriko trailed off, brooding to herself for a moment, "Um. Thank you." Even if she didn't remember it. She let out a puff of air that might have been a laugh, "That virus must have been something awful. I don't feel like I can move any part of my body." 3

Hiei didn't reply. There was nothing he could say in this situation, so he stuck to staying silent and simply laying there for a moment. However, he grew tired of simply laying there before too long, and he shifted to sit up, this time actually sitting up and looking about the room once again.

He felt rather well rested, considering how late they'd been up the night before. His crimson eyes shifted to Toriko again, this time taking in the knots and tangles in her hair, and how matted it was. That was going to be difficult to explain, since there was blood, dirt, among other things in her hair.

"Laying around all day won't benefit you in any way." he finally stated as he swung his own legs over the side of the bed, but didn't yet get on his feet. _*****_

Toriko knew he was right, but even as he left her and she tried to rise, she only got so far as to getting up on one elbow before her arm trembled and gave out underneath her.

She didn't bother cringing as she fell back down on the towel. It wasn't as if it hurt all _that _much. But her eyes did widen at the discovery and it took her twice more before she finally sat up, back hunched over as she stared down at her hands which shook just from the effort. 3

Hiei listened to the efforts of the person behind him, honestly not surprised at the struggle he could hear. He glanced over his shoulder at her, seeing that Toriko had managed to sit up, but didn't seem to making an effort to stand. And he didn't expect anything less.

He stood finally and moved around the bed until he stood in front of her, blank eyes staring down at her as he assessed the multiple possibilities of the situation. He could carry her to the bathroom, where she could bathe herself, except he wasn't sure she could even stand on her own, much less cleanse herself.

Finally, he made a small sound of impatience and moved closer to the bed, silently offering himself as leverage for her to stand, and if she were to need it, he would offer more assistance, though he'd prefer if she figured out how to get through it on her own. _*****_

Toriko heard him coming closer, a sudden sense of anxiety gripping her about having to rise with any sort of speed.

"You...don't have to wait for me." The words practically fell out of her mouth all at once as she mistook his stare and presence. "I can barely sit here, and I think standing is out of the question. I'm sure you have better things to do."

She placed her hands down on her thighs and her eyes widened again at the state of the jeans she wore...if the could even be called jeans at this point. They were barely held together stips, and she realized the shirt she wore was in much the same condition, neither one doing much more than preserving whatever dignity she had left in this situation. Her mouth hung open in shock as she took it in and it left her quite speechless. Surely a _virus _hadn't done all this...3

Hiei raised a brow silently at Toriko, not surprised by her misinterpretation. He waited for a moment before blinking slowly at her in expectation, waiting on her to at least _try _to stand. But she didn't, and he knew that she probably wouldn't be able to. So, without any forewarning, he leaned forward and slid a single arm under her knees, easily sliding his other arm behind her shoulders, and without saying a word, lifted her from where she sat as if she weigh nothing more than a feather, and he swept out of the room with general ease, crossing the hall into the bathroom without any obstacles such as closed doors or a cat at his feet, as he'd half expected.

Then, he stopped before the bathtub, glanced up at the showerhead that appeared to dislodge from the part that connected with the wall, other than a cord of some sort that, he assumed, allowed the water to flow through it, then all but dropped Toriko into the white tub. Satisfied, he reached up and handed her the showerhead, figuring she'd need it, and placed everything else nearby within reach from her sitting position.

"There." he stated nonchalantly, turning his back and taking two steps before pausing and glancing back at her once. "You reek of dirt and sweat." With that, he left the room, shutting the door with a soft _click_. _*****_

Toriko blinked and stared at the showerhead now in her hand, for a moment uncertain how exactly she'd gotten here. When her mind caught up, she could feel the warmth all the way down to her toes.

"How embarrassing." She mumbled to herself, feeling her general sticky and ickyness.

Her hand holding the shower head started to shake and she set it in her lap, heaving a sigh. She could tell there was _no _way this was going to happen. And yet, at the same time there was no way in _hell_ she was going to let Hiei know that.

As she sat for a moment wondering what on earth she was going to do with herself, she heard a small, curious "miau" from the other side of the tub.

She managed to turn her head to spy Maneshi regarding her with wide eyes, each one being a different color making the expression a little haunting.

"What you up to?" She asked rhetorically.

The cat murled and hopped up to the edge of the tub, butting her face with the top of his head and making Toriko smile.

He sat down after that, tall and slender with his tail wrapped about his feet.

"I don't suppose you have any ideas?" She moved the shower head around a little and almost laughed as Maneshi flinched. "It's not on."

He regarded her with a long, unblinking stare, made slightly comical by the fact that the tip of his pink tongue peeking out from his mouth.

"_I do." _He spoke into her mind, hesitantly.

Toriko said nothing, only lifting her eyebrows as he moved and rubbed his side against her shoulder, beginning to purr.

"_But you aren't going to like it. And you could very well end up being worse for a time after." _

He would say nothing else when she questioned him, walking around behind her daintily on the small lip at the back of the tub, continuing to rub up against her. He turned the corner, rubbed her shoulder with his own, then nimbly dropped down into the bath, stepping lightly down one leg and then back up the other before jumping up to the edge back where he started.

"_Steam will help." _He blinked once, slowly. "_Though you should probably undress first." _

Toriko felt no qualms at his suggestion since he was only a cat after all. She set the shower head down across her thighs and pulled the remains of the shirt off over her head, feeling quite stiff still, but stronger somehow.

Maneshi hopped down off of the tub as she dropped the piece of clothing onto the floor, going over to sniff at it as she grabbed for the sides of the tub and lifted herself up enough that she could sit back down on the edge of it before she collapsed.

The jeans were a little harder to remove, but once they were gone and on the floor she reached over and turned the handles as hot as they would go, water bursting out from the faucet and almost instantly starting to steam up the room.

As she dropped her undergarments to the floor as well, Maneshi hopped back up beside her and rubbed her arm again. She continued to feel stronger and thought that this whole bathing thing might actually be plausible, quickly moving to grab for the showerhead and get wet, at which Maneshi promptly hopped back down.

She could hear the water dropping to the tile floor behind her and found that she didn't care, the heat helping her muscles relax.

The steam had filled the room with a heavy haze of air and humidity, but Toriko hardly noticed as she went about soaping off the grime and sweat she felt clinging to her skin, a frown deepening on her face as she noticed wounds she did not remember acquiring on her legs and arms, her expression darkening even more as they slowly began to disappear before her eyes.

"Maneshi, what are you doing?"

The air was even heavier than before, and would have been hard to breathe in for any normal human. The haze was thick and palatable, almost like a fog and beginning to make it hard to see.

"It will likely get worse, and I'm sorry for that."

The hairs on the back of Toriko's neck stood on end, and yet she felt no alarm, the voice on the air resounding with the same bass-timbre as the one she had only minutes ago felt brush against her mind. Though this one sounded strained.

Trying not to think about it too much, Toriko reached forward for shampoo and placed it next to her, her mind focusing heavily on the task before her. However, when she went to lift the shower head and wet her hair, a pang of distress shot down her arms and she could not do it.

"Sorry." The deeper voice breathed, hitching in the middle of the word. "I'm about at my limit. Let's finish quickly."

The shower head was taken from her hands and sprayed onto her hair and Toriko did not protest, leaning her head over the tub and taking intermittent breaths as the water flowed down either cheek and over her mouth and nose.

The shampoo came next and while she could feel the slender fingers working it through, she maintained her stillness in the hopes of not hindering the process.

She closed her eyes this time when the water began pouring back over her face, suds from the shampoo being cleaned from her long dark hair and taking with it all the impurities Shikiyoku had acquired when kidnapped.

Just as the last of it washed over her eyes, the shower head banged noisily against the edge of the tub and Toriko could not help but whip around to investigate.

The fog was too thick at that point for her to even see the floor, though she spied a darker place that she thought could have been hair streaming over the rug.

Toriko turned back and whipped the faucet handles off so the water would stop flowing, twisting her legs back over the edge and carefully setting her feet down on the slippery tile. She took the two steps to the cabinet and wrapped a towel around her before dropping to the floor and spying one brown eye and one blue eye regarding her with a pained expression.

"Maneshi?" She asked, reaching her arms out.

"_Here."_

He struggled to stand on all fours and walk towards her and she reached for him as soon as he stumbled into range, gathering him into her lap and off the damp rug.

A wave of pain struck her and her calf began aching, so she shifted her legs out from under her body and leaned heavily against the outside of the tub, feeling as if she would no longer be able to move.

Her head dropped forward, her chin nearly touching her chest, and she squinted as she could practically feel every muscles draw taunt in her body, the pain almost unbearable. She had little mental capacity to spare and none of it was even remotely attempting to pick apart what had just happened or what Maneshi had just done.

There was a cut on her arm that reopened and slowly began leaking blood towards her hand, and she felt the same sort of sensation at the same calf that ached, another batch of pain stinging across her eyes as she sat holding Maneshi close and trying to catch her breath. 3

Hiei had walked away from the bathroom altogether, deciding to give Toriko her privacy and head downstairs, where there was still a mess to be cleaned up. He didn't think leaving it for her would be wise- not that she'd simply yell and kick him out, but having her clean it up with her injuries just wouldn't do.

As soon as his feet touched the kitchen floor, he set to work, dashing about and picking up pans and cans that Shikiyoku had tossed around days ago, or at least it felt that long. Had it really been less than a week? It had felt like an eternity to him.

Pans clattered as he unceremoniously dumped them in the cabinets where he assumed Shikiyoku had produced them, since there were similar objects inside. He stacked the cans inside the cupboard according to the semi-organization he saw, hoping it would look as if nothing had been messed with. And then when that was done, he turned and looked at the pile of melted, green and brown mixed ice cream that he'd scorched, the burned container just a pile of ashes mixed in.

A frown settled on his face as he turned to look around the room. Where she would keep her cleaning supplies, he didn't know. So, he set out to search for anything useful, eventually coming up with enough things to restore the kitchen to its normal appearance just as he heard the water in the bathroom turning off, after which he wasted no time in flitting his way back up the stairs with a single glance back at the kitchen, satisfied.

Now he stood in front of the door, listening to the sound of her breathing from behind the door and for any signs of movement. He considered barging in, but wasn't sure if she was covered, so he shifted his weight and turned his back to the door impatiently.

"I'm surprised you made it this far," he called through the door tauntingly, referring to the fact that she had yet to pass out. _*****_

Toriko fought back the useless feelings of pain that her muscles screamed at her, subduing them at the sound of Hiei's voice and letting them hum angrily at the back of her head.

"I can't get up." She managed to mumble, still holding Maneshi's limp body in her arms, the haze of the steam in the room making her feel a little heady as she squeezed her eyes shut. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised by the words he made out from behind the door, and took them as a _green light_, as the humans said. He turned around, hand finding the knob easily and twisting it, his body moving in one swift motion with the door, taking only a single step inside as the steam from within berated his senses entirely, momentarily surprising him.

After a mere second, he recovered, his nose picking up on the smell of her blood making his mind easily brush away the irritation that the fog in the room gave him. He stepped forward, eyes seeing Toriko through the haze, holding Maneshi, who looked just as drained, and before too long, he was lifting the towel-covered girl and the exhausted cat from the floor, easily maintaining the balance so that not even Maneshi would have the chance to wobble.

How many times had he carried her like this in the past forty-eight hours?

The thought was brief, brushed away as he turned and left the bathroom, cloak swaying behind him and occasionally sticking to a moist surface. It slid away, no longer catching on anything once he was out of proximity of the steamed room, entering Toriko's room with a simple turn of his wrist and nudge at the door, glancing down at Toriko and Maneshi before setting her on the bed so that she was sitting, cat in her lap. And this time, instead of leaving the room, he rummaged through her drawers for clothes, finding some clothing material he vaguely remembered her wearing to bed at a different date and tossing them onto the bed beside her, turning his back on her but not leaving the room. "When you're dressed, I'll dress the wound." _*****_

As soon as they were set down, Maneshi climbed unsteadily out of Toriko's lap and misstepped, falling off the side of the bed as Toriko gasped loudly, unable to move to pull him back.

Her muscles seized within her again, her eyes slamming shut in agony and her hands forming fists, the action of tightening causing a third wound to reopen on her arm, and forcing blood out of the other two faster for just a moment. 3

Hiei heard the gasp and turned curiously, only to lunge forward without thinking and snatch the falling ball of fur out of the air by the waist. For a moment, he stood the way he caught the cat, arms outstretched and Maneshi dangling in his hands, long legs stretched to full length and tail swaying from the sudden stop of motion. _Hm. _

He then moved, breaking the still-as-a-statue pose and standing upright, cat in his left arm against his chest, feet underneath his sleek body for support. "Pain in the ass." he mumbled before his eyes turned to the cuts on Toriko that were reopened.

Without a word, he swiftly moved from the room at top speed, retrieved the last bandaging wraps from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, and returned, all within a second, to standing in front of Toriko again. He set the cat on the floor and gave a stern look that read _now sit still_ before he turned to Toriko, lifting the arm that had begun bleeding first and wrapping the gauze methodically around and around, tight enough to stay in place, but not too tight as to cut off circulation. Once he was done with that, he did the same for her leg and other arm.

Once it was done, he stood upright again with a small sound of approval at his own handiwork before turning his back to her again, fully expecting her to at least begin dressing herself. _*****_

Maneshi collapsed to the floor where Hiei set him down, his eyes closed and his side rising and falling rapidly, no other part of him moving.

Toriko for her part made no sound of pain as Hiei made quick work of her wounds, but the pain itself was etched deeply across her brow every time he moved something.

"I can't move." Her breath hitched up in her lungs as even they tightened in protest. "Everything hurts." 3

Hiei, for some reason, hadn't thought of such a possibility such as the girl being completely immobile. He stood there for a moment, unsure and suddenly very uncomfortable at the situation. What should he do? He sure as hell wasn't going to remove her towel and _dress her_, because that was not his duty, even if he were her _Champion_.

He made a sound of disapproval before thinking harder on the matter, eyes trailing to his crossed arms. His pupils widened at the cloth he was looking at, suddenly finding an easy solution to his problem, despite his reluctance about it initially.

He turned around and, in the same motion, pulled his cloak from around himself and wrapped it around her body, making easy work of pulling her arms through the sleeves and then easily adjusting her so that she lay on the bed, head on the pillow that appeared most used. "Happy?" _*****_

Everywhere he touched her made her want to scream, each time he moved her around sending incessant spikes of pain around that portion of her body.

And then finally he had her laying down, wrapped in the cloak he wore that still held much of the warmth he carried around naturally.

All the pain from before still ravaged through her system, and she grimaced, but pulled her head down farther into the neck of the cloak until it covered her nose, and then stopped moving altogether.

She opened her eyes once to glare angrily at him for asking such a ridiculously stupid question, but said nothing, trying to just concentrate on getting air into her lungs. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the glare he received from underneath his own cloak, the thought of that being a rather amusing one all of a sudden. "I'll leave you to your thoughts then," he said as he turned to leave, deciding that he wanted ice cream. Of course, he planned on coming right back to this room, whether she wanted him there or not, but she didn't have to know that just yet.

He didn't even shut the door behind him as he went, making his way down the stairs and straight through the kitchen that looked so odd now that it was clean; he'd gotten so accustomed to the mess he and Shikiyoku had made of it.

He tossed the thought away and grabbed what he came for, plus an extra spoon, just in case, and made his way back up the stairs, slowly, to give Toriko time to believe he wasn't returning for a while.

And on the way up the stairs, he heard the most annoying sound:

A dog's bark from the streets.

!**!~

Nabu called out once for Akari, wondering where she had been for so long. Sure, she could have gone to that large building where Flowers and other people went during the day, but she had left the bag and clothes for that place behind, and her scent hadn't renewed itself in the room since her leaving last night. He was curious, expecting her to be in the park, where he now realized her scent was headed, albeit a faint scent trail.

But when he got to the park, her scent abruptly disappeared, and no matter how far he walked, he couldn't find where it picked back up. That was when the alarm set in.

Never before had she shown him _that_.

So he took to searching the streets, occasionally crossing his own scent and backtracking, doing this for what felt like days, even though the sun hadn't set even once since he'd began his hunt.

And the longer he searched, the more distress he felt. He began to call more often, barking into the crowd that occasionally picked up in flow, then lessened again during the different hours of the day.

He even went back to check their home again, but nothing had changed.

_Loudmouth! _he suddenly thought, remembering the boy who had fed him, let him sleep in his house, and then dumped him on the floor with a loud bellow before loving on him some more. The dog turned and began a nice, steady run towards the place he knew the boy resided, but instead found, when he arrived, that his scent lead away from the building, so he took to following after the boy's trail diligently. _*****_

~!**!~

As soon as Hiei turned and left the room, Toriko closed her eyes and tried to relax, the warmth of the cloak assisting greatly in her attempts as it soothed the muscles away from their tightness. Even if just a little.

Her eyes flew open again after a moment when she remembered Maneshi and at the silence in the room, she could pick out his labored breathing somewhere on the floor.

Her desperation to know his condition allowed her to scoot once, closer to the edge of the bed, but she finally cried out in pain at the effort, her own breathing matching that of the cat below that she could now make out, her eyes heavy with concern.

"Maneshi?"

She received no response.

~!**!~

"Yusuke Urameshi! You're in big trouble, mister!"

"What is it _now, _Keiko?"

The girl ran to catch up to the green-uniformed boy marching along, getting close enough to smack him in the back of the head with her brown satchel.

"Don't give me that!"

"Ow!" He rubbed at his neck, "What was _that _for?"

"You know exactly what that was for! You already miss so much school what with working for Koenma, and then even on a day when you _do _make it to class, you're half a day late and you bugger off early!"

"It's not _my _fault the teachers have nothing interesting to say."

"That is _not _the point and you know it! You're making me look bad-"

"As class rep," Yusuke interrupted, "Yeah, yeah I know."

"Then get yourself to class next time!"

"I can't promise you that."

"You'd better!" 3

~!**!~

Hiei slowly, or as slowly as he could withstand, made his way up the stairs, pausing at the landing with a spoonful of Ice Cream in his mouth, swallowing the cold substance that made his teeth hurt. He lodged his personal spoon in the tub of ice cream and then turned to the bedroom door that stood wide open, pausing at the sight he saw.

Toriko was leaning over the bed, eyes trained on the mass of black fur on the floor that moved with heavy breathing to match the girl's. He considered the scene for a moment, not taking too long before he had deduced what was going on and continuing into the room, approaching first the cat, picking up the ball of fur, and then laying Maneshi down beside Toriko, on the side of the bed that was unoccupied so that, if she were to fall asleep and roll over, she wouldn't end up laying on the small creature.

"_You… didn't share." _

Those words echoed in his mind from the night before, just before he sat down in a chair and sat the extra spoon in his hand. "Do you want any?" he asked, holding up the tub for her to see since he was on the side she was facing. He figured she might be a bit hungry, and this was all he could offer her at the moment.

And in that same moment, he stuck a spoonful of the sweet substance in his own mouth as he waited on her response.

~!**!~

Nabu ran down the sidewalk, nose to the ground as he followed the scent he barely knew from the one interaction with the person he was hunting down. It was his last chance to figure out where Akari was, and he wasn't going to miss it.

Occasionally however, he crossed his own scent and became distracted, or the scent of the boy clashed with another scent that left him confused, wandering in circles until he found the same scent again and taking off like a rocket.

He even ran through an alleyway, where other, much larger dogs growled at him in warning for trespassing on their territory, making him run even faster, tail between his legs with the rush of fear he had experienced.

If only Akari were here, then…

_Then I wouldn't be looking for Akari! _he suddenly thought, realizing his own thoughts were beginning to mix and mingle, much like the scents in the streets.

At one point, he had to make a run from a large man with a net and some other contraption who ran at him, hollering like a banshee and stomping his overly large feet in his direction. He'd been a bigger man, so outrunning him hadn't been much of a problem.

By this point, he was sitting in front of a large building that was a bit similar to the one Akari visited on some days. His chest rapidly moved with his huffs of air, trying to regain the precious element of oxygen that he'd lost on his trip here.

It had been such a tiring one, but he was worried.

It was the afternoon, almost time for dinner, and Akari hadn't returned to him yet. Normally, she'd be yelling at him for lunch before he even woke up, telling him that later they would visit the park and play before she went and took care of some things on her own.

But she hadn't even come home for breakfast today, like he'd hoped she would. Yes, she had said she would be back this afternoon, but it was almost evening, and Akari _never _missed lunch with him unless she were at the building like this that was filled with people.

The worry made Nabu lay his ears back and his eyes scan the crowd suddenly emerging from the large building in front of him. His nose twitched, and before long he caught sight of the boy with markings on his face, except they were hardly noticeable today. Had he not been so worried for his best friend, he would have thought on that fact, but he was too preoccupied otherwise.

After a few more moments of sitting on his haunches, huffing for air, he stood on all four and bolted through the crowd, calling "Hey! Hey, Loudmouth! Steak-boy!" sure, he didn't know the boy's name, but it wouldn't matter because he didn't think the boy fully understood him anyways.

"_I can't find Akari! She left with you yesterday, right? Where is she?"_ As he barked out the questions, Nabu ran up to the boy, not even halting when he reached him but instead making circles around his feet, frantically trying to convey his worry.

"_You know where she is?!"_ _*****_

"Um, Yusuke, you realize there's a puppy running around your feet?"

"Huh?" Yusuke looked down, "Nabu!" He exclaimed when he recognized the dog. He bent down and grabbed the dog's sides to lift him up, "What's got _you _all excited, boy?"

"Nabu?"

"Yeah, it's Akari's dog."

"Who?" Keiko asked threateningly.

"Keiko, come on now. Wow, he's really squirming around. I wonder what's up." Yusuke put Nabu back down before he dropped him, but he squatted down to talk to the dog more directly. "Slow down there, short-stack. You're wearing me out."

Keiko did the same as Yusuke, though he had his hands in his pockets and she had her legs together under her longer skirt, holding her brown satchel in front of her knees.

~!**!~

At his question, Toriko's stomach growled too loudly to mistake the noise for anything else and she blushed mightily.

She acted as if she was about to hold out an arm to get a spoon from him, but just before she moved her arm decided against it and managed to shake her head, casting her eyes down. 3

Hiei felt a corner of his lips lift at the sound that all but echoed in the room, giving him his answer for her. But when she shook her head, he tilted his head to the side with an expression that read "really?"

Then he moved the chair forward a little, so that he could reach her, but instead of extending an offer to her as he had originally thought of doing, he sat back and placed another spoonful of the ice cream in his mouth, eyes staying locked on hers almost tauntingly.

And he waited only a few moments like that, with the spoon hanging from his mouth, before giving a small huff of amusement and giving in, taking the extra spoon and scooping the substance up just enough to control, and lifted it to her mouth, pressing the chilling spoon to her lips lightly in a silent offer.

~!**!~

Nabu had wriggled his entire body when picked up, knowing that this wasn't the reaction he needed in order to get his urgency across to the boy who now knelt before him. The dog's body visibly shook with the effort it took for him to suddenly sit still, ears laying back and tail tucked as closely to his body as it could get, a small whine escaping from his maw, which opened only enough for the sound to be heard in a plea.

"_I don't know where she is, and she left with you… but __**you're**_ _back, and she's __**not**__."_ he whined, his front paws unable to stay still and moving automatically with the amount of emotion he felt. "_Help me!"_

Suddenly, his eyes turned to the female next to the boy, eyeing her bag that was held in front of him, giving him a sudden idea. He turned back to Yusuke and lightly nipped at his clothing, hoping this would get his message across before he turned and began running back the way he came, pausing to look back and see if the boy understood his actions. _*****_

"Well, I don't think _that _could get any more obvious." Yusuke stood and started after the pup.

"Agreed. Is he always like this?" Keiko fell in step beside him.

"Not that I know of. But I've only seen the little guy one other time. And that was last night!"

~!**!~

Without her realizing it, Toriko's eyes flashed approvingly at Hiei's tease.

"_He's __**learning," **_a smugly self-satisfied voice said that she didn't think was her own, but it sounded like her. And it acted as if a thought coming from her own mind. And Toriko's...other side was gone for the moment, Toriko knew, slumbering most heavily in the darkest recesses of her mind as if exhausted beyond comprehension. She dismissed the random interjection.

Toriko pulled back a little as Hiei reached out with a sample. Her concern did not stem from a lack of ability to hold her own spoon, but rather that even if she could do so, she feared dropping it on his beautiful cloak.

However, as the spoon, icey cold, touched her lips, she found herself unable to do anything else put part them and accept the offering he extended. She certainly did not regret the action, though the flavor of the strawberry sweet snow seemed a little...duller than she expected.

She nodded a curt thanks, mouth full and letting the treat melt a little before she attempted to swallow, her tongue snaking out and licking her lips. 3

Hiei met the flash in Toriko's eyes with a sneer of amusement, his own irises flashing in contrast with hers. He wondered of her thoughts at that moment, but didn't dwell since it was inconsequential and unimportant to him.

When her lips opened and then closed around the spoon he offered, he slowly pulled it back, letting her get a majority of the substance off the spoon before simply taking it all away from her, though that would have been amusing to witness.

He scooped another bite of the ice cream for himself, sticking his spoon in between his lips before replenishing her spoon as well, waiting until she swallowed the bite he had given her a moment ago before offering this one to her, much in the same fashion.

~!**!~

Nabu felt relieved, albeit just a touch, that the boy seemed to understand him. But now, where would he go? Home, to show that Akari's things were still there, but she was not, or the park where her scent ended? He paused outside the wall of the large building's grounds, looking right to left, right to left. _Which way?_

Finally, he made up his mind and darted to the right, towards home, his small body weaving through the people easily, but he did turn back to check on the boy and his friend every so often.

And it didn't take long before he reached his and Akari's home, where he slipped in through the hole on the side of the building and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for the boy to enter as well before he hopped around and around the few things Akari held as her possessions, namely her school supplies, as she'd called them once before. _*****_

"Where do you think he's taking us?" Keiko asked curiously as her eyes kept track of the small furry animal that kept stopping to look back and make sure they followed.

Yusuke shrugged noncommittally.

"Wait, where'd he go?"

Keiko pointed to a hole in the side of a building, "I think there's a door on this side." She broke into a trot and found the door before Yusuke, cautiously trying the doorknob.

"Not even gonna knock?" Yusuke came up behind her and startled her so that she dropped her hand and turned beet red.

"Well, I figured whoever is in there probably knows we're coming."

"I didn't take you as the breaking and entering type, Keiko!"

"Oh, shut up." Keiko went ahead and threw open the door with gusto, having discovered it was unlocked, and walked inside with Yusuke trailing after.

"Geez this place is a mess."

"I wonder who lives here."

"Who in their right mind would live here?"

"Someone who goes to school." Keiko noted, pointed at a uniform.

"Hey, I'd know that terrible pink color anywhere! That's where Kurama goes to school." Yusuke smacked his hand against his forehead, "Well _duh,_ that's where Akari goes too."

Keiko raised an eyebrow at the mention of the girl, but stayed quiet on that subject, "Then, why did Nabu lead us here?"

"I dunno. Nabu? Buddy? Where'd you go?" Yusuke stepped farther into the house.

~!**!~

Toriko did not hesitate this time when he offered her another bite, but she couldn't help the befuddled expression that passed over her face as she moved the sweet snow around in her mouth again.

Something had to be wrong... Hiei wasn't this nice. At least not to her. Why was he being so nice all of a sudden? She was wearing his cloak...he was feeding her sweet snow... She felt strangely puzzled by the whole situation. 3

Hiei raised a brow even further at the expression that took over Toriko's features, the black blending in with his hair that hung over his eyes. Then his lips moved into the sneer that had disappeared only seconds ago, finding her confusion amusing to see forming between her brows and making her eyes spark with thoughts.

He suddenly sat back again, taking the spoon from her mouth much faster this time and simply lodging it into the strawberry goodness, leaving it there as he continued eating. If she didn't want it, he wouldn't give her any. He would simply eat it all by his lonesome.

~!**!~

Nabu heard the door open, and glad he had done what he'd been intending to do, he hopped up on the desk across the room and layed down so that only his front paws and his chin rested on an open book and some papers that Akari had worked on three days ago, the last day she'd gone to school. Her pencil was still in the crease where the pages turned, the lead dull and only one set of teeth marks from the moment his best friend had gotten frustrated at the paperwork, and promptly given up.

As soon as Yusuke called for him, he called out "_Over here"_, but to them he knew his words would be nothing but a small, barking whine. So he repeated the sound, his big, brown eyes staring right at the boy as he waited for the spark of understanding that the pup was trying to grasp from this one.

Too bad he couldn't find Flowers. He'd understand much quicker than this one would… _*****_

Yusuke started to head to the part of the room he heard Nabu making noise from.

"Aw, don't look so sad." He stuck his face in Nabu's and pouted, patting him on the head.

Keiko wandered more slowly in the other pair's direction, her eyes keenly taking in the room and the things inside.

"Yusuke..." She began thoughtfully, "When was the last time you _saw _Akari?"

"Um," Yusuke stood up, but patted Nabu's head again, stopping to scratch at his ears. "Last night?"

Keiko's temper flared again, "I won't even _ask _what you were doing together last night." She closed her eyes and huffed out a bit of air, "But I guess that sort of throws a wrench in my theory."

"Your theory?"

"That she's missing." Keiko said offhandedly. "I mean, look at him." She gestured at the dog and closed the distance. "He looks so sad."

~!**!~

"Meanie." Toriko muttered under her breath as she dropped her eyes away from him when he made no move to offer her more, secretly glad that he stopped before she messed up his cloak somehow.

She _knew _he was acting too nice. He really just planned on enjoying torturing her the whole time.

Her stomach growled just as loudly as before and she blushed again, absolutely refusing to look up and see if Hiei was paying attention. 3

Hiei was, of course, paying attention, but he chose to ignore the sound he heard from Toriko, his mind instead on the stark similarity between the one word that he'd been called by her; it was the same thing Shikiyoku had said the night before, when he hadn't shared with her either. The similarity made him ponder their relationship for a moment, so concentrated on his own musings that he didn't even scoop another spoonful of ice cream for a few minutes.

Had they always been so similar? He wasn't sure, since he'd dealt more with Shikiyoku than with Toriko. His initial thought was _no, they haven't_. However, he noted several similarities and decided he'd just been imagining things, only just now catching how similar the two were since he was now able to compare them in a more even way. After all, she was rather similar to Kurama and his Youko half, where they shared many similarities, but were, also, starkly different in some areas.

So with that reassurance, he wrote the moment off as coincidence and finally added another spoonful of Ice Cream to his mouth, this time being generous and offering one to Toriko as well, despite his earlier thoughts about her pouting.

"Get over it. Can't do anything yourself."

~!**!~

Nabu could have growled in frustration at the density of the boy who wasn't even beginning to understand what he was trying to say. But the girl saved the boy from a bite on the hand- not a hard one, of course- by speaking up.

And the pup listened very intentively, watching her with keen eyes that suddenly realized she was beginning to understand what was going on. He sat up again, paws dancing on the papers below him as he let out a bark at the girl when she spoke about Akari being missing. His ears were forward, his entire body now moving with excitement now that at least _one _of the two had realized.

"_She's gone!"_ He barked again, this time standing up and making a very small circle on the book, accidentally ripping papers that he briefly glanced down at before leaping from the desk and approaching the girl, hopping up and down on his hind legs, his front paws only barely making contact with her shins.

"_She's missing! You got it!" __*****_

"Doesn't look so sad now." Yusuke pointed out.

"Hush." Keiko told him, squatting down as she had earlier, her eyes narrowing in thought as the dog bounced up and down. She watched him very carefully as she slowly spoke, "Akari's missing."

~!**!~

Toriko made no protests about taking the sweet snow from the spoon, but after it melted a bit in her mouth, she spoke around it, "But I _hate _being useless." She grumbled and moved the lump around with her tongue, still refusing to meet Hiei's eyes. 3

Hiei's eyes narrowed only for a second before he tilted his head at Toriko, immediately assessing the girl before him with a glint in his eyes. "Then be useful and eat." he replied curtly, expression unchanging from his assessment of her as he spoke, even lodging the spoon between his teeth afterwards. "Fool." he uttered around the utensil.

~!**!~

Nabu spinned and spinned around and around when the girl said the two words he'd been trying to make her friend understand, feeling a lot more weight gone now that someone knew. _Oh!_ he thought suddenly, stopping every motion and looking to the door, thinking about the end of the trail at the park. Should he lead them there?

His eyes turned back to the girl, thinking hard. Would they know where to look? _Not if they didn't know where to start. _

With that thought, his teeth grabbed hold of the bag she held and he tugged as gently as he could, so as to not rip the bag, that would get her to follow as he turned to dart out the open door and to the park. _*****_

"Well, aren't you a regular dog whisperer." Yusuke noted.

"Oh, shut up." Keiko said half-heartedly as she allowed Nabu to tug at her bag, standing up to follow him.

"You know," Yusuke started hesitantly, "If Akari really _is _missing..." He tapered off, shaking his head, "You follow Nabu. I'm gonna go see if Kurama's seen her. Or Toriko. They ought to have been at school and maybe she's been there the whole time."

"Okay!" Keiko agreed as she started to take off after the little dog who had already shot down the sidewalk.

"I'll find you when I know something!" Yusuke called, breaking into a trot himself and giving Keiko a little wave as he headed towards Meiou High. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	23. Episode 108 - Finding the Captives

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Enthusiasts!

It's really difficult to make chapters out of our roleplay. It just sort of keeps rolling along since we were not writing it with "episodes" or "chapters" in mind. This makes the flow strange when we're trying to put it in this sort of form as really it's best read just kind of all in one go.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

As Akari and Kurama remain captives, Akari manages to flitch a seed from Kurama's hair while it appears he is asleep,  
>though naturally the avatar was fairly aware of it and did in fact simply <em>let <em>her snatch it.

~!**!~

Meanwhile Nabu is desperately attempting to find Akari and ends up running into Yusuke and Keiko,  
>the first of which runs off to see if he can find Kurama<br>and the second of which runs after Nabu who is leading her to the park.

~!**!~

Toriko woke up next to Hiei and remembers nothing of the night before.  
>After Hiei dumping her in the tub and Maneshi assisting her in bathing,<br>Hiei carries her back to her bed and shares sweet snow with her.  
>She complains of being useless to which Hiei replies,<br>"Then be useful and eat, fool."

* * *

><p>"That's not what I meant and you know it." Toriko grumbled again. She paused for a moment, feeling that her muscles had relaxed a bit, though not enough to be moveable. It would take more heat than Hiei's cloak had to offer to release their tension. She could, however, feel the blood being staunched from her wounds where Hiei had dressed them.<p>

"How did this happen...?" She had only meant to say the question within the confines of her own head, but she asked it so quietly that she thought perhaps he hadn't heard. Not that she expected an answer from him, but if she was going to be in pain, she at least wanted to understa-

No. No, she didn't. She didn't want to know. Toriko squeezed her eyes shut and tried to distract herself by shifting a little on the bed, earning herself a solid pound of pain that shot through her nerves and cut off any thought processes she had. 3

Hiei made no indication that he heard Toriko at all, not even her first reply to him when he'd retorted about her being useless. He sat in silence, shoveling another large spoonful of Ice cream into his mouth and simply letting it sit on his tongue, freezing his teeth and numbing his tongue altogether as it melted in his mouth, leaving bits of strawberry pieces in his mouth and a smooth liquid. After a minute, he swallowed that mouthful and hung his empty spoon in his mouth, now deciding he was done with it and wondering if he should put it up, or continue offering some to Toriko.

The silence in the room was almost uncomfortable now, all of the sudden. He resisted the urge to shift his weight, making himself sit still as his own eyes closed briefly, listening to the world outside of this room, outside of the house altogether. Cars, people, animals. They were everywhere, busy, while Hiei simply sat here, doing absolutely nothing aside from watching over Toriko.

He pushed that thought away and slowly peeled a bit more ice cream from the tub, intending to offer it to Toriko, except her eyes were closed.

"You should rest," he said suddenly, yet not moving from his spot at all.

~!**!~

Nabu sped off at his greatest speed, only slowing down once when he looked back and saw the girl following him falling a little behind. But after that, he continued on until he reached the park gate, at which point he stopped and waited for the uniform-clad girl to catch up. Despite his heaving little chest and his shaking little body, he turned and began trotting again, leading her right to the spot where Akari's scent disappeared, where he promptly sat on his rump and looked up at her expectantly, not making a sound other than his heavy breathing that occasionally made him wheeze or huff from the lack of oxygen.

_Please, understand this is where she was last… __*****_

Keiko slowed once she saw Nabu sitting down, starting to look around her for any sign of...whoever it was they were searching for. Keiko laughed nervously to herself and squatted down in front of Nabu.

"You know, I get this strange feeling you can understand me." She reached out tentatively, unsure if the dog would accept a pet. "Because before we left that place back there I had this urge to ask you where you last saw her." Keiko laughed for real this time, though it were nothing more than a small chuckle. "Funny, isn't it? Talking to a dog like that."

~!**!~

Toriko opened her eyes and felt conflicted at the sight of Hiei before her.

On the one hand, she desperately wanted to ask after his thoughts. On the other, she wasn't sure why he was still around. Her eyes glanced at the tub in his hands. Surely it wasn't for _that_. He could probably get some of it anywhere he wanted.

...what did he want from her?

For her own part, Toriko did not feel tired, just...in lots of pain.

She had a sudden desire to reach out to him, but thought against it, instead gathering her strength together and pushing herself up from the bed, her muscles quivering madly.

She even went so far as to stand up, though she knew the ability to do so would be brief indeed, and she took the cloak from her shoulders, feeling strange standing there in front of him in just a towel, but not thinking he would care or notice.

Toriko knew taken even a step would be impossible, so she satisfied herself with tossing the cloak over Hiei's shoulder. Her legs collapsed underneath her, though it appeared that she simply sat back down on the bed, hands on either side of her thighs and her head hanging down.

She knew her face was stricken with the pain of what she'd just done but she didn't want him to see so she took a moment to recover her facade.

"I'm sure you have much better places to be than here." Toriko finally said, breaking the silence once she knew she had her voice under control. 3

Hiei watched Toriko carefully, taking in every tremble her muscles made, every flicker of pain across her face as she moved. The amount of effort he could _see _it took her almost made him interject.

Almost.

Despite the change in her that sparked the movements, Hiei remained where he sat, not really worried about the girl who forced herself up, just to toss his cloak at him before sitting back down. He considered it pointless, but figured to her, it was likely an achievement with how weak she must feel, how much pain she was in.

He moved only to throw the cloak around his own shoulders, where it belonged, before resettling back into place silently. Even after she spoke, he didn't move. Not at first, anyway.

"You're right," he said finally, gathering the spoons and the ice cream tub together in one hand, "I do." And with that, he stood and vacated the room, leaving her alone while he merely put up the ice cream and tossed the spoons in the sink, with no real intentions of leaving the house. None at all.

However, what he'd do now, he wasn't sure. He could go back, but a part of him figured she only wanted to be alone for a bit. The thought did nothing to him, not even piquing his interest, so he simply stood there in front of the sink, considering options.

~!**!~

Nabu huffed, his little heart pounding a million miles an hour, or so he guessed. And when the girl crouched before him, talking and reaching as if to pet him, he leaned his head into her hand, seeking comfort from the person who seemed to have understood him perfectly throughout the time he'd been trying to break through to the other one.

He made a small bark sound that, really, held no actual meaning when she spoke of him understanding her, but otherwise didn't react to anything else aside from scooting closer and laying in front of her, eyes on the spot where Akari's scent ended as if, maybe if he stared hard enough, she'd suddenly appear there. _*****_

~!**!~

Yusuke didn't slow down until he reached Meiou High's school yard, his eyes briefly scanning the crowd of kids that were still mingling about, preparing for the after school activities.

He dashed inside the building, running down the hall, not really sure if he should call out Kurama's name or not. He certainly didn't know where to start looking.

"Excuse me, young man!" A severe-looking teacher stepped in front of him and Yusuke skidded to a halt. "You appear to be in the wrong school."

"I'm, uh," Yusuke resisted the urge to deck the adult on principle, "I'm looking for, uh," For some reason Kurama's human name escaped him. "Akari. I'm looking for Akari." He settled on using the girl's name instead.

"Akari?" The teacher's eyes narrowed, "And what would you want with her?"

"Look, it's really important." Yusuke said through clenched teeth, "I need to talk to Akari."

"I think you need to leave the school grounds, young man. Go back to your own school and stir up some trouble there."

Yusuke's teeth were grinding together and he closed one hand into a fist, fighting back his desire to knock this stupid teacher out so he could continue looking elsewhere.

~!**!~

Toriko didn't understand why her heart sank at his words. Of _course _he had better places to be. She'd seen that look on his face when he was just sitting there. She just didn't know why he hadn't left before she mentioned it.

She heaved a sigh into the empty room, trying to rid herself of the sudden melancholy that settled over her. There was nothing wrong! Stop feeling so depressed!

It wasn't working.

How about stop caring? Think you can do that? She asked herself.

Not likely. She had no idea why he acted so strangely around her all of a sudden. Practically nice, really. Where she mostly remembered his cold and distant attitude, moments ago he'd been practically _**flirting **_with her over sweet snow for crying out loud.

Without the warmth of his cloak, she felt her muscles tightening again and let out a long suffering sigh, staring blankly at her matching bandages on either arm.

She remembered that she might have the strange heating device downstairs, the one that was similar to a long sock, but had rice or something in it. You put it in the microwave and then it retained the heat for a while.

It _was _kind of small though. She really needed one for her entire body.

Toriko sighed again and stood up, not bothering to change into the nightdress that Hiei had picked out at random and put on the bed for her since he'd left anyway, and leaving the room with the towel still wrapped securely around her body.

Each step was like crunching down on top of so many searing coals, or walking across a bed made of nails. Excruciatingly painful.

Toriko let out one silent grunt as she came to the stairs and walked down them with great effort and willpower.

She stumbled when she reached the bottom, grabbing frantically for the wall and instead ending up leaning against it, eyes closed and breathing heavy. For good measure, she just let her shoulder slide down until she sat on her knees on the floor. Taking a moment to quiet down and gather herself again. 3

Hiei had stood there, weighing his options for a few minutes before he made up his mind and pulled a chair out from under the table, sliding his slim frame into the seat and sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. If he wasn't there to offer assistance, he fully expected Toriko to attempt doing things on her own. Of course, he didn't exactly believe she would make an attempt down the stairs because of her wobbly knees, so he slipped away into his own thoughts for a minute.

As he'd just witnessed a few moments ago, it appeared Toriko did not share memory with Shikiyoku, which was slightly problematic since she might continue to ask about the night before and all of the wounds she had acquired. And the fire demon wasn't happy about that, since the _last _time she'd realized she had been attacked she simply passed out in the bathroom, leaving him to deal with a very robust demoness.

He had no idea what would happen if she knew what he did. Would her human half simply… disappear? Is that even possible? He didn't even have a clue.

In the back of his mind, Hiei registered a sound over by the stairs, but he didn't feign away from his thoughts. If it had been important, he would've felt urgency in the bond, which he now assessed before returning to his thoughts briefly

~!**!~

School hadn't been released for long, and people were everywhere, each person going to a different place than another. While one was headed to the Chemistry lab, another would be headed to the musical department. While one went home, the other went on search for a teacher or a friend.

But not this boy. Today, he had plans to head over to the arcade. Ever since Aminuma had been beaten by Shuichi, he'd been trying to best the time in which his class rival had defeated the child. Even now, he was determined to begin predicting how the game would go, playing with the puzzle in his mind- who needed the actual game, right?

_Not me_, he thought to himself smugly as he walked, book bag in hand.

But there was a disturbance in the air, and the closer he got to the door, the worse it got. The atmosphere was thick, and the hall was quiet. His first instinct was to pause and listen, but there was nothing more than silence still, so he rounded the corner.

His eyes set on the back of his homeroom teacher, whose broad shoulders were bearing down on none other than Yusuke Urameshi. It wasn't hard to deduce the situation.

"Mr. Shinbara," he called as he approached, eyes steady on his teacher who turned to meet his gaze, "There's a disturbance up on the third floor. I assume you're in charge, since the Physiology professor is out today?" He paused, glancing at Yusuke. "Don't worry about him. I'll see to him personally." _*****_

"Kaito!" Yusuke exclaimed cheerily, approaching the dark-haired boy, "What's up, man? Haven't see you in forever!"

~!**!~

It was the first time that Toriko felt thankful for her apparently high tolerance for pain. It was the only thing that let her stand back up again with just a quiet sharp suck of air as her muscles kept protesting. She tried to keep focused on the end goal here which would result in what she hoped would be some relief.

_Get some heat. Get some heat. _She tried repeating to herself over and over to block out more of the pain, her eyes squeezing shut as she leaned away from the wall. She didn't even want to consider getting back down in the bathtub because of what happened earlier, though the idea of laying there either in hot bath water or letting the shower pour over her was appealing, and her thoughts touched on Maneshi briefly with concern.

_Geez, this hurts. _She pushed herself away from the wall, mind already made up that she wasn't going to consider how she got the wounds. They were here, simple as that, and she was going to strive to take care of it. Despite every part of her body screaming that she shouldn't be able to move, much less walk around.

Toriko stubbornly ignored the pain and stood tall, one hand holding the top of her towel in place as she walked with relative normalcy-albeit at a rather slow pace-towards the cabinet at that end of the kitchen and opened it, reaching up and pulling down the heat pack she so desperately desired and closing the cabinet again. She walked a foot or so to the left and opened the microwave over the stove, placing the pack in and closing that door as well, setting it to run for over a minute and pressing 'start.'

Her arms fell after that small strain and she grimaced, planting her hands on the edge of the stove and looking back and forth between the bandages as her arms began shaking and she could not stop them. She sighed and waited for the microwave to finish. 3

Hiei sat in silence, chin on his knuckles and elbow on the table's wooden surface, not paying any attention to his surroundings at all. His thoughts were consuming him, centered around the past twenty-four hours. How had yesterday gone from stealing ice cream and making snide remarks to saving a life? His eyes slid closed, as if he'd been staring ahead at the front door this entire time, his breathing evening out as he fell further into his thoughts.

What in the three worlds was he going to do about this situation?

~!**!~

The dark-haired male stopped in front of Yusuke, looking at him curiously. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?" he finally inquired, having caught none of the conversation with him and the teacher. "You only come over here when there's trouble. Didn't pick another fight, did you?" Of course, he was taunting the boy, but whether his tone gave that away or not…. that was a different story. _*****_

"Trouble. Yeah." Yusuke gave what would have been a nervous laugh if he didn't know how true Kaito's statement was, "Look, I'll just lay it out. I _think_ Akari's missing. Like, kidnapped missing. I was hoping to find Kurama and ask him when the last time he saw her was."

~!**!~

When Toriko reached in to touch the finished heat pack, she felt dissatisfied with the temperature of it and closed the microwave door again, punching in another minute and a half onto the timing and starting it up.

Her stomach growled angry.

"Really?" She looked down at it, slightly perturbed at how hungry she could feel considering the pain that ravaged the rest of her body.

Sighing, Toriko shuffled her way over to the fridge and opened it, the hum of the machine filling the room as she peered inside. The cold made her body tremble as it washed over her uncovered and already shaking limbs.

She reached for a middle shelf almost automatically, looking for a snack that she knew was there, but her hand missed and she frowned, bending down a little more.

The _had _been a crate of strawberries there the last time she looked, but it was gone. She blinked in thought. She didn't remember eating them.

Her sigh was heavier this time. There wasn't really much else she could just grab, and there was no way she could actually cook anything in her condition.

Toriko took an experimental sniff to see if anything stood out, and her eyes widened as she flinched back, not expecting her nose to be enveloped with the strong scent of open fish.

Still sniffing, she pulled her head out from the fridge and followed it-now that she caught the smell she couldn't get rid of it-finding that the smell did not originate from inside. The fridge door started to close automatically as she made it over to the trashcan and opened it, raising an eyebrow as she saw the various bits of trash, as well as the fish she sought, that definitely had not been there the last time she threw something away.

She _really _didn't want to think about this right now, letting out another exasperated sigh. 3

~!**!~

Kaito raised a brow at the immediate response, or lack thereof, from the detective. However, when he suddenly said the name _Akari_, his brows raised further and his lips formed a frown at the words. "You mean the demon who was with Sensui?" he clarified, not really having learned her name aside from the fact he was in the same class as himself and Shuichi. He'd been puzzled by that turn of events, but figured now wasn't the time to inquire.

"What makes you think that?" He glanced behind him, suddenly realizing she hadn't been in school today, along with the redhead. "I mean, I figured Shuichi was her keeper. Why don't you ask him." _*****_

"He's not her keeper he just-" Yusuke shook his head. He could explain later, "Well, I was planning on it, but I ran into you first. Know where he is? Or even better, have you seen her today?"

Kaito's brows went from hiding in his hair to forming wrinkles between his eyes, turning his forehead just a shade of red. He thought about the information he'd just gathered, realizing that Shuichi only missed school during Cases, and on those instances, wouldn't Yusuke be with him?

"Neither of them showed up today." he finally informed, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling a disturbance in the air. "I assumed he was with you, saving the world again." _*****_

Yusuke blinked as he tried to process what he'd just been told.

"Oh." He managed to get out. Akari _and _Kurama missing? Today was NOT his day. "Don't tell me that Toriko's gone too?" He seriously hoped it wasn't the case, but there was a chance she would know where one or the other were at of the _two _people he now found himself looking for.

~!**!~

Toriko felt like she suddenly didn't want to know. Didn't want to question it, didn't want to ask. Didn't know why she didn't want to ask, for that matter. But felt strongly that the subject should be avoided.

She closed the trashcan back up and promptly turned away just as the microwave began beeping again, traveling over to it and retrieving the heat pack.

Its length and size let it rest over her shoulders, around her neck, rather easily without further attention and because of the immediacy of the heat. She knew that after a time her skin would likely turn pink from the exposure, but for the time being it felt amazing and she wished for the second time that she had one giant heat pack, like the size of a body pillow, that she could lay down and cuddle with.

The image in her head suddenly shifted and instead of the body pillow, it was Hiei, all nice and warm, and Toriko's eyes grew big and she shook her head violently in an attempt to rid herself of the picture as she felt her entire body flush with embarrassment at having thought up such a thing.

_Well, if you hadn't given his cloak back, you'd be in the next best thing. _She said to herself as she moved back out towards the living room area, cheeks still pink.

"It wouldn't matter anyway," Toriko argued out loud, "Because the cloak doesn't hold the heat for that long and Hiei-" She cut herself off, nearly choking at which side of the argument she'd just taken with herself, and the image from before snaked back into her mind's eye.

She cleared her throat and said nothing else, finding the entire situation ridiculous, though the blush across her skin gave indication otherwise. 3

Hiei, if he hadn't known any better, would have thought he'd fallen asleep. However, his senses were beginning to open up to his surroundings again, his thoughts trailing away to nothing important. He simply didn't feel like dealing with troublesome things today, so he made a point to push them away.

After a few moments, something grabbed his attention and caused his eyelids to slide open, his crimson irises sliding over to the girl he hadn't realized was in the room. Her ramblings, though he didn't hear the actual words, had pulled him from his reverie of quiet peacefulness.

"Even when alone, you can't keep your mouth shut," he said simply, more taunting than anything. "Too bad. Must be odd without any comforting silence."

~!**!~

Kaito thought for a moment, mentally picturing the classroom he'd been in all day long. In each seat was the person assigned, except exactly three seats had been vacated. His eyes focused again on Yusuke, his frown deepening. What was he getting at? Surely not all three of them were missing. They'd have to be really smart to get around Shuichi, maybe not so much for Akari except for the power he'd learned she had. "She wasn't here either." _*****_

Yusuke groaned, "You've gotta be kidding me." He had no idea where Toriko lived, but he was certain Kurama would. And his house wasn't all that far away. "Well, thanks anyway Kaito. I'll go see if Kurama is at home." He turned to leave.

~!**!~

Toriko froze in place, every hair on her body feeling like it stood on end the instant she heard the voice from behind her.

And not just any voice, no of course not. _His _voice.

She felt as if her blush couldn't get any deeper.

Her mind blanked, save for the picture that she just couldn't get rid of, but the leg with the wrapped calf shook with the effort of holding her in place and she took a step forward after a moment of pause, completely ignoring the jab the fire demon made at her and continuing to walk in the direction she'd started, over to the living room and the basket of dirty clothes she spied laying in front of the wide, open closet with the washer and dryer within them in the corner of that room.

She felt very aware of her lack of glasses now, as well as her hair that was just beginning to dry and laying around her shoulders, and so she said nothing even when her mind caught up with her.

Toriko reached the basket and dropped to her knees beside it, legs giving out underneath her just as she did so. She lifted an arm towards the clothing, again shaking with the effort, her other hand clutching at the towel covering her thigh. 3

Hiei's eyes slide the other direction, away from the girl he'd addressed and to stare at the wall, knowing that the only window in the room was over the sink, and curtained. He almost thought about going outside, but when he considered it, the scene from the night before flashed before his mind's eye and he visibly cringed, making himself focus on the heat he could feel radiating around Toriko.

But then he let his mind wander to other things, suddenly curious of what the others were up to. However, he pushed the sudden impulse away, shifting in his chair again so that he faced the part of the room where Toriko had disappeared from. He listened to her movements, but didn't get up to go check on her. Why would he, when she could simply call for assistance should she need it?

_**As if**_ _she would call for his help. _The logical part of his mind reminded him that she wouldn't ask for help unless absolutely necessary. The thought made him scoff and lean back in the chair, arms crossing over his abdomen and eyes looking to the part of the room he'd last seen her. _Oh well. If she needs help, she'll call. _*****

Toriko shifted through the pile of laundry with one aching arm as she knelt there on her knees-ignoring any bloody things she found there-almost absentmindedly since her mind was actually straying back to Hiei now, her former awkwardness and blushing over with.

Why was he still here? Shouldn't he be out doing...other things? Whatever that encompassed. There was certainly nothing interesting around here to keep him, she thought to herself. So why hadn't he left like she expected? Especially considering his words when she suggested it earlier.

She finally found what she searched for and pulled it from the recesses of the basket. The summer dress was plain and sleeveless and went just past Toriko's knees. She'd only worn it once, so it wasn't terribly dirty.

After Toriko slipped it over her head and pulled it down, her arms seized up and she fell against the wall with her shoulder, grimacing again, the wall feeling cool against her cheek.

She squirmed around a bit as she managed to get the towel to fall off from underneath the dress, pulling it out and leaning back up against the wall, breathing heavily.

Next problem? Getting back upstairs to fetch her glasses and put up her hair. And having something on under the dress would be nice.

She couldn't stand up. Her jaw clenched tighter as her legs twitched, having already done much more than they ever should have been able to. Her arms felt in similar straits.

Toriko thought about Maneshi, laying upstairs on the bed, and forced herself to her feet. At the very least, she needed to see him, check up on him.

She slipped back down the wall, her legs simply refusing any command she gave them, unable to think through much else but the cloud of pain that darkened her vision as she hunched over.

~!**!~

Yusuke put his arms up behind his head as he walked away from Kurama's house and began to wander aimlessly down the street.

His mom had answered the door and let Yusuke know that Kurama had called her and mentioned a school trip.

"School trip" was usually code of "Helping Yusuke Save the Human World." But, as Kaito observed earlier, Kurama was not actually _with _Yusuke, though it wouldn't make much difference to Kurama's mom.

Yusuke grumbled incoherently to himself about the entire situation.

He had no idea where Toriko lived. Neither Kurama nor Akari were at home. And he'd completely forgotten to say something smart to Keiko like "meet me at the park in an hour." Oops. 3

~!**!~

Hiei listened to the silence of the house, waiting just as patiently as he could, knowing there was no way Toriko would be able to do much more than what she'd already done. In fact, he was mildly surprised that she'd even moved around as much as she had.

His eyes slid closed as he stifled his amusement, glancing now towards the stairs that would lead to the second floor of the house. He didn't know what drew his attention to the stairs, but he didn't linger on it, instead turning back to view the other side of the room again. She still had yet to call on him, which wasn't surprising at all.

He heaved a sigh and stood, making the chair squeak against the floor as the legs scraped the wooden floor. He considered his options, wondering if he should check in or wait, to prove his point. Unsure of what to do, he found himself only standing there, debating with himself.

Another sigh, and Hiei was moving through the kitchen and to the living room, deciding he'd sit on the couch instead. Might as well, right?

~!**!~

The warm summer air whipped at blue locks, worry making Botan's oar speed up through the earth's clouds, both hands securely keeping her in place as she zoomed down where she knew Yusuke should be. And as she had known, he was leaving Kurama's house, where the ferry girl knew for sure the redhead was not.

"Yusuke!" she yelled over the wind that roared in her ears. "We have an issue!" With that, she swooped down and landed on her feet, making the rest of the way to the boy at a run from the five or so feet she'd landed in front of him. _*****_

"If you're here to tell me something about someone being kidnapped, you're a little late." Yusuke raised an eyebrow at Koenma's recent habit of slowness. Things in Spirit World must be busy.

~!**!~

It took another minute or two for the pain to lessen again, enough that Toriko could form a coherent thought. Even when clearer, they still rested on getting back upstairs, at least to Maneshi if nothing else. Since nothing else seemed physically possible for the moment.

She used the wall for support again, sliding back up it and leaning her body weight against it, turning around and facing towards the stairs.

Her vision closed in again and she stopped, one foot that had been lifted to take a step coming back down to the floor. She blinked several times and took a deep breath, keeping careful observation on the darkness at the edges of her eyes and debating whether or not she needed to stop again and sit down. Crawling upstairs was also a thing, though she immediately dismissed it. She wouldn't resort to _that _until Hiei decided to leave.

Her jaw tightened again. _When _he decided to leave. She had an eyebrow quirk angrily once as she closed her eyes and fought off the fainting spell again. 3

Hiei heard slight movement somewhere in the house, but it stopped shortly after and he wondered just how long she was going to make herself suffer like that. He realized that he was practically being a worry-wart over this, almost driving himself insane over her. Why? Why did he bother? As Shikiyoku had said at one point, she was more a nuisance than anything, something for him to keep tabs over constantly. He earned nothing from this agreement that he'd made that left him sitting here, badgering himself.

_Pathetic._ he thought to himself, eyes sliding shut as he realized just how off-kilter this woman made him. How on this plane of existence had she managed that?

He suddenly stood, unable to take it any longer, and he walked through the house until he found Toriko, leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest at her, irritated that he'd put himself into a bad mood from his musings. After all, the only way to figure out how she had made him this way was to assess every single moment. But he couldn't do that. There were too many things going on.

"Give up?"

~!**!~

Botan frowned, resisting the urge to smack him for interrupting her. But, she wasn't surprised that he'd already gotten the gist of what was going on. How much had he figured out before now, anyway?

"Listen," she began, out of breath from her haste, "Koenma was doing routine checks on the energy in the area, like always, and then he realized Akari wasn't in town. Her tracking device, at first, wasn't able to be seen on the monitor." She paused to take a breath, then continued hurriedly, worried for the duo, "So Koenma looked for you guys on the screen so he could figure out where you were to let you know, and Kurama's is gone too! His energy is just… missing. Nowhere."

She took a deep breath again. "And that's when Koenma sent me to get you. He's trying for the tracking device again, but he thinks both Akari _and _Kurama are in the same place, with that demon you said you could never find! But that's unheard of! A demon hiding energies!" By this point, she began babbling, unable to help herself. It was simply a nervous habit. _*****_

Things were at least a little...clearer than when he'd started.

"And Toriko? What about her? She wasn't at school either. And do you know where Keiko is? I told her I'd find her as soon as I figured stuff out." Yusuke was ready to get back into action as soon as Botan pointed him in a direction.

~!**!~

Toriko's eyes flew open again and rested on Hiei. She stood up straighter, getting away from the wall and shoving away the pain that threatened to overhaul her system and simply shut her down. She could still see darkness intermixed with stars dancing at the edge of her vision and she could not get it to go away.

It did take her a minute to register that he'd actually said something. A question.

"No." Her eyes narrowed, the stubborn streak that assisted in her ability to ignore her pain flaring out from within her. If she had been able to even take another step, she would have right then, just to prove her point, but her body was very quickly nearing its limits.

_Just __**try **__to do something about it. _She continued glaring at him, daring him to come closer. 3

Hiei's own eyes narrowed, mirroring Toriko's narrowed gaze. She was challenging him, and he didn't even have to read her mind to know that much. And his jaw flexed, muscles protruding in irritation at her. Why wouldn't she just _give up_ and _sit still _somewhere? Stop driving him insane!

But she shouldn't be able to do that. Before now, no one had been able to make him act like this. That thought made his jaw flex again, teeth gnashing together. _Well, too bad. _

He suddenly reached for her, knowing even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to get away. He grabbed around her waist and hefted her over his shoulder, one arm secured around her to keep her from falling. Without another thought, he turned and headed back up the stairs.

~!**!~

Botan stopped talking as soon as Yusuke spoke up again, her head tilting to the side. "Toriko? Oh, she's with Hiei, at home. Koenma thinks he's taking precaution against the enemy." She paused again, trying to remember where Keiko had been. "OH! Keiko is at the park! She hasn't left in about twenty minutes, maybe longer." _*****_

"Toriko's around. That makes one less thing to worry about." Yusuke commented, "Let's get to the park. I don't want Keiko to start to worry about me too."

~!**!~

Toriko's eyes widened when she saw what Hiei meant to do, but it wasn't as if she could fight him off.

"N-no, don't tou-" He cut her off as he lifted her, the heat pack falling off her shoulders and to the floor. This time she did release a cry of pain that led to her breath coming faster as her vision completely blacked around her for a moment and she felt herself go limp. She bit her lip to stop another similar noise of protest that threatened to be jostled out of her mouth.

He probably didn't care that it hurt anyway, so she tried to stay quiet. And for that matter, she probably _should _have stayed in bed. What confused her was that he even bothered. Weren't there other, more important things he had to do? Why did putting her back to bed rank as the thing he should be doing at this very moment? She would have managed by herself. Maybe. It just would have taken a while. 3

Hiei stomped his way up the stairs, not making any indication that he heard the sound Toriko made. He simply continued on up the stairs and into her room, standing before her bed for a minute, actually considering just plopping her down, but decided against it and simply bending so that he set her on her bottom on the bed. He released her and stood up straight, eyeing her for a few minutes, suddenly realizing she had changed from only the towel to a dress. The pattern captured his eye, but only for a mere second before he crossed his arms over his chest again, waiting for anything she might have to say.

~!**!~

Nabu didn't know when or how, but sometime in the past few minutes, he'd landed himself in the lap of the girl who had followed him to the very spot Akari had disappeared from. And, as he had realized only recently, Flowers too. But those thoughts were slightly dimmed with the gentle petting he was being given by the girl, his head on her thigh as she stretched her legs out on the grass. He watched her, curiously wondering what to call her by.

_Smart_ rang loud in his mind first, but that wouldn't do. How could he tell Akari about a smart girl named Smart? That seemed to defeat the purpose.

He thought harder on the subject for a while before Loudmouth and another person suddenly came into his view, making his ears perk up in hopes that maybe, just maybe, he'd found something that Nabu hadn't. But while that was true, it wasn't the type of news he'd been looking for.

The atmosphere was thick with several emotions, making the pup's ears lay down again as he listened to the three people talk, Loudmouth explaining the situation that the newcomer had informed him of.

"_Why would someone take Akari and Flowers?" _He whined out, his chin laying on the arm of the girl who was now standing, holding him in her arms. "_That isn't fair." _*****

"So what now?" Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't know." Botan put a thoughtful finger up to her chin.

Yusuke practically fell over, "Whaddya mean 'you don't know'?"

"Just that!" Botan provided.

"Well, when was the last time anyone saw the two?" Keiko piped up.

"I saw them last night. We parted ways after a..." Yusuke's eyes flickered over to Botan and he laughed nervously, scratching a finger at his chin, "Oh yeah, you don't know about that, do you?"

"Know what?"

His face grew briefly more serious, "Toriko got kidnapped last night."

Both Keiko and Botan gave a small gasp, and Yusuke quickly waved his hands in front of his body in an attempt to reassure them.

"We rescued her."

"We?" Botan's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah," Yusuke began to tick off his fingers, "Me and Kuwabara and Kurama and Hiei and Akari." He looked back up at them. "In fact, that's the last time I saw any of them. After we got Toriko back."

"Hm. I don't know how Koenma is going to take this. He hasn't been on the ball lately." Botan noted.

"You don't say?" Yusuke's sarcasm was not lost on the Reaper.

"He's seemed like he's had a lot on his mind." Botan suddenly brightened with an idea and she snapped her fingers, "That's it! Maybe he's found something else out for us! We could start there!"

"Maybe." Yusuke appeared doubtful.

"Well, it can't hurt anything." Keiko gently placed Nabu back on the ground and brushed her skirt off absently, grabbing her brown satchel. "I think I'll just go home though. There isn't really much I can do and I'd probably just slow you down." She turned to go, throwing her bag over her shoulder and looking over at Yusuke, "You'd better find them, though. Or I'll be mad!" She waved her other hand as she walked out of the park.

~!**!~

"You should have just left me there." Toriko mumbled, refusing to look up at the fire demon who still stood over her. If her arms had been working, her hands would have been fiddling with the pleats in her dress. "I would have managed."

It didn't make a noise this time, but Toriko's stomach queased around her middle.

_How on earth can you be hungry right now? _Toriko asked herself. Another wave of pain making her shut her eyes and furrow her brows together. She lost her breath for a moment, gasping once, as she felt like she could black out at any second.

While Toriko did not look back at him, Maneshi still lay on the bed in the exact position Hiei had put him down in, and his breathing had not slowed. His eyes were half-lidded and in pain, and he didn't even flick his tail at them when they came back into the room. 3

Hiei didn't reply right away to the girl, simply standing there and staring at her with frustrated eyes and a tense frame. He wasn't sure if she was being stubborn, or stupid. Perhaps both, but he struggled with that internally for a moment before simply agreeing, _both. _

His mouth opened, his mind working as he wondered how he would be able to get her to simply stay still and recover, because he sure as hell didn't want to keep doing _this _for the next few weeks. "If you're unable to recover, then what the hell makes you think you'd be of use?" He hadn't meant to be so harsh, but his irritation at her was more than he'd expected.

Or maybe he was irritated at himself for not having answers.

"In order to be of use to _anyone, _you have to be in at least moderate condition. _This _is not _moderate_ condition, and the more you act like a nuisance the longer it will take for you to become _useful_, as you so earnestly seem to believe you have to be." _*****_

Toriko was taken aback by how harshly he spoke to her, mostly because it revealed something she'd _never _considered before.

He cared.

On some level or another at least, and she felt rather assured that he likely didn't understand it himself. He didn't seem the type who 'cared' very often and probably wouldn't know the meaning of the word in relation to something other than the katana he wore.

This knowledge left her speechless for a moment, the shock sinking in the more she realized how true it had to be. Why else would he still be around? She fully expected him to leave her alone, and as strange as it seemed that he would worry over her, even if just a little bit, it changed her attitude almost immediately.

Her shoulders relaxed just a little, the tension there accentuated by her stubbornness.

"Y-yes, Hiei." She stammered in agreeing with him, her voice sounding small to herself. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be a bother. You can go if you want. I'll lay down and rest. Promise."

She did in fact want to be useful, and it struck her as odd that she also in those moments realized that she wanted to be useful to _him_. She could find absolutely no source for these feelings except somewhere within her that told her he hadn't asked anything of her yet, hadn't given her some task she could fulfill for him, and it left her feeling useless and unwanted.

So...maybe it wasn't that he _cared_, she tried to reason with herself since the idea seemed so very foreign. Maybe it was that he hadn't found a use for her yet and just viewed her as something in the way. Something that he, for whatever reason, looked after without gaining anything in return simply because he didn't know what to do with her. And it frustrated him.

Toriko's head reeled in the midst of these weird thoughts that she felt were coming out of nowhere. What had happened to only worrying about if she had her hair in place for school? Or if she'd forgotten to read the chapter for the next test? This all felt like a little much. 3

As the fire demon stood there, blood boiling and thoughts churning, he could do nothing more than just wait for her reply. However, when she did give her reply, he somehow felt as if it weren't enough, as if the amount of effort he'd put into making sure she stayed in one place, even simply staying in the house with her, was not so easily repaid with a promise.

Internally, he scoffed at himself. His crossed arms tightened, making the veins in them pop, not that she would notice for the sleeves of his cloak.

Maybe it was _because _he'd been in the house all night and almost all day that he felt this way. What was the term? Stir-crazy? That, coupled with the fact that she hadn't listened to him until now, must have created this effect on him. That was the only logical reason. Right? It had to be.

Hiei didn't realize he'd receded into his own thoughts for longer than a minute, leaving him standing silently in front of Toriko for longer than necessary. His eyes refocused on her and he, for a moment, had nothing to say. He'd gotten the answer he'd wanted.

So why wasn't he leaving?

Hiei moved, deciding that while he wanted fresh air, going outside didn't seem like something he absolutely wanted to do. So, he found the window on the opposite side of the room, unlatched the lock and opened it before settling himself down on the windowsill.

The feel of the breeze and the sun on his face was refreshing, making it suddenly much easier for him to think. He felt like he'd run himself ragged, so without hesitation he leaned his back against the windowsill and let his eyes slide shut, though he wouldn't sleep.

~!**!~

Akari didn't know how long she'd been awake, but since falling asleep and waking up herself and Kurama, she hadn't slept. She'd tried to, even lay in the dirt with the bugs crawling around her, watching the darkness over her hoping it would make her feel even more tired. But no matter how long she lay still, her eyes wouldn't shut for long.

Even now, as she lay on her back, toying with the seed she'd stolen from the fox demon across the room, she felt a yawn coming, but her mind was working. Her muscles were tired still, but her brain continued to turn over and over different things.

At this very moment, she found herself nervous. And the more her unease escalated, the more she rolled the seed around and around in her hand, her arm extended in the air as if she could see the small object in front of her face instead of the crushing darkness.

When Toriko had been kidnapped, this gang had done whatever they pleased to her. Hell, they'd even tied her to the ceiling's metal beams, where her blood would drip right on the heads of anyone who passed underneath. She'd been a wreck of the worst kind, defiled by Enma knows how many.

But her and Kurama were left alone. Neither of them had been touched other than however the hell the two of them had gotten here. Why? Were they waiting for something else, _someone _else? Her hand stilled, the seed having fallen to her chest when she physically reacted with a small jerk. After a moment, she forced herself to retrieve the seed and roll over onto her side.

Maybe she was overthinking it.

Then again, when did captives ever go unharmed?

_Stop it_. She let out a long breath of air, very slowly exhaling. This time, when she put the seed in front of her eyes, she put it close enough to just make out the small object and forced her thoughts to it. Now that she concentrated on it instead of their predicament, she wondered how the hell she was going to give it back. Surely the redhead kept careful inventory of such things, right? She rolled over again, this time so that she faced the side of the room Kurama was on.

Maybe he wouldn't notice. _*****_

~!**!~

Otento sighed as he walked away from the throne room, his feet making silent steps on the red carpet that led towards the main hall and his exits of the palace.

"Problem, sir?" Terepo asked quietly.

"Only a minor setback." Otento waved away Terepo's concern. "Nothing we can't accommodate for."

They only got a few more steps before Otento heard the sound of feet coming from behind and only a moment later a voice called to him.

"Otento, was it?"

Otento turned around and recognized the youthful looking demon, his mind immediately recalling the image of the throne room with its high ceiling and empty length that towards the back of the room where two ornate thrones sat side-by-side just at the top of a series of several steps. This demon had been lounging somewhere along the stairs in the midst of what Otento presumed were his brothers and sisters, their father seated sideways lazily in the King's throne above them.

As the demon got closer, he stopped, his spiky orange hair sitting a few inches straight up off the top of his head. His face seemed rather brooding and full of melancholy and he regarded Otento with solemn eyes and a reclusive expression.

"I apologize for my father's rejection." The demon inclined his head slightly in official greeting. "But I would assist you if you think you might find my services useful."

Otento tossed his white-blonde hair lightly to remove it from his eyes and said nothing as the demon appeared to want to say more.

"I myself can only do a trifle, but my twin sister would surely join us and we stir much trouble together."

"And where is this sister of yours?"

"Unfortunately, she is elsewhere." The demon apologized, "But I can give you a taste of what we offer. I know she will not refuse a bit of fun."

"Hm." Otento intoned noncommittally. "I suppose a demonstration of your power can do no harm." He thought of the two whom he had locked up. "If you will come with me...what was your name again?"

"I am Gashiru. My sister is Gekijou."

"Excellent. If you can do even just a little of what I think you can do, we might be better off than previously."

Terepo had already began muttering the chant that would take them to the depths of the cave he knew Otento would wish to travel.

"Come here, Gashiru. Let's go somewhere that we might bear witness to your abilities." Otento held out a hand as if to shake, placing his other hand on Terepo's shoulder.

Without hesitation, Gashiru grasped for Otento's hand firmly just as Terepo finished the incantation and waved his hands.

It took not a second for the three of them to reappear within the deep darkness of the cavern in which Otento had secured the true Youko.

Otento released Gashiru's hand and lifted the other from Terepo's shoulder.

"Now. Let us see what you have to offer. Not on us, mind you. But on the two contained within." Otento put his hand in a pocket and fished out a small orb and he activated with his demonic energy. It lit up and brightened the room with light, a yellow glow bouncing off of the walls, and then hovered in the air at Otento's shoulder.

He next pointed to the other side of the room, where they could dimly make out two other red-haired demons lounging on the ground.

Gashiru raised an eyebrow but said nothing, stepping towards them before coming to a sudden halt and raising his eyes as if he could see the barrier that held them.

"There is something here."

"Ah, yes, just a minor precaution."

Gashiru shook his head, "I can do nothing. It is in the way."

"That is easily taken care of." Without further consideration, Otento waved a hand and the barrier came down.

~!**!~

Toriko kept her head down after speaking, watching Hiei's feet move away from her and hearing the window open after a moment.

She couldn't help closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of the outside air. She always felt so closed up in the house and that window was usually left open for that reason.

Of course it made it easier for people to come through the window-

That train of thought came to an abrupt halt in Toriko's mind, her thoughts almost immediately switching in self-preservation to Maneshi who had at that moment let out a weak noise from somewhere behind her.

For him, Toriko again found herself able to fight through the pain, and put her hands down on either side of her body and lifted herself backwards onto the bed, her arms trembling and giving out almost immediately.

Maneuvering around as best she could, Toriko got turned so that she faced Maneshi, who was actually standing, his head held low and almost touching the comforter and his tail drooping onto the bed. His legs were shaking as if he had a chill and he tried to take another step forward towards her just as she reached him and laid down on her one shoulder, collapsing onto her side.

Toriko gathered him up into her arms, he gratefully relaxed into her embrace, and put her head on the pillow at the top of the bed.

Both of them were breathing hard again, but the furry little bit of warmth which Toriko's arms now encircled also managed to begin purring almost violently at her, curling up into as small of a ball as he could manage.

As Toriko watched him, wishing she could move to pet him but finding that her body now completely refused to obey her commands upon laying down, she felt her own emotions settling back down into a lull and her breathing became easier. She still could feel each muscle seizing up with tightness and pain, which cause her entire body at times to spasm violently, but having the creature nearby calmed her a great deal. 3

Hiei felt his entire body relax against the wooden frame of the window, the breeze that blew through the window gently swaying the end of his cloak that hung over the windowsill edge. He could even feel it move through his thick hair, making individual strands dislodge from their normal place to move with the wind. His skin felt warmer, and for once, the sound of birds didn't irritate him in the slightest. In fact, it was a soothing sound.

His eyelids slid open and he glanced towards Toriko out of the corners of his eyes, noticing that she was doing as she'd said she would and was laying down, the small ball of fur known as Maneshi curled up with her, their breathing equivalent to one another. Satisfied, his eyes turned to the outside world, watching people move about the sidewalks and creatures move about, doing whatever it was they did during this time of day.

~!**!~

The only sound was that of the trio's slow breaths and footsteps, three pairs of eyes trying their hardest to see through what at first was darkness. "Too bad we didn't think of flashlights."

"Kuwabara, I swear, if you-"

"Boys, enough!"

Silence again ensued, only broken by footfall and breathing as Yusuke lead the way through the small cave. Or perhaps it was more of a tunnel, since it hadn't branched off into a fork yet. They'd been walking for at least ten minutes, and he thought for sure he'd kicked the same rock a hundred times. But what bothered him most was the actual silence. No one was there to stop them from wandering around.

"Are you sure this is where the tracker said they were?"

"For the hundredth time, yes Yusuke! That kind of equipment doesn't have many faults."

"Except that it took an hour to find and-"

"That's what happens when you go underground!"

"Guys, sh." Kuwabara interrupted, his skin crawling and his gut rolling. Did he just hear something?

"Sure, you're the loudest-"

"No, listen."

Silence, and after a few minutes, a voice could be made out somewhere in the distance. Without prompting, all three of them picked up the pace, no longer saying anything and relying on the element of surprise as they roamed closer, trying to listen for how many people they were up against.

"_...it's in the way."_

"_That is easily taken care of."_

There was a stirring in the air, a change in the atmosphere, and Yusuke decided that now was the time to act, while the people inside were distracted. So, he stepped into the lit room, a grin lighting his features in the darkest of ways.

"Well, I didn't think you'd start the party without us! Come on, at least let the guests in on the fun!"

"Urameshi, look." Kuwabara muttered, nodding to his right where the detective laid eyes on the two very people he'd been looking for.

But he didn't look long. "Aw come on, you're getting boring."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't reacted at first to the muffled noise she heard, until it turned to voices. She sat up abruptly, suddenly unsure which way she was facing in the room and which way to turn to view the threat that she couldn't sense.

But she didn't have time to see if Kurama was awake, because in a matter of seconds, light flooded the room, banishing most of the darkness and making her blink rapidly to adjust. And before she knew it, she was on her feet, facing the people in the room and her mind turning over and over.

And she positively jumped at the loud voice of Yusuke, who had somehow escaped her senses in the moment. A small breath of relief left her without her realizing it.

"You're late, detective."

"Yeah, sorry about that." _*****_

* * *

><p><span>Shinbara<span> - (as shimbara:) family or surname

Gashiru - to well up; to be overcome with emotion; to be close to tears

Gekijou - violent emotion; passion; fury

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	24. Episode 109 - The Rescue, The Clash

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dear Reader!

I won't lie, this chapter contains an interaction with Akari and Toriko that totally makes me cringe every time I think about it and it took me that much longer to get through it editing-wise than any other scene so far in the RP. It's a tough scene and you'll see what I mean when you get to it.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko is still struggling with the pain from her body having to heal so much,  
>and ends up with Hiei getting fed up with her and carrying her off to bed<br>before he settles himself down on the nearby window-sill.

~!**!~

Meanwhile, Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara manage to successfully make their way down the cave where Akari and Kurama are being held  
>just as Otento lowers the barrier behind which those two are kept so that Gashiru might demonstrate his powers...<p>

* * *

><p>Otento wasn't stupid.<p>

Though by the way in which he just released his captives and delivered them into the hands of their would-be rescuers, he certainly would have thought himself as much if he were anyone else observing the situation.

Luckily, he knew Terepo wasn't stupid, and that it would only take half a minute for the other demon to get them out of there.

"Now would be an _excellent _time for you to demonstrate your abilities." Otento suggested to Gashiru mildly, his tone light. "I suggest you don't wander too far."

Gashiru nodded, his eyes flicking briefly to Terepo who already had his eyes closed and his head bowed.

It only took a second for Gashiru to realize he would have no power over the two "captives" as he could sense absolutely no energy within them, and as such had nothing to work with. The more energy one had, the stronger Gashiru grew, so he turned to the three intruders.

Strong. Weak. And very strong. Gashiru threw a hand out towards the young man with slicked-back black hair and immediately an aura of blue demonic energy erupted outwards from him, enveloping all three.

"Now. What is the saddest thing that could ever happen to you, hm?" Gashiru's bright blue eyes seemed to grow larger with concern, "Death of a loved one? Losing in battle?" The aura around them seemed to shudder different shades of blue as it wafted about their bodies.

~!**!~

Toriko did not mind the silence of the room, but Hiei's presence continually drew her back to all of these questions she had for him.

Granted, the one floating around in the forefront of her mind wanted to know what he wished her to do for him, but she didn't understand that one and dwelling on it kept puzzling her and left her quiet.

She tried to think of other things, like how he ended up in Human World, and tried to relax so she could rest, but the buzzing of her mind over that previous, single thought was such that she found herself unable to let it go.

Attempting to negate the strange desire to ask him what he might wish of her, she rationalized that he was a very capable person that likely didn't need anyone to do anything for him at all, so why should she want to know in the first place? And for that matter, what would she of all people be able to do for him anyway? She would probably just annoy him with such a question. Best to keep quiet.

Her and Maneshi let out a sigh at the same time, though for two completely different reasons. 3

~!**!~

Yusuke's arms fell from their crossed position to dangle at his sides, his hands clenching to fists as he looked at the three demons, readying for a fight. But in the next moment, the will to fight was gone, and his mind was suddenly a dark place with images of his worst nightmares flashing across his mind's eye, the graves of his friends, the image of himself standing before Koenma and being dubbed the reason behind their deaths, since he hadn't been able to do his job.

The only thing that pulled him from those mental images was the sudden sound of Botan next to him, who let out an ugly sound that followed with tears. "Oh, he's gonna have my head for this one! I should've known it wouldn't be as reliable in situations like this!" The tears that ran down her face were fat and fell to her shirt.

Kuwabara made a small sound next, causing Yusuke, his own vision blurred, to glance at his best friend who had tears just as big, if not bigger, as Botan's, though he tried wiping them away.

Yusuke himself felt a few tears slip, and he wiped at them, sniffling. "I'm surrounded by idiots." he blubbered out, lips quivering just a little.

"That was mean, Urameshi!"

"Yeah, why would you say that to your friends! It's hurtful!"

Another voice joined in, more even than the others. "You're all morons. You run in, playing cops and robbers, and all you can do is cry like babies."

"Akari, why would you _say that?!" _Kuwabara wailed, arm rubbing his eyes, the tears staining his sleeves.

"Yeah, and here I thought you were a nice person!" Botan followed.

"This is so stupid," Yusuke added, turning his blurred vision to Otento. "Why? Why would you take my friends?!" _*****_

Otento's expression did not change as he watched Gashiru manipulate the energy surrounding the three intruders.

"Quite satisfactory. I do think we should be going now."

Gashiru stepped back and placed a hand on Terepo's shoulder just as Otento moved to do the same.

They were gone without so much as a flash.

~!**!~

Kurama felt stirrings in his mind around the time that Otento and the others first approached, but having not sensed any immediate danger, he stayed for the most part, asleep. Right up until the moment where the barrier came down and several things happened all at once.

He heard Yusuke's voice, recognized Otento's, heard Akari moving, and by the time he knew Kuwabara, Botan, and Yusuke were all bawling their eyes out about situations that he felt certain had not happened, he was on his feet, his mind already caught up to the situation and his body standing next to Akari's.

Not that either one of them could do much, he surmised. He still felt the orb of darkness Otento had somehow placed over his energy, and he guessed that it was much the same for Akari.

He also felt no more rested from his slumber than even when he woke up before. He thought perhaps it had something to do with the combination of not being able to access his energy intertwined with Youko's release. One or the other would have not rendered him feeling quite so weak, but with both hanging over him, his body felt worn out from the transition and unable to recover with his own demonic energy.

And so, when Otento and the other two disappeared, he felt his vision collapsing and he wavered in place for a moment as he tried to keep his feet underneath him.

"Sorry." He mumbled to Akari as his shoulder bumped into hers.

As he opened his eyes again, he could see the darkness creeping in from the sides and he knew no more as it appeared the ground rose up to meet him. 3

Akari stared at the scene in utter disbelief, unable to understand at first what was going on. Her mind, still tired but raging with different thoughts, caught up to her only as the trio of demons disappeared. Still, the three who had initially appeared as help and were reduced to tears, stood there wiping at their faces. Their complaining had ended, their sniveling quieting. She sighed. "So much for your idea of Heroes."

"Shut up!"

"Tsk tsk." Akari replied, glancing over at Kurama when his shoulder hit hers. "Too bad you guys-" Her words stopped as Kurama fell, her eyes widening as she reached to catch him, only able to grab at his arm. She made a strained sound and tugged, keeping him from simply smashing to the ground.

Except his body weight pulled her with him, merely out of exhaustion. Pretty soon, she found herself beside him on the ground, all breath lost. She struggled to regain air, eyes flashing up at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "A little.. Assistance would be great."

Despite their condition, the two boys made their way forward, still wiping at their faces, and hauled the redheaded fox demon from the ground, Yusuke getting a decent hold before Kuwabara let go and reached to help her up as well.

"What did they do?" Botan asked, but Akari didn't answer right away as she swooped down and retrieved the seed she had dropped, sticking it in her pocket before the others noticed.

"Nothing except kept us holed up." She paused, giving a yawn and looking at Kuwabara, who stood close by with a hand reached out in an offer of assistance. "What time of day is it?"

"Almost evening," Kuwabara answered as he simply reached for her, pulling her despite her small protest and crouching in front of her. "You look tired. At least-"

"Fine." Akari feigned irritation as she climbed onto his back, letting him carry her. In truth, she didn't think she'd be able to walk too far anyway.

"Now let's get outta here."

"Agreed! Koenma will want an update!" _*****_

~!**!~

The next time Kurama remembered anything, he immediately took note of the fact that he was lying down, seconded only by the fact that he still had no access to his demonic energy.

That explained why he still felt so exhausted.

His senses told him there was nothing to be concerned about in his immediate vicinity, though he could feel someone very close by, and someone else near, but not as close.

He took his time in coming around, since he did recall the last time he got up with a jolt that he had collapsed to the ground less than half a minute later. Plus, he felt rather comfortable, and he didn't really have anything to do that was of a huge concern since he could always catch up with school-

Kurama's eyes flew open and he did not recognize the ceiling over him, knowing within a heartbeat that he was not in his own home.

_Mother... _His thoughts turned to her and how worried she might be with him having been missing for... Kurama examined his internal clock and realized that he had no idea how long it had been since he'd seen her last. He suddenly felt antsy about laying there any longer, but without the use of his demonic energy to recover himself, any move he made would have to be even more calculated than usual.

As he lay there considering his options, the smell of rosemary swept across his nose and he glanced over briefly out of the corner of his eye to confirm what the smell already told him.

Akari lay there, and it appeared she had just begun to wake up herself.

"How are you feeling?" 3

Something stirred in her peaceful mind. Akari tried pushing it away, to sleep longer because in reality she didn't feel as refreshed as she thought she should, but despite her best efforts, she became aware of light on her eyelids.

_Wasn't there something I have to remember?_

Nothing came to mind, so she didn't let herself fully wake up right away. Not until a mental image of a darkened cave came to mind, causing a small disturbance within her. It was enough to make her aware of her surroundings, of the warmth that was around her body and of the clean, dirt-free air she could now smell. No insects crawling in her hair, no dirt on her face.

_Where am I?_

Her eyes slid open, seeing a ceiling fan moving slowly above her. This wasn't the place she called home, but it was much more appealing. Much more comfortable. The air that moved wasn't stuffy and thick with dust particles or mold. It was… pleasant compared to that.

A voice captured her attention, pulling her eyes to the side before she let her head turn just a bit as well, hazel meeting green calmly. "Quite frankly, amazing." Despite her discomfort with her energy still unable to be manipulized, this was the truth, unlike the last time he'd asked her a similar question.

Suddenly, she wasn't sure which question to ask first: their whereabouts, or of his being, as courtesy would have it. So she stuck with that, going along the topic. "You look ten times better than the last I saw you," she said with a teasing smile, still not moving to sit up.

After all, the covers over her were quite warm and comfortable. _*****_

Kurama's eyes had moved back up to look at the ceiling and they softened a great deal when she told him how she felt.

Her next comment, however, did manage to pull a smile to his lips.

"I'm afraid I must apologize if I fell against you earlier. I fainted much faster than I thought I would." His voice held no small ounce of chagrin at the admission. He blinked twice up at the ceiling before saying anything again, "How are the others?" 3

At first, she didn't respond to his apology. She didn't know how, or what to even say. No one had actually apologized to her for something before that was as small as that. It wasn't as if he'd done any harm, right? So she didn't respond to it at all.

But at his question, she sighed and propped herself up on her elbows, this time taking a long look around the room, as if that would deduce where they were. "I wouldn't know. Last I remember was leaving the cave. Do you know where we are..?" She paused, looking for pictures, since humans rather enjoyed things like that, but not finding any. _*****_

"I believe this is Kuwabara's apartment." Kurama responded without hesitation.

At that, the doorbell rang and a feminine voice from the back room called out, "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

Shizuru appeared half a second later from somewhere in the back and as she entered the room, she stopped for a second and pulled the lit cigarette out of her mouth and regarded the two on the floor with a smile.

"Well, hey there. It's good to see you finally awake. How're yah feeling, you two?" Shizuru looked back and forth between the two of them. 3

Akari nodded at Kurama's insight, deciding it must be true since he recognized it so quickly. But at the sound of the doorbell and footsteps, then a feminine voice calling in her's and Kurama's direction, she tilted her head back to look at the person addressing them, seeing the woman upside down instead of making an effort to sit up and turn around.

A frown settled on her face. She had seen this woman once before but…

"Fine, thank you," she replied naturally, but as soon as she finished speaking she remembered where she'd seen the female last: When she had been attacking them with Sensui and Sniper.

And at that moment, she could only imagine the look on her face as her stomach churned with horror, confusion, and humiliation. Why would a human who had been attacked by someone she had associated with let her in their home? *****

Shizuru's cigarette ended up back in her mouth and she regarded Akari with kindness, feeling in a sense what the girl was thinking.

"You're alright, kid." She kept moving around them towards the door, "I don't think my little brother would have carried you in like he did if you weren't."

"Oh, hey, Toriko." Shizuru said after swinging open the door, "They just woke up." Shizuru stepped back to let her inside.

Kurama noted that Toriko came in moving a little more stiffly than normal, though she betrayed no uncomfortableness on her face, her eyes hidden behind the thick lenses of her glasses.

She resolutely walked over to them at a fairly marked pace and knelt down next to Kurama, sitting back on her feet and regarding both him and Akari next to him with a fairly serious expression, in no small part due to the fact that her hair was pulled away from her face in its usual, severe-looking bun, not a single piece out of place.

"It is good to see you both finally awake." She said softly, regarding both Kurama and Akari equally.

Kurama tried not to seem surprised at the lack of hesitation in her voice, but the absence of her usual stammer took him aback and he didn't answer her for a moment. 3

Akari hadn't replied to the woman aside from turning her eyes away, remembering very clearly falling asleep on Kuwabara's back. But as the door opened, she looked again, curious, to see Toriko making her way into the apartment, Hiei a step behind her.

Her eyes followed their every movement, up until Toriko was crouched on the opposite side of Kurama, speaking in a way that she assumed enveloped them both. She opened her mouth to respond, but a sound caught her attention, coming from a nearby room, that sounded like small feet sliding on…

"_Help!"_

In the next second, a small dog came running into the room, barking madly for help as he tucked his tail away from the cat that chased after him "_It's a monster!"_

Nabu zoomed by, Akari reaching out and just missing him, the cat following in a hissing haze.

And it took everything in her power not to yell at the dog in frustration as he came running back, running across Kurama's lap first and right into hers before continuing through the apartment again._*****_

Kurama turned back to Toriko after his eyes followed Nabu across his body, hearing a noise that sounded like a bit of laughter from the girl.

Her hand was up covering her mouth, her eyes dancing behind her glasses and an open-smile clearly hidden behind her fingers as she also watched the small dog do another circle around the entire apartment, his little body a mere streak across the floor.

Shizuru let out a long laugh of her own, her hands down in her pockets. She was going to go back to her room before the terror began, but at the moment there didn't seem to be a safe route to do so. 3

Akari, at this point, was sitting up completely, a hand rubbing her temple in embarrassment. She wasn't sure how to handle this, since she hadn't expected the pup to be here. Even in the next rooms, she could hear the claws of the dog scraping against the wood with the loss of traction and a loud yelp that told her he'd been swatted.

"Nabu," she grumbled, looking up to see the dog reentering the room, "what do you think you're _doing_?" As he zoomed by again, she plucked him from the air, having timed it better this time, and plopped him down on her thighs, watching the cat stop in front of her, tail swishing madly behind him it and a hiss escaping its mouth.

"_I just wanted to play! But-"_

"Cats do not- do you understand me?- play with dogs."

"_Some do."_

"Obviously not this one." Akari moved her arm away from the swat aimed at Nabu out of instinct, waving her hand in front of the cat's face. "He's done. It's your territory. Go nap or something." _*****_

Shizuru walked over and grabbed the cat around his waist, "That's quite enough out of you too, mister." She hiked the cat up against her hip, "I'm _sure _you didn't do anything to provoke the dog, huh?" She asked it. "Let's go." She marched out of the room with the cat still in her grasp.

"His name is Nabu?" Toriko asked, her voice still quiet. "He's very handsome." 3

Akari watched the human woman, Kuwabara's sister she assumed, pick up the cat and haul it from the room, sighing to herself as she placed her hand on Nabu's head and rubbed so that his ears flopped back and forth. She almost didn't catch Toriko's question, but she didn't look up when she answered. "Yeah, he's a pain."

"_That's mean."_

She rubbed a little harder before releasing the dog, who stayed in her lap, but turned in circles until he was curled up where he could see the others in the room, tongue lolling in cheer from Toriko's comment. "He thinks he's the best thing to walk on four legs."

"_Do not!"_

"He says thanks though," she finally finished, smiling down at Nabu. "So, how long have we been out?" _*****_

Toriko hesitated.

Apparently she herself had missed a day or two somewhere along the line, and when she woke up trying to get ready for school, thinking that it was Monday, it was actually already the middle of the week. That had been a day ago. And she still didn't make it anyway. Her body was having none of it. Today was the first day she'd even been successful at an attempt to get out of the house, and that was only because she heard from the others about Kurama and Akari being kidnapped and summarily rescued, as well as the fact that they were recuperating at Kuwabara's apartment.

"I think it's been two days since they found you and brought you back." She finally answered. 3

Akari paused. _Two days? _A frown settled on her face. _That means Nabu was alone for at least three…_ Her hazel orbs finally lifted from Nabu and settled on Toriko, letting that sink in as she looked over the girl who seemed almost as if she hadn't been harmed at all. Completely healed if one ignored the bandages. Sure, she looked a bit shaky, but that was about it.

"_We were worried,_" Nabu whined quietly, slowly reaching a paw out to touch Kurama with a small yip to accentuate.

At that moment, when silence filled the room, Akari's stomach gave a painful churn, making a sound that reminded her that she hadn't eaten since lunch the day Toriko had been kidnapped. A nervous laugh escaped her as Nabu's head swung around so he could look at her face. "I hadn't realized it had been that long. Surely didn't feel like two days." _*****_

"Oh!" Toriko exclaimed, "That reminds me."

She reached for the satchel that had been hanging over her shoulder and removed it, setting it down in front of her and opening it.

She pulled out a large green bento box and passed it over Kurama's stomach to Akari, getting another yellow one out and frowning down at Kurama.

Before she could say anything, Kurama propped himself up on his elbows.

"I think I can at least manage eating something." He said as he slowly pushed himself up to a seated position cross-legged on the sleeping mat and Toriko handed him the box she held.

"I wasn't sure how much food Shizuru or Kuwabara would have on hand," Toriko explained, "And if you weren't awake, I planned on leaving them for you. But you seem to be alright now." She smiled at them both before going on, "I did not know what you liked, Akari, so I tried to give you lots of things."

At that point, Toriko pulled out another box, black this time, and set it next to her. The fourth one was red, and she held it out for Hiei to take from her.

Getting to the bottom of the satchel, she also pulled out a plastic baggie with raw meat in it, her cheeks blushing slightly as she started to stand up.

"When I called Shizuru, she said there was a dog hanging around that wouldn't leave Akari alone." She said in explanation, moving over to the kitchen with measured steps and pulling a plate from a cabinet after finding one. The fingers around the plate spasmed violently and she nearly lost hold of it before she could bend over and place it on the ground, emptying the baggie onto it and then going to sit back down to the last bento, opening it and retrieving the eating utensils from inside, starting to eat herself. 3

Akari reflexively reached out to accept the box passed to her, gently sliding it from Toriko's fingers and setting it in her lap right by Nabu, staring at it for a moment. Thoughts of her days with Sensui passed by her mind, trying to recall when the last time was she'd had something like this, and coming up short. She looked up again, watching Toriko continue to pull out bento boxes, even something for Nabu, her chest suddenly feeling heavy. She didn't know what was coming over her.

When Nabu was suddenly gone from her lap, in the kitchen with Toriko, Akari took the moment to open and view the inside of the box, taking in the varieties of food from rice, to sushi, among other things. Her eyelids slid closed, suddenly recalling the only instance similar to this...

"_You're a smart girl, Akari. I'm glad to have you around."_

_A bright smile lit up her face as she met Sensui's gaze, a mouth full of rice and bread, her hand shoving another piece of breath through her full lips despite the protest her muscle gave. The restaurant they were in was quiet aside from the soft music in the background, making it easier for her to hear him over her own pain. "Me too," she mumbled through her food._

"_Your physical therapy is doing wonders. In about a month, you should be able to start training, right?"_

"_Mhm!"_

"_Good, then eat up," he said, a smile on his face as he passed another bento box her way, violating the only rule of the restaurant. "You're going to be my prized team member. The center of it all."_

"_Of what team?"_

"_We can talk about that later. For now, just take care of yourself, and I'll do the rest."_

Her teeth clenched together, her fingers tightening around the small box only slightly. "Thank you," she finally managed to the girl, not sure if her mumble would be heard or not, but not looking up._*****_

Toriko's head tilted slightly as she considered the way Akari regarded the meal, worried that there was nothing in it Akari liked. She quickly swallowed the piece of food in her mouth.

"I-I could see if Shizuru has something else." Toriko stammered, taking the expression to be one of a hesitation in regards to the food in the bento.

Kurama's eyes immediately went to Toriko, taking note of the stumble as well as how Akari looked at the box in her hands.

"It's delicious, Toriko." Kurama reassured her as he continued eating.

Toriko's eyes flickered over to meet his. She knew what he liked and they both knew that, but Toriko stayed silent and went back to looking down at her food and eating quietly. 3

Akari didn't look up at Toriko despite the floundering she suddenly felt in her chest. She hadn't meant to upset the girl, it was just…

"_You're a part of our family now."_

Those had been what Sensui had said that night when he had passed a third bento box, letting her eat to her heart's desire. He'd accepted her with open arms and a smile, took care of her even, and she'd come to think of him as a fatherly figure.

Until she'd started keeping tabs on this very group. That's when her little illusion had fallen apart, leaving her to think she'd never have a home again.

Yet here she was, a bento box starkly similar to the very first one she'd ever had in her lap and a room full of people who didn't seem to mind her presence. They might not have been so open to her in the beginning, but now, as she thought of several moments with this group, she realized that they felt more like a family than Sensui ever had.

Almost robotically, she lifted a piece of Sushi from the box and plopped it in her mouth, and for the first time, she didn't mind the taste. "Thank you," she repeated, head bowed so that her hair would hide her blurred eyes from the people in the room.

And not even Hiei's scoffed "Pathetic" disrupted the warmth she felt. _*****_

"It actually _is _good." Toriko said with a second piece in her mouth, staring down with amazement at the bento as if she herself could hardly believe it or Kurama's words. She started blushing again and swallowed, stuffing another piece in her mouth.

That sort of thing had been happening over the last day or so, where something got lost between her mind and her mouth and she said things she only meant to think, or even thought things that she meant to say. She hadn't done the latter in front of anyone up until now, though.

Her uncomfortableness wasn't lost on Kurama, someone who had known her for several years now, and he wondered briefly just how long he _**had **_been asleep. She didn't appear to be acting like the Toriko he remembered. There were moments, to be sure, but...

He continued watching her carefully as he ate, taking note of how unsteady her movements were, catching her muscles tensing at inopportune times.

"Your mother thinks you're on a school trip." She said quietly after swallowing another bite as she stared down into the bento, feeling Kurama's eyes on her even though he tried to be as discreet as possible.

Her words released the tension in Kurama's mind and he let out a noise of relief, catching her gaze and nodding a silent 'thank you' in her direction as he chewed his food.

"I'm not really for sure how." She admitted. "She said you were the one who called and told her." Toriko shrugged a little, at a loss. 3

Akari went on eating in silence, eyes on the bento box as she tried to get herself under control. Now wasn't the time to have a breakdown, and she surely didn't want the others noticing. So she kept her head down, stuffing another piece of the raw fish in her mouth, releasing a small breath to calm herself and force her vision clear.

Hiei spoke up, adding to what Toriko said, "I assume it was the demon who captured you. Why a demon would make a precaution like that just so a human wouldn't notice, I have no clue." His arms crossed over his chest, his eyes slowly roving back and forth between Kurama and the silent Akari, searching for wounds that were obviously not there. The only thing that bothered him now was still being unable to sense the two. He glanced at his own bento box, taking a small bite from it as he thought about that.

"How did you end up in that situation anyway?" he suddenly asked, voicing the biggest question he'd had since being told of the circumstances. After all, it was almost unheard of that Kurama was taken by surprise, even if by teleportation. His reaction time was just too swift. _*****_

"They have a demon who is quite adept at the art of teleportation. I was quite literally one second in the park, and the next taken away." Kurama sighed, "With my cyclic transformation into Youko having just ended, I found myself with nothing to use to counter a capture that took a single second."

Kurama did not let his gaze turn to Akari, who he remembered very clearly having something going on in her own mind at the exact moment they had been teleported. So, not only was he weakened by Youko, his attention had been tunneled on her and whatever condition had overtaken her. 3

Hiei listened, his eyes watching Kurama keenly as he added another bite from the box into his mouth, since he had the opportunity. He considered the fact that Yusuke would likely have the same question, but it was too late to take back the question now- not that he wanted to.

Of course, he should've remembered the transformation. How could he have forgotten it? Perhaps he had simply assumed he'd transformed _after _being locked away wherever they had been held. But for now, he was satisfied with the answer, giving a nod to convey that he understood. He didn't have to add his own witness with that demon, which had been only slightly different in the fact that there had been about a minute's pause before they'd disappeared.

"So, from what we've seen so far, they have a teleportation demon, a demon able to hide energies, even over distances," he paused for a moment, feeling the lack of energy from the duo again before continuing, "a demon who can appear as another." His eyes suddenly lit up at the memory of a similar demon that he had killed, making his eyes flicker to Akari again when he remembered that she'd had a hand in that as well. "I killed one, and after that demon, four others remained, out of those we only know of three of their abilities." _*****_

The more the others spoke, the darker and more unwoven Toriko's thoughts became.

She began to have flashes of memories shade her mind's eye as she tried to remain calm and concentrate on getting food to her mouth.

At the mention of a "teleportation demon", she twitched, the sudden sensation of the floor dropping out underneath her and then reappearing feeling very real. She felt the presence of that dem-_don't think that word_-err, being nearby, or so it felt in her head, though she knew at that very moment there were only friends in the room with her.

Other images, bits and pieces but never a whole, winked in and out in her head. Rough voices. Even rougher hands. Darkness. Blood. Lots of blood. _Her _blood.

Her heart began beating faster, but she found she could not pull away.

_...a demon who can hide energies_

A picture of Otento flashed in her mind, his violet eyes and platinum-blonde hair his prominent features.

_...a demon who can appear as another_

A silver-haired demon flashed into her mind, his tail and ears present, but inconsequential. A second, one that appeared as _her_, though she knew _she _was strapped down.

Voices began talking again in her head. Many voices. None of them kind.

"_I do not trust the dog will truly pull through for us. She has already found herself another pack."_

More touching. More abrasiveness. The voice faded back in.

"_It is a simple task for me to project our images into the room. That is in large part what I do, after all."_

"_I thought the very same myself. And this way we will be safe from __**her **__influence."_

Toriko's hand spasmed again as more sounds and impressions of hatefulness and lusty behavior overtook her senses. The immediate pain of her body brought her back to the present as she lost control of the bento she held and it fell off of her lap and onto the floor.

She could not see straight still, a darkness clouding her vision and she rose to her feet abruptly, unsteadily.

Swiftly turning away, she moved for the front door as fast as the pain in her muscles would allow, throwing it open and letting it slam shut behind her. 3

Hiei hadn't taken notice of Toriko's change, only going on to say, "The demon that was slaughtered was likely a demon who borrowed energy from another, hence why she looked similar to another of our group." His head tilted just a bit as he thought about the scene, trying to remember the demons he'd only seen a flash of. "That's about all I gathered-"

His words cut off at the sudden sound of food hitting the floor, his eyes flashing to Toriko in time to see her stand and leave without a single word to the group. However, when he turned inwards for the bond, he felt it was stable and undisturbed, completely contradicting the sound of the slamming door.

Akari had glanced up when Hiei began speaking of the demons he had noticed, her mind confirming what she too had noticed about only a few of the demons, though not as many as he. She considered bringing up the demon she and Kurama saw yester- no, two days ago, but the air in the room shifted only slightly, grasping for her attention and making her eyes slide over each person in the room.

Kurama, quietly listening.

Hiei, talking naturally about the information he had gathered, no shift in his tone.

Toriko, sitting, staring at her hands, eyes distant and expression odd…

Suddenly, she knew what was happening to the other demon, and threw a glare up at Hiei. Why hadn't he thought of that? Why hadn't he thought of the emotional scarring, the physical pain that would come with the topic for her? Her eyes turned back to Toriko and she shifted, trying to move so that she could reach across Kurama and grab her attention, attempt to pull the girl from that process that Akari herself knew too well.

But by the time she had moved, the girl had dropped her food, stood and left the apartment, leaving her staring after her. She set her teeth and suddenly reached out, using Kurama's shoulder as light support as she pushed herself to her feet, the blanket around her waist falling to the floor, making her realize she was in pants and a tank that were not hers.

The thought was brief, though, as she passed her bento to Kurama. "I'll be back," she mumbled before turning and making her way to the door and outside just as quick as her stiff body would let her. _*****_

Toriko only made it down two flights of the stairs before her rapid pace to leave had her collapsing onto the concrete of one of the landings. She fell to her knees against the wall, scraping her forehead on it as she leaned forward, both of her bandaged arms bending painfully as she hugged herself, becoming as small as she could as she sat there, her shoes woefully forgotten next to the door of Kuwabara's apartment where she had removed them before going further inside.

Unbidden tears were falling from the corners of her eyes, her legs shaking from the abuse she'd just put them through, and the rest of her trembling as occasionally a sob would shake her.

Some distant part of her mind was not sure why she was reacting so violently, as it examined the memories she had and dryly pronounced that they weren't in fact _hers_, but from the other side.

She trembled again, wishing that the voice inside of her would reassure her, the voice that always managed to appear when things got this bad. The one that would give some commentary or another, sometimes an encouraging word or a distraction, and then draw her away into a darkness that Toriko only now realized was in fact unconsciousness.

But she heard not a single peep as the unraveling continued, bits of her mind floating unstably about, awash with the color of blood and bruises. She felt the injury in her calf, _felt it_, as something slashed across and opened it for the first time.

_Please...please help me... _Her voice echoed against the emptiness of her own thoughts, and she realized she was actually and truly alone. 3

Akari looked around herself as the door shut behind her, taking a deep breath and trying to stretch her muscles as she found the stairway that lead down. Her entire body protested, telling her to go back inside under the warmth and safety of the living room of the apartment she had slept in. But her mind refused and she continued, taking steps only as long as her already tired legs would let her.

Not moving around much for three days had taken a toll on her.

One by one, she took the stairs slowly, an arm always touching the railing, always leaning on it in case her knees wobbled or her feet only dragged against the cement. And it felt like an eternity before she was able to see Toriko, slouched against a wall, tears falling from her eyes that were squeezed so tightly shut. A frown settled on her face as she continued, finally dropping herself onto the same step Toriko was on, reaching forward without hesitation and lightly tapping the girl's cheek as she called to her.

"Toriko." Her voice was small, almost a murmur, so she spoke again. "Toriko, look at me." Her voice was louder this time, but still gentle, to convey she was not a threat. "I need you to look at me, to meet my gaze. You're okay. You're safe now." _*****_

Toriko blinked through the tears and saw the concerned face bending over her through the lenses of her glasses, but made no sense of it. She nodded, indicating that she could hear the person she thought might be Akari, but listening and understanding felt beyond her at the moment.

_I'll be fine, _She couldn't manage to say, _She always talks me through this. She'll be here. Any second now. _She blinked tears again, expecting a voice to speak from within her that she could hardly comprehend might never come. 3

Akari noted the nod, realizing she was heard, but was she understood? A frown settled on her face, but she quickly replaced it with a gentle smile as she reached forward, both hands on either cheek of Toriko's face. "I know you're afraid. It's scary, Toriko, I understand. But you have to meet my gaze. Okay? It isn't real. Not here, not now. Not anymore. Not ever again." She moved a hand and tugged lightly at the glasses covering her eyes, to see them better.

"Look at me. Right now, I need you to look at me, to see me. _I'm _real. I know it's hard, I know it hurts, but it's okay." She eyed the bandages around the girl's arm, her smile faltering. Suddenly, she pulled the girl from the wall and wrapped her arms around her, out of instinct, and pat her back. "Listen to my voice. You don't have to talk, just listen, okay? I'm here, and no one else is. I'm not going to hurt you, and I won't let anything happen. Just breath." She took in a slow breath, then let it out through her nose. "Can you do that?" _*****_

Toriko could manage no coherent words of protest when she felt her glasses being taken from her face, so she merely squeezed her eyes shut tightly and kept them that way.

It must have been about the time she felt the solidity of the wall falling away that a thought she hadn't considered before wavered for only an instant across her mind.

_She isn't coming._

The voice that had, from her earliest memories, been a cornerstone in her existence...was not coming.

This one thought came to Toriko as a sudden blow more harsh than any that she vicariously felt herself being subjected to at that moment.

Without that voice...what was she to do? Her suffering had never gone away on its own before. She had always been blessedly given a reprieve that came outside of herself.

She started to shiver, goose bumps forming on her bare shoulders, and she could feel them prickling underneath the bandages wrapped around her arms.

For some reason...being alone felt very cold. 3

Akari wasn't sure what to do other than sit there, repeating herself over and over again to the girl who was now shaking in her arms. She couldn't help but wonder how Kurama had gotten through to her the most recent time she'd had a spell like this, but since she couldn't remember, she thought back to Sensui.

He'd done numerous things ranging from talking to, at one point, literally shaking her from it violently. Of course, she knew not everyone would respond the way she did to things like that, so she didn't try it with Toriko.

She pulled back from the girl, hands again on her cheeks, but this time tapping on both cheeks lightly. "Come on, _look at me_, Toriko." Her false smile was gone, her calm nothing more than a small string she felt she was tugging on. She wanted to help this girl, but not knowing how was making her feel rather useless.

So, she tapped harder. "Toriko! Listen to me, right this instant!" It was the only way she knew to get the girl's attention, and she sure as heck didn't want to be any more demanding or forceful. "You are **not **alone. I've been there too. All you have to do is **look at me. **Let me know you can hear me. I'm saying this again: _you are not alone." __*****_

Outside somewhere, Toriko felt her face touched, her eyes still closed tightly, but it pulled her away enough that she could hear the words that Akari spoke to her. And they made her laugh.

Somehow, from somewhere inside her, laughter welled up and bubbled passed her lips. But this was not a laughter sprung from joy. It came from a darker place, some corner of her soul that light had not brightened in many, many years, and it was a cruel laugh. A laugh lined with her true age, with memories that she even now feared to consider, and somehow the laughter helped clear her mind. Because the laughter made her very, very angry.

She still did not open her eyes, she had not lost that singular fear, but her mouth twisted from one of despondency into one that held a certain wickedness within its grin.

"_Alone_? You think you've been..._**alone?**_"

It somehow felt as if it was not _her _saying these words, but that Toriko herself had taken a backseat in some strange manner and the words welled up from that same dark corner from which she laughed.

For once, perhaps for the first time, she thought of the past fifteen years of her existence and took stock of them: forced to live among a people that were not her own, and not openly, but in fear that they might take notice of her, that she might be found out. She did not thrive when alone, she was no introvert. She recharged surrounded by others, and such a transition made her very heart ache for interactions that her mind would not allow her to have.

And then it was not the past fifteen years, but instead a distant time long past. A command from another to leave her homeland, to run to safety to save her own life and never come back. To stay away from others...

"You may talk of alone when you've forced into hiding for centuries to save your own life. You may talk of alone when you've been separated from everything you know and hold dear, kept in isolation without another to share in your misery for so many decades that you've since lost count."

Toriko spoke out of the overflow of that dark place, still feeling as if it was not her saying any of it and yet knowing that it was all true. She realized in those moments that physical pain could not hold a candle to a prison of one's own devising: a prison of the mind, a prison in which there is no outside stimulation that can stir you...

Out of that same dark place came an anger Toriko did not understand, one that could not believe this...this _worm _would dare claim to know about such isolation, this _child_, this _youngling _with barely enough years under her belt to no longer be considered an infant.

Her body shook more as tears kept falling from nowhere, something inside of her almost ready to snap. 3

Akari felt the color drain from her face at the laugh that suddenly filled the air, pulling her hands away from the girl who, despite the cruel sound, continued to cry and shake. Out of pure instinct, she scooted a little further from the girl, placing her back on the railing of the stairs that continued downwards.

And as the mouth that no longer seemed to belong to Toriko spoke, Akari's eyes widened first in shock, then in anger that made her body begin to shake. She didn't dare interrupt the female. Why would she? The demoness would simply wait until everything was on the plate…

And yet with each word, each additional dry laugh between sentences, Akari's eyes narrowed further. Her body shook more, and the anger she felt inside tried hard to get to her energy out of pure reflex, but grasping at nothing but an orb of darkness. A barrier within herself.

But what made her angrier was the images that flashed across her mind with each word about being alone, with each remark she made came a new image each time that she'd pushed away so very many times in the past ten years.

And suddenly, when the girl was done talking, Akari was picking up with her own words, not giving Toriko time to continue even if she had wished to do so, a harsh glare on the girl. "Yes, I understand your life sucks and you feel useless because you were alone. I _understand _you've experienced more simply because you've lived longer. However, for you to assume-" Her words were cut short with a hitch in her breath at the images that flashed again, threatening to take over.

But not this time.

It only added to her anger, and tears of rage were suddenly building up.

"I have been alone, trust me, I have. I have been alone for years, where my only company was of those who wished to _play _with me, to use me for their sickest desires. I've been alone and left to die numerous times, only for my only hope to not come through and for me to continue breathing through _every sickening second._ Yes, your power draws disgusting people to you, but at least _they _were brief encounters."

She took in a deep breath, a snarl following it out through her teeth. "You may have closed yourself off from the world, but _**I had no choice. **_I was snatched from my own home, thrown into a building, and _**toyed with **_for years. I had been kept alone for so long that even now, I do not recall how long I had been held, and only by the grace of a madman was I taken from that place. And only by the grace of _**my own will **_did I survive afterwards."

Another breath, this time her voice at a roar as she suddenly stood. "You complain about being alone, but with this type of thinking, this _act _you have put on for self preservation… It will land you in the very same position. And I hope to Enma you don't kill those who care for you in the process." _*****_

From that place where Toriko felt as if she sat as second-fiddle, Akari's words still reached her and she heard herself chuckle again from where she sat with her eyes closed and her head slightly lowered.

"Ah, that I were in your place." Another chuckle, "For you were not made to appreciate it. You were around others. You were allowed interaction. You were not _alone._" A beat again, but this time only her cruel smile in place of the laugh, "I would have enjoyed myself and then died as soon as my energy was depleted. That's what we do. That's what we were born to do. To be used up. And then to die. How's _that _for the life of a demon?"

Toriko's eyes opened slightly and she saw the greyness of the concrete, and then the shine of her glasses for which she started to reach.

"But we are too different for ourselves and our situation to compare." Toriko heard herself allow, felt the realization that in this moment she and the pup were not alike. Her arms dropped from around her body, a spasm shooting up the left one as it remembered its pain from the past week. "My _alone _can never be your _alone_." Toriko finally managed to get the glasses in her hand. 3

Akari felt her fists shaking; when had she formed fists? Her eyes were so blurred from tears now that she almost couldn't see the girl sitting in front of her, and quite frankly, she didn't think she wanted to. But she could hear every single word, no matter if she wanted to or not, and they only made her see red. A dark, dangerous red that she'd only seen once in her entire lifetime, and she had killed during that time.

And without thinking, without even considering it, Akari swooped down, her anger fueling every motion her body took, and grabbed the girl by the straps of her dress, lifting her from the ground and slamming her back into the wall, a snarl escaping for the third time.

"Someone like you who doesn't see the value of the people who obviously _**will not **_let you be alone deserves a suffering death." Her eyes were dark, her grasp on the dress so tight that her knuckles were white, and were her energy free, she likely would have been attacking. "You don't see that there are at least two people in that apartment who give a rat's ass about your pathetic self-pity. And one of them helped rescue you, _not _because of the bond you share, but because he _wanted to._ I for one would have loved that in my days, but you don't seem to give a shit." She took a long breath, hissing between her teeth, "And your _**Champion **_deserves better. I hope he gives you what you're looking for: death."

And with that, she released the girl and turned away, continuing her way down the stairs, not to go home, but to keep herself from making a mistake. "Good luck," she called over her shoulder as she walked, each step heavy as if she'd never even been physically weak in the first place. _*****_

_A temper-tantrum. How cute. Truly befitting of her age._

The thought did not sound like her own, the voice that said it much crueler than kind, weathered with aged and dismissing the _worm _as too young to actually understand.

She said nothing, eyes closed, wicked smile never wavering as she let the little fit wash over her without giving the other any indication of a reaction.

_No! _Toriko finally felt herself able to struggle to take control again the longer Akari spoke. _No, that's not what I- Please don't-_

When she was dropped, her legs collapsed after Akari moved beyond her sight and her head slammed backwards against the concrete, jarring even her closed eyes and sending stars into her vision.

In that instant, Toriko found herself with no more resistance and she metaphorically stepped back into her own skin, coming into the awareness that her glasses were miraculously unharmed in her hand, both hands planted firmly on the landing and she stared down at its grey color on all fours, blinking and finding that her body did not wish to respond to her commands to _move _to go after the girl that had left in a huff.

Instead Toriko tried little things: licked her lips, finding them salty from tears, moved a hand to her eye, finding it wet from the same.

Even in control again, Toriko felt disjointed and out of place, associating the last few minutes akin to an 'out of body experience' that she remembered reading about in one of her textbooks for school.

It...it scared her. Above all else, she felt terrified, rooted to the spot at the thought that somehow she had not been in full control. Like she had been stuck in some sort of nightmare where she watched herself do and say horrible things that she had not and never would mean.

But then, where had they come from?

_The...the other one._

Of course.

The black-outs.

_But I didn't black-out this time._

Would that happen more now? Could her other side somehow wrest control from her at any moment?

_But...but I was meant to shield her from the world. To...imprison her. To keep us safe._

Finally the terror of the previous minutes began to wear off and Toriko shakily brought herself to a stand, her eyes blurry as pain shot across her body.

There would be no way she could go after Akari with any sort of haste, and the thought that she had pushed the other away tugged at her almost as painfully as moving tugged at her body.

She let her hands brace herself heavily against the wall for another moment, and then she turned and forced her legs to take her up the staircase as fast as possible, getting back to the entrance of Kuwabara's apartment and leaning into the door frame.

"K-Kurama," Toriko lifted her glasses to her face as she looked to the redhead, "Please...Akari...she ran off and-"

Kurama had looked up in alarm before she even came in the door and he started to rise.

"-and I'm too slow. And it's my fault, but I-" A spike of fear at recalling what had happened between them had Toriko's words catching in her throat.

Kurama sent her a gentle smile, wondering at how something could be this soft-spoken demon's fault but wanting to be reassuring, "We'll find her." He turned to the young dog nearby, "Won't we, Nabu?" 3

Nabu jumped up from where he had been laying, feeling the sense of alarm in the room and slowly meandering forward when Flowers called him. He stood at his feet and looked up at him, giving a small bark of understanding before jumping forward on his hind legs once and taking the lead.

~!**!~

Akari walked down several flights of stairs, though didn't really see them as they were, but as stairs she'd seen so long ago. She could feel the blood on her hands, the wicked smile in place as she saw the image flickering in and out, not really a stable scene.

But when she reached the bottom, she turned left, moving until she found some benches that stood in a small courtyard, completely vacated. But by the time she was seated, she was inside her own mind, still walking through a building, this time a person dragging behind her who squirmed and shouted for help.

"_No one is going to help. They left you down there, all alone, with me. Surely you knew that one day, I'd get out of that ridiculous knot, right?"_

"_P-please! Just let me go!"_

_A laugh bubbled from her lips, her vision red as she turned to the grown man she dragged by the hair across the tile. "Like you did for me? Sure, I will."_

_Minutes passed by, and his yelling, screaming for help went on and on, begging for mercy here and there. But they had reached her favorite room, where other demons were left, dangling by their hands. Several looked up, but she doubted they saw her. _

Akari blinked, and she was looking at the courtyard again, sitting with her arms stretched out across the back of the bench and one leg crossed over the other, staring at a wall of another apartment complex. There were humans, children playing with their family. The scene made the shaking rage calm into a dull anger that only roiled beneath the surface.

Too bad she was under watch. A part of her could really use a good fight about now, if only to shake away the uneasiness she felt. Of course, not the humans. "_Maybe Yusuke will be willing to… lend a hand."_ she thought to herself, eyes sliding closed.

And from there, the scene continued. _*****_

Kurama followed the eager pup down the staircase, his mind ablaze with events that he hadn't even seen take place and hadn't listened in to out of respect of privacy between the two.

Nabu led him to a small courtyard, but the pup whined as Akari came into view, and it wasn't all that difficult to feel why. There seemed to be a cloud around her, once whose depth made Kurama's thoughts turn back to: what exactly happened back there?

Without saying a word, he approached her, sitting on the other side of the bench and staying silent, knowing that she knew he was there without him having to speak.

~!**!~

Toriko had managed to step back from the door frame to let dog and redhead by, gathering strength as she watched them trot down the staircase before she started to follow, closing the door to the apartment and making her way down to the bottom floor just in time to see the direction Kurama and Nabu had gone.3

* * *

><p><span>Shizuru<span> - sizzle

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	25. Episode 110 - Apologies

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Fanfiction Fanatics!

Maneshi is always tons of fun for me to write and there's one of my favorite scenes of him at the end of this chapter.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Otento, Terepo, and Gashiru manage to escape the Spirit Detectives,  
>who summarily rescue Akari and Kurama, the two of which wake up on the floor of Kuwabara's apartment.<p>

Toriko shows up with food, Hiei close behind, and when the conversation shifts to the encounter,  
>she finds herself unable to deal with the images and impressions of what happened<br>while Shikiyoku was captured by the fake Youko's gang,  
>and she runs outside only to be followed by Akari,<br>who can just sense what is happening to her as Akari has been through such remembrances herself.

This leads to a clash between the two demons, young and old,  
>but in such a way that Toriko feels as if she has no control,<br>that the words she is speaking are being spoken by another.

Losing her temper, Akari stalks off and Toriko takes a moment to regain control,  
>getting back up to Kuwabara's apartment to ask for help from Kurama in chasing after Akari.<p>

Meanwhile, now Akari is finding herself slipping into memories of days gone past...

* * *

><p><em>In the end of that moment, she'd been surrounded. Of course those humans hadn't all left, and she was much too weak to fight them all, but she sure did try. She took three before ending up just as before, in a room alone, hung by her wrists, this time with iron instead of rope. And in front of her stood Sakyo, making a sound of disappointment at her, the human she had been dragging earlier standing just behind him.<em>

_An ear twitched at the sound he made, her eyes narrowing. "You know, I would have killed any other demon who did that. In a heartbeat, might I add."_

"_Too bad you enjoy my presence so much, huh?"_

"_Yes, too bad.." The dark haired man turned to the human behind him, expression blank as he whispered so low that, surprisingly, even her canine hearing couldn't make out. Then he turned to her again. "Your advances cost me much today."_

"_Then why don't you just finish me? That would end your rebellion issues."_

"_Hmm… I think I rather enjoy the challenge. Onizuka, gather the tools from the room next door, and…" the look he sent her way was one of consideration, a smile playing his lips, "...remove her ears and tail. She'll be a great prize to sell later once she's been tamed and can be hidden among the humans."_

_And as soon as he turned to leave, the human named Onizuka stepped closer, a wicked smile on his face as his disgusting breath washed over hers. And that had been the last breath he took as well._

The scene faded in her mind, leaving her to look at the family across the courtyard again, more than aware of the person next to her. Though he didn't say anything, she realized Nabu must have lead him here. She glanced back at the pup who stood several yards away, ears down and tail tucked. Then she sighed and turned to Kurama briefly, her eyes quickly turning to the humans again.

"You got up to check on _little ole' me_?" She asked, tone dripping with sarcasm. "How sweet." _*****_

"Well, I'm a very sweet person." Kurama responded very seriously, his arms crossed over his chest as he also regarded the apartments on the other side of their position.

After he let the pause settle there for a while, "And it wasn't _me _that wanted to check up on you. I was just the excuse."

~!**!~

"_You must __**run, **__child!"_

"_But why?" She did not understand the urgency in her mother's eyes._

"_Because they will kill you." She said sadly, continuing to prepare her daughter._

"_But why?" Her head tilted the other direction._

"_Because of your powers."_

_Her lips pursed together in thought as she considered the statement._

"_But why? They haven't-"_

_Her mother finally let out a sad laugh, interrupting her, and grabbed her for a hug, tears beginning to well up in her eyes._

"_This is not how things work, mother." The child did not respond to the hug, crossing her arms, her face drawn into a serious expression with brows turned downwards and lips pursed together._

"_I know." Her mother gave another laugh again and pulled away, holding the child at arms length and staring her directly in the eyes._

_The child visibly shrunk away, knowing all too well the power this eye contact held._

_The eyes glimmered, a shine cascading over them and she felt herself entranced and unable to move._

"_You will run. And you will hide. You __**must **__stay away from everyone, or you will die."_

_The child's eyes grew much larger at the pronouncement.'Death' was not a thing in her vocabulary. At least...not her __**own **__death._

_But something within her mother's gaze told her that this was in fact directly related to her own death, and the shimmer behind them that she had not yet learned how to fight off made her stiffen._

"_Yes, mother."_

_A voice called from somewhere behind them._

"_Your majesty?"_

_Her mother glanced hurriedly over her shoulders, then back down._

"_You are hereby __**exiled **__from these lands." Her eyes shimmered again. "And you may __**never **__return."_

"_But mo-"_

"_Say nothing!" Her mother whispered fiercely, forcibly turning the child around and giving her a shove through the small opening in the wall behind the bookcase._

"_Mo-" She turned around as soon as her mother released her._

"_Go! Now! Run!" The eyes gleamed forcibly brighter and then her mother's face disappeared as the opening darkened, throwing the child into complete blackness._

~!**!~

Toriko's lungs burned, her body ached, even the simple walk making them protest what with the stiffness that her muscles coveted for days now.

When she saw Nabu had stopped, she slowed only for a moment and knelt down to take his face in her hands and give his head a good rub.

"_You_ know it wasn't me, right?" She looked into his eyes, not expecting an answer of which she could make sense.

The pause only took a moment before she stood again, breathing deeply and fighting back all the pain as she took that first step, and then another, and then broke into a jog as her teeth clenched together, making a beeline for where she could see Akari sitting.

When she got in range, she leapt at her, throwing her arms around the other's shoulders and looking at her with large, shining eyes, breathless and sore and so very glad she had not gone very far. She took a gulp of air, but went ahead and spoke even without a chance to catch her breath.

In that moment the sea of emotions broke through the dam she hadn't even known had been in place and Toriko could feel another wave of tears start threatening to spill over her eyes as she pleaded with the one in her embrace, "Please don't be mad, 'Kari! I didn't mean it! I'm- I-"

How did one explain that it was not oneself?

Toriko bit her lower lip, only finding herself able to shake her head and fight back her tears. 3

Akari huffed at Kurama, mumbling a low "smartass," under her breath. But with his last words she didn't respond, didn't feel the need to. Though, now that she'd channeled her anger into a memory, she felt only mildly irritated now. Or, perhaps as close to that end of the spectrum as she could be.

She didn't think about the things she'd said. She had a feeling that if she did, she'd either feel bad and go back, or she'd just end up angry again at what had lead to those words. And she wasn't sure she wanted either of those.

But her mind went there anyway, lingering on the last thing she'd said before leaving. Internally, she cringed at the harshness, but at the same time, there wasn't anything inside her that felt remorse over those words, since in a way, she felt as if she herself needed to hear the words. She'd gone on so long acting as if it were just her, nothing affecting anyone but herself, but since Nabu…

No, since Toriko had been kidnapped, she'd taken to actually caring a little more about the group and…

No, even before that.

A sneer suddenly crossed her features. _How ridiculous._

Her thoughts would have gone on, if she weren't ripped from them by a sudden weight crushing into her, knocking the wind from her lungs and making her temper flare. "Would you get off of me!" She growled, not really caring who it was. But as Toriko's voice filled her ears, desperate to make her understand, she began pushing some more, her body leaning slightly the other way, though she was very aware of Kurama and where he sat as well.

Her hands slipped under the girl and tried prying her from her body. "You don't get to do that," she growled out, getting nowhere with her effort of getting away. "Get off!" _*****_

Kurama started laughing outright at the scene, not minding it in the least.

Toriko, for her part, did let go of Akari as she asked, slipping down into the bench beside her, still facing her, and lifting a hand to jam her palm into her eye and rid it of the sudden tears that threatened to spill out.

"Sorry." Toriko said again as she did so. 3

Akari suddenly wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, her temper was still rolling, churning her stomach and even her core. But on another…

"You don't get to cry now," she growled out, turning away and looking across the courtyard again to see the family she had been watching earlier, watching her. Another sigh escaped her lips, and she turned to Toriko again, ready to say something rather nasty, but at the sight of the girl's tears, she simply…

Deflated.

All energy left her in another sigh and she leaned back against the back of the bench, rubbing her forehead with her right hand, grinding into her skull. The dull ache that formed there was only by her own doing, but she didn't pull away from doing so.

"Enough." she grumbled, referring to the tears. "Don't…. do that." And for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to tell the girl not to cry in a softer way. _*****_

Toriko...giggled. Actually...giggled. There wasn't any way around the noise that popped out of her mouth at that moment, unintentionally. She kept rubbing at her eyes as a few tears still fell.

_You sound like Hiei when you say that._

"I'm sorry." She apologized again, her voice softer than before as all of the darkness from earlier simply vanished away in that one thought.

She settled back into the bench with a slight "oof" of air blustering past her lips. She was certain she could not move for a while and the breeze felt nice.

"I..." She started hesitantly, "I've never had a friend before."

"Am I to suppose that I am but a piece of chopped liver?" Kurama eloquently jabbed in a good-natured fashion over Akari at her.

"You're a male. It's different." Toriko protested loudly. Had she been next to him, his comment would have been awarded with a solid punch to his shoulder.

"I...didn't want to lose a friend." Toriko went on, quiet again. "A _female _friend." She said, louder.

Kurama's eyes twinkled, but he said nothing.

"...I'm very sorry." 3

Akari kept her eyes forward, but the sudden smile that formed on her face at Kurama's jab and Toriko's response was undeniable. All anger had been washed away, and her arm resettled on the back of the bench, both arms extending behind the people who now sat on either side of her.

She took a deep breath in, her eyes looking to Toriko from the corners, and she replied, "Quite honestly, I haven't either. My temper was out of place, only out of reflex. I…" she paused, her eyelids sliding closed. "I apologize too. I was...harsh." And that was all she could say, for the moment.

Because as she looked around herself, she again found that she felt rather at home, rather comfortable with these people. Is this what it actually felt like to consider a place… Home? She hadn't known that feeling in so long that she wasn't even sure.

Suddenly, she glanced to Kurama, a small smile on her face. "Remember that vacation I told you about, where no morons are?" She paused, her smile growing. "It's not here, but this will do." _*****_

Toriko leaned forward to speak to Kurama at almost half-volume.

"Did she just call me a moron?"

Kurama leaned forward slightly to answer her.

"You know, I'm not sure. But it's quite possible. Why don't you ask her?"

Toriko leaned back and crossed her arms, glaring playfully at Akari.

"Did you just call me a moron?" Toriko tilted her head upwards a little, "Because it _sounded _like you just called me a moron." 3

Akari rolled her eyes to the sky at the duo, listening to them idly before Toriko actually _did _address her.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" she responded, eyes moving to the ground as something touched her shin, laying eyes on Nabu, who had never been so quiet before. "I mean, for all you know, I could be referring to the dog," she continued as she picked up Nabu and planted him in her lap.

"Too bad you'll never know." _*****_

"Did you _hear _that, Nabu?" Kurama exclaimed, "She's calling you mean names again!"

Toriko didn't look convinced, but reached over to give the dog a pat if it looked like neither he nor Akari minded. 3

Nabu looked up at Akari, obviously not have been listening to the topic aside from what Kurama had just said, giving a small whine of "_Is this true?" _

And the way his ears lay back so innocently made Akari toss her head back and give a laugh, not noticing Toriko petting him. "No, Flowers is making things up again."

"_Why would he do that?"_

"Ask him."

And the look he sent over to Kurama was one of pure sadness, and for a moment, she felt genuinely sorry about the lie, and she reached down and pet the dog, following his spine.

"I'm just kidding, Nabu. I'm being mean, and I'm sorry."

"_Better be!"_

Akari gave a small laugh and turned to the redhead. "See what you got me into? Now I'm in trouble…" _*****_

"Me?" Kurama blinked in her direction innocently, "I would do no such thing."

Toriko was quick to pick up on Akari calling Kurama "Flowers" and looked between the two with a strange expression on her face before turning back to Nabu.

"Nabu," She addressed him seriously, "What's _my _name?" She pointed to herself. 3

Akari jutted her lip out at the redhead, as if he'd saddened her by his words. "You're hurtful."

But at Toriko's sudden question, Akari turned to Nabu curiously, wondering what the dog would say.

And Nabu's head turned to the side, at first confused. Was he supposed to have a name for her already? At first, nothing really stood out, except…

"_Sparkles."_

Akari raised a brow at the dog. "Sparkles? That's all you've got?"

"_She sparkles! Just like Loudmouth has markings on his face and Flowers has ears and a tail!"_

Confused, Akari raised a brow. Who was loudmouth? Her first thought was Yusuke, but he didn't have markings on his face.

Then again, Toriko didn't sparkle to her either.

"_Flowers' scent is very calming."_

"I bet," she replied quietly, still perplexed by the meaning behind Nabu's nicknames. _*****_

For once the prospect did not bother her and Toriko laughed with delight at the name, giving Nabu another good rub, "That's a very apt name for me, Nabu. I approve." Toriko pointed with one hand at Akari, "And who is this?" 3

Akari was pulled from her thoughts again by Toriko's question, suddenly curious. The dog, confused, looked at her, and then back to Toriko. "_That's Akari." _He paused, giving her time to repeat his words before he continued, "_And she's my best friend in the whole world!"_

Akari, having repeated merely out of habit, didn't really hear the words at first. But when they registered, she gave a small smile and hugged the dog so tight, he made a small, strangled cry for help. "What, no weird nickname?"

"_Well, you're a dog, but your ears are gone. I could-"_

"Nah, Akari is fine."

"_Okay…" __*****_

"Has he met Kuwabara yet? Or Yusuke?" Kurama felt his own curiosity rising what with his and Toriko's "names" being revealed. "Or what about Hiei?" Kurama couldn't help the humor that danced in his eyes at the thought of what Nabu might call the fire demon. 3

Nabu's head tilted to the side, unfamiliar with the names that Flowers asked about.

Akari nodded once though, "He's met Yusuke and Kuwabara, and…" she paused, remembering that Loudmouth was _indeed _the detective. "He refers to Yusuke as Loudmouth, because he dumped him on the floor after winning a game, yelling. As for Kuwabara…" She glanced down at the dog, curious. "You know Loudmouth's friend, right?"

"_Oh…. Yeah…" _The dog tilted his head the opposite direction in thought, obviously unsure of what he would call Kuwabara.

"While you think about that, what about the other guy that was in the apartment?"

"_The shorter, but still tall, one?"_

"Uh, sure."

No hesitation. "_Grump."_

And Akari repeated the name with a laugh.

"_And Loudmouth's friend's name is… uh... I don't know."_

"He doesn't have one for Kuwabara yet, though." _*****_

"Funny. Kuwabara made a pretty strong first impression when I met him." Kurama mused.

Toriko was still in fits about "Grump."

She wiped tears from her eyes for a different reason this time and heaved a breath.

"I think if I ever accidentally call him that, he might kill me." She stifled another laugh.

"I think if he heard _any _of us calling him that, our heads would roll." Kurama rephrased for her. 3

Akari sat back heavily into the bench, Nabu still sitting upright in her lap as he watched Toriko laugh. He'd never had someone laugh at his nicknames before, and Akari wouldn't be surprised if he was as filled with joy as he was with curiosity.

"Well, when Nabu was with Yusuke and Kuwabara, and I showed up, Kuwabara wasn't very talkative, except when it came to Yusuke _not _driving." And at that, she forgot to elaborate, her eyes turning to Nabu again. "Are you sure you don't have a nickname?"

"_I can't think of any."_

"Too bad." _*****_

Toriko pursed her lips together in thought. "You know, I'd probably dub them Loudmouth A and Loudmouth B."

Kurama chuckled, "That certainly sums them up quite nicely."

Another thought of Hiei brushed against Toriko's mind. Just a moment. Just enough to remind her about him. A plethora of confused feelings that she had been having towards him recently bubbled up and she appeared lost in thought, Kurama also taking to the moment of silence by enjoying the air. 3

Akari fell into silence, listening to the air that blew by, her mind turning again to Nabu's nicknames. She understood Kurama's, and she remembered Toriko's power, which explained Sparkles. Sure, Loudmouth was an adequate name for Yusuke, but… Markings? She wanted to ask Nabu, but decided to wait until later, when they would be alone, so she could focus entirely on it and not be interrupted.

"_Hey! Loudmouth!" _Nabu suddenly barked, making Akari actually jump before she turned to look behind her, seeing Yusuke and Kuwabara traipsing up behind them quietly, except they looked rather like they'd been busted sneaking away.

"Dang it, Nabu! You ruined the fun!"

"You know, sneaking up on demons isn't smart, right?"

"But If we can sneak up on you guys, especially Kurama, then we'd be set for life!" _*****_

"Unfortunately for you, you seem to forget that "sneaking" means being quiet." A smile played across Kurama's lips as he glanced over the back of the bench to regard them. "It seems our vacation is truly over, Akari." He told her confidentially. 3

A heavy sigh escaped Akari's lips, "It was so nice…"

"_We were on a vacation?!"_

"What does that mean?" Yusuke grumbled, arms crossing. "I don't get the joke."

"That's too bad."

"Hey, I'm glad y'all are awake though!" Kuwabara suddenly piped, smiling as he came around the bench and sat on one not too far from the one Akari, Kurama, and Toriko had taken claim over. "How long have you been up? It's been really quiet without you guys. Except, y'know, this moron," Kuwabara jerked his thumb at Yusuke.

And Akari laughed, because he'd just accentuated the joke he hadn't even been in on. "Not too long, I guess."

"Well, smartass, how long is _not too long?" Y_usuke grumbled as he sat on the same bench as Kuwabara. _*****_

"I doubt it's been much more than an hour, Yusuke." Kurama eyes held a mirth that he did not allow to spread to his lips, but he had not missed Kuwabara's inadvertent joke either. "Have you been able to get in touch with Koenma? Do we have any idea what's going on yet?" 3

Kuwabara shrugged. "Yeah, we talked to him for a little while about what happened, but after we left, Botan hasn't been back."

"I guess Spirit World is really behind these days. They haven't been doing very well in keeping up with much of anything."

Akari heaved a sigh. "That's reassuring."

"Yeah, especially since it took them an hour after I'd already figured out you guys were gone before they even noticed. And then it took even longer for the tracker to be-"

"Tracker?"

"Yeah, he said it was part of your parole, or something." Kuwabara answered, shrugging. "No big deal."

"Right." How could she not have thought of that? "Well, it's a good thing it was in place. Another day in there and I would have gone insane. Not that it matters much."

"Last we heard, he was trying to relocate the demon gang, and had Botan trying to figure out what to do about your energies being all missing and stuff." Yusuke finished, expression grim. "I doubt they're getting very far. Botan said she'd never heard of this before now."

"How reassuring, detective."

"Just doin' my job." _*****_

The change of subject set Toriko on edge, seemed to sharpen her senses, as the words 'detective' and 'Spirit World' were passed around between the persons around her.

_Do they know?_

Her gaze flickered over to Kurama, who sensed her momentary anxiety and gave her the smallest smile meant to reassure.

_Do they know of us?_

As if he were able to read her thoughts, Toriko thought she saw Kurama give an almost imperceptible nod as if to tell her everything was alright, and the expression he wore actually set her at ease, getting her to sit back into the bench underneath her once more, though she did not remember when she began to sit forward.

There was something deep-set within her that still remained unsettled, even as the voices around her continued to banter and talk back and forth, and somewhere in her mind she found it amusing to realize all at once that in her original moment of asking Kurama to send for her to help, in the end she was assisting the very people who had a warrant out for her arrest.

_Warrant?_

What had that meant? Where had it come from? Toriko had never done a single wrong thing in her life.

The idea that Youko was now essentially working for those same people who had once hunted him also-

_Youko?_

She blinked rapidly, the image of Kurama coming into her mind's eye, though she did not understand why, as she remembered a conversation a long time ago with the redhead in which had been revealed that he knew she was special because he was the same.

_The same what?_

As the conversation around her continued, Toriko slowly slid her way off of the bench, slipping away at a moment when she would be unnoticed by the others.

Walking back to Kuwabara's apartment, she could feel things stirring in her mind, the beginnings of answers forming to her questions starting with the last one.

_You're a demon, child._

Toriko paused in place, struck by the fact that somehow she knew this response to be true and also by how it didn't immediately send her to her knees in fright.

_Youko had to run too._

A new sense of similarity between the two of them welled up inside her as an image of what she understood to be Kurama's 'true' form became interposed on top of the redhead she had befriended a couple of years ago.

Toriko slowly walked forward again, stepping onto the first flight of stairs and making her way upwards, carefully filing away all of these strange thoughts in the very back of her mind before they got the better of her.

There were bento boxes of hers that needed picking up, and the plate that she'd left on the ground from Nabu was likely licked clean by now-

She forced herself amidst these other thoughts of exactly what she would do when she got there, and so it was that she entered the room with stiff muscles and distracted from the past with the present. She closed the bentos that were not finished and placed them in the refrigerator, kneeling with a grimace at her pain to place her own back inside the satchel she came in with.

She was most definitely still not feeling well and her mind lingered on laying down to rest. 3

Hiei had been lounging on the largest couch, completely comfortable now that, one, he was full and, two, it was quiet in the apartment. He even considered taking a small nap, before the door opened, getting his attention with the small click it made.

His crimson orbs locked on to the girl who, when he'd last seen her, had been in tears. Now, she seemed distracted, busying herself with picking up boxes from around the room. He had seen her do this several times, forcing herself into doing something that would keep her busy. He figured it was what kept her going, kept her from dwelling on thoughts she didn't want to remember.

"Was the problem solved?" he suddenly asked, actually curious.

~!**!~

"You're mighty grumpy today." Yusuke commented after having gotten a sound spoken beating from Akari

Akari huffed, but then gave a sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm sorry hunny, would you like me to kiss that boo boo?"

"Shattup."

"Aw, but I'm only offering my heart to you, sweet heart!"

"_You're scaring me." __*****_

"Just don't talk to him like that when Keiko's around. Or you'll get him into even _more _trouble." Kurama decided to be as helpful as possible, his face remaining perfectly serious as he conveyed this information.

Akari's curious gaze turned to Kurama, and suddenly she was smiling wickedly. "Aww, sweethearts, are you?" she asked Yusuke, earning a small huff of defensiveness.

"We aren't together or anything. She's just a friend of mine since we were kids."

"You know, in demon world, that means _mates_."

The choking sound she earned from the boy was enough to stay her next taunting remark, instead replacing it with laughter.

"Yeah Urameshi, when are you gonna tell 'er anyway?"

"I have nothing _to _tell her! God dammit, leave me alone about it!"

"I dunno, you've been rather friendly lately."

Akari didn't even have to say anything anymore, since Kuwabara had taken over her taunting. She glanced over where, moments ago, Toriko had been, realizing the spot was empty. Thinking nothing of it, she moved so that her back was leaning on the arm rest, her feet stretched out in front of her, only an inch between her foot and Kurama's knee. And this was about as comfortable as she could be at this point in time.

"_Are you okay?"_

Akari hummed a small affirmative to the dog, simply sitting back and watching the bickering boys, letting serenity take over for a while. At least, in her mind, there was serenity. *

"Kuwabara," Kurama chastised, "He'll ask her when he's good and ready." He regarded Yusuke playfully, "Though, from what I've heard, he usually saves that one for when she's really angry at him. If he does it for real, he'll have to think of something else to use to satiate her anger."

~!**!~

Toriko's eyes moved to Hiei to indicate that she heard him, having not realized he was still in the room when she entered until he spoke.

"Yes." She looked back down at the box in her hand, placing it in the bag and reaching for Hiei's as well. She had it over the satchel before her arm spasmed violently and she dropped it in where it clanged against the other box by accident. She stared down blankly at her fingers, which were flexing on their own in the aftermath of her muscle tightening.

She formed them into a fist and threw the fist down by her side as she rose and pulled the satchel over her head with the other hand, turning away and slipping her shoes back on as she opened the door.

"I'm going home." She said simply as she left, unsure if he would care, but feeling strange about leaving without a word. 3

Hiei raised a brow, not asking further about whatever incident had occurred. It wasn't his issue anyway, wasn't his business. But, since the other two weren't back yet, he wondered what else was going on. He brushed the thought away, watching as her arm gave a spasm.

The fire demon had thought those were over.

Hiei couldn't help the small huff, albeit as quiet as a normal breath, that passed through his lips. She was still recovering, and he knew it would be a long process, especially if she kept moving about. So, when she got up to leave, he had already assumed she wanted to do so, slowly rising from his comfortable spot and following her, hands in the pocket of his cloak as he stepped out the door and followed her down the flights of stairs, though he stayed a few feet behind her, in case she wanted space.

And as they passed the courtyard, his eyes glanced in that direction, watching the small group of four before his mind touched Kurama's briefly, with an "_I'm leaving,"_ not specifying that Toriko was as well, since he figured the fox would simply assume that. After all, _someone _had to watch over her, and Hiei saw it as his duty, since he'd taken on the pact.

~!**!~

Akari shifted a bit more, using her arm to toss her hair over the side of the bench so she wouldn't be laying on it, suddenly realising just how _clean _it was, how tangle-free it seemed. She found herself taking stock of herself again, realizing that she'd been completely cleaned up.

She'd have to remember to thank the human- Shizuru, was it?- later before leaving.

"Yeah, but he's so slow at it." Kuwabara suddenly complained, giving Yusuke a hard rub on the head with his knuckle. "He needs to grow a pair and just tell her, not use it as a way to get out of trouble!" _*****_

Kurama chuckled, "And why suddenly so eager to get him married off, Kuwabara? So you can be free to ask Yukina?"

~!**!~

As Toriko rounded the last corner that would put her on the block, she leaned heavily against the fence next to her for a bit.

It was so strange that she still felt this weak. Normally she had no trouble recovering from...anything. Granted, her constitution rarely allowed something to get this far, but she definitely felt that there was more than one thing wrong with her of late.

She moved again, feeling Hiei's eyes on her back and staring down at the sidewalk as she closed the distance to home.

Toriko felt torn about Hiei not walking next to her. She probably would have leaned on him for support, gathering strength from him. In a way she felt glad she could not, even if her independence did mean she moved at a slower pace.

When she got in the door, Maneshi lifted his head from where he lay curled up on the couch only long enough to look over the arm and make sure it was her, then he laid his head back down.

Maneshi had acted in similar straits as herself for the past couple of days and his muted reaction came as no surprise.

Still, after slipping off her shoes and placing the satchel on the table, she went over and ran her fingers across his side, earning the beginnings of a purr though he did not react otherwise.

Keeping silent, her mind still churning, Toriko glanced at the satchel with the bento boxes inside and quickly decided she had not the strength to deal with them at the moment, moving across the room to the stairs and intending to go to her bedroom. 3

Hiei wandered into the house behind her, eyes keeping careful stock of Toriko as her muscles continued to hinder her movements here and there. He considered closing the distance, but decided against it, simply so she could get a little stronger on her own. After all, he didn't want her relying on him _too _much.

Not that it mattered.

As the girl turned to go up the stairs, Hiei glanced to the cat on the couch too, reaching around the arm of it and lightly touching Maneshi's head before pulling away, more out of habit since he'd been doing it a lot as of late.

Then he turned and closed the distance between himself and Toriko in a flash, silently walking beside her in a show of help, if she so desired it.

~!**!~

"HEY! No one asked you!" Kuwabara shouted, immediately ending up in the same position Yusuke had been in moments ago, earning a hard rub on the head, albeit much rougher than when he himself had done it.

"_Are you going to stop them?"_

Akari made no sound, only smiled at Kurama, who had gotten that rise from the boy. "Who's Yukina?" she asked curiously. _*****_

"She's the Ice Maiden Kuwabara is going to marry some day." Kurama's expression of teasing was plain, but he spoke in pure truth that anyone who had seen the pair together could vouch for.

~!**!~

Toriko leaned gratefully into Hiei as she moved for her room, feeling as she had thought she would: his presence gave her more strength. And she desperately needed it.

Once she stepped inside, she sat down on the bed, pulling her glasses from her face to put them on the bedside table and rubbing her eyes almost anxiously.

"I feel no stronger than I was two days ago." She finally confessed aloud, knowing Hiei could likely already see that. "And my pain has not lessened. Every muscle screams each time I move. With every movement they feel more brittle and cold. Like fracturing ice that is about to crack." She put her hands down into her lap and stared at them. "It gives me a headache."

She reached up to take some pins out of her hair, feeling them grating against her skull, but her arms let her remove not more than three or four before she had to give up and lay down, putting her back towards the door and closing her eyes. 3

Hiei, for some reason, didn't mind being the support she needed to get up the stairs. So he let her lean on him until she was sitting on the bed, managing to pull out a few of the pins in her hair and to put her glasses to the side before he saw her give up from exhaustion and pain, as she had admitted only moments before.

And he didn't say anything in regards to her statements, deciding that he could give no words that would comfort her, since he honestly wasn't surprised. Sure, he had hoped she would be able to at least go out for a little longer than that by now, but it couldn't be helped.

So when she rolled over on the bed, eyes shut, he did the only thing he could do in hopes that it would assist her in resting and, in the long run, regaining the strength she needed.

He methodically began pulling pins from her hair just as gently as he could, setting them where the others were, hoping that it would at least help with the headache she'd been speaking of.

And then, as he finished, he stood again and moved to the window he'd only most recently claimed, pushed it open, and then got comfortable in the sun's rays. If there was anything that he needed to get done, he decided that it could wait until later.

~!**!~

"Hey! You can't just go _telling _people that!" Kuwabara protested, his words muffled by Yusuke's arm around his neck and covering his mouth just a little.

"That's rather interesting," Akari commented, amused by the group's banter.

"HEY! Since we're on the subject, Kurama, have _you _ever met someone you wanted to… uh… what's the word in demon world?"

Akari sighed. "It can still be the term _getting married_, but usually it's simply called _mating."_

"That's weird. But, have you?" By Kuwabara's question, Yusuke had released the boy and leaned backwards on the bench, arms crossed.

"I dunno. Youko's pretty severe." _*****_

"You first have to understand that there really is no such institution as "marriage" in Demon World." Kurama began. "And many demons...mate with one another without pause for thought. It's rare for them to stick with one mate and that's usually only in the higher classes." Kurama wasn't exactly sure why the conversation had suddenly turned on him and he raised an eyebrow, "And I'm only sixteen, Kuwabara. Does it make sense to you that I would have found someone? You and Yusuke are not what I would equate to a part of the norm."

~!**!~

The tension around Toriko's neck lessened and she half-realized what Hiei had done.

For some reason, it seemed almost as if the pins and glasses she had been so attached to for all of her life were only adding to her pain recently, whereas before they were in place to prevent...things.

They certainly didn't feel like they were doing their job, Toriko grumbled silently to herself. Granted, it was a job that at one time she couldn't exactly explain, and even now did not want to explain.

"Hiei...do you ever..._try_...to forget things?" Toriko asked quietly, hesitantly. 3

Hiei's eyes had slid to the outside world, and that's where they remained even as Toriko asked him a question. For a moment, he thought about it. There had been times where he had considered doing so, but…

"Why forget when you can remember, and grow on it?" He replied without another beat's hesitation. Sure, his version of 'growing on it' involved revenge, or at the very least, the thought of it in many cases. "If you can't change things, why try?" Maybe he was aiming this at himself now, he didn't know, as he thought about his years in demon world, and how he was simply… stuck in this world.

~!**!~

Kuwabara and Yusuke were silent for a few moments, staring at Kurama curiously. "I thought you were older..?" Kuwabara grumbled, eyes speculating the redhead.

"Not in a human body. He's being very specific here," Akari replied without looking at the duo, but staring at the redhead. Did he not associate himself as Youko much anymore, or was he simply just… not wanting to include his demonic blood in the conversation? "But, I agree. I thought you were a little older," she remarked as well, smiling. "I guess not all information you gather is true and reliable."

"What about you, Akari?"

"Now why would I want to sit around with the same person all my life when I can simply do whatever I want, whenever I want, alone?"

"You're a killjoy, you know that?" _*****_

"She holds a very demonic viewpoint." He shrugged. "I know that there are a few humans who feel the same, but the vast majority of Demon World feels the way she just articulated for you. Especially among the younger ones. Or the ones who never get past what Spirit World refers to as C Class."

~!**!~

Remember and grow...

But she didn't _want _to remember. Remembering scared her. Did that mean she didn't want to grow either?

Something within her didn't like the thought of that, and when she spoke up, she mumbled, almost as if she was talking to herself,"If you're not trying to change things that you want to be changed, then what on earth _are_ you doing?" 3

Hiei found himself turning to look at Toriko after her quiet musing, considering her words for a moment before thinking on them as well.

He had _tried _leaving this world, this plane of existence. However, each attempt had ended fruitless, only managing to make him feel even more trapped than before. So, he'd given up and accepted his fate of being chained here, under Spirit World's watch.

There wasn't anything he _could _change about it, no matter how bad he _wanted _to change it. So, really, he didn't have an answer for her, nothing to appease her mind and soothe her in any way because, in reality, if he tried to do so, he would be lying.

So he settled for turning to the outside world again, his eyes watching a couple of birds flying around in the nearest treetop.

"_Then what on earth __**are**_ _you doing?"_

He didn't even know himself.

~!**!~

"So, what class are you, Akari?" Kuwabara asked.

The demoness smiled, knowing he was simply going off of the age and power Kurama had just supplied. "Lower B. I only passed C ranking because of training with Sensui. Before that, I was practically a spec of dirt."

Kuwabara laughed nervously, as if unsure if she was making a joke or not. "I bet you can do a lot at once, huh?"

Her head tilted to the side a bit. "Not really, actually. I'm more of a distraction than an attack weapon."

"But then, why did Sensui-"

"Like I said, distraction. It was all he needed, really, to make sure nothing hitched his plans. In the end though, I guess Koenma was the one he didn't think would mess it up."

"Whaddya mean?"

She didn't answer that question that Kuwabara asked. Instead, she turned her eyes to the sky, letting her head rest back on the armrest of the bench. _*****_

Kurama looked at her for a moment before lifting his eyes to the others, "He was not supposed to have that much power left in his Ma Fū Kan." Kurama fell silent again, musing how that one thing surely changed so much. If Koenma _hadn't _managed to ensnare Sensui...where would they be now?

~!**!~

Toriko felt that the first question she needed to answer was what exactly she wanted to be changed. That way she could go about doing it instead of feeling like she wandered through life completely useless to everyone around her.

Her eyes tried to flicker towards Hiei on the window, but she could not see him from where she lay.

But she didn't know what she wanted changed. The thought occurred that perhaps she did at one time know what she wanted changed, but had lost it along with all of her other memories. And finding her answer would require remember. And she was scared of that. Scared of being a...demon. Scared that something like whatever happened with Akari would be commonplace. That she would push people away and be...alone again.

~!**!~

It took Maneshi much longer to get up than he'd wanted, but when he'd come downstairs for food earlier that morning, he found he didn't have the strength to go back upstairs and lay on Toriko's bed.

Where he capable of it, he would have just asked her to let him eat in her room, but she hadn't been smart enough to figure that one out on her own yet.

He listlessly came in to murmurings from Toriko that led to a silent point in whatever semblance of conversation had been going on.

There was nothing particularly graceful about his movements as he made his way over to the bed. His tail no longer acted as it should and he found himself quite balanceless without it.

He stopped at the edge, seeing Toriko's back, and didn't have the strength to meow at her and get her to pick him up. And neither did he think he could make the jump, though he did pause briefly to analyze the distance.

He heaved a large breath than normal, had he been human it would have been a sigh, and spied Hiei sitting in the window frame.

For the first time in days, his eyes actually brightened, and he almost pranced in Hiei's direction, had his feet been able to lift high enough off the ground to call it "prancing."

He came to stand in front of the window, looking up at Hiei with his two-colored eyes and staring, huffing a breath out his mouth to try and get his attention.

Maneshi even attempted getting on his back paws in a stand, where he would have pawed with a limb at the edge of the cloak that hung down, but he only managed to lift himself a couple of inches before his muscles would do no more and he ended up on his haunches, eyes wide and silently pleading with the warm one to hold him. 3

The silence in the room was comfortable, even though it was a thoughtful one. His eyes continued to follow the trail of the birds outside, his mind wandering through several thoughts about the most recent conversation.

Still, he had no idea what to do or say. He felt as if he _should _say something, but he just didn't know _what. _And that was leaving him almost perplexed.

So he pushed the thought away for a later time, when maybe his mind wouldn't be so tired. The sun's rays were calming, making every muscle in his body relax, his feet up against one end of the window's frame with his back against the other, though he slid down only about an inch so that his head was also comfortably against the wood. His eyes closed.

And then a small sound, so small he almost hadn't caught it, grabbed his attention. He reopened his eyes and glanced first towards Toriko, who hadn't moved even an inch. He turned his head back, but at the corner of his eye he realized there was a little shadow on the floor beneath the window.

Or, not a shadow, he realized as he met the pleading gaze of the cat. He raised a brow, at first too comfortable to move. But after a few moments of staring unblinkingly, the fire demon gave in and reached his arm down towards the cat, too lazy to actually get up and lift him up, and instead waiting for the cat to come into his reach. "I suppose it won't hurt."

~!**!~

"You mean his little pacifier thing?" Kuwabara asked, tone amused and confused all at once.

"Yeah, I remember him calling it a Ma Fū Kan. Too bad I couldn't have dealt with Sensui myself."

Akari huffed and turned onto Yusuke, her expression completely serious. "I don't think you would have been able to. You hadn't seen even the tip of the iceberg," she commented, frowning. "He's a whole lot smarter than you give him credit for. But, despite that, he's probably dead by now."

_Like the rest of the team…_

That thought caused her eyes to close, and she shook her head lightly back and forth. That wasn't true. She knew Kamiya had lived, and that Sea Man had as well, along with Itsuki.

That thought made her realize she didn't know about the other members. _I need to ask.._

"What do you mean, dead by now?" Yusuke asked, voice loud with the sudden information. "I haven't kicked his ass yet!"

Akari sighed. "First off, even if he were here, you wouldn't find him. Itsuki would be sure of that…" _*****_

"Secondly," Kurama picked up as she trailed off, "Sensui had a disease that I would image Kamiya kept at bay for as long as possible. But even those resources were coming to an end. He had no more time left."

~!**!~

Maneshi was more than happy to come as close as possible, even going so far as to lift himself up what little he could, his eyes hopeful at the sight of Hiei reaching down. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the cat that eagerly stepped forward, his body lifting just a little as his hand swooped under the midsection of the animal. The fur was soft and warm with the last traces of where he'd been laying on the couch. Gingerly, Hiei raised his arm back up, cat in hand, until all four paws of Maneshi's were on the fire demon's stomach, in which case he released the cat and ran that same hand along the bony spine. "You're just as hopeless," he grumbled, more amused than anything that he had found himself watching over not only Toriko, but the cat as well.

~!**!~

Akari nodded when Yusuke's eyes turned to her, large with disbelief. "So what you're saying is that he was going to end the world, and then leave the mess for us to clean up?"

"The plan, actually, was for Sensui to die in Demon World. And, quite frankly, I had been hell bent on getting there myself."

"But you were part of the bad guys, why run away?"

Akari gave a dry laugh at Kuwabara. "Did you forget the part where I was disposable, only meant to distract until my usefulness was up? Come on, you're getting even more dense by the day if you can't remember that much!"

"But he kept you so tightly leashed that we didn't even knew you existed until that day."

Akari shrugged, turning to Kurama as she remembered how the redhead had come across her, ending with her tossing a child over the bridge and into heavy traffic. "That's what happens when you're a dog. You end up on a leash." She smiled and turned her eyes to the sky again, giving a small laugh. "Too bad it ended the way it did. I'd have liked to get my hands on them myself." _*****_

"Once a portal from Demon World to Human World opened up, don't you think that most demons on our side would be wanting to get back to their real home?" Kurama countered Yusuke's questioning of Akari's motives. He knew in a very personal way that sometimes other people were only a means to an end, and once your goal came into sight, you would leave them behind in a heartbeat to get what you came for.

~!**!~

Hiei did get a single noise of protest from Maneshi as to the way he handled him, but then Hiei put him down and everything was fantastic.

Maneshi shifted so that he lay up Hiei's stomach and chest, his front paws not far from the fire demon's neck as he assumed a rather Sphinx-like pose with his rear at Hiei's thighs.

Maneshi wasn't really sure what "hopeless" meant, but if it was something about "warm" and "enjoying the attention," then he was SO hopeless right now.

He sat with his head tall, eyes closed with the most beatific cat-expression possible across his face, and as the warmth seeped upwards from Hiei's body into his, he began purring madly with each breath, able to feel his worn muscles absorbing the heat. It eased all of his pain away into nothingness as he finally found he could relax without a care in the world. 3

Hiei got comfortable all over again, this time the purring of the cat making his abdomen feel odd, almost like he was earning his own personal massage. A small twitch of his lips almost brought a gentle smile to his lips, but it was gone before it even had the chance to appear as he turned his face to the sun again, finding complete and utter comfort in both the day, and even the motorboat of a cat.

His eyelids fell closed again, the sun against his face making it hard for him to resist the calling of a short nap.

Or perhaps… a not so short nap…

~!**!~

Yusuke made a small sound that said he understood, nodding his head once before he said, "Wait, _most_? Does that mean you'd stay if you had the choice?"

Kuwabara huffed and crossed his arms, not saying a word.

But Akari was still smiling as she turned to the dog on her stomach who had begun to lightly snore. She hadn't realized he had lulled off into a sleep. She understood that some demons, as Kurama had hinted, had other things they worried about. Those were the types of demons Akari found herself envious of at times, where they would have such a choice. _*****_

"It is not unheard of for demons to make their way to Human World and ending up staying by choice." Kurama sat back against the bench thoughtfully. "Some of them even become almost human themselves, getting married, raising children. I don't know what I would do." He answered, getting back to the question and at the same time knowing precisely what he would do. 3

Akari listened, finding herself curious as well to the answer Kurama was providing. And when he was done, no one said a word for a minute, the silence only breached by birdsong or the occasional gust of wind that blew by.

And the next thing to interrupt the silence was Akari's stomach, which gurgled loud enough to make Nabu jump in surprise and look first to her stomach, then up at her with half-lidded eyes. "_Can't you be quieter?"_

Akari gave a small laugh and rubbed the dog's head, but otherwise didn't make a move to leave. Instead, she gave a small sigh. "You know, I actually don't mind this place." It was an odd admittance on her part, since she'd never actually decided before now that she did actually enjoy the human's world. "I suppose it isn't too terribly boring."

"Boring? You didn't even know what a video game was, so how can you even judge this world without knowing everything about it!"

A sneer in Yusuke's direction. "Please. I'm sure staying inside all day, twiddling your thumbs over controllers isn't near as fun as you make it out to be. Being inside all day would be boring, after a bit."

"You just don't have the iron will of us humans!" _*****_

"That is certainly at least _one _thing your species has going for it." Kurama mused.

Kurama had not missed the sound of Akari's growling stomach, and his thoughts turned to the bento box he'd left all by itself up at Kuwabara's apartment.

"Could we adjourn this pleasant conversation and relocate? I didn't get to finish my lunch." Kurama stood, determined that he was going to get to eat the rest of that delicious bento box whether anyone else followed him or not. 3

Yusuke huffed at Kurama indignantly, not saying anything more until he was standing, at which point he and Kuwabara followed suit.

Akari took a long breath in, taking in the fresh air before she wrapped her arms around Nabu's small body and she too sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bench, and stood. "I agree." Of course, a small part of her wondered if he'd spoke up about it at least a little on her behalf, since she hadn't felt like interrupting the nice moment.

"You guys didn't finish eating? Why?"

Akari shrugged. "Felt like getting up and around," she replied smoothly as they each followed after Kurama, up the stairs and into the apartment. _*****_

"Some things are much more important than food." Kurama added for his part, and though he did not let his gaze shift to Akari, he knew it would not go over her head. "Shocking revelation, I know." He aimed at the two humans with them, who seemed to scarf it down at any juncture possible.

His eyes saw no one upon coming into the place, though he knew Hiei had retreated earlier, likely in no small part contributing as to the reason why Toriko was no longer with them either. Or perhaps it was the other way around.

Their food was also not in place, but knowing Toriko as long as he had led Kurama to the refrigerator and two bento boxes she put there.

He lost no time in going right back to where he had been asleep earlier, sitting cross-legged on the mat and covers once he passed Akari hers. He wasted nothing on any further words, instead getting right back to where he started with the meal. 3

Akari refused to let her eyes shift to Kurama at his words, instead making them turn to the side and look over the railing of the stairs as they climbed. The two boys protested loudly, saying "Nothing beats a good meal!"

"They're more like dogs than Nabu is." she commented lightly as she entered the empty apartment.

"You're being hurtful again!" Kuwabara called jokingly, looking back at her since she had taken to following at the rear of the train.

"Well, I guess you'll have to get over it." She grumbled as she looked about for the bento boxes, not surprised when Kurama was suddenly handing her the one she'd been holding earlier. And she too returned to the mat she'd slept on, returning to the comfort and warmth almost eagerly, setting Nabu down in her lap as she crossed her legs. _*****_

~!**!~

Night had fallen.

It was not the lack of sunshine, or the transition of daytime noises to those of the evening, but something else entirely that popped Maneshi's eyes open and had them gleaming in the muted light that the window ledge afforded him.

He felt better than he had in days, and somewhere in the back of his night-aroused mind, he attributed that to the constant heat provided unwittingly by the victim upon which he lay. He could not explain how or why, but his muscles had taken in that warmth and they no longer hurt. Not one bit.

He turned his head to examine the peaceful face of the fire demon upon which he enthroned. He could feel underneath his small body the rise and fall of breath. Steady. Deep. All indications of a sleep that Maneshi himself had just withdrawn from.

And now he felt wide awake, nocturnal instincts rising and peeling back his housecat layers until he could feel the beast within taking shape.

His full intention at the moment to leave the warm one undisturbed, Maneshi softly rose up on his paws enough that he could leap out of the arm encircling him without jostling anything.

His padded feet landed silently on the carpet and his eyes flashed as he crouched his body close to the floor. His stomach brushed against the carpet without a sound as he crawled forward to sneak out of the room, rounding the corner of the bedroom door with a leap and a pounce on an invisible prey.

Maneshi shot down the staircase, a streak of black fur in the darkness of the room, his tail streamlined out from his back as he made a pinpoint turn before hitting the front door and dove under the couch.

He snatched at the mouse-toy he hid there with his teeth and dashed back out from under the other side, grabbing it in his paws and tackling the monster to the ground, beginning to viciously cut at its underbelly with his back feet as he gnawed on its face.

Just as quickly as he had it defeated in his grasp, Maneshi let go of it and charged around the room like one of those cheetahs he'd seen on the television-thingy. He zoomed up the stairs and down the hallway, briskly turning and shooting back down to take a flying leap at the mouse.

Finding that it was now utterly defeated, Maneshi picked it up by the tail between his teeth and pranced up the stairs with his tail high, dashing back into Toriko's room and dropping it by the bed in the midst of his leap up over her body and onto the bed next to her.

He swatted at the bedspread several times to catch the invisible creatures he spied there, skittering around the covers in his mad chase before jumping into the air sideways and somersaulting his lithe body around to land firmly on his feet before hauling himself around the room twice more.

When he stopped next to the toy mouse, his breath did not appear to be coming any faster than when he started, and he grabbed the mouse one more time, making the jump back up to the bed and next to Toriko where he rubbed his side up her back before tromping over her hair strew out over her pillow.

He dropped the mouse near her face and gave her nose a butt with his head, murling at her. His nose caught a smell and he experimentally licked at part of her cheek, finding the remains of the scent of sushi there and licking her twice more with his rough tongue.

_Play with meeeee…_ he seemed to say as he leapt onto her side and tramped up to her neck, meowing again down at her ear. He lay down on her shoulder, ending up with the rest of his body across her side since she had her hands up near her face.

He wasn't there long, instead rising and going towards her hair to lay in the middle of it and chew on the bits that were sticking up. 3

* * *

><p><span>Sakyo<span> - no meaning

Onizuka - family or surname

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	26. Episode 111 - Games, Sleep, then Recon

**A/N: **Hello once again, Beloved Yu Yu Hakusho Fans!

For those of you who have been waiting for/wanting more of Akari and Kurama, there is a scene that begins towards the end of this chapter and bleeds into the next concerning them exclusively!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Toriko and Akari make-up for their fight,  
>after which Toriko heads home as she still feels weak.<p>

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Akari, and Kurama exchange a pleasant moment of banter outside Kuwabara's apartment.

~!**!~

That night at Toriko's house, Maneshi has a slight cat freak-out  
>and tears around the house madly, ending up sitting upon and chewing on Toriko's hair.<br>It appears his rampage did little in the way of waking the fire demon sleeping on the window sill nearby...

* * *

><p>Hiei had stirred for the briefest of moments sometime when the sun had begun dipping below the horizon. He'd looked outside, checked his surroundings with his Jagan, and then gone right back to sleep again. And he'd stayed that way for a longer time than he'd initially thought he would.<p>

And again, he stirred when the smallest of sound echoed in the room. A single eye opened and glanced around the room, but he saw nothing out of the norm.

So he returned to peaceful slumber.

~!**!~

Akari sat, crosslegged, in front of a television screen, eyes locked and hands gripping the controller tightly. The car on her corner of the screen, only one of four windows, was spinning after being hit with a green shell that she'd yelled at in protest, and she reached beyond the person nearest her and walloped Yusuke on the arm. "You hit me, you moron! What happened to team mates?!"

Kuwabara laughed as his own car passed hers, putting her even further behind in the game. "Too bad you decided to be with the loser!"

"We drew straws, Kuwabara! I was _stuck _with this moron!" _*****_

Everyone's ears perked as the tell-tale sound of a blue shell began overtaking the main music of the track.

Kurama just smiled, watching Kuwabara whom he had just allowed to zoom past him into first place, the blue shell he'd been holding since very early in the race flying away from his own driver and exploding over Kuwabara's kart with a brilliant blue sphere of color.

"Oh no, was that _you, _Kuwabara?" Kurama exclaimed sincerely, "I'm so sorry!"

~!**!~

Toriko stirred disappointedly from her dreamless sleep as the sounds of a "midnight freak-out" pulled her farther from her slumber.

Try as hard as she might to get back under the blanket of fog that had settled heavily over her mind, at every attempt her ears picked up a new sound, until finally the bed was jostled by the tiny body she knew was the perpetrator of all the noise.

She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as they would go, even when she felt his tongue scraping on her skin.

He tromped, he meowed, then he finally settled down for what seemed like a blessed moment, albeit a moment in which he decided chewing on her hair seemed like the best idea.

Unfortunately, she was wide awake now and she let out a sigh and allowed her eyes to open, not expecting the darkness of the room that seemed sudden seeing as how the last thing she remembered was the afternoon light.

Her muscles felt more stiff than before and she only tried stretching them out a bit, groaning a little.

Somehow sensing her awakeness, a pair of eyes blinked from in front of her, their glow reflecting what little light there was in the room.

"Yes, I see you. And I'm not impressed."

Maneshi appeared to frown, his whiskers twitching as he stared unblinkingly at her for another moment before rubbing his face on her cheek and then backing up to lay down across from her face.

"No, I can't play with you right now."

He moved a paw and rested it over her lips.

Toriko narrowed her eyes at him, "This changes nothing." She said through the pad of his foot.

Maneshi got up and stared at her some more, as if wondering why she didn't just rise.

Oh right. _He'd _been made to feel better. But not her.

In that moment of introspection, Toriko managed to shift so that she lay down on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

Maneshi regarded her curiously, then placed a paw on her arm now laying at her side and started to put his weight on it.

Toriko eyed him suspiciously, "Is it not _supposed _to hurt when you do that?"

He retracted and sat on his haunches and Toriko felt apprehensive at the wheels she could almost see turning behind his large eyes.

Getting up again, he tromped over and lay down on the length of her arm, beginning to purr.

Toriko made a face at him, but said nothing, turning back to look at the ceiling. His weight was not _entirely_ uncomfortable. And actually, for that matter, what little warmth she felt from him kind of...sort of...made the arm feel better? 3

Hiei stirred again, this time after a voice moved through the darkness. He took a deep breath that sounded almost like a contented sigh, but it was cut short as a bone cracked from the way he lay in the window. His eyes slid open and he glanced down at his stomach, expecting to see Maneshi, but wasn't surprised by the lack of cat there. He moved, sitting up straighter and let a leg dangle out the window, stretching the muscles in his thigh very easily in doing so.

He glanced over at Toriko, seeing the cat next to the girl, and felt mild amusement creep its way into a small sneer on his face that disappeared for a moment. But he didn't make any indication to the duo that he had awoken, instead resettling back against the frame of the window.

~!**!~

Akari smiled at the screen as her car again began moving along the track, the satisfying sound of the blue shell hitting someone other than her making a small cackle leave her lips as Kuwabara shouted in anger.

"You _always _Win! How?!"

"I bet he cheats."

Akari laughed at the boys, passing both of them, putting her behind the fox as she dropped banana peels, listening with glee as someone hit them and spun out.

"Screw this!"

Several green shells passed her cart, just missing her each time as she passed the finish line, "2nd place!" in large letters across her small screen. "Losers," she said with a laugh.

"You lost too!" They chimed in unison.

"I demand a rematch!" Yusuke growled for the fifth time today. _*****_

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you wanting to _win_, Kuwabara? I did not realize that was a stipulation of our partnership." Kurama did not seem as if he was going to back down from Yusuke's challenge, though in the back of his mind he took note of the late hour and knew he would likely call this his last game. "My apologizes. Let's try it again in that case."

~!**!~

Toriko sighed up at the ceiling, "I know you're trying to be helpful, but you're making my arm fall asleep." She lifted her head for a second to see the two glowing eyes regarding her steadily before laying her head back down on the pillow.

She could feel him purring, the vibrations slightly uncomfortable, but more so than that were the pins and needles of her circulation being stunted.

"Maneshi." She practically growled at him. "Get. Off."

His perked ears and bright expression seemed to say, _But I'm helping!_ and he did not move, hoping she could feel how the warmth was good for her.

Toriko was torn between how painful it would be to actually lift him off-he felt heavier than she remembered-and if it was worth it to just let him stay there. 3

Hiei watched the scene curiously, silently amused that the cat was bothering Toriko, who, while she grumbled at him sleepily, made no effort of moving away from the cat. He waited, wondering if she actually would move away, but when she didn't right away, he himself sighed, sliding from the window and stretching languidly before regarding the pair. Should he help or..?

Nah.

He glanced again at the duo before moving from the room, deciding that his dry throat demanded more attention than anything else.

~!**!~

Akari scoffed at Kurama, glancing at him and then over at the gaping Kuwabara. "Maybe teams should be officially disbanded, to avoid arguments."

"You're just saying that because you're afraid my team will kick your butt!"

"Contrary to your words, Kuwabara, that's not the case. I'd just rather not have to worry about who I _shouldn't _hit."

"You're going to be in last," Yusuke challenged as the countdown began.

"Good luck with that." _*****_

As the race began, it quickly became clear that Kurama had every intention of Kuwabara getting first place, keeping both Yusuke and Akari off of the red-head's kart and summarily keeping himself in second place as well.

With a ring of red shells encircling his kart, he activated another item block and came up with three green shells, unable to stop the small smile that he made.

~!**!~

The pain of the pins and needles grew more than Toriko could bear and she hefted her arm up, Maneshi protesting with a large meow as he was thrown to the side.

Toriko settled back down again after clenching her fingers together several times in an attempt to restore the feeling in her limb.

Without thinking, she returned to her previous position, still sleepily and relatively comfortable again, but within half a minute something bothered her and she woke up again to see that Maneshi had settled back down on her arm.

"Stop," She mumbled, lifting up her arm with the same intentions as before.

This time, Maneshi bit her and her eyes shot open as she rose up in the bed, angrily raising her arm to fling him away.

As she did so, she found that he had latched onto her bandages, his claws imbedded in them and he glared at her from where she held him up off the bed, earning himself a puzzled expression from her.

It didn't really hurt. To have him there. His weight. Her arm had no trouble keeping him there, his weight as inconsequential as always. Her muscle did not spasm, nor did she feel as if it were about to. Granted, any further in and his claws would be doing structural damage to her skin, but they hadn't made it past the wrappings around her arm.

"What...what did you do?" Her mind still addled from the sleep left her with her head tilted to the side and Maneshi glaring at her and refusing to let go. 3

Hiei marched his way down the stairs, arms over his head as he listened to the silence of the house, aside from the girl upstairs. He could almost feel her irritation from here, at the landing at the bottom of the stairs. He turned and looked up, crimson eyes sparkling with amusement before he turned away and looking into the refrigerator for a selection of drinks, including juice and milk, and a bottle of water or two hidden.

He stared at his options, considering, unable to decide between water and juice. His eyes flickered back and forth between them for a few minutes before he decided and reached for the water, since it didn't require finding a glass to drink from. He twisted the lid away from the bottle and put it to his lips, the cold liquid almost freezing his chest as it slid down his throat and settled. He turned and went back up the stairs, slower than his pace when he'd gone back down.

~!**!~

Akari frowned at the screen; she'd started in last, as Yusuke had said she would. But ending in last was not in her objective, so when she earned a red shell, she let it fly, smiling as it struck the boy's cart, sending him into a roar of frustration as she passed by him, giggling.

"You're gonna pay!"

"Only if you can keep up!" she replied, glancing at each player's screen for just a moment, catching Kurama's defenses with a sense of challenge. "You know, you do well in hoarding things, do you know that?" she aimed the question at Kurama, throwing the three green shells she had picked up across the screen in hopes to at least put a dent into them. _*****_

"My natural attraction to shiny objects is the least of your worries." Kurama replied with a smile as he watched her fire the green shells, calculating that at their speed he only needed to move to the right and release pressure on the gas for a second.

Two of the shells shot by him freely, but the third bounced and headed for Kuwabara. Kurama took a moment to set up his own shot and just as the shell grew close enough to be of a concern, he fired a red shell into its path, the two meeting and destroying one another.

~!**!~

"Ge' off." Toriko waved her arm around back and forth once, frowning sleepily.

Maneshi yowled at her as she did so.

"I know. You did _something_. But whatever it was, get off! _Then _we can discuss it."

He didn't appear to want to comply as he glared at her.

"Com'on. Offfff." Toriko practically whined at him, her other arm useless by her side.

More glaring.

"I will smack you into this wall _so hard_ you'll forget how to find your food-bowl." She threatened menacingly.

He seemed nonplussed at her statement, as if such a thing would be impossible to forget. 3

Hiei sauntered up the stairs, slowly entering Toriko's room in time to hear a small growl from Maneshi. He sighed, then took another swig from the bottle and sauntered forward, eyeing the small toy on the floor before he picked up, shaking it and smelling the catnip that filled the air that moved, listening to the small bell that was tied to the tail of the toy mouse, wondering why such a toy would be of use.

~!**!~

Akari wasn't surprised that Kurama got away from her with only losing one shell, but she did smile competitively at the prospect. "Shiny things are very wonderful, aren't they?" she added, dragging three bananas behind her still as she considered her options, going through another mystery box on the track.

The object she earned was only another banana peel, leaving her slightly frustrated because, well, she wanted to win at least once. So she merely launched the other three ahead of her, then let the singular banana peel fall behind her. _*****_

Kurama glanced at the track, choosing not to respond to Akari, as they all four came around the bend for their last lap, Yusuke falling farther behind.

~!**!~

Toriko experimentally shook her arm again, wincing as the movement did jar the rest of her body.

She stopped and stared at Maneshi clinging to her, his eyes dangerous and his ears flat against his skull.

His tail whipped around in the air madly and Toriko could feel that in the moment of pause he scooted his body a bit to try and tighten his grip.

Without thinking, Toriko jerked her arm around violently to her right, snapping Maneshi off of her and sending him flying through the air while she sat there staring at her arm and amazed at how differently it felt from the other one.

For his part, Maneshi expertly twisted himself in mid-air, his eyes taking in the distance and calculating the arc of his trajectory as his body followed his every command.

He ended up retracting his claws as he turned like so much fluid in the air, his feet planting firmly, but briefly onto Hiei's chest and he crouched there, suspended to the side for only a second before he recoiled and launched back towards Toriko.

For her part, Toriko calmly moved her torso backwards so that the riposte of the cat would miss her face, sending him instead to land on the bedspread on all fours, his fur raised as he hissed at her.

"Don't do that again." She responded primly, indicating her arm to him. 3

Hiei stared at the mouse for a few minutes, water bottle just touching his lips as he considered the small object. The scent that rolled from it was a rather odd one, but he supposed it was like a drug to the feline, who had so obviously been playing with it not too long ago.

And the next thing the fire demon knew, the very cat that had torn at this toy was making contact with his chest, and reflexively, he dropped the mouse and hand flew inside his cloak, while the other…

Well…

By the time Maneshi was over by Toriko, water dripped from the fire demon's face, his hair falling in front of his eyes and dripping onto the carpet with the majority of the cold liquid his reflexes had squeezed from the plastic. He even spit a little of it from between his lips, staring forward at the cause of the mess and giving a small huff.

He looked down at the crushed bottle and the wetness on his cloak, and completely gave up. The empty bottle hung by his side, and the only thing he could do was stand there, watching the scene unfold.

~!**!~

Akari frowned as the television screamed "LAST LAP" at the group, Kurama still in utter control from second and Kuwabara still in first, who didn't seem to notice that it was all a part of the fox's plan.

Another mystery box, and three red shells, she threw them across the screen, listening as they honed in on the nearest driver. _*****_

Kurama calmly planted the last two red shells he had behind his kart just as he heard the ones from Akari coming into range. The third was subjected to one of his three green shells and as he approached the next set of item blocks, he switched his driver and his passenger to collect...

...a banana.

~!**!~

As Maneshi's eyes flickered over to Hiei, his fur stood even farther off of his body, his ears going back down over his skull as an ominous silence filled the room.

Toriko caught Maneshi's look and glanced over to see Hiei still standing there. Her good hand snapped up to cover her mouth as her eyes widened and her mouth parted. She got the feeling that whatever had just happened was partially her fault, but it was so hard not to laugh.

"I can get you a towel." She said markedly, forcing the smile behind her hand to go away as she fought off laughing outright. She didn't move as if to actually get the towel though, but the offer hung in the air. 3

Hiei frowned at Toriko, whose entire aura reverberated with amusement that had yet to produce an audible laugh. He glared at the cat, who had bounded off of him. Luckily for Maneshi, it was only water, and he hadn't been holding juice like he had considered, or the other option, where claws could have been involved.

The room's temperature rose as Hiei let his heat energy billow around him, raising an irate brow at Toriko. "No need," he replied simply, the temperature around him continuing to rise, water beginning to turn to steam. "Waste of effort, frankly."

~!**!~

Akari's eyes flickered over each screen, noting how far ahead Kuwabara was from her, but Kurama wasn't near as far. She saw him swap to earn another mystery box, and the image she saw him get made her laugh outright in irony.

And then her object was just what Kurama was likely looking for, but she didn't want to use the blue shell until she knew for sure Kurama wouldn't be the winner. So she held onto it for a bit. _*****_

Kurama sighed audibly, and fired his last two green shells backwards in the hopes that this next block would give him something more-

A green shell. Wonderful.

~!**!~

Toriko's breath caught in her throat a little as she felt rather than saw Hiei's energy wash over the room. If she had been standing, she would have staggered under the wave of heat, but this time her eyes just closed and her hand dropped away from her mouth as she found her lips turning upwards into the small smile that had moments ago threatened to be at Hiei's predicament.

"So that's what you did." She murmured to the cat, who had come up to her thigh and sat down, a paw encouragingly resting on her as she moved her good arm to stroke down his back. 3

Hiei frowned at the girl. What on this plane of existence was she talking about? He let the heat continue to roll off of him, his ruby eyes looking up now at the strands of hair that had been soaked before, now beginning to stand back up in their normal places. As if nothing had happened.

His cloak, however, still felt soaked around his collarbone, so when his hair had dried, he concentrated more on that area, centralizing the wave of heat over his chest, waiting.

And while his energy worked, he glanced back up at Toriko. "Next time, he won't have the chance to bounce away." he said, tone even as if he weren't even threatening the cat.

Of course, there was a very small part of him that didn't mean it.

~!**!~

Akari smiled to herself as she again glanced at each player's screen, waiting until Kuwabara began nearing the finish line before letting the blue shell go, listening as it zoomed across the screen.

"WHY!" Kuwabara bellowed. "EVERY TIME!"

"Sucks to suck, eh?" _*****_

Kurama maneuvered his car in front of Akari and slowed just enough that when he let go of the banana, there was no way to dodge it.

He waiting until just before her kart recovered before firing his last green shell backwards at her to send her spinning off again, buying Kuwabara the time he needed to get his kart back on the track, even though he had to slow his pace again so that he didn't shoot right past his "teammate."

~!**!~

Toriko reached her left hand out to Hiei, eyes still closed, feeling the warmth radiating from him.

"Hiei...come closer." She frowned when the heat did not reach anything further than her palm. 3

Hiei looked back up at Toriko, staring at her for a moment before he realized the amount of relief the heat must have on such tired, sore muscles. He stayed there for a moment, head tilted to the side a bit. He'd just threatened to kill her companion, and she wanted him closer?

He waited another second, analyzing the frown on her face and the fact that his cloak was now only damp.

But he huffed and complied, moving forward to stand about a foot out of her reach, letting his energy wash over the room entirely, though his eyes flashed to the cat who still stood behind her. "Still just as hopeless."

~!**!~

Akari frowned at the screen, her kart spinning. And again, when the second strike hit her, this time making a small growl of protest. "Oh, _now _we're playing on teams!" She grumbled, reaching to her left and giving a small shove on his shoulder, making him knock into Yusuke. "You're about as indecisive as a human woman," she grumbled as Kuwabara crossed the finish line, Kurama, and then Yusuke next, leaving her last. "Jerk."_*****_

"Did I not imply that my purpose was for Kuwabara to win?" Kurama's eyes twinkled, but his face remained steady. "I thought for sure I implied very heavily that I intended for him to win this match."

~!**!~

"Mrrrowl!" Maneshi responded to Hiei eagerly, his face perking up even more at the mention of the word. Very hopeless. Yes. Need to be more hopeless. Right now.

Toriko could feel as he came closer that his heat enveloped more of her body, and almost on instinct she moved her legs over the side of the bed and started to get up, her hand still reaching out to him, drawn towards him on some level underneath her consciousness that she didn't fully control. 3

Hiei stood there, not moving any closer nor moving any further from where he stood, eyeing the cat that suddenly seemed very, very happy to be called by "hopeless". But he ignored Maneshi and turned back to Toriko, watching her expression curiously. She seemed almost as if she wanted him to continue to get closer, something he didn't want to do. Why, he didn't know.

"Feel better yet?"

~!**!~

Akari huffed and tossed the controler to the side, onto the nearest cushion that had fallen from the bed and onto the floor."Welp, I think," she glanced over at Yusuke, or rather, on the opposite side of the boy, on the floor. Nabu was curled up, snoring lightly.

"I think I better get going." she finally finished, stretching her arms above her head and legs out in front of her. She hadn't realized just how late it was. "Nabu's had a long day," she joked. _*****_

"I was thinking the same thing." Kurama began, "In regards to ending my stay here." He turned to address Kuwabara as he stood up, "My thanks for entertaining us. And putting us up for the night." He added.

~!**!~

Hiei's question jolted Toriko back to the present and she opened her eyes to find herself standing in front of him. She quickly dropped her hand, thankful that she hadn't accidentally kept going as she was aiming for chest level. She figured he'd gotten enough of that for one night.

She only nodded to answer his question, her head dropping a little bit as the heat kept washing over her. Her eyes closed to half-mast as she felt herself relaxing, basking in the warmth he projected outwards. 3

Hiei raised a singular brow at Toriko, who physically relaxed, shoulders slumping and eyes closing, every single muscle seeming to relax for the first time he'd seen them that way in days. He eyed the hand she had outstretched to him and the distance left between it and his chest. And he didn't mind all of the sudden.

And he stood there, letting the heat slowly rise until he figured it was borderline uncomfortable, at which point he let it thrum throughout the room at a steady rate. Much like a heartbeat.

~!**!~

Akari stood and sauntered over to Nabu, gently tapping his head to gain his attention, but he didn't even twitch an ear. She sighed and scooped her hands underneath his body, supporting his weight in her arms easily. "Kuwabara, tell your sister I said thanks for, uh.." she glanced down at the outfit she still wore, "the help." She turned and picked up her outfit that she'd been wearing the night her and Kurama had ended up taken, not checking for the small seed she still wondered if was there. "And for anything else."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm gonna stay, cuz I wanna kick your butt in tekken!"

"You're on!"

Akari smiled and turned to walk through the apartment and to the door, taking that as her cue to leave. _*****_

Kurama fell in step beside Akari as she left, enjoying the night air, his own clothing from the night before held in one arm.

"A good day, all said and done." He pronounced quietly as a breeze lifted through his hair.

~!**!~

Maneshi murrled and jumped quietly from the bed to the floor, winding himself between Toriko's ankles in a figure eight pattern before going over and doing the same once to Hiei, disappearing underneath the hem of the cloak and coming out the other side. He paused to look up at Toriko, who appeared to be enjoying this as much as he, he compared her to a stone statue that did not seem keen to move any time soon, then rubbed his head on Hiei's ankle again, starting to purr at him. 3

Hiei looked down at the cat that rubbed on him, though only seeing him occasionally as his body wove from under and out of his cloak. He looked up again at Toriko, suddenly closing his hands on her shoulders and walking her backwards, until she was sitting on the bed again. "That's enough for today," he grumbled, letting his energy slowly recede back into his body, the warmth of the room slowly, as slowly as the breeze moving in from outside, seeped away.

After all, he knew that if she took in too much energy at once, recover too rapidly, she could end up lightheaded, even unconscious.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small nod once, the cool breeze calming the excitement from the day's gaming that had settled as a red shade on her cheeks. "Is this something you guys do often?" she asked curiously, eyes remaining forward. _*****_

"As often as possible." Kurama allowed, pausing before going on, "Which isn't as often as I'm sure they would like. At least not for me." He chuckled, "I can only image they're up as often as Kuwabara will allow, accounting for school work and all."

~!**!~

Toriko opened her green eyes and regarded Hiei thoughtfully before shaking her head a little.

"It is not your energy." She tentatively reached up and rested her fingertips against one of the wrists that had forced her back and down. She could feel even through the sleeves of the cloak how much warmth his skin radiated naturally. "It is your heat." 3

Hiei didn't make to walk away from Toriko, since his heat energy was still slowly pulsing through the room, albeit at a quieter rate and slowing even more by the minute. His head tilted to the side at her words, understanding what she meant, but still considering the moment. He could let his energy pulsate dully through the room, if he so wished, but how long would it take before the relief was just enough to get her back to how she needed to be?

He pulled away, letting his heat continue to roll through the room. But, he found himself wishing he still had water on hand, so he turned to leave the room for a moment, not caring if she followed or not, since the heat would be leaving with him while he went in search of another water bottle…

Almost tripping on Maneshi, who continued to move around his ankles, as he went.

~!**!~

"Hm. Too bad," Akari commented, smiling as Nabu shifted just a little in her arms, making her shift her hold on him and her outfit again. "It's a wonder they don't get mad enough at one another to break something," she mused, referring to their tempers and extremely loud behaviours, their rambunctious personalities.

"And… Shizuru?" she suddenly asked, remembering the woman's name only in that moment. "She's pretty… uh.. insightful? Does she do anything?" _*****_

"I believe she has not been told, but I would bet she could easily master Reikibuki. And at a much faster rate than Kuwabara. A high spiritual awareness seems to run in their family, but she has it more than even Kuwabara does." Kurama thought of her wielding an energy sword and the thought actually made him glad to have her on the human side. A few years earlier and _she _might have been the Spirit Detective of Human World.

~!**!~

Toriko watched him go from where she sat on the bed, visibly leaning forward as his warmth left her, but she did not want to move and leaned back again, a little sigh escaping her mouth as she ruefully watched Maneshi make no hesitation in following the ...demonic radiator.

The relaxation his momentary presence had afforded made Toriko's head droop and she started to fall back asleep where she sat.

Maneshi, as soon as Hiei was out of the bedroom door, leapt up onto the fire demon's shoulders and spread out there, any former thoughts of threats completely gone from his mind. 3

Hiei walked briskly down the stairs, only glancing at the cat on his shoulders with a small glare, still only a bit upset about the water incident. It had been a waste of an entire water bottle. It didn't take him long to reach the fridge, grab the last bottle he could immediately see, and with a single twist had the bottle open and to his lips as he turned and walked back up the stairs without a pause.

So when he returned to Toriko's room, her eyes drooped shut, the heat returned in the room with him, and he only stood there, watching her as he continued to drink from the bottle, downing half of it in a matter of a few seconds.

~!**!~

Akari nodded in understanding, not surprised. After all, the one time Akari had been addressed by the girl, she'd easily picked up on the turmoil she'd felt about the situation, and Akari still couldn't shake the feeling that the moment had given her; slightly nervous about being so easily read and rather curious at the same time.

She stayed quiet as they continued to walk underneath the street lights, the sidewalk oddly empty aside from the two of them. Normally even a human or three would pass by at this time. Perhaps it was because of the cloud cover that there wasn't anyone around.

"Well," she finally spoke up, pausing just before the street corner where she'd have to turn to head home, "I suppose I'll see you in class."

The mere thought of class suddenly put a damper on her mood.

"Maybe no one will be kidnapped over the next few days," she grumbled, more to herself than him, before turning to walk around the corner. _*****_

At her words, Kurama seriously considered offering to walk her home just to be sure, but had she been truly nervous she would not have said it like she had, so he let her go and continued in the direction of his own home, thinking that at this late of an hour he was likely going to be able to slip in and upstairs unnoticed.

~!**!~

Maneshi purred in Hiei's ear without restraint, his tail curling upwards and back down over the fire demon's shoulder with a steady rhythm. He butted his head against the side of Hiei's face, his eyes opening only slightly to see that Toriko was not quite asleep yet. She almost raised her head at Hiei's reentry, but by the looks of things she would soon be asleep. And a very good sleep too, Maneshi could tell. 3

Hiei crossed the room, twisting the lid onto the bottle as he approached the window, pulling it closed and latching it. Then he moved and simply sat in a chair in the room, not really tired enough to go back to sleep just yet. Especially with a loudly purring cat in his ear.

He got comfortable in the chair quickly, his eyes looking around the room, inspecting every inch of it almost as if there were secrets he had yet to discover, or anything of the sort. But it was just a room, and he was sitting in just another chair. He glanced at Maneshi, all irritation gone as he reached up and pat him once on the head. Again, he found himself wondering how he'd gotten into the situation of watching over both girl and cat.

~!**!~

Akari wandered the rest of the way home, eyes on her surroundings just in case, actually passing a few humans on her way. A couple watched her, taking note of her out of place-ness in the late night, but passed by her all the same.

And when she did reach home, she walked through the front door, locked it behind her, and then sat on the couch, Nabu still in her embrace. She unfolded the jeans in her hand and sifted through the front pockets, finding the seed she had inadvertently stolen from the fox demon. "And how on _earth _did he not notice?"

"_Who?" _Nabu's sleepy voice asked, but with the twitch his paw gave, she knew he wasn't really awake. _*****_

~!**!~

Maneshi thrummed happily into Hiei's ear for a moment longer before standing and jumping down to the floor, walking curiously over to Toriko.

He lifted himself onto his back legs and balanced himself against the edge of the bed with one paw, reaching for her knee with the other, his expression wanting to know if she felt any better.

Toriko's eyes opened a little as he gently pawed at her and she reached over with a sleepy smile and rubbed her hand over her head between his ears which flattened apart as she did so.

He made the last tiny leap and ended up in her lap where she leaned back a little to give him room, one of her hands going behind her to keep her up while the other stroked his fur.

Despite all of the sleep she had gotten that day, none of it had been restful, given the fits her muscles would wake her with. This time, though, much of that pain was gone, especially from her limbs from where she stood in front of Hiei for a bit. It felt...nice.

"I'm okay." She mumbled as Maneshi reached his head up to her face, his nose and whiskers twitching questioningly at her. 3

Hiei watched Maneshi move to Toriko, not moving anything to say that he had any intention of getting up as well. He simply listened, watched, curiously. At the words Toriko said to Maneshi, he decided to let his heat pulsate just a bit more through the room, keeping it a nice, constant, warm temperature since it seemed to be helping.

Why hadn't he thought of it earlier?

Oh well. It was helping now, and that was all that even remotely mattered. He stretched his legs out, propping his ankles up on the nearest surface, which just so happened to be the end of the bedpost. But it wasn't comfortable, so he let his feet fall to the ground once more, getting cozier into the chair. _*****_

It didn't take much longer for Toriko to realize sitting was not as comfortable as she wished for it to be, and Maneshi hopped out of her lap as she pulled her legs up onto the bed and turned over to her side to lay down. He joined her again, cat-attack over for the night, curling up near the arms that she pulled up by her face. They both fell asleep this way, and fairly quickly too. 3

~!**!~

The last few days had been, in the most basic way of saying so, boring. A bit stressful since Akari had ended up so far behind, she'd had to stay behind several instances for lectures. And, quite honestly, she hadn't minded. It wasn't like anything was going on at the moment anyway, and frankly, she enjoyed a couple of the classes.

Today, though, she'd ended up actually catching up in class, actually keeping up now that, even in math, she'd learned all that she needed to in order to associate symbols she didn't know with ones she did know. And between classes, she'd been set on getting through the crowded halls without instance, but she'd ended up, somehow, talking to Botan on the rooftop.

One thing lead to another, and, well, here she was, standing in Koenma's office, in front of the desk the small prince sat at.

"As I'm sure you realize, since those two are out taking care of _that_, you two are my only option for this. Hiei simply won't do, because he'd act too rashly, since he's taken it upon himself to care for Toriko."

"So...Recon?" _*****_

Catching up had been a matter of spending the time to do so for Kurama. Getting papers finished and turned in. Doing the backlog of homework that had cropped up. As he had not planned on being away for _quite _so long, he was not as far ahead in his assignments that it did not take a couple solid hours for him to finish the busy work.

In any case, he almost huffed to himself for he had not yet had the time to get ahead and as he stood here in Koenma's office he seriously considered the notion that he should have _made _the time.

"Yes. Recon." Koenma repeated, unsure if he particularly cared for Akari to sum it up with such a word, but knowing it fit. "I don't expect you to find anything game-changing, but it needs to be done and I have my people here wrapped up in their own business for the time being." He cleared his throat, "You are also _not_, as I'm sure you may have guessed, to engage the enemy until we know more."

Kurama did not turn his eyes from Koenma, but he did look peripherally at Akari to gauge her reaction. He assumed that she, along with himself, still had no access to her demonic energy. He also assumed that Koenma knew this and had intentionally given them recon work as it was likely to be the least difficult thing the toddler could offer them.

"The building where you found Toriko. The cave in which you were held. And one new location. You're to scout them out and report back your findings to me." Koenma leaned forward to hand Kurama a slip of paper with the addresses on them. "And no fighting, you two! We cannot afford any mishaps with this mission." 3

Akari listened, giving a brief nod at the prince to show she understood the _no fighting _policy on this one. Quite frankly, she hadn't planned on fighting unless something _absolutely _called for it, since she'd been toying with her energy lately and still had nothing. DIdn't know if it was the same with Kurama, but figured that since she couldn't exactly _feel _his demonic energy next to her, it had to be at least similar to when it had first happened.

"Got it," she said as the prince repeated himself, her eyes moving to look at the paper Kurama retrieved, not catching the addresses before it was out of her immediate sight. She glanced at Kurama, then turned to leave, knowing Botan would be the one to get them out of this world and where they needed to be._*****_

"I must admit," Kurama started, "I do not remember much of this place or what happened in it. Still."

The two of them were staring up at the tall building before them, the large metal doors an imposing sight to behold. 3

Akari let out a slow breath through her nose as she stared at the building, her mind a complete contrast to Kurama's. "Well," she began, but couldn't think of anything to say other than, "It _was _Toriko's power. Energy like that can do that, y'know. There's even a moment I don't remember completely."

And it was true. There was a moment where she knew she had been called forward, but between then and when she receded into her own illusion, she remembered only a small bit of talking to Hiei. That was about it. "Let's get this over with," she grumbled, reaching forward and pushing the doors open. Inside, as she had figured it would be, the building was dark.

But it still smelled slightly of charred remains and… blood. It was obvious there were no windows to air out this place, meaning the smell had been simply cooking in the summer air for the past week or so. _*****_

"Abandoned, then." Kurama couldn't help his face squinting a bit as they stepped inside. "Not that I expected any less with no cautionary from Koenma."

He went a bit farther, his eyes letting him see the entire room what with the doors remaining open behind them. Rectangular shaped. Closed off. Concrete floor.

"Is everything still here as you left it?" Kurama called out. 3

Akari meandered inside, nose wrinkled at the leftover smell that told her what Kurama had just observed. She wanted to wander further inside, but there was no need to. She could see every bit of the room, unlike the first time she'd been in here.

But, was it the same? She glanced around, even up at the ceiling.

"Yes." She finally responded, noting the ropes that still hung from the beams overhead, the fan still turning slowly. Even the remains were still in place, left behind like a chew toy that no longer squeaked. "You know, I at least thought he'd clean up after himself," she mused, eyes again training up at the place where Hiei had taken Toriko down. "Ready to leave when you are." _*****_

"If he was not actually here, then I can't see him wanting to leave safety to do so." Kurama let his eyes rove the room from top to bottom and he sighed, wishing not for the first time that day that he had access to his energy so he could make a complete sweep. "I suppose there is nothing left to do here." He turned away and shook his head, thinking that Koenma had better not wanted them to be any more thorough without the use of their energy. 3

Akari nodded, finding the truth behind Kurama's words to be one she should have recognized before speaking on it. She herself considered cleaning it up, but the building was just so far away that it wouldn't matter. The doors took a sufficient amount of strength to open, and it was just standing in the middle of nowhere. No humans were likely to come out here. Not for anything.

At his words of continuing on, Akari turned to leave the building altogether as well, shutting the doors behind them before they turned and made their way across the greater distance into the wooded area outside of town, in search for the tunnels she and Kurama had both been carried from. And surprisingly, the walk didn't take as long as she had thought it would, and in no time at all, they were in the darkness of the cave, flashlights in hand, the beam shining through the room and piercing the darkness that still felt weighed down.

Or perhaps it was her reaction to being underground. She didn't know. _*****_

"I don't remember seeing much after the barrier came down." Kurama admitted here again as well. "In fact, other than the people, it seemed rather barren, though I didn't have long to look."

Their path was straightforward, bending downwards farther into the earth at some point. They made their way carefully as the path was not beaten, but rocky and full of ruts and stones that impeded their progresses.

Eventually the tunnel opened up around them, the ceiling rising higher as they stepped into a cavern.

Kurama let his light shine up and across the room, leading it back down to follow the wall as it met with the ground directly across from them. That's where he assumed they had been held and he made his way around boulders and the like to the area. 3

"Well, that's pretty much how it was, really. You didn't miss much," Akari replied to Kurama, a hand in her pocket as she walked, her feet scuffling just a little to endure she didn't lose footing. And as they walked, she realized just how quick she must have fallen asleep once the others had gotten there, making it easier for her mind to accept that there wasn't any danger. Odd, how it had worked that way.

And as they stepped into the cavern, her light followed the walls, looking in each "corner" of the room, which really was just rounded upwards rocks and dirt, which explained why she had never actually touched the ceiling when searching for cameras, which obviously hadn't ever been there. After a few minutes, her light shone on impressions in the dirt, where her and Kurama had sat, lay, or shifted around during their stay. "You know, we only stayed overnight, but it felt like a week," she grumbled, remembering just how slow time had passed.

"Wait, did you bring cards this time?" She joked, her light continuing to rove over the cavern, eyes following the beam. _*****_

Kurama chuckled, "I thought they might be too distracting this time around. I should come up with some plant that grows a deck of cards just in case of any future capture with a compatriot that might occur."

He picked up nothing around them, no sign that anyone had been here any more recently than they, again wishing he could reach out and scan with more than just his eyes or his nose.

"If you haven't found anything, I think we're done here." He lifted his light to search for her. 3

Akari regarded the footprints in the room carefully, her light staying trained on the floor as she analyzed the scuff marks where she'd spun to her feet when the barrier had come down, the place where Kurama had walked to her side, then fallen. The places where Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan had stood, all crying their eyes out. The place where Otento and two other demons had stood.

Each place was undisturbed, aside from trails that bugs had made across them. By the time Kurama spoke up, she had already decided that nothing was out of the ordinary. "Yeah. Let's skidaddle," she commented, blinking at the light Kurama turned back on her. Sure, it wasn't right in her eyes, but she still felt as if it were. She turned her own light towards him, glancing at him momentarily before turning it around to the tunnel's opening and continuing out they way they had come. "As for your card plant idea, it won't do any good if the enemy can suppress your energy. Kinda pointless." _*****_

As the started to walk out, Kurama continued the conversation.

"Well, I would have to make a few adjustments, certainly. If the plant could be activated by, say, water instead of my manipulating it with energy." He smiled, "If I can't even spit on a seed, my problems are probably big enough that I would not be worrying after my boredom." 3

A small laugh bubbled from Akari's lips at the mental image of Kurama, who was about as proper as a demon could be, spitting on a seed. "I would pay to see that, mister _prim and proper_." Of course, she was teasing. She got quiet again as they continued walking, the odd mental image still burned to the forefront of her mind, nagging at her, not leaving.

And by the time they were out in the sun again, she was almost sure she would be scarred by the image for eternity. _*****_

"There are many things one might do to stave off boredom, don't you think so?" He smiled pleasantly as they stepped out into the sun. He fished the paper out of his pocket and passed it to Akari. "Last stop. We'll have to be more careful there I'm sure." 3

Akari smiled in response, but otherwise didn't say anything about his remark.. She turned off the flashlight and continued carrying it down by her side, her other hand retrieving the paper with the coordinates on it for their next location. She studied it, memorized it, then passed the paper back to Kurama. "Let's just hope it's as barren as the last two places." She turned, glancing around herself before taking her fist and actually knocking on a tree, abiding by the human superstition of "knocking on wood".

And then she continued about their way to the place where Koenma had described a rather large, two-story, run down factory. _*****_

"If they've been using their teleporter as a main means of transportation, I imagine there will be few tracks leading to or from the facility. If any." Kurama noted as the got closer and stopped, still behind cover. 3

Akari nodded, standing behind the cover of trees as she analyzed the windows, looking for moving silhouettes. No matter how long she stood there, she didn't see anything out of place. Vines had grown up the sides of the brick, the broken windows were replaced with cobwebs, spiders still spinning webs here and there. She wanted to get closer, to move to another angle, to do something to get a better view.

"I'm circling," she said quietly, not waiting for a reply before making her way through the trees, staying in the shadows, eyes on the building as she moved around to the back of the building. _*****_

Kurama nodded, his eyes staying on the windows and doors as she moved off. He saw no change in the upper rooms as she began to move, and no indication there was in fact anything within the bottom floor either.

There had to be a reason Koenma thought there might be something here and so Kurama continued searching for the signs.

His eyes moved to the main doors, but he could see no one had disturbed them in a long time, and that alarmed him more than anything. It very well could mean that the ones they were searching for did in fact hold base camp at this location. 3

As Akari continued, her feet moving slowly, she realized that the place was quiet. Not the kind of quiet that meant it was safe but…

There were no birds nearby. Her eyes turned to the trees, seeing a lone squirrel looking down at her before running to hide. _This could be bad._ Her eyes turned back to the building, her body having stopped moving at the realization of the utter silence. She had hunkered down for the moment, eyes searching again and again for any signs of movement. Again, none.

She continued, realizing her energy being sealed away was exactly what was needed in this situation. Her steps were as silent as could be, avoiding all sticks and the like as she found herself staring at the back entrance to the building.

A single door hung, barely attached at the hinges, open and moving with the wind. Wooden, and it creaked with disuse. She frowned, crouching even lower in the brush as she waited on Kurama, knowing he would likely circle around to meet her after his own search of the place.

If this was where Otento was hiding, she didn't want to stick around much longer. _*****_

Kurama waited until Akari disappeared from sight before he began moving around the other side of the building, eyes constantly keeping tabs of the area around him, but hearing and seeing no changes.

"Nothing." He said in a low voice, looking at her questioningly, though he expected a similar answer. 3

Akari glanced to her right as Kurama appeared, then turned her eyes back to the hanging door, the broken windows, still searching for any sign of movement. "No," she replied quietly, then turned to the trees. "But that's the unsettling part. Not even any birdsong."

She took a deep breath, glancing back to the building. "I guess the only way to know is to… go inside…" Her stomach rolled at the thought, especially since her energy was locked away still, meaning if things got bad for whatever reason, she wouldn't be able to help in getting away as easily. "He wanted recon. I guess we can't go back without knowing for sure…" she said as she began moving forward a bit more, slowly as she could, listening. _*****_

Kurama knew by the looks of the door that nothing had gone in or out of it in a long time either.

If the demons they sought truly were inside, they were in trouble already. He did not think they would hesitate to capture them a second time.

But he felt as if they needed to know for sure, otherwise Koenma sending them out there would be for nothing should they return with a simple "don't know" in regards to the location.

He knew Akari would be able to more easily slip into the opening of the door without setting off any alarm. She would be able to faster remove herself as well. If she saw nothing at first, he would go inside as well.

Kurama followed her, eyes and ears open. 3

Akari slowly moved forward, her feet making no noise as her eyes surveyed every inch of the building the closer she got. Part of the building looked weak, as if it could fall if hit just right, and she found herself making mental note, just in case. And as she moved forward, she found no sounds inside the building immediately. No sign of another being having traipsed through.

So she glanced around inside the hallway that had several rooms lining it, realizing just how many rooms this building must have. And, after her brief pause in the doorway, she continued forward, now standing upright, spine straight and ears twitching in the silence as the wind made small sounds, such as a whistle, through the place.

Her eyes turned to the first room, finding nothing out of the norm. Old mechanisms that were rusted, unused for decades it seemed. She turned to the right, seeing a closed door with a broken viewing window. Again, no one, and many rusted machines.

She glanced back at Kurama, silently telling him all seemed clear, before turning and continuing down the hall, seeing more and more empty rooms. The hall branched to the right ahead, but for the moment, she didn't consider going too far, even though the stairs looked rather tempting to explore. _*****_

Kurama came inside after her, no longer apprehensive about an approach from behind them and more concerned about what lay ahead.

He still heard nothing that might give away someone as being there, and while he may have previously lamented not having access to his demonic energy, he knew now that even if he was capable of using it, it would have been at this time that he masked it anyway for fear of a sweep being used to find _him _rather than the other way around.

Kurama crept up behind Akari and placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, motioning that he was going to take the right side of the hallway.

"If either of us are found, might as well shout." He murmured just as softly as he could, moving away from her. 3

Akari paused when Kurama's hand touched her shoulder, pulling her to a stop briefly as he spoke. She nodded once, glancing at the left side of the fork in the hall, not minding that he'd chosen. She could almost bet that the right led straight to the front of the building anyway, close to the front doors, and the left… well, she'd just have to see.

As he moved away, she did as well, turning left and surveying the number of rooms she had to look into before it again branched off. A total of eight rooms to inspect, and she didn't want to waste any time, so she cautiously began walking forward, carefully leaning in to look into the first room.

It was empty, save for a single table in the center. Cards on the surface, along with bottles, none of which had dirt on them, she realized. She glanced back at Kurama, but turned and decided to go on anyway, wanting to make sure they wouldn't leave here without definitive answers.

The next room was larger, and even had a door to another room in the far wall. Curious, she stepped inside, looking around at the lab tables that were set up, covered in dirt and insects of all kinds. _*****_

As soon as Kurama went to the right, the hall made a left turn and he paused. Every single room in the hallway, four on either side, had their door closed.

Alarm bells had been going off in his head since they stepped foot in the building and he heaved an inaudible sigh.

Of _course _every door was going to be closed. Closed doors were more likely to have people behind them.

Kurama crouched, the first two doors on either side preceded by a line of windows and he slipped past them, hearing nothing from either room and moving to the next set, pausing at both to listen for any hint of sound. 3

Akari slowly moved through the room, finding no evidence of anyone having been in this area, aside from perhaps the door that was only ajar across the room. And as she moved closer, she saw that the room inside was darkened, and her hand very lightly rested on the door, palm spread against the wood, and slowly pushed it open to peer carefully inside. Nothing.

She took a deep breath, and turned to move away, but something wasn't right. Something made alarms go off in her head. She glanced around, searching for the source, and was at first glad that there wasn't one.

But her eyes zeroed in on the floor, realizing her footsteps were not tracked in on any dirt or debris. She glanced at the open door behind her, suddenly realizing it had opened without a single sound, as if it had been used when no other door had been.

She stopped breathing, listening to the silence. What had gotten her attention?

_There._

She could just make out footsteps, and she could tell by the amount of sound and the direction they came from that it was not Kurama.

"Come on, at least go for the _good ones." _a voice grumbled, and Akari was slipping inside the door she'd just opened, sliding it shut until it remained ajar, just as she'd found it.

"There _are_ no good ones here. Only hikers."

"The scrawny ones aren't very satisfying, you know."

_Three. _There were at least three demons, but none of their voices were familiar. _*****_

After this next set of doors, Kurama was going to have to turn around. The hall ended in a wall. He wondered if they were going to have to check upstairs after they rejoined.

The door on the right proved no more fruitful than any of the others, but the left one was not entirely closed and Kurama examined the area. He saw no footprints leading to the door, but why was it open, even if just this crack?

The others appeared undisturbed, and the fact that this one was opened caused Kurama to lightly press a finger onto it.

The door swung inward more easily than an old one should have and Kurama slipped inside, standing up to survey the room.

Nothing stood out to him immediately, though he didn't exactly expect demons to leave the bones of their victims strew about if they had any sort of intelligence.

Unfortunately, he also knew there was someone here, his ears perking for any trace of where they might be coming from. They were watching him, waiting to see what he would do, much like he waited to see how they would respond.

He had to know. Had to know if this was the place their demon nested.

"I know you're there. And you know I'm here. Why not show yourself and get it over with?" 3

Akari waited in the darkened supply closet, listening, her back against the wall and a hand still on the door to keep it from shutting entirely.

And the footsteps got closer, then stopped. Silence ensued for a few minutes, though she figured the demons were still in the hallway. Her breathing was small, just about as quiet as she could make it without holding her breath entirely, knowing demon hearing was much better than a human's.

"You smell that?"

"You mean dirt and human, right?"

"Moron!"

A sound as someone was hit, a dull thud on skin that sounded thick. A frown pulled her lips down. She hadn't thought of her own scent.

"I do now."

Silence. Akari, still trying to figure out if these demons were who she needed to avoid entirely or not, moved further from the door, but kept an eye on the light that filtered through the opening. And the silence seemed to stretch for several minutes, though she knew they hadn't left yet. Even the dumbest of demons knew when they weren't alone once they found a smell to follow.

Her eyes moved behind her as she backed into the opposite wall, feeling something metal jab into her back and make a very small sound. She grabbed the handle, hearing the footsteps move towards the closet.

And as soon as that door opened, she opened the one behind her, turning and dashing to the next room to avoid a knife that had been thrown at her.

"HEY!" _*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	27. Episode 112 - Finish Recon, Fast-Forward

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of FF!

Over half of this chapter is a continuation of that scene with Akari/Kurama. Then we do a little time skip of a week after they finish their mission!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Yes, Akari, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke were all playing Mario Kart that last chapter.

~!**!~

Through Maneshi's hard work, Hiei discovers that heat assists Toriko's taunt muscles.

~!**!~

A few days later, Akari and Kurama get called in by Koenma to do a bit of recon work.  
>They manage to stay out of trouble at first, but the last location they scout out ends up with the two of them in delicate situations...<p>

* * *

><p>"You sssssmell sssso very weak."<p>

Kurama felt like the voice came from the entire room around him, but he also knew it belonged to a much lower class demon than he.

"I am. Terribly weak." He responded.

The voice hissed at him, but nothing more happened and Kurama knew it was a C Class. Anything lower would have taken him at his word, attacking instantly without considering that he could have been lying.

"He isssss ssssmart."

"Much like yourself." Kurama's eyes never stopped roaming the room. He did not neglect the ceiling either, but there was plenty of light coming in through a higher window that allowed him to deduce that this demon was not one that could likely be _seen_.

"Are you alone? I wish to join you if your group is not too large."

More hissing.

"He doessss not look like usssss."

"I got caught eating a human a day ago and had to flee with nothing more than the clothes on my back. There is strength in numbers." Kurama started to move slowly around the perimeter of the room. 3

Akari moved to the next room, turning to face the demons who filed in after her, her hands up in surrender. "Now, hold on," she began, voice even. She took in their appearances, the largest being in the middle, about the size of a boar demon. The other two were of average height and weight, both with slitted eyes and touch skin. "I did not mean to tresspass," she continued, making sure her hands were up as the demon on the furthest right held knives in his hands, ready to throw.

"Then why did you come here?" This voice, she hadn't heard yet. It was gravelly, only more than a mere rumble.

"I was searching for a place to stay for the day, so I could get some rest. I'm sure you know what it's like here for us demons. Especially with the Spirit Detective and all."

Each demon reacted a different way. The largest gave a full-body jerk, and then his skin positively took on the color of boiling rage. The demon on the right growled low, helping her deduce that, with his ears and tail, he was indeed a feline-like breed. Perhaps close to a jaguar or panther. The one on the left laughed, tossing his head of purple hair back.

"That little human fool? You cain't be scared of him!"

"But look, she's so weak. Even in that shirt, you can see scars."

Akari stared at the middle demon, smiling. "He's a pain in the butt, that I can say. He's been on my tail for the past week. Only lost him yesterday."

The largest demon stepped forward, his bare foot scuffling across the tile. "You're lying."

"I wouldn't be here if I were." _*****_

The demon hissed a laugh between his teeth.

"He issss nothing if he getsss caught."

"I got away. Unscathed." Kurama pointed out, still slowly moving around.

"Hiss essscape isss nothing. Humansss are sssstupid."

Kurama said nothing.

"And ssssso are you. You will die!"

Kurama grabbed for the exacto knife on the table in front of him and in the next second flung it at the wall across the room from him, already reaching for another one that had laid next to the first.

A portion of the wall started to shimmer as hissing and moaning and curses filled the room.

The camouflage around the demon slid away to reveal what most humans would have associated with a chameleon standing upright on its back legs, the exacto knife sticking out of its conical eye and still moving around as the demon reached for it with both hands.

In the instant the knife hit the demon, two others sprung out of the walls at him, the closer one grabbing at his shoulders.

Kurama wielded the knife through its thin outer layer of skin up the belly the demon exposed to him, quickly grabbing for its shoulder with his free hand and flinging the dying body at its other brethren that still came at him from the left. 3

"_**You're Lying!"**_ This time, when the creature yelled, the walls shook, and his comrades reacted, one throwing knives and the other throwing some sort of attack that she didn't see right away, too busy dodging to fully comprehend what he had done.

She maneuvered about the desks in the room, much like a dancer would their obstacles, and moved for the door, only for the largest demon to charge, quite literally slamming into the wall next to her as he missed, both cutting off her route and taking the door with him, making various forms of debris fall.

She turned and jumped, instead, through the glass that had acted as a barrier to the next room, knives following on each side as she landed and spun, catching another that had been thrown just before it had passed and returning it with a mighty growl, satisfied when it hit the demon closest to her, the one who she hadn't known of his attacks.

"C class?" she asked conversationally, a smile forming on her face as she took a few steps back, preparing for the second smallest demon, who had apparently thrown his whole arsenal already. His fist flew at her, and her arm came up in a rather instinctive move, Sensui's signature MMA defense, and she tossed his arm to the side, her own elbow colliding with his face with a sickening crunch, his nose breaking.

He let out a cry of pain that made her ears ring, the sound echoing in the room almost as if it got louder with each vibration. She winced, but dodged his attack and glanced at the larger demon, who she was glad to see still on the floor in the other room. "Your scars are very pretty," the demon snickered, a hand closing around her arm in the single instance she'd looked away. "Can I add to the collection?" His other hand swung another dagger, and she avoided as best as possible, only earning a small knick to her side before she headbutted him and then kicked at his stomach as he stumbled, sending him back into the other room. _*****_

The demon had been unsuccessful in removing the object from his eye, but he hissed angrily and charged at Kurama anyway, barreling through the handful of tables in the way, his good eye trained on the red-head while the other still twitched wildly in all directions.

Kurama heard the demon coming rather than saw, as he had just finished tossing the second one at the third, sending them falling to the ground one atop the other.

He leapt gracefully overhead just as the first slammed into the table and crushed it against the wall where Kurama had been standing moments before, turning back to see the chameleon whirl around and snap open its mouth, sending its tongue flying across the room.

Kurama dodged to the right and the tongue stuck to a piece of broken machinery behind him. Before the demon could retract it, Kurama flipped a lever and a crushing mechanism caught the tongue, the demon crying out in pain.

The other live one ducked under the tongue and came at Kurama's legs. Kurama made a quick slice through the tongue, his knife staying stuck to it, and he circled the freed demon twice before it could react, ending up with the tongue as a rope pinning its arms to its sides, using a flick of his wrist to free the knife once he had things wrapped up.

"I usually leave the knife-fights to Hiei." He commented lightly, tossing the knife in his hand almost absently at the chameleon who already had one knife in an eye, aiming for its heart that he had spotted the location of when he'd slit the belly of the one lying dead on the floor.

He kept looking at the live demon wrapped up, not flinching as the other fell over.

This last demon trembled, eyes roving anxiously around the room.

"I don't _want _to kill you, understand?" He said calmly.

The demon nodded, clearly intimidated as Kurama noted a bit of gore on his otherwise clean outfit and flicked it away with an air of nonchalance.

"Does the name 'Otento' mean anything to you?"

The demon nodded again, then hesitated, nervously licking at an eye.

"Think about it once more for me before you answer."

A pause.

"Doesssss not know thissss one."

"I didn't think so." Kurama murmured, turning away to walk towards the demon lying dead with two exacto knives in its body. He'd picked them as weapons in the room because he could tell they were still sharp, likely left there by a group of kids or something.

As he bent down to remove them both, he heard a snap and a tongue whistled by his ear, sticking the wall in front of him.

"Now that wasn't very smart." Kurama commented as he stood, looking over his shoulder at the demon who hadn't meant to miss his shot. Kurama slapped one of the knives against the bottom side of the tongue just as he noticed the demon start to tip his head to recall it.

The knife stuck in place and rolled up into the tongue as it travelled back to the demon's mouth.

As a reflex, the demon swallowed, tearing apart his throat from the inside while he travelled to his stomach. His eyes began to twirl madly around in his head.

Kurama planted the sharp edge of the knife into the top of the chameleon's head as he walked by to get out of the room. There was nothing here for he and Akari and they probably needed to leave before there were any _other _encounters. 3

Akari growled to herself, looking around the room while she had time and retrieving the closest knife, deciding she'd need it for the larger demon. After all, Akari's fists were smaller than a normal female demon's and against a demon of this magnitude, she didn't really have much faith in her strikes alone. The only thing she'd manage was tiring herself out.

So she waited, watching as both demons stood at once, calculating. "I don't suppose you are familiar with the name "Otento?"

"Why the hell would we tell you?"

"Toriko?"

A grumbling snarl. "Your friends mean nothing to us!"

"Thought so."

The larger demon, his skin still a bright red, charged through the wall, his overly large body breaking it in a second, and she turned, vacating the room as quickly as possible, turning left, but meeting the second demon. "You're a pain." She growled, moving forward anyway, meeting his lunge with a swipe of his arm again, her hand making full-force contact with his face, breaking a cheekbone and making him fall backwards. "I really thought we could part allies, but.."

He threw his last knife at her, and she needed only to lean her head to the left, avoiding it completely, though she did lose a bit of hair in the process. And she proceeded to strike at his face with her foot, another breaking bone sounding in the air. "If you just stay down, you won't die."

His screech of pain was followed with a kick at her knee, and when she fell, she grabbed him by the face, picked his skull from the ground, and slammed it as hard as she could on the tile. His scream stopped immediately, and only a moment later, she was ripped from his body and into the air, her arm quickly swiping the blade at the face of the demon who held her, slicing his cheek wide open and earning herself tossed across the hallway. Her grip on the blade, which she only just realized was burning her hand, loosened just a little, her back hitting the wall and sliding to the floor.

From there, she threw the blade, smiling at the sound of it passing through the skull of the demon, who promptly fell, breaking tiles and making debris fall from the roof above them. She flexed her hand, only glanced at it for a second before sneering. It wasn't exactly a poison, since it didn't do anything when mixed with the blood from her cut, but it burned all the same. "Nice trick you have there," she grumbled as she pushed herself to stand. She'd seen demons who had claimed they could mimic the effects of poison without actually using toxins, but this was the first she had ever experienced, and now she realized why it had become a rather forbidden thing where she had lived. _*****_

The sounds of more fighting had sent Kurama's feet running as he followed them, rounding the corner to see the last one fall with a gigantic rumble to the ground, Akari standing up.

"Are you injured?" Kurama slowed to a walk as he came nearer. 3

Akari heaved a sigh as she heard footsteps, at first thinking she was in for another round, but found herself rather relieved when the steps slowed and Kurama's voice rang through the sudden silence of the air. Her eyes, which had momentarily taken in the blistering of her hand, moved to the redhead and she gave a shrug. "Nothing too bad. Knives are a pain, but I managed well enough." She glanced over at the mess that had been made, rubble from broken walls and glass everywhere. "They knew nothing of Otento though. Anything interesting your way?" _*****_

Kurama shook his head, thinking of the knives he himself used and the very likely possibility that the youths who used them were now dead. Avenged. But dead nonetheless.

"This is not the hideout we're looking for." He said, "I think we ought to report back to Koenma that these demons are taken care of, however." He gestured to the bodies littered on the floor. 3

Akari nodded and glanced back at the demons she'd handled. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to fight without the use of her energy. It was probably a good thing she'd remembered at least a little of what Sensui had taught her. "All that wreckage, for nothing." she grumbled, turning to leave, suppressing a small cough from the dirt that had filled her mouth. "I assume you dealt with a posse as well?" she inquired, suddenly interested in any other type of demon that had been lingering about this place. "The three I had were hardly even C class." _*****_

"If I hadn't been, I assure you my entrance would have been much faster." Kurama smiled. "They knew nothing of the demons we looked for and they will not terrorize anyone any longer. I think this about wraps up what we came here for. Shall we go?" 3

Akari raised a brow at Kurama, then gave a singular, small huff of a laugh, which quickly turned to a yawn. "No surprise." and she gave a small nod of affirmation, waving for him to take the lead and then following close behind, glancing back again. "Well, I suppose he can't be too upset about us breaching the _no fighting _rule, since these demons needed to be dealt with anyway." she mused as the bodies left her line of sight the further she walked. "It was fun while it lasted."_*****_

"I believe his concern mainly rested on us engaging with the demon gang who kidnapped Toriko, but-"

The ground beneath them began rumbling and Kurama started to step backwards as he heard mechanisms turning and squeaking from below.

The entire length of the hallway in front of them started to open up, the ground sliding backwards to make a large, square hole that kept getting bigger. After another several moments, a giant head rose from under the floor and kept coming, the body following looking something like a minotaur out of mythology.

"I did not consider an underground route!" Kurama shouted to Akari ruefully.

"WHAT PUNY DEMONS DOING HERE? ME NOT RECOGNIZE YOU!"

Apparently that was reason enough to attack as the elevator the minotaur was standing on came to a crashing halt even with the hole it had made and the demon stepped off of it, a large hoof shaking the ground ever-so-slightly. He reached down, attempting to scoop Akari up in his large hand. 3

Akari shrugged at Kurama as he went on, her eyes moving downwards as the entire foundation seemed to shake and rattle. It rumbled enough to make her teeth hit together lightly, to which she responded to with clenching her jaw together as she turned to find the source of the ruckus.

By the time the perpetrator of the noise was in sight, Akari was staring in disbelief. She had heard of creatures like this, but seeing one… well, this was a first for her. And she couldn't quite find the words to reply to Kurama's shout.

She looked back in the direction she'd come from, thinking of the blades she had left behind, especially the one embedded in the skull of the other demon she hadn't bothered to fight without the tool. That demon didn't even compare to this one, she thought as she turned back again in time to dance away from the monster's grasp.

She did as best as she could to get not only away from the hand moving to her, but out of Kurama's way, so she wouldn't simply run into him and cause a disaster. "Hey!" she called to the demon, turning smoldering eyes to the enemy. "You're too slow! Come on, can't you do better?"

The roar of anger he let out made the entire building shake, so much so that she could even feel the force of it in her bones, shaking her ribs and making her cough in response.

Maybe if she distracted it long enough, Kurama would be able to take it down… Or in the very least, he'd find an opening for an attack.

Another swipe at her, and Akari was hopping up and over the hand, her own small hand just touching the oddly leather-like skin as she propelled herself up and over the attempt at a grab. Her gaze moved down, but from the bulky arm under her, she couldn't see the form of Kurama. _*****_

As Kurama dodged to the opposite direction of Akari, the fist that hand been reaching for them slammed into the ground where they had been standing moments before. He thought of the many items that could be used as weapons against this beast in the room he'd left, but he had no intention of leaving Akari to this demon by herself.

It wasn't that this demon would pose a problem. Normally. Kurama knew just by looking at him that his movements would be slow and easily dodgeable for as long as either party could keep it up. The problem was he had no energy of which to speak, so he felt he would likely have to resort to desperate measures.

Akari had the demon's attention for the moment and Kurama's thoughts ran calmly over their choices.

He doubted they could punch through the skin with any sort of efficiency. Not that this brute would likely feel it.

Kurama absently leapt backwards and ducked as the demon shifted his giant hooves and went for Akari again, his tail whipping around in the air madly just above Kurama's head.

The truth of the matter was, he _had _brought one thing that could get them out of a scrape, but it was a last resort and meant to be used as an escape tactic. If they could find some way to actually take this demon down, they'd likely be saving lives. Or at the very least the beautiful trees that were growing up around the old factory.

Kurama glanced down the hallway Akari had been in and noticed a pile of dirt in the corner with what looked like a flag about the size of his palm stuck in it.

He dodged the tail again, which swept much closer to the floor as the demon reared back to aim another downward strike at Akari. Kurama rolled backwards twice to get out of the way before ending up in a crouch next to the dirt pile, grabbing a handful of it firmly and charging for the demon, leaping nimbly up its other arm and making his way towards its head. 3

Akari hopped and jumped around and around, eyes continuing to search for anything that might help the situation. But each time she thought she could get into another room to look for a weapon, her route was cut off by a clumsy arm that swung at her again. The demon may be slow, but he was able to at least cut off her route before she managed to get too far out of his reach.

She growled in frustration, standing in the corner of the room. Sure, he was slow and dumb, but even a stronger demon would hate being cornered. "How many friends do you have, sir?" She asked, then gave a pause. "Or ma'am? Honestly, I don't care to check."

The word he spat at her wasn't really coherent, and he reared back his fist and threw it at her, making a triumphant smile form on her features as she again propelled herself up, this time landing on his broad arm and actually standing on it, surprised by the amount of muscle such a demon had. "You could be a decent fighter, if you could learn from mistakes."

"PUNY HUMAN ANGER ME!"

"How cute."

His other hand moved, slamming down on the arm she stood on, and she quite easily stepped back and fell to the tile floor underneath, not surprised that the strike sent the demon into a rumble of pain. "Smarts, huh?"

Again, he swung at her, and she ducked and moved under him, now thinking tactically about his flailing limbs. She ran, actually moving underneath him, not surprised when his large head moved down to watch her, an arm following. She crouched as she maneuvered, suddenly seeing Kurama and offering a smile. "Hey, I have an idea!" She continued by him, letting him do whatever he was going to do while she shot around the corner for a mere moment, then turned back to watch what happened next, curious.

The moment Kurama struck, she rejoined, running back into the scene with a laugh to herself. She was actually enjoying this fight, despite the fact they hadn't been able to get by the demon. _*****_

Kurama kept moving up the demon's arm, his feet light enough that it didn't seem to notice, and when he reached its shoulder, just as it started to turn its head to see him, he jammed his fist into its ear and let go of the dirt.

The demon roared as Kurama flipped backwards up and over the hand that it sent flying through the air to slap at its ear.

"WHAT YOU DO?!" He yelled as pain clearly started to overtake the demons features, Kurama alighting on the ground about ten feet away.

"An idea?" Kurama asked, looking in Akari's direction as the demon started to wail, then turn on them and started slamming his fists into the ground all the faster while they kept out of the way. 3

Akari paused only briefly when Kurama addressed her, but she didn't reply with anything other than a mischievous sneer. When another strike was aimed, she hopped out of the way, then turned and repeated her earlier action, running up the demon's forearm all the way up to the shoulder. The demon roared at her, reaching a hand up to try and grab at her, only managing to strike himself in the places she had been.

And each time he struck, his large hand just missed her as she continued up and close to the ear Kurama had tampered with. "Yoo hoo. You've missed again." The demon jerked at the close proximity of his hurt ear, and immediately reacted in the only way she had thought he would: Swinging a fist at her. She stayed longer than she probably should have, watching the fist swing, and only jumping just before it hit her, causing him to quite literally punch himself in the side of the head.

She hopped from the top of his fist and to the top of his head, maintaining her balance as the demon stumbled and fell onto his side, roaring louder than he had since his appearance. She heard glass breaking from the volume somewhere nearby, and she searched for the broken windows, only to huff and continue moving about the demon's head as he struggled to stand, swinging again at her as a foot got stuck in the tangles in his mane.

Akari, for a moment, didn't think she would get free, and instead dropped and rolled, her body moving in the opposite direction than the demon's head moved as it stood again, making her land on the ground with a thud, her shoulder hitting first. Her air left her, but she rolled more anyway, avoiding the large palm that slapped down through the air at her. And again, she was standing, moving underneath the demon, whose feet stamped and stomped, trying to crush her but not even close to succeeding. "Down here, you loon!"

The demon swung downwards, striking his own knees and causing himself to pitch forward, rear in the air and face to the floor again. "That's it! You almost had me!" she yelled some more, now 100% sure he would continue to strike himself if the demon even remotely thought it could hit her or Kurama. _*****_

Kurama smiled as he saw what Akari was doing, the demon becoming more and more confused as Akari landed "hits" on it.

After the demon fell to the ground, it shifted around, attempting to get its hands underneath to push itself up. After rising half-way on its hands and knees, its head suddenly twitched with a very loud crack and for a moment, time seemed to freeze.

The demon's arms gave out and it crashed back down to the floor, eyes rolling into the back of its head as out of its left ear burst suddenly some very green vines that continued out the ruptured orifice for another several seconds, weaving around one another in an unknown pattern.

After those moments of rustling growth, the vines came to a stop, sticking at least a foot out of the demon's ear and growing no more.

"Well, that wasn't exactly what I _meant _to have happen." Kurama commented as he relaxed from his defensive stance, "But I suppose one shouldn't complain."

He moved closer to the downed demon and leaned in to examine the handiwork of the vines in the stillness after battle. 3

Akari hadn't been expecting whatever sound had filled the air, and as such, reacted in alarm and retreated from the demon, eyes watching every movement of the creature as it stilled. Her eyes searched some more, until they saw the vines go still and Kurama's words registered in her mind.

A small laugh bubbled up, more at her own reaction from the sound. "You're scary, you know that?" she grumbled at the redhead, eyes still scrutinizing the plant, slightly disappointed. She'd been enjoying herself. "How many _other _tricks do you have up that sleeve of yours?" _*****_

"I apologize for spoiling your fun." Kurama caught on to the disappointed air. "And I only have one trick up my sleeve, really. A last resort of sorts. I didn't expect this one to actually work at all. I was prepared to use the last resort in its stead." He continued to puzzle at the vines, "Or at least, I did not expect it to work in _this _way. It's a prototype and the chance I got to do testing with it was rather limited."

He continued peering into the demon's ear. Every trace of the dirt he had in his fist earlier was no where to be found, the seed he place inside having eaten through it for growth and then immediately stopping when the dirt ran out. 3

"Prototype…" she repeated in a grumble, eyeing the redhead now as he inspected his own handiwork. _Of course. _Akari released a long breath of heavy air through her lips, rolling her eyes. _What kind of prototype works like __**that**__?_ "Too bad it didn't work the way you planned." she mused, mildly curious of how he'd thought it would turn out. "But, I guess if a last resort wasn't necessary, then all's well and good. The next question is: should _we _clean this up, or have Koenma send another lackey to clean it up instead? I assume leaving a mess like this is something you guys _never_ do?"

Akari moved around the other side of the demon, glancing at his large fists, and around the areas where he'd struck himself. Only mere bruises here and there. Nothing broken, and that told her that had Kurama's _prototype _not worked, her fallback plan wouldn't have worked either, and last resorts would have had to take place.

Of course, she hadn't thought that far ahead.

And the mere thought that Kurama had left her again glancing up at the redhead with a blank expression. _Maybe it comes with the age… Or the experience. _*****

Kurama was unsure whether to consider the plant a success or a failure, for it was both depending on which way he looked at it.

Having his demonic energy restricted had driven the fox demon to messing with the seeds he manipulated in other ways, and while this one did not actually do what it had been expected to do once in contact with the dirt from Human World, it had prevented the need for him to pull out the one thing he knew _would _work.

He supposed the situation could be chalked up as a 'win.'

"We are only to report back to Koenma." He replied after a moment more of looking. "He sends a team to take care of the mess during the debriefing. They do good work." 3

Akari nodded, promptly turning to survey the rest of the hall they'd been fighting in, searching for the place where the demon had come up from. And now that she searched for it, she could see that the lines between some tiles were wider, out of place, but blended in almost perfectly if one wasn't privy to the fact. She ran her fingers over the edge, feeling the slight difference between the tile and the platform. A very small part of her wanted to find a way to make it move so that she could survey the underground route, but a vast majority of her was beginning to relax until she was fighting a yawn.

For the upteenth time today, she found herself thinking about her sealed away energy and how it could be handy here. Instead of leaving the mechanism so it could function, she could have destroyed it, as she had numerous other things, with her shadow prowess. At least, in that case, this place wouldn't be able to be discreetly used by anyone else.

"I guess we should get going then," she finally responded, looking up from where she was crouched, both arms balancing on her knees as her weight shifted to her toes. As curious as she was, she didn't feel it necessary to investigate. They had the information they'd been sent to get, and now all she wanted to do was go lay in the sun and take a nap. _*****_

"We should be sure to mention the possibility of an underground tunnel system in this area to Koenma. I'm sure he'll have his people look into it." Kurama tore his eyes away from examining the handiwork of the seed turned vine to glance at Akari where he heard her voice coming from. "We should get back as quickly as possible."

He turned to follow the hallways back to the door they entered through and out into the sunshine. 3

_What's the rush?_ Akari thought to herself as she stood, hands finding the pockets of her school uniform, reminding her she'd missed half a day of classes. How the teachers must feel about her _and _"Suichi" being gone at the exact same time.. Perhaps they considered coincidences more than a demon would.

Her feet moved at a leisurely pace, putting her a little behind the redhead as she eyed the large office door ahead. The nameplate on the side wasn't necessary, at least in her eyes. Only the prince would have doors this large and a small intercom on the side. It was simply too… professional? No, that wasn't the word…

Botan had gone on ahead, pressing the call button even before Kurama had reached the door, and by the time Akari had caught up, the doors were already sliding closed when her foot passed the threshold.

"Well?"

Akari fought the urge to roll her eyes at the impatient prompting, instead glancing at Kurama before shrugging her shoulders lightly. "The first two places haven't been touched. Literally. There's still charred remains inside the warehouse, along with ropes and a fan. The tunnel was empty. Nothing new." _*****_

Kurama nodded as Akari explained the situation.

"We did find a group of demons hiding out in the warehouse, but to our knowledge, they are unrelated to the gang you are looking for. However, we have reason to believe there is a system of tunnels underneath that were allowing them freedom of movement without having to go along the surface. I would highly suggest you have your team investigate into it. We did not pursue that particular venue."

Koenma agreed with their decision, "I sent you to look for Otento's crew, so I'd rather you came back here and let my people deal with whatever else is down there."

"There were three chameleons and a minotaur demon." Kurama looked to Akari for her portion of the fighting. 3

For the few moments while Kurama continued on, Akari thought back to her own fights, knowing she'd have to report the three she'd taken on on her own. She knew the species of two of them, but the third… well, she hadn't really cared enough to notice. He had looked similar to the lion demon, but not exactly the same.

So when the room went quiet, her eyes slid open and she gave a minor shrug. "A boar demon, a lion, and I assume the third was either panther or jaguar, though I'm sure you understand that I didn't care enough to look for the tail." The smile that came to her face was lopsided and only slightly amused at he thought. "He didn't put up much of a fight. None of them were above mid C class," she glanced at Kurama, figuring it was much the same for his three opponents. "Seven accounted for, though I wouldn't be surprised if there were more." _*****_

"They're all dead, though." Kurama added. "They engaged us."

Koenma's lips pursed together.

"It's quite unusual for even just those seven to be in close proximity like that with one another, possibly working together. And if there are more…" Koenma faded off, but came back to the present after a moment and shook his head. "I'll definitely have to look into this. While we've had reports of nothing else major, our resources have been so focused on the attention this Otento character is kicking up, there has been little chance for us to look elsewhere." Koenma picked up the papers he had been writing on as the two in front of him spoke and tapped the edge of them smartly on the desk to straighten them out before handing them over to George.

"That's all I need from the two of you for now. My thanks for making quick work of it." 3

A small yawn left thin lips as Akari turned to leave, not even nodding farewell to the prince. The doors slid open as if automated, though she knew they weren't, and she was quick to escape through them, as if being inside that office suffocated her. All she could focus on now was getting back to the human world, back to Nabu, back to the sunshine and the warm breeze that she knew was blowing through the park.

So when Botan asked if she and Kurama were ready to go, she didn't even hesitate to nod eagerly, and when her feet touched the concrete sidewalk of the human world, in an alleyway where they wouldn't be spotted, she wasn't surprised to see Nabu race by on the way to the school that she just realized was only now releasing their students. The thought made her laugh; the pup would find out she wasn't there and it wouldn't take him long to hunt her down.

Then again…

She glanced at Kurama and Botan briefly. "It's been fun, but I think I'm going elsewhere." With that, she turned and made for a run after the pup, deciding that he didn't need to run off around town in search for her. It wasn't like she was going out of her way, anyway. The park was just along the path. _*****_

~!**!~

Koenma frowned down at his paperwork, only looking up once the teal-haired Grim Reaper flew in from whereabouts unknown. "Botan, I need to speak with Hiei."

"H-Hiei, Koenma-sir?" It had been a week since Kurama and Akari's mission and Botan had sort of hoped that perhaps the Prince would send her after that pair again instead of the stoic, slightly scary fire demon.

Koenma looked up from his paper-work, "I don't think I stuttered, Botan. Is it so strange that I would call on him?"

"Well, yes sir. I mean, no sir. I mean...I'll go get him for you, sir."

"You do that."

~!**!~

About a week after his mission with Akari, Kurama sat at the table sipping at the tea that had been placed before him. His eyes roamed around both the kitchen and the living room, but at a clatter of dishes, he turned back to watch Toriko for a moment as she prepared dinner for them.

She moved a hand up to her ear to tuck a portion of her long, dark hair behind it, her bright green eyes-free of their usual thick lenses-did not stray from the methodical work she had to do in front of her.

Kurama smiled.

The condition of her hair and lack of glasses had been the buzz of the school that day. Virtually as soon as the girl had walked onto campus. There were stares and whispers and rumors floating around that had not stopped, to Kurama's knowledge, at the end of the day.

The majority of students assumed on her missing glasses' part that she had merely "gotten with the age" and purchased contacts. Other speculation about her hair included ideas as far-fetched as her having been part of a religious sect that did not allow for her hair to be down, but she finally rebelled or quit and this was the result.

There was, of course, no one who had been in preschool with her since she was a transfer to Meiou, but most of her classmates had been there when she first arrived two years ago and none of them could remember her ever having gone without her usual bun and thick-lensed glasses.

For his part, Kurama had not been surprised to see her this way. There were changes happening to his old friend. Changes for the better, he thought.

"And you cannot feel her right now?" He picked up the lull in their conversation right where it left off. The biggest of these changes, besides her stammering being basically nonexistent, appeared to be her ability to better articulate and discuss things relating to Demon World without immediate, mind-wrenching repercussions. The subject namely being her other side.

Kurama still hesitated when talking with her, however, keen on keeping her in the sane world and taking stock of her with each furthering of their conversation. He gave her reprieve here and there to return to her task, settle her mind again, ever watchful for changes in her attitude.

Toriko paused for a moment in her work as if reaching inward, and she shook her head, speaking quietly.

"There's nothing there. I remember that I used to be able to at least feel her, trapped. But she's gone." Her brow dipped together over her face. "And I can feel none of my former energy either." There was no mistaking her relief at the prospect of her demonic energy being gone.

Kurama knew this last part, and also understood that it greatly attributed to why her hair was down and her glasses gone. Those being the two sources of herself that her energy channeled through the easiest...well, now that she could feel nothing, there was no point to hiding either one. Granted, if he guessed correctly and this particular change had started sometime last week, she had certainly remained cautious and likely experimented a bit herself before deciding to arrive on campus with such changes.

Kurama's eyes lingered on Toriko's hair as it shifted down her back while she prepared the food. He briefly shook his head and blinked to pull his attention away from it.

Ever since his encounter with Shikiyoku's powers, he had noticed himself doing such things to her and he did understand now why Toriko was so reluctant formerly to use her powers around him.

Once ensnared, even with her removing the immediate influence of her energy, it did not appear that one ever fully recovered. Of course, he only viewed her as a dear comrade-more so now that he knew she had a past with Youko and he could realize that's where his early feelings of connection with her arose-but that did not mean Kurama didn't catch himself in moments like those gazing at her before his brain realized what was happening and he intentionally pulled his attention away.

Kurama also on some level understood what Hiei was to Toriko now, as he picked up on such a relationship between Youko and she before the fire demon, and likely others before that if what little he had gleaned from the slumbering kitsune could be taken as truth.

"How do you feel about it?" He piped up again.

It took Toriko a moment before she answered.

"Many things." Came her slow replied at first, pensively considering the question. "Relief. Confusion. ...fear."

"Fear?" Kurama's eyebrow quirked. Relief because she had no demonic energy to restrain. Confusion because, well, no one understood why this had happened. But the last one...

"She isn't supposed to be free." Toriko's face darkened. "And if she is not with me, then am I not supposed to assume that she is free?"

This time Kurama didn't answer immediately.

It was obvious Toriko still didn't accept her other side, and while Kurama may have thought it unhealthy for one soul to be divided into two so strongly as this-notwithstanding his own condition, of which there were major differences-there was likely nothing to be done in joining the two sides together while one of them still held the other in so much fear and hatred. That would be the catch: getting the human side to accept the demon side.

Seeing as how Toriko appeared to be rather human, Kurama assumed that it meant her fears were strictly limited to all things demonic in relation to herself-which also explained her previous inability to function in a conversation relating to demons. "Human" and "Demon" described the division of the soul before him rather aptly in his opinion.

"What if it means that you're finally one person again?"

"No." Toriko gnashed the word viciously out of her mouth, the knife she was cutting with cracking against the cutting board with much more force than necessary.

Kurama remained silent at her vehement response.

Toriko took a breath, ruefully eyeing the hairline fracture she made in the bamboo of the cutting board.

While she found of late that she had no problem with the _idea_ of her other side, she still felt apprehensive about everything in _relation _to her other side. She feared the darkened memories that had started ruminating just below her awareness, ones where she imaged her other side doing horrible things. _Demonic_ things.

"I don't want to be one person." Toriko replied, her voice low. "She's done terrible things." She felt as if she knew this for certain.

Kurama held back the introspective sigh he wanted to release.

He conjectured a long time ago that Toriko came out of Shikiyoku's flight from Demon World. Shikiyoku took on a human form. The bobby pins were seals against her demonic energy. And slowly over time, as a result of her being forced into hiding, the more human-like Toriko was born. Like Shuichi's body, it would keep Shikiyoku safe until Spirit World stopped hunting her.

Now, though, Kurama felt sure that Shikiyoku could not come out if she _wanted _to, instead only by some outside influence hitherto undetermined. The protector has since become the jailer, convinced that the reason Shikiyoku is trapped within comes from her being too dangerous. And while that might have been true on some level...Kurama didn't see convincing Toriko that the danger of pursuit being over would solve the problem between demon and human. Now it would be a matter of convincing her Shikiyoku was no threat. Did Toriko fear all demons? Or did she simply fear the demon inside? 3

Hiei lounged about in the trees that lay on the outskirts of town, eyes closed and body relaxed since he knew Kurama would be watching over Toriko today. It gave him a small reprieve to be alone, allowing him time to soak in the day's sun and catch up on some much needed rest- not that he was actually behind on it. He simply… preferred napping without disturbance, and as of late, it had been a rather hard thing to come by.

With eyes shut, the fire demon used his hearing to visualize his surroundings, the birds nearby that twittered loudly, wings flapping as they played their silly little games. A squirrel sniffed at him curiously from the branch above, its tail hitting the bark as it twitched. The green leaves were still with the absence of any breeze, making it easier for Hiei to become lulled back into the edges of sleep he'd just emerged from moments ago.

~!**!~

A full stomach and complete and utter relaxation. Those had become Akari's allies as of late, as she'd taken to simply doing whatever she pleased. She was alone, but in the restaurant she sat in, she didn't feel alone. Humans were in almost every chair, chattering in groups or pairs, the place a steady rhythm of laughter and idle chat.

Her eyes roamed as her hand lifted another roll of rice into her mouth, finding herself feeling odd since Nabu hadn't been allowed inside. But he sat patiently by the nearest window, chewing on a bone she'd given him on the way to the little sushi joint.

"Your bill," the waitress said with a smile as she placed a small leather book on the surface of the booth. Akari only managed to pull out a bank card as the girl retreated to another table, taking their orders. She sighed and sat back, content for the moment even as she stared at the plastic money card. She found herself considering going back to raid Sensui's place again, but this would do for now. _*****_

~!**!~

Botan whirled through the air on her oar down from Spirit World, her eyes scanning the city beneath her for the approximate location Hiei had been in when she left Koenma's office.

Her hair streamed behind her as she dove down, her Reaper senses constantly feeding her information about the state of the humans below.

As she flew above the streets, she avoided those that she felt were close to their time as their eyes would be more attuned to picking out her spirit form. She knew the ones that were supposed to see her would, and so it was without pause that she came to float a few feet from the ground amidst a group of trees.

Hiei was among one of them, but she spoke up anyway, knowing Koenma wished for her to hurry and not taking the time to figure out exactly where he was.

"Hiei! Prince Koenma wishes to speak with you! He didn't tell me about what." Botan continued, her eyes searching for a dark spot among the branches of the foliage around her, "Just that he wants to do it now." 3

Hiei felt the disturbance before he heard it. The air changed slightly, turning from peaceful to… panicked as animals fled from whatever frightened them. He didn't bother opening his eyes though. He merely stay where he lay in the tree, shifting only slightly so that his head was rested against the bark at an angle that lessened the strain on his neck.

And the voice that called to him shattered his own world of peace. He didn't respond, hoping the source would go away, along with whatever it was Koenma and his lackeys wanted. Didn't they know he was on break for the day?

~!**!~

Akari waited, sipping almost lazily at the tea that was still just warm enough to be worth drinking. It settled in her stomach, making her entire body feel warmer, almost akin to the effects of a nap under the shade of a tree.

"Here you go," the waitress said, gaining only a nod of thanks as Akari took the receipt and her plastic card from her hand and stood to leave, but not before finishing the drink she'd specially ordered after eating. "come see us again!"

Akari waved over her shoulder to the man behind the bar across the restaurant before leaving, a silent thanks for the meal, and the bell rang against the door on her way out. "Nabu, let's go."

"_Park?"_

"Sure." _*****_

~!**!~

With her eyes examining the trees intently, Botan finally spotted the hidden fire demon lounging among them and she lazily floated her oar in his direction until she sat level with him in the branches.

"Oh, come on, Hiei. I know you heard me. It's not like Koenma calls on you all that often. And the sooner I get you there, the sooner you can get back to your tree." 3

The sudden desire to knock that oar out of the air was stronger than even Hiei's desire to stay where he lay. He strongly considered it as Botan spoke, now not too far away, meaning he hadn't hidden himself successfully enough. Too bad…

"Perhaps.." he began, but that train of thought too was shoved to the furthest recesses of his mind, to not actually ever say to this woman who was nothing more than a messenger for Koenma. If he had anyone to blame, then he'd simply blame himself for not hiding well enough.

On that thought, the fire demon let his eyelids slide open and he slid his glinting eyes over at the ferry girl. "This better not be a waste of my time."

~!**!~

Nabu proudly followed Akari with his bone in his mouth, feet coming higher off the ground and head swaying back and forth as if he had a rhythm stuck on repeat in his mind. She took note of his jolly attitude and the enthusiasm in which he stopped to gnaw at his bone here and there, reminding herself to grab one the next time she ran off and left him alone again during one of his naps. He hated when she did that, and quite frankly, he'd been able to make her feel a bit guilty about it here and there.

"Don't get lost."

"_I won't," _his muffled reply drifted to her from a few feet back, and Akari paused briefly to look back again, raising an unamused brow as he licked at the slobber that hung from his maw. "_I'm coming!"_

She rolled her eyes and continued, passing the gate entrance to the park she had come to frequent less often as of late- another reason she'd given Nabu the treat he now drooled over. She hitched her duffel bag higher on her shoulder, the sound of his many playthings moving making her ear almost twitch. "What first? You pick, since this was your idea."

"_Ball."_

_Of course. __*****_

Youko took a deep breath of the night air as he wandered the paths of the park, unphased by any humans he happened to come across.

Most, if not all of them, would find themselves unable to see his ears and tail as humans have a tendency to keep a veil over their eyes that prevents them from seeing things they don't understand, and while his outfit was not exactly normal, no one thought to stop the tall, slender, silver-haired man that moved like so much fluid floating along across the grass.

He paused for a moment with his pointed nose upturned slightly in the air. Unlike some, he actually enjoyed the fresh air of Human World. Though, it _did _make him miss home just a little.

In the midst of his reverie, Youko's ears twitched slightly at the sound of padded feet tearing across the dirt and as he brought his eyes down, he caught sight of a small ball bouncing along and coming to rest next to his foot, lighting tapping his shoe before stopping.

Just as he started to kneel down, he spotted a tiny body dashing frantically into view.

~!**!~

Koenma hardly glanced up from the work at his desk when Botan appeared in the room with Hiei.

"Thank you, Botan. That will be all." Koenma made his dismissal of her apparent, flickering his eyes towards the blue ogre that was leaning over his desk assisting him. "You may go as well, ogre."

George pulled away from the desk, blinking at Koenma for a moment before frowning. The Princeling usually didn't dismiss him so casually like this.

"Yes, Koenma-sir." George did not protest, feeling as if perhaps he deserved the break after all, and followed Botan out of the door.

Koenma said nothing as the two left, his pen scratching at the papers over which he hunched.

Only when the two were completely gone did Koenma finally look up, he and Hiei the only ones in the room.

"I have something for you, Hiei." Koenma said after a moment of regarding the fire demon over his desk. The toddler hopped down from his chair and started moving towards a door behind him. "If you would follow me please."

Koenma opened the door and walked through, fully expecting Hiei to come with him.

"Close the door behind you, if you would."

This room was much smaller than the one they just left, with various tomes piled in stacks on top of one another, smelling like ages past. The power the items in room contained almost hummed audibly and Koenma wove his way through until he reached a second desk towards the back, climbing up into this chair and indicating that Hiei was welcome to sit in the chair across from him if he wished. 3

Hiei hadn't reacted to anything as of yet, and quite frankly, moving to another room almost piqued his interest. Except… it was more of a library. But this library, he realized, was almost alive. Energy buzzed through the room, making him feel as if his own energy were struggling against it, fighting to either join the rhythm or overcome it. His eyes found several things of interest, but he didn't approach them, since he didn't think they would actually be of use.

As if he had a use for them at this very moment.

The fire demon followed the toddler until another desk came into view, though when Koenma gestured to the chair, he merely glanced at it before ignoring it completely. Why sit down and invite the prince to take his sweet time?

For the time being, he stayed silent, waiting in expectation of whatever was to come next.

~!**!~

Akari's arm fell to her side and she sat back in the grass, the hand that had just released the ball resting flat on the ground behind her. She leaned further back, crossing her ankles and twitching her numb toes idly as she waited. Still feeling full and lazy, she didn't feel like getting up at the moment, and had actually decided to run Nabu as much as he wanted, so long as she didn't have to get up again.

Her eyes closed, her mind blank for a few moments. She didn't know how long she sat there, but after a while, she realized something wasn't right. Her nose twitched with a small itch and she sat forward, scratching it idly as her eyes reopened and searched the darkened park for the small body of her companion. With him not in the immediate area, she sighed and resigned to wait a bit longer.

More time passed.

She found herself counting to 3600 in her mind, marking another approximate five minute wait before she reached for the bag of toys and stood, now deciding to hunt him down. Her luck, he'd be with Kurama again, like the last time this had happened.

She made her way around at a slow, lazy pace, breathing in the night air as she walked until she came upon the sound of an excited dog.

"_Flowers! C'mon, throw it! Play with me and Akari! It's fun!"_

Another sigh. "You're getting predictable," she called ahead of herself, not yet having reached the person Nabu referred to as Flowers. But when she _did _lay eyes on him a moment later, she paused, unsure what to make of the demonic form. Wasn't that something he reserved for fights? _*****_

Youko regarded the unfettered joy of the pup who had clamored right up to him without hesitation with an amusement that did not appear to reach his eyes, though the dog had only allowed him to indulge in a moment of petting before hopping back and wagging his tail excitedly, bouncing back and forth and pausing only briefly to bow playfully at the fox demon.

His eyes softened just a touch at Akari as she came into view, him still kneeling on the ground where he had been petting Nabu, and holding out the ball as if to ask for her permission to toss it.

"I'm getting predictable?" His soft, low voice repeated with a bit of incredulity laced into his question. "How terrible boring of me."

~!**!~

Koenma took another half a moment to give Hiei a guarded look, waiting until the door was closed before pressing a button that activated the lock which clicked into place.

"We may speak freely here." Koenma noted. "No one else knows of this room's purpose and it is not monitored. My father does not even know of its existence. I would ask you to keep this and any words we exchange here to yourself."

Koenma took a deep breath and released a sigh as he drew his hands together over the desk.

"I called you here because you seem to have had the most contact with the girl known as Toriko. I desperately need to speak with Shikiyoku and I'm hoping you know of how I can do so." 3

Hiei regarded Koenma with caution, his expression mutual as he soaked in the information of Koenma knowing of Shikiyoku's whereabouts. Hadn't she been hiding from this man? Why hadn't he made an effort to capture her, if what she had said about being wanted by Spirit World still rang true?

"And what makes you think she'll simply waltz in here?" He gave a pause. "Or am I assume that you wish for _me _to convince a demon to come _here, _where her head is a prize?" In truth, he didn't really need Koenma's answer, because he had a feeling that he was right. "I hardly see her wasting her time for such a threat." _Like my own time is being wasted at this very moment._ *

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	28. Episode 113 - Koenma's Proposal

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Ningen!

This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones, but that's because I have a penchant for ending on a cliffhanger and there was a really good one, plus if I didn't stop there the thing went on for quite a bit longer than I really wanted. The posting for this chapter is also up earlier than usual because I will be gone this evening and unsure when I will return.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Kurama finish up their Recon work for Koenma,  
>and find nothing of interest to tell the toddler-prince.<p>

~!**!~

A week later and Koenma asks Botan to bring him Hiei.

For Toriko, many changes are occurring,  
>including her ditching the glasses and bobby pins<br>because it appears that Shikiyoku has disappeared entirely.

~!**!~

The week passes uneventfully for Akari,  
>and she is at the park with Nabu when Youko appears...<p>

* * *

><p>Akari eyed Youko warily, only nodding when he silently asked about tossing the ball. He hadn't asked before now, and while the sarcasm was something she'd become accustomed to in Kurama, she simply couldn't get over the fact that he was in Youko form, and yet there was not a sign of a fight anywhere. A suspicion rose in her mind, but Nabu's constant rambling to "Flowers" was a confusing factor.<p>

"You're telling me." She went quiet again, watching keenly. _*****_

Youko gave the ball a toss with the flick of his wrist, sending both it and the pup flying off away from them.

He maneuvered to sit the rest of the way down on the grass, leaning his back up against the trunk of the tree behind him and extending his long legs in his front.

"I would have given it to you." Youko explained, his deep voice still remaining quiet, "If you did not wish me to interrupt." He reclined his head against the bark, both hands going up into the midst of his straight, silver hair to prop himself up.

~!**!~

_So she __**has **__talked to him. _Koenma remained silent as Hiei posed his questions.

"She's waltzed in here before." Koenma pointed out. "And nothing happened then." He sighed, "She has a certain advantage given that she yet remains in a human form. She _will _be kept safe, Hiei. I can promise you that." Koenma said strongly.

"My father is the one who wanted to..." He paused as his mind wandered to the exact wording of the warrant and he cleared his throat, "My father is the one who put the warrant out for her arrest. I had nothing to do with it. Me simply talking to you about it like this puts us all at risk anyway. If he knew that _I _knew, and had not brought her in...let's just say I'm on your side." Koenma left it at that.

"And don't you think that if I had any intention of harming her that I would have brought Toriko in as soon as I knew of her secret?" Koenma gauged Hiei carefully. "I can promise I will make it well worth her while." 3

Hiei's hands moved to the pockets of his cloak in thought. He recalled the last time the entire group had been in the office, after the Sensui incident. Since then, the only time any of them had been in here was when there was something to report. That meant Koenma had known even before Toriko had become a small addition to the group. Yet, just as the prince had said, nothing had happened. He hadn't made any indication of his knowledge over the matter until now, when it was convenient for him.

Curiosity snaked its way through him. "And what makes you desperate enough to call on her?" For now, he didn't bring up the fact that Shikiyoku only came forth when something required her energy to survive.

~!**!~

Narrowed eyes watched carefully, suddenly not trusting Youko. He didn't act like Kurama, or what she knew of him, but she hadn't ever seen him sit as if to recline. It didn't strike her as something he'd do, either. "Not necessary," she replied curtly in regards to the ball. "Just a toy."

She paused, lips pursing and brows furrowing. Why wasn't he attacking? "You're awfully cordial, for an enemy." _*****_

A single silver eyebrow lifted, but his expression changed not otherwise as he regarded her with an unblinking golden gaze.

"We are enemies, are we?" He paused for a moment, then blinked slowly and looked away. "Strange. I don't _feel _as if we should be enemies. Why would we be enemies?"

~!**!~

Koenma chewed on his pacifier before answering.

"I know nothing. Nothing of this Otento fellow, nothing of this fake-Youko. No motive, no origins." He shrugged, "Nothing. I _do _know, however, the demon that the others encountered when rescuing Akari and Kurama. His name is Gashiru and Otento has recruited him. Gashiru has a twin sister that _hasn't _been recruited. Not yet. I need to send Shikiyoku to speak with her, in Demon World, to try and find out anything she can. This is a brief chance for us to finally get ahead of Otento, but I must act quickly. And Shikiyoku must be the one to go." 3

Hiei eyed Koenma with a neutral expression, not exactly impressed nor surprised with the information he was given. So Spirit World was behind. He knew that. So Spirit World knew nothing. That wasn't new either. But a new demon that could provide information… that grabbed his interest with a vice-like grip and he hung on that fact for a moment. Otento was on Hiei's special hit list, and the fact that the demon could get around without being sensed was even more irritating, making this even more difficult.

"Toriko acts as a wall, hiding Shikiyoku." He finally admitted, hands moving out of his pockets and his arms crossing over his chest. "The only times she's allowed herself to be known is after her energy is necessary for her life."

~!**!~

Akari's head tilted to the side slightly, her eyes flickering behind her as Nabu's little feet could be heard tearing back to her and Youko. He dropped the ball at her feet, but when she didn't reach for it, he kicked it over to the silver haired demon and spun around and around in enthusiastic circles, barking like mad but not really saying anything tangible.

"Not enemies?" She repeated incredulously, frown deepening. "You expect me to believe that? After the attacks launched?" _*****_

Youko's eyebrows quirked downward slightly, giving his face a puzzled air even as he moved forward to lift the ball in his slender fingers and give it another precise toss away from them before leaning back again.

"Attacks?" He repeated. "Why would I attack you? Kurama does not hold any ill-will against you, so neither do I." He still appeared confused, his eyes thinking back to recent memories. "I don't even know if we've officially met." His gaze moved back to her. "I seem to remember being overly preoccupied with Toriko's health the first time we saw one another."

~!**!~

Koenma sighed and mumbled under his breath, "I was afraid of that." He reached up and rubbed a hand against his forehead. "I'm not willing to risk her life just to get to talk with her, but I don't know what to do otherwise."

Koenma let out another sigh that held too much age in it for his stature.

"I suppose all I can ask for is that if she rears her head, bring her to me. While it's imperative that I speak with her, it's also not imperative that her life be in danger." 3

Hiei found himself sneering. But the expression was gone in a flash, replaced with his former expression of neutrality. He considered this thought, eyeing the prince. Quite frankly, he didn't want to oblige, but the fact that this could mean another shot at Otento… well, he couldn't exactly turn down the idea. After all, the problem of the demon was long withstanding, and his continuous trouble making was grating on his nerves.

Aside from that, they could go to the Demon World again…

That thought had him stalling mid-turn in his leave, watching the wall opposite of himself as the thought made his very core move. He recovered shortly thereafter, turning his back on the prince entirely now. "No guarantees."

~!**!~

Agitation conflicted with confusion for a moment, making a single strawberry brow twitch. She thought for a moment, reassessing what she'd already deduced, this time wondering if she were wrong. Her eyes studied the fox demon, her senses searching for energy, finding the lack in such a normal thing since Kurama had indeed been missing energy as well. But, how had he shifted, if this _were _the redhead?

_He can't…. can he? …...Only one way to find out._

"Sure, we haven't met officially, but your friend and I have. Several times, actually. He's caused a lot of trouble. You don't seem able to keep your… group… under control, sir." She paused, head tilting to the side again. "I like your effort, though. But Kurama was otherwise occupied today. Try again?" _*****_

The steady golden gaze regarded Akari as coldly as it had been, only blinking once while she spoke.

"I must confess: I'm afraid I don't follow your meaning, inu." Youko admitted plainly. "Though, if I had to guess, I suppose you know who I am if you know Kurama at all, 'meeting officially' aside. And you did see me emerge from him once already within the warehouse after all." He regarded her thoughtfully. "You seem puzzled by my presence. What's troubling you?"

~!**!~

"Maneshi, you're _not _helping. Please go somewhere else." Toriko requested primly.

Kurama had left after dinner, and the cat seemed to have taken it upon himself to not let Toriko out of his sight. But he currently sat on the countertop, despite Toriko's complaints that he park himself elsewhere, and occasionally decided to 'help' her clean the dishes.

Toriko put the plate down she had in her hands and stared at the cat intensely.

"Get. Down."

Maneshi meowed.

Toriko huffed a bit of air out between her teeth and put the towel down she held, grabbing the cat around his middle and plopping him on the tile floor of the kitchen.

"You're getting hair everywhere and I can't get anything clean." She picked up her things again and pushed Maneshi away with a foot, "Go on. Shoo. Go bother someone else."

Maneshi growled at her.

"I don't care how you feel about it. You're more trouble than you're worth right now."

Maneshi stuck his nose high in the air and sashayed out of the kitchen, disappearing from her sight, much to Toriko's relief. 3

Without another glance behind himself, Hiei had left Koenma, and Botan had carted him back to where he had been before being interrupted. He didn't return to the tops of the trees now, though. Instead, he decided that the trees outside Toriko's home would have to do, since he assumed Kurama would have gone home by now. After all, the fox did have a human mother he looked after.

So even as Botan waved cheerfully goodbye, the fire demon turned and made his trek to Toriko's, slowly at first and then steadily picking up the pace until he was nothing more than a blur to the eyes that couldn't keep up. It only took him about five minutes at this pace to reach his destination, and he stood outside the house, curious. Should he go inside, or stay out?

If he went inside, there was a possibility of sweet treats and small talk.

If he stayed outside, he could return to his nap.

For the moment, he let himself think over the possibilities and, every so often, Koenma's request slid across his mind. The fire demon didn't like it, the fact that Toriko had to be in danger for Shikiyoku to become the more prominent one.

Without another thought, his feet were moving to the door, deciding he'd simply stay inside for a bit and observe the changes he'd noted in the girl.

~!**!~

Akari fought back the urge to make a sound of frustration and confusion. Her mind kept telling her that this Youko was not the Youko that was Kurama, but everything else, even Nabu, told her otherwise. She didn't respond at first, blinking slowly at him with arms crossed loosely over her stomach. She wasn't sure how else to prove or disprove her theory, so she considered him for a moment.

In truth, she knew nothing about Kurama's demon half, other than the fact that he was a fox demon. And a very powerful one at that. So, trying to deduce whether this was actually him or not was a game she wasn't very amused with.

"I'm simply trying to figure out what caused your presence," she finally admitted, calm eyes blinking slowly again. "No prompting?" _*****_

Youko frowned at himself, his gaze appearing to turn inward, "The answer is inexact. Given the lack of access to demonic energy, many things are being tried to break through. I happen to be a product of one such an attempt." His eyes returned to Akari. "And how are you?"

~!**!~

As Toriko turned away from the counter, bowl of sweet snow in hand, spoon in her mouth and tub of the stuff carried in the other hand, she shook her head slightly, unable to shake the feeling from the back of her mind that someone was approaching the house.

She slid the tub back into the freezer and turned towards the front door, getting another bite of sweet snow and again letting the spoon hang from her lips as she reached with her now-free hand for the doorknob, turning it and opening the door inward.

As she moved to step outside, her eyes widened as Hiei stood directly in her path, finding herself staring into his crimson gaze.

After a half-second of Toriko feeling slightly awkward, she silently held out the bowl of sweet snow towards him as an offering with no further hesitation, spoon completely forgotten in her mouth. 3

Hiei had reached for the handle, only for it to turn and the door to be pulled open, revealing Toriko on the other side of the threshold. He stared at her evenly for a moment, acknowledging that she must have, on some level, known he was there. Perhaps it was something she had earned from her demon half, he supposed.

After a beat of simple, awkward staring, he reached out and accepted the bowl, eyeing the spoon between her lips before he simply passed by her, sauntering his way into the living room. The house still smelled of whatever she had made for herself and Kurama, and for a moment he almost thought it smelled appetizing. But he glanced down at the sweet snow and decided he was much more interested in it than anything else, and made his way to the kitchen for another spoon.

"Enjoy yourselves?"

~!**!~

Akari shifted her weight, eyes turning to the stars overhead for a few moments as Youko answered her, her entire being deflating to accept defeat. If this wasn't the real Youko, she wouldn't know the difference today. Her eyes turned down to him again, her expression forming into one of light amusement at her own predicament. "Nothing new, I suppose. Otento is rather efficient in everything…"

She turned away, her head turning in the direction Nabu had disappeared. She couldn't hear him returning, and she could only guess that he was keeping the ball all to himself. "Since you seem to be enjoying yourself, I think I'm going to continue on my way." With that, she gave a small sigh, deciding it was best to get out while she could, before anything happened. _*****_

"Does my presence displease you so?" There was no hint of a smile on Youko's face, but his eyes did appear to dance momentarily with amusement at the thought.

He let his head rest back against the tree, though he didn't remember when he'd leaned forward as he spoke with her.

"Surely you don't have any place to be that demands you leave such a lovely evening." He closed his eyes and took a breath of the fresh air, opening them after a moment and tilting his head slightly towards the grass near him.

"You're welcome to sit. I don't bite." Now a smile did ghost over his lips, "Hard. Most of the time."

~!**!~

Hiei left Toriko at the door bowl-less and still in mid-step as she blinked where he stood moments earlier.

Since her intention had been to go outside, his immediate entrance into her home put her off-balance and she didn't know how to react other than to stand there for a beat before turning back and closing the door behind her. She grabbed the spoon out of her mouth as she followed after him.

"I guess." Toriko shrugged and let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding at the door, going to the freezer since Hiei appeared to have commandeered the bowl of sweet snow she prepared for herself.

The task of dishing herself out more in another bowl was a simple one. 3

Hiei stood in the middle of the line that marked the change in rooms from the living area to the kitchen, where carpet met wood, with eyes on Toriko now, his hand robotically scooping the spoon into his mouth with a large amount of the sweet snow. The cold made his teeth hurt, and for a moment, he fought the urge to cringe, but it passed and was replaced with sugary sweet goodness that melted rapidly on his tongue.

For the moment, he found himself watching her every movement, even the way her hair moved with her shoulders as she scooped herself more sweet snow into a bowl. It looked so smooth and so… soft… He almost found himself wanting to-

Hiei's hand curled tighter around the spoon he had held between his lips, staunching the urge to reach out and touch it, which would also require moving his feet. He glanced down, realizing he'd actually moved a single step forward. His eyes pointedly turned to the window of the outside world, and still, he said nothing.

~!**!~

Akari, half turned away from Youko, gave a shrug without looking at him. Her eyes searched the darkness for Nabu, ears open to any sound that would indicate her little friend coming back for another throw or another game of some sort, but still no hint of him was seen nor heard. She considered her options, her head slowly turning back so she could meet the golden gaze of the fox demon, who, surprisingly, seemed at least a little amused.

She eyed him curiously, then released a small sigh, completely disregarding his comment of biting altogether. "I suppose not." Going against all instincts, she decided to stay, play by this demon's game and see what happened. She was curious, admittedly, about why he simply didn't attack, if this wasn't the real Youko as she for some reason found herself believing. If his goal wasn't to eliminate one by one, then what _was _it?

She moved to Youko's left, sitting against the tree so that she was looking East, making it so that in order for her to look at him, she would have to turn her head. "You're not as…" she paused, searching inward for the right word. After a moment, she gave up and used the first word that came to mind, restating her sentence. "Stories about you make you seem like a killer of anyone you see. But I'm still standing- uh, sitting. You're not as ruthless as they say, are you?" _*****_

A single silver eyebrow lifted as he watched her while she spoke, "Oh? Well, you're not carrying anything shiny that's of value on you at the moment, are you? I might _have_ to kill you if that's the case." He turned his head back to the front. "Plus, I tend to prefer to enjoy beauty as it presents itself rather than have it marred by blood."

~!**!~

Toriko said nothing, leaving the room as silent as Hiei wished it to be. She again dished out her serving of sweet snow, though this time when she scooped the last dollop, she put it directly in her mouth as she closed the lid up, holding the spoon firmly in her lips as she turned and slipped the tub in the freezer.

She turned back around to grab for her bowl and once again found her feet moving towards the front door, eager to get out into the air after spending the day cooped up inside the school. 3

As soon as she was moving again, Hiei's eyes were on Toriko, his expression blank as he slipped the spoon between his lips again, the same sensation as before shocking him into running his tongue over his frozen teeth carefully. When he realized she was going for the door, he himself turned to follow, eyes again taking in each motion her body made, again finding himself locked on the ends of her hair.

He watched the neat ends of her hair wave just lightly back and forth against her waist, catching here and there but always freeing itself with each step she took. Again, the urge to reach out and just lightly touch the ends plagued his mind, but when he realized he'd stopped walking, he immediately tore his eyes away and pointed them to his own bowl of ice cream, swirling around and around in the bowl with ease in an attempt to smooth it out.

~!**!~

Akari huffed and glanced momentarily at Youko, his first comment about shiny objects making her feel as if he liked playing on the irony that her abilities were playing with darkness and shadows. "While that certainly would be tempting, I haven't found anything worth my time."

She paused when he spoke up again, her own eyes sliding away and up to the stars above again, watching as they seemed to pulsate with light slowly, twinkling and winking down at the people who were curious enough to watch.

But the moment Youko stopped -even a beat before he was done talking- she gave a snort of a laugh. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond, since there was a part of her that cringed, but when she felt no ill-will on the comment, she gave another short laugh. "That's too bad, because I look good dirty," she joked, a lopsided sneer touching her lips for a fraction of a moment. _*****_

As if he felt her uncomfortableness at first, Youko glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye, that same light smile approaching his lips but never arriving.

"I'm surprised you don't know how to take a compliment, inu. Your coloring is quite exquisite."

He continued eyeing her for a moment before his gaze moved from her form to look back towards the heavens above them.

"Mm. I seem to have hit a bit of a nerve as well. I apologize. I'm sure you would look just as lovely bathed in blood, but it is certainly something I would never wish upon you." His eyes grew hardened at the thought, his voice grave and serious as he spoke before the cloud passed and he went on, almost light-heartedly, "Excepting, of course, that it were the blood of your enemies." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

~!**!~

As Toriko stepped out of the house, she felt rather than saw that Hiei was following her. She made an abrupt right towards the side of her home where her bedroom window would be, continuing to eat even as she approached the trunk of the tree whose leaves would often scrape her window.

Her eyes lifted to the lowest branch and she put the spoon in her mouth again, making the small hop so that her free hand could grasp the bark above her head. It took little effort for her to pull herself up by that one arm enough that she could get footing and stand, reaching over again for a second branch and repeating the action with little pause for consideration as if she'd done this many times before.

After the third time, she sat back against the trunk with her legs crossed at the ankles out over the branch on which she parked and gave further attention to her sweet snow, a breeze picking up making the leaves around her dance and laugh in its wake.

She closed her eyes to hear it better, but a feeling of discontent settled across her expression, as if the tree and breeze and leaves were not _quite _what she wanted at that moment. That if only they were a little different...if only this place was somewhere else...she could truly find herself happy. 3

Once he'd realized he'd paused, Hiei had continued on his way outside, casually closing the door behind him before continuing on, moving almost robotically to the tree he'd deemed as his favorite months ago. He did find himself rather curious at the fact that Toriko seemed to approach the very same tree he'd silently staked claim to.

He waited until she was comfortable before deciding he would still go into the same tree as always, but a branch below Toriko. He got comfortable in moments with his back against the branch, head tilted back just a little to look up at Toriko, spoon still stuck between his teeth. He watched her for a moment, eyeing the way she sat, which was remarkably similar to how he too sat, making sure the tree didn't sway with the wind.

And the look on her face was one he knew all too well.

~!**!~

She found herself again rendered without words to reply to Youko, almost stunned. The first thought that came to mind was of Kurama, saying words almost completely identical to the one's she'd just heard, though at that time, she and the redhead had been on rather… bad terms.

The next thought was a more amusing one. To her, at least.

The mental image he had made come forth in her mind was one she'd reveled in for years, and the thought made her lips curl into a rather dark smile at recollection. If she could share the memory, at that moment, she likely would have done so without intentionally meaning to, and the demon next to her would have witnessed the exact scene he'd described.

After a few more moments in silence, her smile disappeared and she was again turning to look at Youko, no longer caring whether this was the real deal or not. "Quite frankly, your coloring is rather… remarkable as well. I can only imagine how many people you've had _swoon _over you simply because you're a rather rare sight." The smile that just touched her lips was a sarcastic one, a sneer that held amusement and interest all at once. _*****_

"There have certainly been many who have shown interest." Youko confessed. "I _am _simply the _best _color of kitsune after all." He shrugged lightly, passing off the statement as something everyone knew. "Any others are noticeably inferior." His tone held no small amount of ego in it, though he appeared as if he stated just the facts as they were.

At that he did reach up and flip a portion of his hair back over his shoulder where it shimmered during the movement before it fell straight down his back with the rest of its long silver brethren.

"I _do _so hope that you skinned alive whoever took your extremities." A corner of his lip raised and he nearly snarled at the thought. "I imagine they were just as lovely as the rest of you." His expression remained dark at the thought of the one or ones responsible for it.

~!**!~

When Toriko opened her eyes, they swiveled down to catch Hiei gazing up at her and without saying a word she found in his gaze an understanding for the feelings she had washing over her psyche at that moment.

Strangely enough, she realized she took comfort in his crimson stare and the moment that passed between them, a moment she could not fully grasp as she did not understand it all herself, but one she felt he knew completely without further question. There was comfort for her in that realization, too. If he knew, then perhaps the questions she feared answering were not all that bad...

The stare grew just a second too long and her core lurched as she realized how intensely she had been searching his face for answers she did not even know the questions to, and she turn back to look at the remainder of the sweet snow in her bowl as if maybe it would give her whatever it was she sought.

She slowly reached her spoon in and retrieved another bite when it did not appear as if the sweet snow was going to be a willing divulguer of her heart's incomprehensible desires. 3

Hiei didn't react when Toriko's gaze met his other than to hold that stare that slowly turned softer than before, fond almost, and held other emotions he couldn't quite name. He saw the softness, but behind it was a shine he didn't understand, so as he continued to stare, he tried to decode those eyes that sparkled down at him.

But no matter how long he searched, the moment was too brief for him to decode anything of use, anything that would help him to understand the parts of her that he couldn't seem to grasp. And with the breaking eye contact came a breeze that made his hair move, catching with the leaves that a branch just dipped down to him. He made a small sound and pulled it from his locks, tearing the leaf from the branch and letting it fall away from himself before the cold of the bowl in his hand reminded him of the sweet snow he'd forgotten.

Because of the heat that radiated from his palm, which supported the underneath of the bowl, most of the substance was a thick, creamy liquid with small bits of red floating about. Despite his dislike of the warmth of the normally cold substance, he decided to eat at it anyway, more to keep his eyes busy than anything else.

~!**!~

"Too bad that with the best color comes more attention, and more attention means more trouble." Akari pointed out this fact, remembering the story of the SDF member who had been sent to hunt down the fox, supposedly killing him, but in reality, only sending him to the human realm. "Must suck to not blend in, eh?" Her tone was one of mocking amusement, indirectly pointing out the only good that had come of her own predicament.

As he continued, she felt the air around not only Youko shift, but the air around herself shift, turning dark. Her teeth glinted briefly against the moonlight in a small motion that, had there been sound accompanying the gesture, would have been a snarl. "Of course."

She didn't elaborate on the thought, since there was no need to tell the dirty details of the fifth and last human she'd ever killed. After all, taking down that very human had made it so she'd been stuck much longer than she'd wanted to be, and only by Sensui's hands had she been freed.

She took a deep breath, her lips now pressing together and her body leaning forward, crossing her legs beneath her before she resettled against the bark of the tree, now calm again. "But, it doesn't matter much anymore. The world moves on, and so do the people in it." _*****_

Youko's silence was a gesture of agreement at her words, his mind straying back to the female next to him.

"There are things in the three worlds that no one should have to see." He began quietly, his words almost a whisper into the breeze that wafted through. "And especially not while still young."

He said no more than that, mentally leaving the park as his thoughts replayed for him memories he'd accumulated over time, some wicked, some satisfying, some almost happy, if not pleased. And others that he would just as soon have forgotten.

He dismissed the last thought as foolish. All things were made by memory, because that's all they were. Without memory, one was...not.

A single silver ear twitched once as Youko picked up a sound many leagues away, but he remained wrapped up in his thoughts and musings.

~!**!~

Toriko let out a single sigh, a small one, almost inaudible, but still a sigh as she removed the spoon from between her lips.

_I want to go home._

Toriko frowned at the thought, unsure what prompted it and immediately taking to examining it.

Home was here. Well, over there. In that building.

Something inside her told her this wasn't home at all, but if this was not home, then where exactly was it?

Just behind her eye she felt a twinge that indicated her current line of thought would lead to places she dreaded.

_If Hiei knew, then perhaps the questions she feared answering weren't all that bad…_

Her previous moment of silent exchange with Hiei returned to her and she glanced at him briefly.

Hiei didn't seem to have any problems with...anything. Her mind provided the word in replacement for the direction her thoughts threatened to go.

But why didn't he? Why didn't Kurama, for that matter? Weren't they all the same? Why weren't _they _tortured about existence?

Toriko snorted, a silent puff of air escaping her nose with more force than usual. Ridiculous. That's what she was being right now. Utterly ridiculous.

Except that she couldn't help but wonder where home should be. 3

Hiei heard the huff from above, but kept his eyes down on his bowl. His spoon held the thick liquid in which he took to slowly moving, making small ripples in the substance before he tilted the utensil, letting it drip back into the bowl lazily.

The substance splashed only slightly, getting on his index finger, which he promptly licked away. He kept his mind carefully blank, though he wasn't sure why he took such a precaution.

Perhaps it was because he was again reminded of Demon World, and his desire to return.

All of which was almost given to him, if only a simple task were taken care of…

The thought made his eyes move upwards again in consideration. _He could go home._

~!**!~

Akari didn't reply to Youko. She didn't want to, because doing so would mean she would be looking back into memories she didn't know she'd be able to push away again. Even the thought of responding made an image flicker for an instant across her mind's eye, but it was quickly replaced with the memory of suddenly coming to with Kurama in front of her, both of them in utter darkness and accompanied by Otento.

That wasn't going to happen a second time. She wasn't going to put herself in such a position again.

Her eyes slid over to the demon next to her again, curious this time about his silence. She didn't interrupt his thoughts though, since the expression on his face was a rather interesting one in her opinion. His eyes were unfocused, that much she could see for the moonlight. She could almost make out similarities between this demon and the redheaded Kurama, in the eyes and small curvature of his face.

The thought made her give a small snort and turn away. They were the same person, right? So why would they be different in any way? _*****_

Youko felt pulled out of his reverie by her gaze and again that same semblance of a smile that he found himself unable to help when reminded of her presence fled past his mouth.

"Something interest you, inu?" He did not look over at her as she had by this time snorted and turned away, but the idea that she would stare amused him for some reason.

~!**!~

Toriko rubbed at her face as she felt Hiei looking at her again, wondering if she had gotten some of the sticky remains of sweet snow on her skin that cause him to stare.

Her hand came away with nothing, but it still felt as if she had something there.

"What?" She asked flatly, finally unable to keep the silence between them any longer. If she had something on her face, she'd rather he just told her instead of laughing at her about it in his head. 3

Hiei hadn't meant to stare so long. His thoughts had gotten carried away for the umpteenth time as of late, leading him to end up staring, this time at Toriko, and causing an air of irritation. Though, the sight of her rubbing at her face almost self-consciously had been worth it.

But her question over what made him think of home again, made another pang hit him and completely shrouded out the amusement. His eyes turned away, towards the house nearby thoughtfully.

"This world is similar to _home_, in a way. It's rather suffocating."

~!**!~

Akari shrugged, then realized he wasn't watching and a corner of her lips lifted upwards. showing her right canine tooth. "My interest was not in you," she began, tone forced flat despite the small waver that slipped by, "but in the mere possibility that my friend would be returning and I could leave your presence. It's too much work to hunt him down." _*****_

"Of course." Youko responded flippantly. "He's taking longer than usual, then? Should we call for him?"

~!**!~

At Hiei's mention of home, Toriko's expression grew wistful and she looked off into the distance longingly.

"I miss home." She finally replied, her voice a near-whisper, almost feeling as if she must sound stupid for saying something she felt was so very obvious. "But I don't even remember what that word means anymore." Her timbre carried an equal amount of wistfulness that her face held in that moment. And she wanted to remember what the word meant. Desperately. 3

Hiei didn't look at her as she replied this time, his eyes staying trained on the building in front of himself, but not really seeing it. Instead, he was seeing trees with leaves as large as his person, plants that were odd shades of purple that should never be touched. He could hear the sounds of fighting creatures that were impossible to describe in words, could smell the toxins that permeated the air from plants and demons who used herbs for fighting and medicinal use.

That was home, and right now, he wanted nothing more than to be there, laying in a tree and using the leaves as a true cover from sight, where no one dared bother him because he didn't have to hide his Jagan when sleeping, and it would always keep watch for him.

But here, in this world that smells of metal and chemicals, humans destroyed everything they created. They played coy only to destroy the things one took pride in most. There were games here, whereas in Demon World, there wasn't much room for such a thing. Everyone knew the other's tells that told of lies and deception.

In reality, he himself couldn't define home. Not in a short sentence that would suffice for the girl in longing above him. Perhaps he didn't have to. He could show her, if only…

"We have a brief opportunity."

~!**!~

"No, he's just hogging his toy," Akari replied naturally, though she quickly reverted to her taunting, "likely because you're here. I assume he gets tired of smelling _flowers_."

She gave a brief pause, in which she stretched her arms over her head, making a brief sound of satisfaction at the popping her back made. "Or maybe it's the claws," she finished, eyes flickering to the demon's fingers briefly with a small smile of amusement. _*****_

Youko briefly lifted his hand in the air to stare at the tips of his fingers and their definite lack of claw-like nails.

A remembrance from somewhere in his mind about large claws making it all the better to tear someone with, coupled with the distinct possibility of such a thing as a fairy tale made him blink at the back of his hand.

"He must not stay around _you _much either, then." Youko lowered the hand back down, his rejoin coming a tad slow. "You smell _terribly _of a particular flower yourself."

~!**!~

Toriko's world snapped back into place around her eyes and she found that her breath came faster once, twice, as if a surge of adrenaline got dumped out from her brain.

She said nothing at first, instead looking down at Hiei, speechless, her lips slightly apart as if the thought of returning completely rocked her world so hard that it fried any further usage of her brain capacity. The only coherent thought she had in that moment managed to spill over her tongue out from the garbled sense of her feelings.

"Home?" 3

Hiei nodded once at the reaction he received, glancing up at Toriko briefly before looking away again, mildly surprised by her reaction. Perhaps she and Shikiyoku were closer than he'd first imagined them to be.

Images swarmed his mind again, images of demons passing by, looking on with fear if they were smart enough to sense the amount of power around them. He could see large cities that, while similar to the ones here, were much more grand and well-kept by the demons who owned their lands. There were also images of small villages in the middle of dense forestry, the type of place he enjoyed most.

The image faded as he realized how long he'd been silent. "Koenma made an offer."

~!**!~

"I do not." Akari's eyebrows drew together at the prospect of smelling anything like a flower, but just as soon as they furrowed did one raise again in curiosity. "Why would I? I have little to no contact with them." She thought about the moldy, run-down house she resided in and all the dirt that must cling to her at times, and the lack of care the lawn had which was sure to be infested with insects of all degrees.

There was no way she smelled floral, was there? _*****_

"Oh, it's not just you." No reason for her to feel any more special than anyone else, right? "Everyone smells like _some _sort of flower." Youko pointed out, this time having to bite his tongue to keep from smiling.

~!**!~

Toriko just sat there staring at Hiei, images flickering across her mind's eye, almost as if she were getting impressions of the images Hiei saw at that moment, but knowing that they originated from within her own memories. For once, she let herself sink into them: palace steps and hanging gardens, a dark abyss from where no light escaped, vague imprints of people...demons, forests that grew taller than the eye could see from their floor.

She blinked again and the impressions faded, too many of them having flickered past for her to account for them all.

In one second, her eagerness faded. Surely Koenma's offer was meant for Hiei alone. But in the next, her thoughts soared again for Hiei had said _we_.

We.

Home.

All the reservations and fears Toriko harbored in thinking of _that _place were swept away with the knowledge that she was not returning alone. She could not even imagine Hiei leaving her by herself once there, the thought did not even occur.

She repeated those two words to herself. If Hiei did not fear. Then neither should she...right?

As jumbled as her mind felt, Toriko tried to remain practical, tried to see what exactly an "offer" meant, but she could not remain on the subject for long.

With her thoughts still harried, she questioned Hiei solemnly.

"What must we do?" 3

Hiei didn't slip into images of Demon World again. Instead, he sat there, listening to Toriko's reaction, her breathing, to judge her thoughts without resorting to telepathy. The amount of pressure in the air was immense, but the pressure was of the most anxious kind: the will to do something one had wished to do for a very long time.

He could feel it. He could identify it. He could even add to it.

As soon as she asked of the offer, a frown settled on the curvature of his lips, turning them downward. "He needs Shikiyoku to perform a task that, it seems, only she can do." He wasn't sure about elaborating, but he did just a little more. "It's to gain more information on the current… dilemma."

Now, he decided, he would only elaborate depending on her reaction, and if she wished to know more.

~!**!~

A brow raised higher than before, practically disappearing into the bangs that almost covered her eyes. Akari swiped them to the side and turned to the fox demon again. "Is that because of your prowess?" she inquired curiously, watching him now with unveiled curiosity that would, on some level, resemble a pup. "Because quite frankly, you're the only one who smells of plants in any way, shape, or form to me."

She gave a pause, head tilting just a bit to the side. "Or maybe it's an obsession, to identify each person with a flower?"

That thought made her snort a small laugh. _What an amusing prospect __**that **__would be. __*****_

Youko held out his hands in front of himself, palms up as if in a gesture of defeat, his face perfectly serious.

"You've guessed it. Obsessed with flowers. Guilty." He shrugged, his hands returning to his lap. "You, however, would smell like a flower regardless, I think. Ask anyone."

~!**!~

Toriko's head tilted a little. Something only her other side could do? She was not in Spirit World's employ.

Regardless, Toriko's expression fell, crestfallen as she finally turned from Hiei to look at the sweet snow she had forgotten about in her bowl. She had not left much, but it sat there now like so much soup and she stared at its liquidey form.

"She...she is not there." Toriko responded sadly, her hesitation born only from the knowledge that any hopes of returning to this "home" Hiei knew she belonged in were draining completely away and leaving behind a strange emptiness that she somehow felt had always been there. 3

A frown graced Hiei's features at Toriko, finding her words troubled him. Shikiyoku was gone? How? Was that even possible? He eyed her from under for a few moments, contemplating the way she deflated. Why would a human want to see demon world?

A human wouldn't call such a place _home_, would they?

"Why would you consider Demon World home if she were gone?" he voiced his thoughts, watching her carefully for a reaction. He wouldn't believe she was gone just yet, not until there was a definitive reason to believe as such.

~!**!~

Akari stared at Youko, smiling only slightly at his dry sarcasm. She considered responding to it with matching sarcasm, but quite frankly, she couldn't think of anything to say back to him. So she decided not to, until he continued about her smelling like a flower to anyone. She raised a brow, now actually curious.

"What flower?" she asked almost coyly, deciding she'd just go along with it for now. _*****_

"For some reason, I don't think you'd believe me if I told you." Youko replied loftily. "So, I'd just as soon leave you wondering." Here he stretched out a hand again and examined his nails with his head tilted slightly.

Now that he had mentioned it, of course he continued to be struck with her particular smell with each intake of breath, able to pick it out clearly from amongst the park around them.

~!**!~

Toriko could not stop the slight flinch at Hiei's familiarity and ease of bringing up that place, but her gaze turned inward.

"...well, this is not my home." She shrugged at a loss for words, unable to convey how she knew. "I know that I don't belong here, but I don't know if I belong anywhere, really." Her shoulders drooped a little. "I am just a prison that happens to have a mouth with which to speak."

It was a bleak word, but it fully portrayed how she'd come to think of herself over the past few days. As she searched inside, though-as she had done many times in that same time frame-she found nothing of the other one. No hidden bundle of...something, that she realized now had always been there just as she had always been the shell containing it. 3

Hiei eyed Toriko probably a little longer than he should have, her expression easily hinting at the thoughts she soon voiced to him. Again, he found himself unsure how to respond. He didn't know how to deal with a situation such as two souls, like she and Kurama did. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like, other than he assumed there was never any privacy of thought.

He sat in silence, leaning back against the tree when he realized he'd been leaning forward just a bit. His head rested against the bark and his eyelids slid closed in an almost lazy manner. He didn't feel like continuing the conversation on this particular topic was necessary, since Toriko believed Shikiyoku to be gone. It put him in a stalemate of sorts, and all he could do was simply brush it away for later assessment. If something else came to mind, he would voice it when the time was appropriate, but not now.

He took in a deep breath, again reminded of home, but this time not making any indication of such thoughts.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged as if she hadn't expected him to tell her anyway, turning away and leaning against the tree so she could stretch her legs out in front of herself again. She gave a small yawn, remembering that she hadn't napped today, but still made no indication that she wished to leave.

"How long do you plan on staying out here?" she inquired softly, feeling almost as if his presence was a calm, pleasant one. "I assume you can't just go home, anyway." *

Youko's eyes had closed, enjoying the peacefulness that had not thus far been interrupted by any passerbys. He therefore took a moment before he answered, breaking the stillness between them.

"Since I have no hidden agendas to fulfill, I imagine I'll be out here as long as it takes. Perhaps by morning..." He let his words drift away unfinished before continuing in a different direction. "How long do you usually stay here?"

~!**!~

"I think...I'll go to bed." Toriko managed to not sigh in the middle of her words.

She felt no tiredness, but a sudden wave of weariness enveloped her at the brief excitement "home" had been, and subsequently at the loss therein.

She turned the opposite direction from Hiei, spoon and bowl held firmly in one hand as she traversed downwards with ease, ending up hanging from the lowest branch she could find by her free fingers just for a moment before dropping the slight distance to the rest of the ground.

Her steps almost wandered as she wove her way back to the front of the house, intending to go inside and place the bowl somewhere before heading upstairs. She imagined herself simply collapsing on the comforter, wanting to cry for some strange reason that she didn't understand, but feeling too exhausted even for that. 3

Hiei didn't move from his spot when she spoke up and promptly began shifting around the tree to go inside. For the moment, he had no intention to go inside. He planned on staying here, in the tree, where the breeze could just brush his face, his hair from his eyes, and leave a slightly cooler sensation than his normal body temperature.

But he soon remembered the bowl in his hand, his red eyes turning down to survey the substance that sloshed around. He realized that he shouldn't keep it outside, for if he fell asleep, he would likely drop it and cause it to break. The fire demon released a small sound of acknowledgement over his small predicament, his reluctance to leave the tree conflicting with the knowledge that the bowl should not be outside.

After another beat's hesitation, he decided that waiting would only make him even more reluctant than he already was, so he made a single motion to swing his legs over the side of the branch and dropped to the ground unceremoniously. He followed after Toriko silently, silently debating with himself over whether he could sleep or not.

~!**!~

Akari nodded briefly to herself to show she acknowledged Youko's words of staying until morning. "I normally stay for about as long as I see fit. It depends, really." She went quiet again, looking around for Nabu. He hadn't returned, meaning he either went home, or found another person who would enthusiastically play by his game. "I do occasionally stay until morning, when I have no other plans."

The breeze that blew by was a slightly cooler one than earlier today, lifting the ends of her bangs just slightly as she slowly adjusted the way she sat so that she was almost entirely laying on the ground now, her shoulders leaning the majority of her weight against the bark and her ankles crossed in front of her, her fingers linked over her stomach, eyelids sliding closed as her head bent down just slightly. She certainly wouldn't mind staying here for the night. It wasn't uncomfortable here, where there as someone who could watch over the area if something were to go wrong.

And eventually, Nabu would come back anyway. She saw no need to hunt him down. *

For his part, Youko opened his eyes and looked over at the reclining Akari, feeling the same wind that feathered against her hair lifting his own and ruffling the short fur along his ears ever-so-slightly.

His ears twitched and he moved his gaze across the grass, a feeling of uneasiness settling over his body, a feeling he could not manage to shake.

As slowly as he could, with an equal amount of silence, Youko started to stand up, his eyes never leaving the trees on the other side of the path.

~!**!~

When Toriko got inside, stepping over the shoes and socks she removed and left by the door when arriving home from school, she didn't even feel able to put the effort out in admonishing Maneshi, who awaited her return sitting tall next to the sink, tail wrapped about his feet with the end twitching slightly up and down. She merely put her bowl, spoon still inside, down in the sink for cleaning later, and reached up to brush her fingers over his dark, sinewy shoulder.

Her retreat to her bedroom was as measured as the rest of her steps since climbing out of the tree and when she got upstairs, she did little more than crawl on top of the covers and curl up on the far side with her back to her door, staring listlessly at the wall. 3

Hiei was inside the house in time to see Toriko disappear up the stairs, though he didn't pause to consider following. He'd already made up his mind, and before acting on it, he waltzed into the kitchen and placed his bowl and spoon in the sink, ran water through it to at least rid the objects of the thick liquid, and then shut it off. He lingered for a moment in front of the sink, eyeing Maneshi for a moment before deciding to ignore the cat altogether and continued on.

He followed Toriko's steps up to her room, silently letting the door shut until it was only ajar by about an inch. His eyes locked on the window he'd taken a liking to, and in seconds he was comfortable with his back against the wooden frame, his left shoulder leaning carefully on the glass and one leg dangling over the edge in the laziest of ways.

~!**!~

The silence was relaxing, and Akari couldn't help but let her body sink into the tree, her mind going just as quiet as her surroundings. As comfortable as she was, it was very tempting to let herself fall into the darkness of sleep, but for the moment, she struggled to stay awake, to enjoy the silence of the park, intending to at least stay awake until Nabu came back.

But even as the breeze came to a standstill, she had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer, if the silence stayed as comfortable as it was. *

Youko spoke, his voice lower even than usual, "Inu. I do not suggest falling asleep." He took the two steps over so that he stood just in front of her. "We are not alone."

Youko could still not see anything, but his other senses told him his statement was accurate.

~!**!~

Maneshi stared after the pair that had disappeared disapprovingly, immediately hopping down and chasing after them, galloping up the stairs and launching himself onto the bed to land as disruptively as possible next to where Toriko lay.

"Mrow!" He demanded of her, insisting that she pay more attention to him than she had.

When she did not move, he tromped across the blankets and planted his front paws defiantly on her hip, meowing loudly again towards her face.

"Go away, cat." Toriko mumbled, closing her eyes as if that would help.

Maneshi did no such thing, lowering himself back onto the bed and proceeding to rub the side of his body against her, moving up and down, his tail curling and twisting around in the air. 3

Hiei didn't have to look to know what was going on, the cat being the only sound shattering the quiet for the moment. A slight sneer formed on his lips in amusement at the cat, but it was gone as he sunk lower into the frame than before, his mind telling him it was time to sleep, his body already relaxed enough to make him feel as if he had been asleep for a while.

When the cat meowed again, and Toriko replied with a grumble, he opened a single eye to glance over at the pair, but was uninterested after the single moment and closed it again. Sleep was a blissful thing once achieved.

~!**!~

Akari had felt sleep beginning to take over the edges of her mind when Youko spoke up, his words at first going almost unheard to her. But his last four words jolted her mind awake with a start and her eyes slid open almost lazily, immediately seeing the backside of the demon standing in front of her. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in the dirt behind her and pushed herself up into a small crouch, her other hand rubbing at her eyes to make them focus on their surroundings.

"Just once," she grumbled to herself, "would a day in the park go uninterrupted?" As she spoke, she pushed herself to stand, but didn't exactly move out from behind the fox demon. She merely peered around him in the direction he was so keenly tuned to, eyes searching for what alarmed him but finding nothing. *

* * *

><p><span>inu<span> - dog

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	29. Episode 114 - Released

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Readers!

Onwards!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Koenma asks Hiei to bring him Shikiyoku  
>as he has a mission to send her on in Demon World<br>and will grant her freedom from the warrant out for her arrest should she comply.  
>Toriko finds out about this later from Hiei,<br>but she informs him that Shikiyoku is gone.

~!**!~

Meanwhile, Youko is conversing with Akari  
>and Akari is on the verge of sleep when Youko abruptly stands,<br>informing her that the two of them are not alone...

* * *

><p>"I know you're there." Youko took one step forward. "There's no point in hiding any longer."<p>

"That body serves you well, Youko." The velvety voice from beyond the trees could not have belonged to anyone other than Otento, but he did not reveal himself at that moment.

Youko's stance shifted into a more defensive one, resting his weight near his toes in case he needed to make a quick movement.

"What do you want?" Youko's eyes shifted slightly, trying catch a glimpse of the intruder.

"I was just coming to check up on you, and I see you've made a friend."

Youko spun around as at last the voice seemed to clear and come from behind him.

Otento already had Akari in his grasp, one arm at her neck with a wicked dagger pressing against her skin, the other holding one of her arms twisted up into her back.

Youko's eyes narrowed dangerously, the glare aimed directly into Otento's purple eyes that seemed to grin with just as much recklessness back at the fox demon.

"Let. Her. Go."

"Unlikely." Otento seethed.

Youko reached one hand slowly up into his hair at the base of his neck, a deep growl resonating at a low pitch that rumbled gravely out of his chest.

"You wouldn't dare." Otento's gaze darkened, his grip on Akari tightening.

"Watch me."

There was a bending of the area next to Youko and Otento and a third demon appeared, quickly assessing the situation on either side of him.

"Problem?" He let one eyebrow raise as he regarded his companions.

~!**!~

Kurama wandered about the park aimlessly, his mind too much of a mess to consider going home now. He wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been out here, but he'd only just begun sorting through his thoughts in relation to Toriko's condition with any semblance of continuity and knew the time was not yet for sleep.

At first, the voices he heard seemed inconsequential, murmurs that he did not register, until he got pulled from his thoughts by a single word.

Youko.

Kurama broke into a run without hesitation, breaking through the trees with widened eyes taking in the scene before him.

Akari. Otento. The teleporting demon's back. And...Youko.

His core skipped a beat as he watched Youko reach up in a telltale manner that Kurama recognized, assessing that Akari had somehow gotten captured and they were going to do something to her, though he could only guess what.

Kurama's eyes grew larger when, as if in slow motion, he watched Youko remove his hand from his hair and pull it forward towards Akari, a plant starting to grow. A plant that made his core seemingly stop in its place.

They meant to kill her.

Kurama started running forward again, feeling his demonic energy straining desperately against the hold Otento still had around it. Out of habit, Kurama reached up into his own hair and removed a single rose-whip seed, clenching it in his hand while he ran as he jaw tightened when he could do nothing with it.

The plant Youko was manipulating continued to grow, bursting outwards towards Akari in a sudden rush of power.

"NO!" Kurama shouted, wrenching at the plant from somewhere inside himself as his demonic energy erupted out of its holding place and hummed coursing in his veins.

Several things happened almost at once.

Otento and the teleport demon both heard Kurama and their heads began turning to stare at him as if they'd only just now noticed his presence.

Youko remained dangerously fixated to the front for a moment longer until the plant started to backfire, ordered by Kurama's power to turn on its former master.

The vines of the thing bent backwards, turning around and piercing into Youko's skin.

That got his attention, the pain evident only after his complete and utter surprise aimed at the deadly plant he no longer had in his control.

Kurama could feel Youko's attempts to wrest power back from him, but Kurama would have none of it, overwhelming the seed with a constant feeding of his energy.

By this time he was only ten feet away, and his rose whip was in his hand almost as an afterthought while he brought the hand holding it up to his ear, his eyes expressing his intent to kill every last one of them.

Just as he let the whip go, the teleport demon's hands were already on Youko and Otento's shoulders and in that half a second that it took for the whip to shoot off towards Youko's neck, the three of them disappeared, the whip lashing into empty air before returning to Kurama's side as he stopped running where they had been moments before.

Kurama's eyes flashed dangerously into the night and he said nothing to Akari at first, his rage simmering, his full-blown wrath nigh-uncontainable as he could do nothing but stand there, chest rising and falling heavily.

~!**!~

Maneshi meowed again, louder this time.

_Play with meeee._

He butted her back with his head.

"Maneshi, stop."

"Mrow."

Toriko lifted her arm and waved it at him without moving otherwise. He only had to duck his head for her to miss.

"Stop it." She said again, her weariness giving way to irritation.

"Mrow."

In a sudden burst of movement, Toriko sat up and Maneshi immediately pounced into her lap.

"Go away." She dumped him out of it and made a gesture as if to sweep him off the bed entirely, but he nimbly sidestepped her and returned.

"Leave." She glared at him.

"Mrow."

She dumped him back out onto the bed again and this time he stayed there, but glared right back.

"Out!" She pointed at the door.

"Mrow!" He did not move.

Toriko took another swipe at him, hoping to grab him in some way that would let her physically and forcefully remove him from the room, but he dodged again.

"Mrow!" 3

Hiei lightly bit his tongue to keep from making a small scoff at the commotion he could hear, still making no motion to look over at the duo who seemed to be having a battle of sorts. The small fact that it was Toriko being bothered, and not himself, was the most amusing of all.

But his amusement died away as darkness slowly began to overtake his mind, though he actually wanted to know the outcome of this small battle of will between the pair.

"Throw his toy," the fire demon suggested in a low mumble, referring to the mouse toy he'd seen here and there.

~!**!~

Akari's body had given a small, albeit physical jerk at the realization that the voice belonged to Otento, and she'd been laying around with the enemy. Sure, she'd thought of the possibility earlier, but she'd disregarded it. Why? Because he hadn't killed her on the spot.

Her eyes widened and her body stiffened, taking a single step backwards and into another body just as the voice cleared, revealing the demon to be behind her. Before she had any thought to react to, her arm was twisted painfully against her back and a cold, sleek metal was just touching the skin of her neck. Her entire body ceased all movements, her mind becoming a whirl of thoughts that even she didn't understand.

Panic made her core tremble simultaneously with her muscles, the strain of staying ultimately still in fear of the blade and the people around her intensifying her panicked need to get away. She was trapped, and the only thing she could register was that it was her own dang fault.

Puzzlement came next, with Youko's threat to Otento. Why would he fight his own comrade over her capture? It's a show, she told herself, eyes narrowing at the silver haired demon in front of her dangerously. Her energy continued to push at the hold over it, her teeth gnashing together as she tried to find a way out of such a predicament. He's wanting me to trust him, to kill me without problem.

The thought ghosted across the forefront of her mind, accompanied by more confusion. It was such an elaborate and useless trick. Even Otento seemed daunted by the possibility.

Her lips parted to release a small sound of warning at the plant she saw forming before her, uncertainty at the next few moments making it hard to judge what to do. Trust the demon who was threatening Otento, or fight them both, along with the demon who just appeared?

It didn't matter, either way, she'd likely die. That single thought made her body go cold, her eyes widening again at the motion the plant made. It moved almost as smoothly as water, slowly at first, and then several things happened at once.

A shout shattered the tense silence. The plant parted as if to go around her. Otento's body shifted just a touch.

She saw her opportunity in the realization that the voice was of a person intending to help. Her energy struggled as she snarled and took a step back, her entire body leaning into Otento to get away from the blade just as the plant before her recoiled, leaving her personal bubble of space.

With her free elbow jamming into the stomach of the demon holding her, her energy came loose in a desperate attempt to create a security blanket, her head snapping back against the person who held her captive.

And in the next moment, the hold on her was gone, and a millisecond later, so were the demons who had been surrounding her. She stood there, body shaking with the energy that now coursed through her veins and the panic she still felt rushing through her at an alarming rate.

_He'd… he wasn't going to kill me. _

The image of Youko's plant splitting in front of her made every ounce of panic disappear, replaced with complete and utter confusion. Simultaneously, she realized the threat was gone and relief hit her like a brick to the face.

The sudden shift made her knees buckle beneath her, and for an instant, her world spun and the ground rapidly rose to meet her. *

Kurama took no time in catching Akari as she began to sink next to him, rose whip simultaneously being slipped away once more as his arms caught her shoulders and he sunk to the ground with her.

"Akari. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Kurama knew without a doubt that he had not allowed the plant to touch her, but who knows what else had happened before he stepped onto the scene.

~!**!~

Toriko ignored Hiei's helpful suggestion as the mouse Maneshi played with was nowhere in sight, likely hidden beneath the couch.

The pair glared at one another before Toriko huffed out a breath of air at him and flopped back down on the bed.

Maneshi immediately trotted around her body and stuck his face up to her, whiskers tickling her face.

"Go bother him." Toriko suggested at a growl-level.

Maneshi lifted his head to stare over at Hiei, who appeared just as asleep as Toriko wished to be.

A flutter of movement caught the cat's eye and he whipped around into a crouch, his rear wiggling in the air as he gauged the distance between him and the movement.

He snapped into motion, dashing across the bed onto the carpet at a scramble to bat furiously at the edge of Hiei's cloak that hung freely down over the fire demon's leg before making a dime-turn and leaping back onto the bed to crouch facing the window once more.

Maneshi repeated the action again after a pause, ending up back on the bed, his eyes flitting up to Hiei's as he wriggled again. 3

Hiei's mind had become darkened with sleep, quiet. He no longer heard the struggle on the other side of the room, nor the sounds of the night outside the window his shoulder rested against. He made a small, sleepy huff as his body shifted only slightly, the foot that rested on the windowsill pressing against the opposite side of the frame than his back.

And then something caught his attention. His cloak moved, tightening over his leg just a fraction before resettling back into place again. He ignored it, at first believing to be imagining, even dreaming it. But the third time he felt the change, his mind was awake and his eyes were open, staring over at the cat that was crouched on the bed, tail twitching madly and body wriggling in place.

"I dare you."

~!**!~

Disoriented, Akari hadn't noticed she'd been caught until her knees gently touched the earth, her fingers just resting on the grass as her arms hung at her sides, her left shoulder throbbing slightly from the sudden release of pressure she'd earned.

Kurama's questions registered a second too late, and her eyes, still on the spot where Youko had stood, focused a bit more as her mind cleared only a fraction. "I'm okay." she tried to say, but it came out a garbled mumble of incoherency, her spinning thoughts making it hard to concentrate on anything but what she'd only just realized.

She blinked slowly, forcing her mind blank and forcing her eyes to move to the redhead next to her. She cleared her throat and repeated herself, this time her voice clear. "I'm fine. Just a little, uh, shaken." *

Kurama did not stop looking into her eyes, searching to see if there was any truth to what she said.

She did appear to be alright otherwise, besides "shaken" as she so aptly put it.

"They didn't hurt you?" He gently reached over and tipped her chin upwards, frowning as he saw a slight pool of crimson where he imagined a dagger had been pressed. He reached for it with his other hand and wiped his thumb across it, coming away with her blood on it, but seeing nothing more than a slight breaking of her skin where the blade had pressed too hard. He released her and searched her eyes again, his anger at the moment still having not passed enough for him to considering leaving.

~!**!~

Maneshi's wiggling stopped, his body freezing in place as he stared unblinkingly at Hiei. His claws, which had been up to that moment retracted, sunk slightly into the sheets as he prepared to launch himself forward again, his entire body strung taut.

As if a spring, Maneshi uncoiled and flew towards the carpet again, dashing underneath Hiei's foot and gathering his tiny body up again just as he started to turn back in order to make the jump all the way back to the bed where he ran full-tilt at the pillow, turning back again and skidding to a halt at the other edge of the bed, his eyes wild as he feet splayed apart to stop himself short of falling off completely.

After going still again, he dropped back into a crouch and locked his eyes on the edge of Hiei's cloak, which had moved again and caught his attention. He kneaded his front paws twice into the blankets as if preparing for another pass. 3

Hiei watched the cat's motions every step of the way, crimson flashing in the moonlight in challenge of the feline, who suddenly had him very amused. Sure, he'd been pulled from sleep, but he hadn't been that tired anyway. He could deal with lack of sleep.

As the cat shot away from him again, the fire demon's hand moved from his stomach to the edge of the windowsill, his fingers lightly grasping his cloak. He held it still for a minute, staring intently at the cat. Slowly at first, he slid the cloak up, then let it drop again. It moved, the end just touching the wall and swaying lightly. Then he decided to make it move in a jerky motion, and his fingers gripped at the cloth and pulled to the side, making it move like a creature trying to get away from its hunter.

And when the cat would come near, he would relinquish the cloak entirely in an attempt to make him hit the wall.

~!**!~

Akari held Kurama's gaze evenly now, even as he tilted her chin a little and wiped at the place where her skin stung just a little. She hadn't realized the blade had bit through her skin, so when she saw the blood on his thumb, she gave a mild shrug of indifference, as if it didn't matter.

"No," she finally answered, her eyes meeting his again. She could see the raw emotion there, and quite frankly, she found herself a little surprised by how strongly he had reacted to her predicament. "Thank you." *

Kurama could feel the tension strung all across his body and he visibly relaxed, his shoulders moving back into place as he forced his muscles to release the anger he felt.

As his mind cleared, he sat down on the grass, only having to rotate slightly and finish sitting the last few inches to the ground.

First Toriko. Now Akari.

Kurama felt that only now did he understand the recent attachment Hiei made to keeping watch over Toriko. Granted, Hiei had found her in a much more compromising position from what Kurama understood, but he felt that his own rage at their enemies' actions at Akari allowed him a burst of insight into what Hiei must have experienced.

They were cowardly, for certain. And that irked Kurama more than he would have liked to admit.

~!**!~

Maneshi's thoughts clouded over and instinct kicked in.

He was no longer a small, dark, housecat, preparing to pounce off of a bed, but his mind transported him into the rainforest where his sleek, black fur would be hidden in the undergrowth, and his powerful panther legs would gather up underneath him in preparation to strike at the prey who jostled around in the forest floor below.

He curled himself up almost completely compact in his crouch, his body writhing again as he loosened his muscles and kept them keen for his attack, eyes locked on the fluttering animal that remained innocent of the death from above that awaited it.

Maneshi's tail lashed once almost angrily in the air and then he took the jump, stretching his body out with his claws fully extended, intending to grab hold and begin tearing into the flesh of the beast. 3

The sneer that took over Hiei's features was one of triumph as Maneshi coiled up even tighter, body preparing to leap at the end of his fluttering cloak. His eyes flashed, figuring this would end the cat's bothersome behaviour if it went as he planned.

As soon as the cat came near, he reacted with the speed only a demon could have and retracted the cloak from the cat's reach, faster than the cat should be able to respond.

~!**!~

Akari watched Kurama visibly slump, his body lowering the rest of the way until he sat in the grass in front of her. She didn't move, staying on her knees with her hands still at her sides as she eyed him. Again, she thought about Youko, and for a moment, she considered telling Kurama, but decided against it since she herself didn't understand the prospect.

Her gaze clouded over as she recalled the moment with vivid detail, remembering how each leaf had parted in readiness to strike Otento. He'd been willing to fight his own team. Why, she still didn't understand.

A realization hit her and she was wrenched back to the present, eyes widening and hand moving swiftly up to her face, her energy moving through her body and to her hand, making a single shadow coil around her wrist. A small, euphoric laugh bubbled up from her lips as the shadow dissipated. "Well, that's one way to do it." *

Akari's sudden noise of pleasure pulled Kurama back to his surroundings, and the smile he had for her was indeed a smile, if a grim one.

It seemed they both were able to break through the limit placed on their energy, Akari in desperation to save her own life and Kurama...

He stared back down at the grass.

Kurama in order to save hers.

He wasn't quite sure what this meant and he remained silent.

~!**!~

Just as Maneshi could practically smell the bloody gore of the animal he was about to run-through, it disappeared and reality snapped back into place, the dark cloak fluttering out of his immediate view to reveal the wall of the house in his direct path.

His paws contacted first, taking the brunt of the trauma even as he bent his elbows to circumvent the damage elsewhere, and he managed to turn his face to the side so that instead of his nose slamming into the wall, it was his cheek, his ears flattening against his skull to prevent any injuries they might acquire in the process.

Toriko shot up in bed at the loud slam that reverberated in the room.

"What did you do?" She demanded of Hiei, her eyes narrowing at him when she did not initially see anything else but the smug look on his face that indicated something had happened just now and that blame for it likely rested on him.

Her eyes moved down just below his foot hanging from the windowsill in time to see Maneshi slump to the floor and it did not take much for her to form a conjecture about the circumstances.

She glared back at Hiei again. 3

Hiei, for the first time in a very, very long time, released a genuine snicker down at the cat before going quiet again, completely satisfied with himself for finding a way to silent the cat. Toriko, on the other hand, was glaring at him, which didn't actually do much of anything other than make him feel even more amused and triumphant.

"I did nothing more than remove my cloak from harm," he admitted, "everything else is circumstantial."

~!**!~

Akari's lips released another short giggle as the shadow reappeared, moving like a silk ribbon around and around her arm, causing goosebumps to trail along her skin with the chill that followed the contact. Perhaps strong emotion was all it took to break a hold like that, she thought. Again, the shadow dissipated into nothing and she considered toying with her illusion ability, but decided it wasn't absolutely necessary.

She finally shifted her weight so that her legs were no long under her, but crossed in front of her as she eyed the redhead with a look of consideration. She gave a small sigh, suddenly feeling deflated as she realized she'd ended up in the midst of trouble, and for the second time, had been practically rescued by another. "I apologize for the trouble. I seem to find it everywhere…" *

Instead of answering her, Kurama simply lifted his head to look at her and silently held out a hand, palm upwards, in her direction.

He said nothing at first, his face plain and revealing nothing of his intentions as he spoke up.

"I believe you have something of mine? May I see it, please?"

~!**!~

At first Toriko stayed speechless, clenching and unclenching her jaw as she tried not to let her lips move from their frown, though they threatened to twitch in the opposite direction and completely break what she knew to be a perfectly good glare.

"Why would you do something like that?" She sounded more put-out than she actually felt. 3

Hiei gave an offhanded shrug with only a single shoulder, not phased by her glare nor question. "To protect my cloak. Why else?" His reply was short, his tone even despite the flash that lit up his eyes with amusement. "It's a perfectly good material. Preserving it is highest on my list."

~!**!~

Akari blinked at Kurama's hand, unsure of what he was doing. She at first thought he was going to help her stand, but the fact that he himself didn't move to stand left her meeting his gaze curiously. She opened her mouth to inquire, but he spoke before she could.

And the realization of what he was referring to made her internally cringe in embarrassment, her mouth closing and eyes shifting to the side. How could she have forgotten it? She leaned to the side and slid a hand into her front pocket, retrieving the seed and dropping it into his palm without looking at him.

"I was going to give it back…" *

Kurama's face remained solemn, choosing not to reply to the girl who seemed a little flustered that he knew she had the seed that he now held in his palm.

With little effort, he grew it into a rose, letting the scent waft around them in the air as it rested in place. He placed his fingers about the stem and whirled it around once, its petals and leaves arcing gracefully outwards like a dancer in mid-pirouette.

He changed it back to seed form just for an instant before regrowing it once more and then passing it to Akari.

"No need. Keep it. You should be able to change it between forms as you please now."

Kurama stood up, hesitating before turning to go.

"You are no trouble. Please don't fool yourself into believing such a falsehood." At that he did turn away, hands in his pockets as another breeze swept through the park, lifting his hair as he walked off.

~!**!~

Toriko fought against smiling again, throwing her hands up in the air and lifting her eyes to the ceiling as if she gave up and proclaiming, "You're hopeless."

She went back to glaring at him, crossing her arms as her eyes locked with his.

"Come here." She ordered, pointing to the bit of floor next to her. 3

Hiei stared at Toriko, eyes following the gesture she gave as a sneer pulled at his lips again with her words. He chose not to respond to being called hopeless, since he saw no need to do so, and turned his eyes down to the fallen lump of fur below him. He assessed the still body for a moment, triumph again surfacing in his eyes.

But the moment Toriko ordered for his presence, he looked up again, sneer gone and eyes flashing again in challenge. But he didn't move. Not yet.

~!**!~

The smell wafted through the air, catching Akari by surprise enough to make her eyes slide over to Kurama again, watching as the rose continued to bloom into a full blossom. Curious, she watched as it again changed back into seed form, and a second later returned to the form of the flower. So that's the seed I had taken. She had guessed as much, but hadn't been one hundred percent sure.

Suddenly, it was being held out to her. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Kurama, hesitating as he spoke. Keep it?

Something in her reacted to the gesture, making her neck and ears warm up just a little as she reached out to take the rose, again not meeting Kurama's gaze. Her eyes stayed down on the rose carefully as he continued to speak, rendering her completely speechless even as she heard him turn to leave.

Only when his back was to her and he was a few feet away did she finally look up at him, her lips curling inward slightly as she tried and tried to come up with something to say, but only came up with nothing more than jumbled emotions. *

When he knew he was out of earshot, Kurama let loose a sigh and paused in the middle of the path for a moment, letting the air move across his face as he closed his eyes and lifted his chin farther up into the air.

That moment earlier where Akari's life had been in danger and he'd felt something snap replayed over and over in his mind, and as much as he tried to analyze it, something about it escaped him.

And something else about it felt very apparent.

Kurama started walking again, his mind jumbled just as much as it had been when he entered the park, but he somehow knew continuing to walk around there would not be helpful.

Not this time.

~!**!~

Hiei's expression was not lost on Toriko, but something inside of her rose up and blatantly ignored his stubbornness.

She was on her feet without further thought, next to Hiei in a single stride, and grabbing for the crook of his arm within a second. She yanked him off the window and plopped him down, seated, onto the bed where she had been until that moment.

"Now stay there." She growled, "And don't go causing any more trouble."

She turned back to Maneshi and lifted the cat into her arms, stalking out of the room and returning minutes later catless, shutting the door behind her and making sure it clicked, mumbling something to herself about keeping "the two of them separated." 3

Hiei hadn't known what had happened at first. One second, he was completely comfortable in the windowsill, and the next, a grumpy Toriko was pulling him by his arm, and he was seated on the bed, the girl grabbing the cat and leaving the room after a growled order to him.

He gave a huff of defiance, but otherwise made no reaction. He didn't move away, didn't relax, did nothing other than sit and stare at the door, waiting for her return. And when she was back, he scoffed at her mumbles, deciding he might as well get comfortable.

He leaned back until his feet were on the bed, knees bent as the bottom of his feet rested on the comforter and his back rested on the top of the blanket. His hands linked behind his head and he resigned himself to simply laying there.

"Ridiculous."

~!**!~

Akari watched Kurama retreat until he was lost from her sight, by which time she had looked down to the rose in her lap again. Both hands gingerly held the flower, slowly turning it over and over between her fingers.

Too many things played in her mind for her to be able to focus on just one, and it made her feel frustrated, flustered to the point where she released a heavy sigh and resigned herself to lifting the rose to her nostrils, taking a deep breath of the scent it permeated the air with.

After a few minutes, she gave up about trying to figure out her own emotions, her own jumbled thoughts, and she gave another sigh and pushed herself to stand, muscles still shaky but strong enough to support her.

_"'kari… can we go home?"_ Akari glanced down at the dog she hadn't seen approach, ears drooping just as much as his eyes were, ball in front of him. _"Where'd you get that?"_

"Flowers."

_"Oh."_

Silence ensued and she offered a small smile at the rose, toying with it before she reached down to grab Nabu. "Let's go home." *

~!**!~

Toriko had already begun climbing onto the bed herself when he spoke up and she stopped to regard him primly.

"Yes. You are." She sniffed lightly. "I'm glad there is at least one thing we can both agree on."

She went ahead and finished getting on top of the blankets, her head hitting a pillow with a soft poof as her hair fanned about her profile for a moment before she grimaced and lifted her face up to grab at her hair and pull it out from under her, throwing it to the side where she would no longer lay on it.

Letting out a small sigh, she relaxed into the fluffiness of the bed and closed her eyes, one arm roguishly tossed up by her head and the other laying over her stomach. 3

Hiei scoffed at Toriko's response, but otherwise made no response. He merely turned away from her, rolling onto his side so that his back faced her, his arm supporting his head while the other simply lay over his stomach.

His eyes slid closed slowly, finally relaxing again now that the crazy, hyper cat was gone from the room. And quite frankly, the mattress underneath him was a contributing factor to the sudden complete relaxation of each and every muscle in his body. *

Toriko grimaced, a sudden flash of desire making her face scrunch together as she thought of home again.

She abruptly turned and buried her face in Hiei's back, pulling her hands up to her face to cover it as if being hidden would wipe away all her thoughts that rushed through her mind.

What did it look like? What did it smell like? Were there trees? Or butterflies?

Toriko squeezed her eyes together and tried to concentrate on Hiei's warmth, lying very still and trying to relax her body from head to feet.

It did work in a way after a while, at least in removing her thoughts from the realization that she would probably never get to see the one place she might be able to call home. 3

Hiei frowned to himself as pressure was applied to his back, and after only a moment's hesitation, he turned his head to catch a glimpse of Toriko hiding her face in his shoulders, but other than that, he couldn't exactly tell what was happening.

He rested his head back on his arm again and let his eyelids slide closed, thinking back to the conversation that had lead to them being here. She'd seemed so hopeful when he'd said home, and she'd seemed so defeated when the only way he knew of getting there required Shikiyoku. It was obvious the girl believed the demon to be gone from her, but something within him spoke against it, just whispering that she wasn't completely right.

But he wouldn't know. There seemed to be a complete lack in the bond he'd previously felt, always having underlay the other emotions he felt and his own awareness of everything else. It had given him direct access to the demoness who seemed to so easily capture his attention, and even keep it long enough to have him… well, in this position.

His frown deepened. How would she have left anyway? Was it even a possibility or…

His thoughts paused as he released a tired breath, almost a sigh, and shifted his body weight again. Toriko's presence was now completely in his awareness, unable to be ignored from the proximity. Why was she laying so close to him again? *

In desperation, Toriko reached inward again, even going so far as to silently call out within her mind.

_Sh-Shiki?_ Her voice resounded hesitantly along the walls where the other side of her resided.

Toriko could feel herself as the prison around this particular space that she recognized to be the resting place of her other half. But there was nothing there.

Standing in that room, she thought back, sifting through her memories. The first of the last things she remembered was the stiffness, something she'd managed to skirt around asking anyone about, though she knew something had to have happened.

Before that, things were fuzzy and she only had a vague sense of knowing that Shiki had done...stuff? That seemed a little too broad.

After the large hunk of time she had no remembrance of came the virus that her other side had taken over for, but without knowledge of anything that happened inbetween, Toriko felt powerless to deduce the reason why her mind was devoid of its usual, steadfast presence.

But she had to know. Because if she could figure it out...if she could bring back that other side...they might be able to...they could...

"Hiei, what don't I remember?" She asked quietly. 3

Hiei didn't answer at first, taking a moment to figure out which train of thought Toriko was on. It wasn't a difficult thing, but it was something he himself was rather reluctant to speak about, for his own reasons. He hadn't even thought over it.

He knew there was likely a lot the girl didn't remember, aside from the dangerously traumatising events. Even so, he didn't wish to go down that road. Not now. He was just beginning to feel tired again.

"Elaborate," he said in a low voice muddled with sleepiness. "Stole Sweet Snow, if that's what you're referring to." *

Toriko made a grunt of protest, but fell silent, recognizing Hiei's tone to be one that meant she'd likely interrupted his journey into dreamland.

She knew he'd been there for probably everything her other side had been through and was likely, she felt, being difficult for the sake of being difficult as he was wont to do.

Not to mention the fact that "stealing sweet snow" didn't exactly help in explaining-

Wait, WHAT had he just said?!

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again. It didn't matter, and she didn't want to wake him. She ruefully considered how the "stealing" had worked out, finding herself a little more than put-out at the thought and wondering how much Hiei had instigated her other side. He seemed like the type to enable that sort of behavior.

Had Toriko's eyes been open, she would have rolled them heavenward.

She fought with considering pressing him further for events she could not recall in an effort to discover the reason why her mind was empty save for her own self. 3

Hiei was a bit surprised when she didn't say something right away, or even make any sort of indication that she'd heard what he'd said. So he released another tired puff of air and deflated, his mind again going blank in refusal over the topic.

But he knew the moment his words registered with her, because for a moment, the air in the room changed. Briefly, he was amused by the tense atmosphere, but it faded as he began to slip into sleep again. All he wanted now was to have a peaceful night's sleep, uninterrupted and dreamless.

Was that so much to ask for? *

~!**!~

A pair of mismatched eyes gleamed in the darkness of the house, the silence only a mask to be used as an advantage to the four padded feet that stalked upstairs towards the closed bedroom door.

Slipping past it was a simple matter, an advantage given to most felines, and this room's silence was intermittently broken by both the beating of two demonic hearts and the breathing, low and deep, of their owners.

Without so much as a noise, the tiny black body stalked forward again, landing softly on top of the bed and skirting the legs of the female laying nearby.

Instead, he stepped lightly onto the darker portion of the bed, his intent at the moment to leave the sleeper undisturbed, though as he placed one paw in front of the other and scaled first the thigh and then waist of the fire demon, his eyes gave away his wicked intent.

With perfect balance, Maneshi moved over Hiei's elbow to the upper part of his arm and hunched down, his head hanging over Hiei's shoulder, his sleek form easily able to maintain his position.

Unfortunately, it is often the best plans that get waylaid and as Maneshi perched on his front toes, he could feel the warmth of the fiery demon beneath him seeping upwards through the black cloak that felt soft underneath the pads of Maneshi's paws.

It made him drowsy and he blinked first one eye and then the other, his thoughts of revenge becoming muddled by the heat that wove over his skin in such a delightful manner.

His eyes slipped closed...

_Maneshi could feel his tiny heart beating wildly in his chest as he ran, the voices behind him getting closer, their maliciousness unmistakable. _

_His four paws flew along the ground, his tail streaming out behind his body and his ears flat against his skull as the voices kept yelling about capture, detainment, and other things the cat found himself unable to comprehend over the flight his body had to maintain._

_No matter how fast he ran though, it seemed almost as if he was not moving forward, unable to put any more distance between himself and those behind until suddenly he skidded to a stop as a pair of hands reached down to grasp him from the front._

_Claws digging into the ground to stop himself faster as he kept moving forward, Maneshi scrambled to turn around and dash off the other direction, a large foot stomping down in his path which made him jump several feet up into the air, managing to force his trajectory backwards as he did so, but quickly becoming closed in on all sides by bodies or feet or hands, finding that he ran in a circle that decreased in size with each turn._

Without thinking, Maneshi's eyes flew open, his claws digging into the cloak beneath him as he could still see in his addled mind hands reaching for him that wished to crush him.

Letting the claws give him enough purchase to speed off as fast as he could manage, Maneshi tore himself away from the cloak, causing damage beneath him that he could not at the moment comprehend.

He streaked down to the bottom of the bed, clawing to a stop again at the edge which he saw as another person from his dream that wished to harm him. He dashed to go the other direction and leapt up into the air as another reached out to snatch him, his eyes wild and his breath coming furiously from his lungs. 3

It had been so peaceful, so quiet. His entire body had been so relaxed into the mattress, even leaning a little back into Toriko, who still had her body just touching his. Somewhere, in the back of his sleeping mind, he was aware of that fact, his body never moving to or away from her. And as he had liked, he wasn't dreaming.

Very suddenly, he felt pain bite at his shoulder, heard his cloak tear, and his eyes were open and he moved in a flash of instinct, a single hand reaching beneath the cloak he wore for his sword and the other grabbing at the blur that had caused his rude awakening.

A snarl left his lips defensively as his fingers enclosed around the tuft of fur at Maneshi's neck, holding him out at arm's length with a very dangerous and a very deadly glare. He didn't have to look to see the damage to his cloak or the three claw marks that made blood slowly rise to the surface of the skin. And he knew he didn't have to speak for his very last warning of danger to be heard, though it wasn't much of a warning anymore. *

At being caught, Maneshi yowled a horrible sound before letting his body go limp as being held by the scruff of his neck will do.

Toriko immediately shot up in bed, her mind crystal clear and taking in everything at once: Hiei's rage, bleeding skin, and torn cloak; Maneshi's half-lidded stare and huffing upper body.

If she had not been so immediately concerned for Maneshi's general well-being she might have found the situation justified, almost amusing, assuming Maneshi was exacting revenge on Hiei for Hiei's earlier misdemeanor involving the cat and his cloak.

However, seeing Hiei holding the cat who had been her truest companion for years in such a way, threatening it with a katana that would have proven to be overdoing the job, made Toriko's blood run cold and she could very nearly see the redness of the explosion of anger at the edges of her vision.

Within seconds of rising up, Toriko's eyes were narrowed at Hiei, and while she didn't think he would be able to hear her past his own obvious wrath, she spoke up anyway, giving him fair warning. But he would only get the one.

"Put him down, Hiei." Her tone came out icey and quiet, her words measured, articulated to the Nth degree, almost dripping with venom and laced with more danger in the sharpness of their soft execution than they would have been had she shouted at him from the top of her lungs.

One chance.

That's all he would get.

Toriko could feel her body trembling as she suddenly became aware that she held something back, a tide that pushed against her, waves that threatened to break and burst past her.

And all of it building up in Hiei's direction.3

Hiei's entire being, still muddled with sleep enough to make him even just a bit irrational, was filled with rage at the small creature. His immediate reaction, that of being attacked, had driven his instincts to overdrive, his katana drawn only from those instincts and held in such a way that the moonlight from outside flashed across the blade.

The slack body of the feline in his hand would be an easy thing to slice at. The small heart would be so simple to pierce with the blade in his hand…

Toriko's voice moved to his ears, but the words were almost lost to him, if the quiet warning hadn't gained his attention. He glanced back for a second before turning back to the cat, glaring deadly daggers of consideration at the sleek black furball.

And for the moment, he didn't know what to do, so he made no motion to move at all. *

At first Toriko felt only an odd trickling sensation coming from somewhere she could not identify, and before she could do anything to stop it, the trickle became a flood, as if that's all that had been needed.

Her entire body erupted into pins and needles, buzzing along her skin and the tide she previously held back burst forth out of her control and the last thing she felt was a vague sense of confusion as her vision closed in and Toriko blacked out.

"I SAID, put him DOWN!" The mass of fury built up within took tangible form as demonic energy able to be wielded and it flew the short distance between the two bodies sitting on the bed, blasting into the air and making her hair suddenly whoosh behind her head in the backdraft.

Her green eyes glared cruelly at Hiei as the energy did not so much as hit his body as be absorbed by it, the slight shimmer that settled over her skin being transmitted to envelop his.

In the aftermath, she sat there breathing heavily, her gaze no less dangerous and holding his, Hiei less than a foot away from where she had sat up on the bed.

The sudden expulsion of energy took everything she had and her eyes fluttered shut as she fell towards Hiei in a faint. 3

Hiei felt his lip curl up as his eyes flashed again at the cat, deciding at the last moment that his cloak was repairable and his skin would heal. He had been about to move, about to drop the cat, when an immense amount of energy hit him.

Crimson eyes widened and his body stilled all motions, going tense as his mind blanked out. Slowly, he turned to look at Toriko, meeting her gaze and recognizing the power that shimmered around her. He was completely captivated, his hand instinctively going slack and releasing the cat, letting Maneshi drop to his feet on the carpet.

He sat there for what felt like an eternity, meeting her gaze and a small part of him realizing he was at this woman's mercy. But the second he registered such a thought, her eyes were closing and her body was slumping, falling forward. He reacted out of pure instinct, catching her and slowly letting himself lower her limp form to the mattress. *

The instant Maneshi's feet hit the ground, he shot towards the corner of the room by the door and put his back to it, hunching down as small as he would go and watching the rest of the room with wide, gleaming eyes.

The visions from his nightmare were gone now, only to be replaced with a scene that he felt responsible for somewhere in his kitty-mind.

He froze in place, trying to bring as little attention to himself as possible in his dark corner, but carrying a vague sense of concern for the others in the room. He smelled blood, that he somehow knew he was accountable for, and his fur still stood on end from the burst of energy that left it feeling singed, though he had not been touched.

Meanwhile, only a couple of seconds passed on the bed where Toriko's body had passed out, but when the eyes slowly came open again with a blink and expression of disorientation, it was not in fact Toriko who woke up.

Shikiyoku blinked again and cringed, her mind fully awake, but her body exhausted from the energy she'd just expelled. Nearly all of it that had been regained since...

She remembered nothing between her attack just now on Hiei and falling asleep after he tended her wounds, and the disorientation she felt she associated with time having passed that she did not experience. In fact, she didn't even recall slumbering within Toriko's cage and she put a hand up to her forehead as she grimaced again, feeling an impending headache looming just behind her eyes. 3

Hiei sat in silence, hands still on Toriko's shoulders, eyes watching the face of the girl who lay with her head now on his upper leg, just above his knee. He was waiting for her to awaken, to tell him what she desired, or for her to ask what he wanted of her, which, at this moment, wasn't much of anything.

When her eyes opened slowly, he found himself searching her irises, though he didn't move a single muscle other than his own eyes. A part of him felt that if he moved, she would become angry, and thus he'd receive nothing more than admonishment from her. So he sat silently, watching, waiting. *

As Shikiyoku rubbed her eye with one hand, the other began readjusting to the almost complete darkness of the room, and for a moment she thought the gleaming eyes peering down at her were those of the cat. But they were much too far away, and for that matter, they were the same color, and actually they looked more like...Hiei's...eyes...

Shikiyoku stopped moving her hand, finding herself staring up from a strange angle into Hiei's face. She meant to open her mouth to say something, but she was pretty sure she just sat there in much the same way as he, her hand slowly lowering down so that she could make for certain she wasn't imagining things.

Yup. That was Hiei alright.

What was she supposed to do now? 3

Hiei stared, watching each and every motion of the person he'd caught a moment ago as she rubbed away at her face. He waited until her gaze met his, witnessing several emotions flit through her irises, before moving any other muscle.

His head tilted just a bit in curiosity. When he spoke, his voice was soft, but at the same time, gruff with the energy that had barrelled into him moments earlier. "You fainted." *

Shikiyoku felt like she needed to explain why she fainted, but for another moment it was all she could do to keep looking at him, the limited pale light from the moon that beamed in through the window giving her enough vision that she could see the details of his face quite well, as like most demons she had excellent low-light sight.

"I didn't even know I had that. Energy." She added, finding that her brain was having trouble stringing words together. She shut up before she made it worse. 3

Hiei raised a brow quizzically, realizing that this was not the same person who had… Wait, what had he been doing before? He couldn't remember at the moment. All he knew was that this was Shikiyoku, not Toriko.

As soon as her lips were touching, cutting off the small talk she'd carried on, he nodded. "Neither had I." Of course, he wasn't sure what else to say, since he couldn't exactly think straight. So he relapsed into silence again, eyes still searching each plane of her features. *

"No, I mean..." Shikiyoku began, then quickly retraced her steps and gave up on that direction, "I was gone." Well, that made a lot of sense, stupid.

Her eyes flicked off to the right as she tried to get her thoughts in order and she took a breath before speaking.

"All of that healing stuff," Oh great, now you really sound like an idiot, "I used everything up. I don't know where I went. It's like I didn't exist or something."

Come to think of it, she didn't really feel Toriko at the moment either. She had a vague sense that the "cage" was still in place oddly enough, but there was no...jailor, for lack of better term. 3

Hiei wasn't sure, at first, that he followed what Shikiyoku was saying. She'd been gone? Nonexistent? It didn't make much sense. But after a moment of silent contemplation, he realized that she had been describing the only thing that could explain the bond, or seemingly lack thereof.

He turned inward, finding the bond just as it should be, almost pulsating with the attention he gave it specifically. It hummed, saying that even though there was a slight disturbance, likely from the odd situation, all was well.

His eyes refocused and he was watching Shikiyoku again. "She said the same, or something similar, of you." *

"Maybe...maybe it was a sort of hibernation or something." Shikiyoku returned her gaze upwards, lost in thought. "I know I had no energy left. My sleep was so deep I must not have remembered anything."

She looked over at Hiei, frowning, "She said I was gone?" 3

Immediately, Hiei's lips parted in the answer he felt she needed of him. "She said you were no longer with her. I was unsure, but the bond has been missing, until now." His expression became neutral again, his eyebrow resettling back into place and his eyes finally moving away from her, to the opposite side of the room where he spied Maneshi.

_Oh, that's what I forgot._

"I did no harm to the cat." *

As Hiei spoke, Shikiyoku reached inward again, coming away with no second presence, her brows drawing together in a deep frown.

She wasn't really sure how she felt about the other one not being there.

Shikiyoku didn't even heard Hiei's words as the realization that she was alone dawned on her.

"She's...gone."

For his part, Maneshi remained frozen in place, especially when he knew one of the others talked about him. He sincerely wished they would just forget he was there, as he had no desire to leave without making sure things were okay. 3

Hiei eyed the cat, every other sense of his trained on the demoness. He considered the furball for a moment before turned away from it, finding no immediate interest in the creature at the moment. It was a small animal not worth his attention.

"I don't think so." he replied suddenly, though not looking at her. "I don't believe you've experienced separation, especially since you've just swapped from her." He didn't know what made him think this, since he knew absolutely nothing about such a thing, but the words had formed before he'd stopped them, and now it didn't matter. *

Her eyes refocused in on Hiei. He sounded so sure of himself. But...

"But...she's not there." It wasn't as if she was trying to argue with him, but the emptiness that echoed where there had once been another personality settled over her stressfully.

What if Spirit World started looking for her? What if she couldn't get the seals to work again? If Toriko really wasn't there, they would have no problem in...

She was too old to let herself panic, but the desire was there, in the back of her mind. 3

Hiei gave a noncommittal shrug of a single shoulder, "She said the same when we talked about Koenma's offer." He paused there, thinking back to Toriko's own words of the disappearance of Shikiyoku, who was now obviously present.

But his mind wandered again, to the thought of home, and the desire to go bubbled up stronger than ever before. *

"Koenma's...offer?" Shikiyoku peered curiously into Hiei's face. 3

Hiei was automatically refocused on Shikiyoku with her query, suddenly realising that this demon had once asked of his desires. He'd been unsure then, with too many things going on for himself to be sure. He couldn't even remember if he'd given a proper answer.

"I desire to go home," he stated bluntly, eyes smoldering beneath the calm facade he wore. "And Koenma has offered an opportunity. But you're needed, otherwise I can't go." *

Shikiyoku considered Hiei with a very solemn expression, weighing heavily on his words and the feeling she could practically taste behind them.

If her Champion desired something, he was going to get it come hell or high water. It was her job to see to that. And she had every intention of doing said job.

All Shikiyoku did was nod once, her mind still fixated on how much Hiei believed he wanted this.

Home.

Wait.

Her eyes grew big, "You mean Demon World?" 3

The immense amount of emotion that swamped over Hiei at the nod of approval he received was almost too much, making his entire body relax- when had he become so tense?- and his gaze soften in relief. He'd thought she would say no, though he wasn't sure why.

Her voice sounded again, pulling him from his inwardly emotions and back to the present, images he hadn't meant to conjure up dissipating from his mind's eye for the moment. "Where else would I call home?" he inquired, genuinely confused by her query. *

Shikiyoku's head shifted slightly in the beginning of a negative shake, "No, I mean, Koenma...Demon World...what?"

The dots weren't connecting in her head.

"And what do I have to do with anything?" 3

If it were a possible thing, a lightbulb would have popped up over Hiei's head at the realization that Shikiyoku had no idea of the conversation he'd had with Toriko. He sat up a little straighter, preparing himself for the presentation of the information that he was about to dish out.

"Koenma has a lead on a demon that Otento has made contact with, but the type of energy they manipulate is something that only you, I presume, can counteract. Kurama and Akari have no access to their energy, and he knew of your presence within Toriko, and has requested assistance in order to gain a lead on Otento and, likely, gain some very useful information and get ahead." *

Shikiyoku felt her stomach drop as she realized Spirit World knew exactly where she was hiding.

Somewhere else in the not-so-freaked-out part of her brain she wondered how long they'd known and why they hadn't come for her yet.

She trembled once, she couldn't help it. The memory of the words on the warrant that she'd been told about made her shiver and long for Toriko's presence.

For all the good that her hiding had done for her. 3

Hiei noted the tremble that ran through Toriko's body and the discord that riddled her features, immediately realizing he hadn't told her the part she would need to hear in order for her to go along with it. "He included in his request that, should you decide to help, the warrant for your arrest would be thrown out, forgotten. You'd be free, in a sense." *

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	30. Ep 115 - Their Mission: To Demon World!

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!

This is another one of those chapters that is Hiei/Shikiyoku-centric.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

The Youko with Akari was in fact the Youko impersonator,  
>but as Otento attempted to capture her again,<br>it appeared as if this Youko was willing to defend her.

Otento and Youko escape once more with Terepo as Kurama bursts into the scene,  
>but both Kurama and Akari have now broken through the limitations set upon their energy.<p>

~!**!~

Maneshi stirs the wrath of Hiei and just as it appears the fire demon is about to strike,  
>Toriko manages to gather what little energy she's recovered and fling it at him,<br>but she faints and Toriko gives way to Shikiyoku,  
>who informs Hiei that she can no longer feel Toriko's presence in her mind,<br>just as Toriko once told him she could no longer feel Shikiyoku there.

Hiei proceeds to tell Shikiyoku that Koenma wishes to speak with her about a mission,  
>and even promises to lift the warrant out for her arrest should she complete it...<p>

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku found herself biting at her lips and she slowly shook her head again.<p>

"Koenma...Koenma didn't put the warrant out for my arrest." Her eyes were still wide, fearful. "He really...he has no say on whether or not I go free."

Shikiyoku closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

She had something to go on now. A desire to fulfill. And the best kind of desire: one from her Champion.

_He shall have what he desires._

All her former anxiety slipped away as she reopened her eyes to look up at Hiei and gave him a small smile.

"It doesn't matter." She started to sit up. "Should we go now?" 3

Hiei considered this information for a moment, thinking back to the entire conversation Koenma had administered, after having his ferry girl interrupt his evening nap. The frown that colored his features at the muddled mess his mind had become was only a small one, but it was gone when he realized Shikiyoku was smiling at him.

His head tilted to the side.

"Don't you need rest?"

It was only a natural inquiry, since they'd both been awakened abruptly. Speaking of..

He glanced at his shoulder, the tears in the cloak and the blood that was now dried. How long had they been sitting here? "Matters not to me," he finished, looking away as if his cloak hadn't retained any damage whatsoever. *

The thoughts of what might happen to her should she so much as step foot in Spirit World were still skirting around the edge of her mind, but as she stood up and saw Hiei look at his shoulder, her worries melted and the small smile from before did not waver.

"Let's fix it first." She was already standing at this point and she extended her hand in Hiei's direction, "And then let's go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we go home." 3

Hiei frowned at the hand outstretched to him for a moment, unsure what meanings were held behind such a gesture, but his muscles moved on their own, his eyes meeting hers and his hand found hers in the dark.

"It isn't much," he said with a shrug, though at the edges of his mind, he felt irritation well up that this was the second repair he'd have to have done on his cloak from the very same source. *

Pulling him after her, Shikiyoku left the room, "It won't take long. You don't even have to take it off this time." Her smile almost twitched into a smirk as she looked over her shoulder at him again, leading the way downstairs and into the closet they hadn't entered in a long time.

Her steps were sure-footed through the junk even with the limited light, as if she had every piece memorized in each place she originally placed it.

Her hand had slipped from Hiei's at some point as she opened one particular trunk, making quick work of tearing a strip from the fabric she left on top alongside the small bag with the sewing implements.

She put the strip in her mouth, opening the bag and first taking out a small crystal vial and an equally small woolen washcloth, palming them as she prepared thread and needle, making quick work of the whole ordeal.

Turning back to Hiei she opened the vial and covered it with the washcloth, dampening the latter with a flick of her wrist and clearing the blood from Hiei's shoulder with a gentle pass of the cloth.

Having kept the needle and thread with her, she removed the fabric from her mouth and put her hand underneath the opening where the cloak had been torn, deftly weaving thread and new fabric with the old in no time at all, smoothing her hand over the finished product and tilting her head to check it.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, almost smacking her hand to her forehead as she whipped back around, putting the needle, thread, vial, and washcloth away and pulling out the lighter.

Without thinking or asking, she slipped her thin fingers around the cuff of the cloak's arm and pulled it upwards, her hands small enough to fit one in next to Hiei's shoulder after this was done, flicking on the lighter with little trouble and running it around the seams until they disappeared, melding in with the old fabric.

She pulled the sleeve down as she brought her hands out and tossed the lighter behind her, landing it in the bag she left open as she looked again into Hiei's eyes, her own bright as that same small smile graced her lips.

"Ready?" 3

Hiei hadn't protested in any way, shape, or form about anything Shikiyoku did, deciding she was the expert and he'd just simply have to deal with whatever she did. He'd entered the small closet and glanced around at the objects inside, looking over the very same things he'd seen the first time with just as much interest as then. Each item hummed with its own energy, it seemed, though at such a low frequency that even he had trouble hearing it.

He continued to look around as Shikiyoku made quick work of his cloak, not even glancing at her as she did whatever it was she needed to do, since interrupting would only delay their return to Demon World. But the sound of the lighter and the feel of heat nearby caught his attention, and his eyes snapped over at her as she slipped a hand underneath the cloak and ran the flame over the fabric.

He witnessed with his own eyes as the fabric seemed to meld into one another, making all signs of rips, tears, and repairs disappear altogether. Amazed, as he hadn't really paid much attention the first time around, he inspected her handiwork before responding, his hand pulling the fabric this way and that to investigate his theory that absolutely no sign would be seen.

And when he was proven right, and completely amazed, he turned back to Shikiyoku and gave a brief nod of affirmation, waiting on her to take the lead when he realized that getting to Koenma would need a little extra assistance. *

~!**!~

"No, no, no! NOT five hundred, five thousand, ogre!" Koenma jabbed his finger at the middle line on the paper work.

"I'm so sorry, Koenma-sir. I thought for sure we had that right this time."

"Well, it's not. We'll have to do it again." Koenma sighed, looking up as he heard footsteps entering the office.

"Hiei!" He seemed surprised to see the spiky-haired demon strolling into the room. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" 3

Botan had parted ways after her assistance, leaving him to lead the way through the large castle-like building Koenma and his workers resided in, careful to keep Shikiyoku not only nearby, but out of sight of the people in front of him. Not that it mattered much, he assumed she didn't look the same as the demon form Spirit World knew of.

As he approached Koenma's office and entered the room in time to hear the last bit of Koenma's griping at ogre and then a greeting.

Red eyes searched the rest of the room, momentarily eyeing the blue creature dressed only in a loincloth before turning onto the toddler prince. "Your offer."

And that was all he said, unsure what could be said here, if anything at all. *

Without a beat, Koenma passed the paperwork back over to George.

"Go get this taken care of, ogre."

"Yes, Koenma-sir." George took the stack with a rather defeated expression.

"And don't come back until the whole thing is revised!" Koenma yelled after him as the blue ogre wandered out the door.

Koenma huffed a breath, collecting his thoughts before turning back to Hiei, leaning forward over his desk to look at him.

"You have news for me, then?" 3

Hiei, his mind much clearer than before, gave a raised brow and glanced behind himself, but otherwise not indicating that Shikiyoku was with him. If Koenma hadn't seen her yet, then he'd let her show herself, if she didn't have second thoughts.

"There was a minor setback," he began, eyes meeting Koenma's again with an intense glare of warning, "but as I said, it was minor, and fixed itself." If his warning glare didn't get across that Shikiyoku was not happy with being here and Hiei was paying very close attention to their surroundings, then he didn't know what to do to get the message across:

No tricks or gimmicks. He was not in the mood. *

Koenma's eyes widened briefly, but only briefly, before returning to normal, realizing he could see that Hiei's body hid someone behind him.

"Toriko! It's good to see you again." Koenma gave her a genuine smile.

The entire place had Shikiyoku's blood running cold and she had followed as closely behind Hiei as possible without tripping them both up once they reached the temple.

Botan had blabbed on the entire time they travelled, and while Shikiyoku did not know the blue-haired woman, it seemed apparent that Toriko did, so she tried to stay as quiet as possible, unsure exactly how her other side would react. It didn't appear to phase the Reaper.

Now that she stood within the barren, quiet office of the Prince of the Spirit World, she still cowered behind the defiant fire demon before her, any semblance of the courage she'd felt before when her executioners were far away but a memory.

She squeezed her eyes shut when Koenma addressed her, her hands over her face and both buried as deep as possible into the place between Hiei's shoulder blades as soon as he stopped moving.

Hiei desired to go home.

She trembled once, visions of her eyes and hair being ripped out by her would-be captors dancing across her mind's eye. She was in their den now, and all it would take is a single word for her future to be sealed, no matter how strong her Champion before her might be.

Home.

Drawing strength from the warmth she tried to hid in, Shikiyoku swallowed what felt like a giant lump in her throat and took one temerous step to the side after lowering her hands, head down and her long black hair veiling the sides of her face.

"H-hello." The openness of the office scared her. There were no places to hide. No where to run should they descend upon her.

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to turn and speed from the room.

She recalled Hiei's face in the darkness above her, his warm thigh underneath her head as she gazed into his crimson eyes when he told her what he desired most.

_Home._

Shikiyoku swallowed again and looked up, only seconds having passed since Koenma first addressed her.

"Y-you...you wished to speak with me?"

Koenma's eyes softened at her temerity, and while he had no doubts that Hiei had indeed brought him Shikiyoku, and not Toriko, she was certainly putting on a good show of it, should anyone have chosen that moment to watch them.

"Yes, Toriko. I have a mission for you." He said kindly. "Now, I realize you are not in my employ, so I can only ask that you do this for me. I can order or require nothing of you, but I need your help, if you wish to assist me."

Shikiyoku pulled her lips into her mouth and licked them with her tongue, still frightened beyond much thought. Should this Prince so desire, at any moment, he could reveal her and end her life. Was he to be trusted?

For the first time since they left Toriko's home, Shikiyoku looked over at Hiei, searching his face for some indication that this would be okay, that this princeling would not betray her. 3

Hiei hadn't had much to say after his brief explanation, his hands sliding into the pockets of his cloak as his eyes searched Koenma's face, fully aware of the situation, should it go wrong. Sadly, if it were to go south, he wouldn't have a way out other than causing more trouble. The thought made his eyes slide to the side briefly, but quickly return to Koenma in a watchful, careful warning.

And he saw nothing there that would jeopardize the demon he'd sworn to protect. He addressed her as Toriko, acting as if she were the human counterpart to the demon he so desperately needed for this task. He felt no sense of danger, and his Jagan made quick work of inspecting every nook and cranny of the room, even so much as just reaching out to sense the air around the prince, not daring enough to actually touch his mind.

Again, all seemed as the prince had promised. Quiet, secretive.

He felt Shikiyoku's eyes on him, and for the first time since he'd stepped foot in the room, he felt his muscles begin to relax, though he stayed on guard. He forced his shoulders to slump into a more comfortable stance, his weight shifting from the front of his feet to his heels, as if almost bored.

He finally turned to her, meeting her gaze evenly, squarely, and silently reassuring her that all was fine. *

"I..." Shikiyoku paused as she turned back to look up at Koenma, preventing another stammer, "I would be happy to help."

Happy. Right.

Koenma nodded approval and hopped down from his chair, "Follow me, please."

He led the way into the room that he and Hiei had used previously, toddling along and reaching up to turn the handle, letting the door swing inward silently and stepping over the threshold.

This time, however, he moved to the side to let the other two through, closing it behind him before leaning heavily against it and wiping a hand across his forehead.

"Well, I think that alright, don't you?"

As soon as she got into the room, Shikiyoku could feel her body's tension slipping away, the protective charms she could sense permeating the air causing her caution to turn into curiosity as she looked about at the piles of tomes littered about, some of which were stacked taller than any of the current occupants that stood inside.

Koenma hurried over to the other desk and hopped up into the chair behind it, opening the drawer just over his lap and pulling out a sheet of paper.

"I don't have much more than a name and location for you." He apologized, holding the paper out to Shikiyoku who had wandered after him, her eyes taking in the room with a sense of wonderment before being pulled back down to the present.

She stood on the tips of her toes and reached up over the desk to take the paper and looked at it.

"And honestly," He hesitated, "I can't even tell you where that location is for sure. I've privately arranged to get you down to that level of Demon World, which was a hassle as I'm sure you can see by how deep you're having to go, but-"

"I know exactly where this is." Shikiyoku interrupted quietly, her voice grave. "And I understand better now why you needed me to get there. Those of us born within the Ninth Level covet most closely the secrets behind entering the lowest level of Demon World." She glanced up at him, one eyebrow rising in question. "Granted, I was not even remotely aware there was a portal from Human World leading that low. And I won't ask how you discovered it, considering Demon World is closed to your people past the half of the first level you claim to control."

"Eheh." Koenma laughed nervously, "Let's just say I've run out of resources for the next few quarters and leave it at that."

Shikiyoku made no response, eyes coming back down to the paper she held.

"You'll be seeking out Gekijou, as I'm sure you see. I need any information you can get from her on Otento and what he wants with her and her brother."

Shikiyoku did not so much as flinch at Otento's name, but she did raise her head to catch Koenma's eye.

"I will get you information on Otento," She assured him, "But there's something you must do for me in return."

Koenma nodded as if he'd expected this. "Of course. I want you to know that-"

"No." Shikiyoku shook her head before he could go further. "Not that."

It was her turn to reach into her pocket for a piece of paper as she continued, "I doubt you could grant me my freedom even if you wanted to, which I personally find difficult to believe." This time, she passed a piece of paper to Koenma, who took it and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the page before they started to widen.

"That is what I want, should my information prove to fulfill my side of the bargain."

"Your price is high." Koenma glanced up over the paper at her before returning to it.

She inclined her head a little, but did not disagree.

"Am I not allowed to be selfish?"

Koenma did not answer, instead leaning back in his chair, his eyes still trained on the paper.

"You sure you don't want the warrant out for you lifted?"

Shikiyoku shook her head, "You cannot promise me that."

"I don't know if I can promise you this." He shifted the paper a bit as Shikiyoku trained her eyes on him.

"I am going on this mission for you regardless of your answer to my demands." Shikiyoku stated, knowing that she had many other reasons for wanting to return to Demon World.

Well. Mostly just the one person. Err, reason. She glanced over at Hiei before Koenma cleared his throat and drew her attention back to him.

"I cannot promise you this request will be granted. But if it is within my power, I will see that it gets done."

"That is all I can ask, I think." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other before taking a step forward and passing the piece of paper back to him. "I have no need for this."

Koenma took it from her, his curiosity compelling him to question her.

"May I ask how you know of this place?"

"You may ask." Her lips teased upwards in a coy smile, "But you will not receive an answer."

Koenma couldn't fault her for that.

"When can we leave?" She wanted to know.

"As soon as you are ready."

Shikiyoku turned to Hiei, silently wanting to know if they were ready to go. She was. 3

Hiei followed the pair into the room he'd previously been debriefed in, the objects in the room gaining his attention for a mere moment before he was standing a little behind Shikiyoku, who seemed to have relaxed visibly once inside this room and taken over. He himself found that he relaxed entirely as well, his hands in his pockets unclenching from the fists they had formed and simply resting inside the smooth fabric, idly listening to the conversation at hand.

He didn't need to see the files. If Shikiyoku knew where to go, then he would simply follow her lead, act as a guard for her trek through Demon World. Wasn't that his purpose here anyway?

His mind wandered, conjuring up images of Demon World again for him to admire silently, the possibility of returning now actually within his reach, within his sights. Nothing stood in his way now, and pretty soon, he'd be smelling the air he had missed so much.

By the time his mind resurfaced, refocusing on the others in the room, he realized Shikiyoku was looking to him in question. He raised a brow at her, as if asking why she was waiting, then gave a small nod of confirmation that he was indeed ready to go. *

~!**!~

"You're the ones needing the...escort?"

The demon in front of them was wrapped up completely in dark robes, the cowl over his head revealing nothing of his features. His power level was nothing to cause concern for the moment, so Shikiyoku merely nodded up at his tall, imposing form, his shoulders at least twice as big across as she was wide.

It seemed as if even Botan didn't know exactly what their mission was, having only dropped them off in Human World at the edge of a desert.

Nighttime noises were still in full cycle around them, the cold air lifting over the dry sand and sending its deadly chill down Shikiyoku's spine.

She'd had Botan drop her by Toriko's house first in order to change and gather a few things from the closet for the trip. There would be no sense in walking around Demon World in the pink school uniform of Meiou High. As if Shikiyoku wasn't already upset at having to make a return home without the ability to change into her demonic form. She took comfort in the fact that Hiei didn't appear to be looking anything more than human either.

She pulled the front of her dark crimson cloak tighter together in an effort to block out the invading winds, their escort having turned to do something to the side of the mountain they stood next to.

The three characters were merely silhouettes on the ground what with the moonless sky betraying nothing more than their vague shapes as shadows against what would have been grey rock.

Their escort stepped back and the mountain seemed to slide open. He moved inside without looking back to see if he was followed and took a flickering torch from the wall, holding it up to light the cave-path that led deeper into the mountainside.

Their trek took an unspecified amount of time, as if time had no meaning in their steps, and Shikiyoku had no sense of how far they had gone in all of their twists and turns before their escort stopped and placed the torch in another hook in the wall.

He stepped forward again to the rock-face that seemed to indicate they were at a dead-end, blocking whatever he did from their view.

Shikiyoku sensed no changes even when he stepped back and reached within his hood with both hands to pull something over his head that had presumably rested about his neck and made to give it to her.

"This bring you back here and open portal if you decide to return by the same path." He explained, "Way is open for now. Will close behind." He gestured to the wall, which seemed no less insubstantial than before.

With the briefest of glances back over her shoulder at Hiei as she slipped the necklace on and tucked it underneath the shirt she wore under the cloak, Shikiyoku stepped forward, finding that the rock was no longer rock per se as it let her pass right through it.

The other side of the rock face left Shikiyoku in a pitch-black darkness that even her adjusted eyes could not penetrate and she came to a standstill after the first step, blinking and attempting to make out shapes of any kind.

Given that the ground underneath her feet suddenly felt smooth, unlike the cave floor she left behind, Shikiyoku took a cautious step forward, ears perked and other senses at attention in lieu of her blind vision.

The second step felt the same as the first, and with growing confidence, Shikiyoku continued forward.

A distant, yellow glow rapidly approached and Shikiyoku only slowed upon reaching it, finding that it was some sort of giant net that extended infinitely upwards as well as to either side.

Startled to find it here, she stopped, unsure if it would deter her progress or not. 3

Hiei had taken in his surroundings every step of the way, silently observing their escort and the placed he and Shikiyoku were lead. His eyes had stayed well adjusted to the dark, but what he saw gave no indication of where he was. For all he knew, he could be a thousand miles away from the town that he normally resided in, where Yusuke and the others of the team stayed. The darkness gave no hints of their location, and quite frankly, he didn't care at the moment. When they were to get back, however, he would make sure to take note of their surroundings again, just in case.

Even now, as he stood in front of a seemingly solid rock wall, he took in each nook and cranny of the dark, each shadow as if it had a story to tell him of their location.

He waited a moment before turning and nodding his silent appreciation to their escort, and then turned on his heels and followed after Shikiyoku.

His lip curled when he noted they were walking towards the Kekkai Barrier, but he wondered at Shikiyoku's pause. Had she not encountered it on her way out of Demon World the first time? Perhaps she was too keen on escaping to notice it. Hiei did not realize it covered the entirety of psuedospace between Human and Demon World.

Stepping up next to her, he sent Shikiyoku a brief glance.

"Spirit World doing. Demons below what they consider A-Class have no trouble traversing it." As if to prove his point, Hiei stretched out his hand and waved it casually through one of the bands of the net, appearing to meet with no resistance as the back of his fingers passed through.

For half a second he pondered what class the she-demon might be, and if it would be possible for their journey to end before it even started simply because her power level was higher than his.*

_A-Class? _Shikiyoku wondered, only casting her eyes at Hiei for a moment before turning back to the barrier. _What is A-Class?_

She almost voiced her question, but kept it to herself. No need to appear more ignorant.

Whatever it meant, Hiei had no trouble with this yellow net-like thing, so why should she?

In a similar manner to the fire demon, Shikiyoku reached up with a single hand, albeit slower, moving it forward until she almost met with the energy before pausing as if to gather herself, her brow turned downwards in a frown over her eyes.

All at once, Shikiyoku shoved her hand through the middle of one of the bands of energy.

The sensation flooded back to her as she vaguely recalled fleeing through this same barrier over fifteen years ago, but at the time had barely taken notice of it.

Brightening a little when she passed her hand through it, the Kekkai did not crackle or keep her at bay, but Shikiyoku felt that same slight resistance tug at her body as it had all the time ago, but just like before she continued through it, going ahead and moving forward to pass the net entirely and noting that Hiei had waited until she cleared it before following silently after her.

A few steps beyond it and the Kekkai Barrier winked out, leaving them in darkness again.

This time, however, the darkness felt familiar to Shikiyoku and she pressed forward with more confidence.

Without even bothering to pause, she silently addressed the seemingly empty air around her.

_He is with me. Let him pass by too._

A few more steps and a brightness of demonic daylight caused her to cringe and pause, the second thing that hit her being the smell. The third: the sounds.

As her eyes adjusted to the inexplicable daylight that filtered down through the foliage around her, she couldn't help the contented sigh as her eyes took in the deep red of the huge leaves and bushes and trees themselves, all around her their shades seemed to make one question if any other color existed.

Blood. The color of her home.

"It's been a long time." She murmured aloud to no one in particular. "It is good to be back."

Her cloak held hues of the living forest around her, and now that they were no longer in darkness, one could see the black was in fact a dark crimson, one that would let her disappear among the flora should she stay still for too long.3

The first sensation he was hit with was the smell. Blood and toxins, giant creatures and even larger plants. Even the smell of rotting flesh- from creature or demon, he didn't know- made him feel like he'd finally reached a goal he'd been attempting at for a lifetime.

Next came the sight, the color that bombarded his vision, the red hues challenging even the hue of his own eyes. The plants were each red, the more dangerous ones tinted much darker than the rest, but he knew better than to assume the light red, almost pink, plants were not of a hazard. Everything in Demon World could be considered a hazard, if used correctly.

The glint that flashed across Hiei's eyes was a glint of satisfaction, and he took a deep breath inwards, inhaling the scent he'd missed so much. They were finally back. He was home.

The air slowly left him through his nostrils, his expression almost a peaceful one.

"Indeed."

And for the moment, he only stood there, appreciating the sights, sounds, and smells of the place he'd been trying to return to for what felt like an eternity. *

Something settled strangely in Shikiyoku's stomach-_now what would he have me do?_-but she dismissed it for now, turning instead to the magnificence of satisfaction that returning home had swelled up inside her.

Shikiyoku turned back to see where they had just left, noting the arrangement of the foliage around them and giving a short bark of a laugh.

"I must have passed by this very space on many occasions without ever guessing that it led to Human World." She reached inside her cloak and pulled out the necklace to examine it.

She frowned down at the small, circular gem that looked incandescent like a pearl, but one that she knew came only from an Ice Maiden's tears. This one glowed strongly, an attribute Shikiyoku associated with it being near the gate they came through and she couldn't help staring at it longer than she meant to, a small smile forming on her lips as she recognized another attribute of the tear that she hadn't known before that moment: it resonated with its own peacefulness. A strange thing for something that came from a demon to be sure, but perhaps that only served to reflect the fact that its origins lay in sadness.

Before she became too enraptured, Shikiyoku put the tear away, knowing all too well the effects such a thing could have on a person.

She took a moment to stretch her arms up above her head, her cloak parting to reveal the snug, dark clothing she wore underneath. And as she stretched her arms, she also stretched out her energy, which she had kept pent up for so long.

It filtered into the air around her invisibly like a perfume, unable to be seen or sensed, but it seemed to shimmer on her skin and into her eyes, her scalp tingling as she felt it rummaging through her hair.

As she lowered her arms and relaxed again, a small rustling sound came from her left and she felt a sharpness touch her shoulder briefly for her attention.

A wicked-looking plant had lowered itself from somewhere above them, much larger than her hand which she took and scratched along the bottom jaw of the eyeless maw. It made a cooing noise at her in appreciation, shivering its leaves at her touch, then made another more inquisitive sound.

"Yes, I'm back." She took her nose and nuzzled it onto the large upper lip of the jaw that opened in a many toothed smile at her. "But don't go telling everyone, right?"

The plant tilted its head as if trying to understand and she laughed as she let go of it, her eyes scanning the trees above her as she searched for the path she somehow remembered from what seemed like ages ago.

"The ground is riddled with some nasty creatures around here." Shikiyoku easily made the leap into the safety of a ruby-colored tree over ten feet above their heads, almost blending in with the branches and leaves around her. "So, I suggest we stick to the high ground."

At that, she took off, demonic speed leading her with assurity along the branches from tree to tree along a path that was almost etched in her mind. 3

Hiei calmly turned to look around himself some more, this time assessing the different hazards he could see right off the bat. He identified the more prominent ones first, then just as quickly identified the smaller problems that, if combined, could lead to a very disastrous journey.

But Shikiyoku gained his attention, and he turned to see her communicating with a not-so-small plant, and he assumed she had made acquaintances with it long before retreating to Human World. He watched for a moment, amused, but the moment ended quickly and she was in the tree before he even had time to blink.

Not that it mattered, he followed her every motion with ease.

"Pests," he commented lightly as he joined her up in the leaves, easily keeping up with Shikiyoku as she took the lead. After all, he didn't know this area, and she would have to lead the way for this particular adventure.

Hey, at least he saw a new place he'd never seen before, right? *

"Pests is a rather mild way of looking at it." She continued the conversation with ease even at their rapid pace. "They'd just as soon eat me than look at me."

She fell silent, her sense of "completeness" having been fifteen years in waiting.

What Shikiyoku only knew on some level to be her scent in the air around her-since she could not smell it herself-was actually her energy permeating the immediate space about her body at much too high a level for even her to sense. It remained a constant, invisible, perfume-like aura that she only recognized as so much tension at the back of her neck that she had the freedom to finally release now that she stood back in the relative safety of Demon World.

As such, any hostility from the minor creatures around them dissipated when they maliciously approached her and Hiei, left frozen in place staring after her in wonderment until the "scent" around them faded. Any hazardous plant-life in their path simply parted to let her through, vines and leaves and everything else leaving her a passage free of snags and tears, neither them nor the creatures being fully sentient demons and as such being affected by her energy much differently.

Shikiyoku's thoughts bent towards their mission once they had set off at a fair pace, and towards the promise that Koenma might fulfill what she had written on that little slip of paper. Should she get for him what he wanted, perhaps he would in return get her what _she _wanted.

Or...at least...what she felt Hiei wanted.

"We have three cities between us and our destination." She spoke up finally, "We should go straight through, since going around will take much longer. It's surprisingly less of a hassle to deal with the demons within the walls than it is with the inhabitants outside of them.

"Naturally, we came out at the farthest point from where we need to be. Even at this pace, we won't reach the first city within twenty-four hours." She glanced upwards to gauge the time as the sky occasionally flashed into view between leaps and bounds of their path through the branches. "I'm not sure what week it is, so there's no telling how much of this daylight we have left. We probably have enough to reach the Keppan Mountains, and there's a valley in the middle of where they circle in which we can take refuge for rest. It's the safest place for miles." 3

Hiei's feet moved almost without his own thoughts about doing so, as if they'd been waiting to be able to run at such a speed and no longer cared what the mind had to say about it. It wasn't difficult to keep up, merely difficult not to pass Shikiyoku as she lead the way, plants even parting for their passing with what he assumed to mean her energy was freely doing whatever it took to keep the path ahead clear of danger.

At the thought of going through cities, a part of him shrunk, thinking of the many possibilities some cities held for distractions that could keep them off their course for several days. But, for the moment, he decided to trust her judgement. "Simple enough," he replied easily, as if he had no doubts at all in his mind.

Of course, his doubts were not in the leader. He held full confidence that she knew the area best. However, something nagged at the back of his mind, pulling for his attention, but he completely ignored it and concentrated on their path ahead.

"Assuming there are no such thing as delays, what's the estimation of time before we reach the place we were sent?" *

Shikiyoku smiled, sensing that the fire demon near her had much more to offer in speed than she was setting for their pace. Even so, she maintained her miles per hour, knowing there would be opportunity ahead for her, at least, to run full-tilt.

She made some quick calculations in her head.

"Three or four human days." There was no telling how much actual time would pass in Human World, of course, but she guessed it would take a little over seventy-two hours of the realm. She didn't look back, but she couldn't help the grin that spread over her features, "Of course, if you carried me, we could probably do it in less than two if we only stopped this once."

She had no intention of letting him carry her. 3

Hiei said nothing more about the time it would take; he wasn't surprised by how long this trip would take, since there hadn't been a deadline set to get back. In truth, he wished the expedition would take longer, give them time to fully take in their world before being sent back to the place he hated so much.

He pushed the thought away, along with the underlying thought that they could simply disappear if they wished. That would be something he would wait on, something he would consider once it was closer to time to leave.

Hiei's attention was pulled back as he almost missed the branch he hopped across, only just hearing Shikiyoku's words as he smoothly adjusted his stride through the branches of the trees.

A scoff escaped him. "If you can't run on your own two feet, then what would you be without me?" Of course, he was only half taunting. Plus, the longer they were here, the better off he felt. *

"Maybe I can fly." She fired back. "You don't know."

The air was getting to Shikiyoku's head and she nearly laughed at him.

As she ran a seemingly stray leaf fluttered into her path and stuck to her forehead, kept there by her forward motion. While her eyebrows moved downwards into a frown, the grin from before stayed at the amusement of the leaf that could now not leave.

Without pause she reached up and plucked it from her face, holding it in front of her eyes.

The edges of it were whipped around as she kept moving and she glanced at the ground underneath her as she ran, the leaf now wriggling between her fingers.

Whimsically, Shikiyoku leapt down to the forest floor, continuing her forward motion for a few steps along the ground, and held the leaf out to her right, dropping it and grinning as she easily made the return to the branches above just as a giant maw snapped shut around the leaf which squealed in pain and fell silent as the mouth came back open and spread back out onto the ground.

Shikiyoku had started jumping backwards from branch to branch in order to watch the trap do its work, a wild look in her eyes that did not pass as she spun back around in midair, laughing into the leaves around her as she did so. 3

Hiei turned his eyes down to the ground as he passed the trap that Shikiyoku had enticed, a shrill sound filling the air only for a moment before the only sounds were of himself and Shikiyoku again, and the leaves that moved with the wind that picked up. The dry air was hot, throwing dirt and various debris around and around, including the branches that occasionally swat down at him, but otherwise moved from his path.

Hiei's eyes moved skyward, looking through the breaks in the branches and leaves, searching for the creature that had begun making loud squawks from above. Their energy levels were low, as weak as most demonic creatures were, and while they posed no actual threat, he knew that even the lowest level of demon would not hesitate to make a swoop at him or Shikiyoku.

For the moment, the creatures were only moving ahead, seemingly uninterested, but he was careful to keep his senses aware of the creatures all around, occasionally moving away from whatever would have stood in his way. Might as well ignore the pests.

After all, he didn't work for pest control. *

The trees around them began thinning, though this did not slow their progress any, simply forcing their leaps to be longer ones between the trees, most of whom almost seemed to stretch to catch Shikiyoku in their embrace, her feet never allowed to falter or slip.

"Lake ahead." Was all she said in explanation of the trees that continued to lessen in density around them.

When in front of her eyes she could see the end of the treeline, Shikiyoku took one final leap as she broke out from the branches, the leaves whispering around her body as she escaped from them, hair streaming behind her along with her cloak as she shot upwards past the forest into the clearing.

The treeline extended in a giant circle to the left and right, indicating that the forest was not gone, simply staying out of the reach of the lake in the middle of them. The far shore was distant indeed as the enormous trees seemed only ten inches tall from this side.

Shikiyoku's feet hit the ground steadily and she took off running without pause, heading straight for the lake itself.

The water, if it was indeed water, looked like it could have been jello for how smooth the surface of it stayed, but here and there bubbles rose up from the deep to disturb the glass-like consistency, indicating that the lake was not a dead one, but had activities going on in its depths that were unseen from above.

Its waters were purple in color, a stark contrast to even the red shades of the grass over which Shikiyoku sped. As they approached, it became obvious that one would not be able to see much more than twenty feet down before the water became too dark for even demonic eyes to penetrate further..

At about fifty feet away, Shikiyoku burst almost instantaneously into full-speed, giving no hesitation about how she meant to traverse this lake.

Her dark hair still swept angrily about in the air behind her, her cloak covering her shoulders and upper body but flapping madly outwards from beyond her waist as she became just a crimson blur in the air.

Shikiyoku's eyes flashed with excitement as she neared the waters' edge, letting out any stops as her speed increased even just a little more, her first step so quick upon the water that she did not break through the surface's tension, but instead ran confidently along the surface leaving barely a ripple behind any time her foot contacted with the water.

Her path stayed straight over the top of the lake as she made a beeline for the other shoreline and the trees beyond.

The inhabitants of the water, made specifically for attacking anything that disturbed from above, stirred as she started across, here and there tentacle-like appendages, ranging from what could have been octopus-sized to a much more imposing kraken grasp, rising up and wriggling about, a few striking out at the places she had been moments before, but always missing her mere streak of a figure.

Shikiyoku could see a much larger disturbance of water in front of her, the lake starting to roil and shift into a bump growing steadily in size as something from below started rapidly approaching the surface.

A gigantic, carnivorous fish-creature burst out of the water and launched into the air with Shikiyoku in the path of his return, his jaws open and at least thirty feet across, lined with several rows of sharp, meat-tearing teeth.

Smirking, Shikiyoku lowered her body even closer to the water to streamline her wind resistance and allow her to speed up just fast enough that she practically flew under the belly of the beast as it passed over her, its trajectory missing the top of her head by mere feet.

His tail came down in an attempt to swipe her down into the water when he knew he missed his initial attack and Shikiyoku crouched further, her grin dangerous.

She silently dared the tail to hit her, but the timing was such that she simply dashed below it and out of the creature's shadow back into the daylight, not once pausing to look back. 3

Hiei had kept his senses almost entirely trained on the path ahead, the little bit he didn't use on his running and jumping used for searching for threats, none of which worried him in the slightest. Branches had fallen in his path, but instead of simply cutting through them as he normally would have the last time he'd been here, he merely ducked under them and around when he could. No need to harm the forestry within the first few moments of his return, right? They weren't attacking, merely moving back into the position they'd been in when disturbed by Shikiyoku's energy.

The second he heard her call about a lake ahead, His eyes turned back down to his path from the skies above, his steps becoming more measured as he began assessing Shikiyoku's reaction to such an anomaly.

But she didn't even pause, much to his amusement. While she ran over the water, Hiei decided to simply pick up his speed and go around, skirting the edge of the trees and lake easily, eyes all the while trained on Shikiyoku, just in case.

He had, of course, considered following, but she seemed to have it all under control, so he simply met her on the other side, batting away a few insects that emerged when he disturbed the grass area, the insects left as nothing more than limp bodies in his wake, their size almost as large as he was tall.

"Seems like you're rather amused," he commented lightly. *

Shikiyoku grinned impishly at him, her eyes sparkling, but she said nothing, leaping up into the treeline again once they approach and taking off into the overgrowth once more.

~!**!~

Mountains loomed before them after several more hours of running just as a dusk began settling across the sky. From far away, they did not appear to stretch very far in width, but the illusion was broken as the demonic pair came closer.

The giant peaks, though seen from the air to be merely a circle, extended as far as the eye could see in either direction from the ground.

They appeared a dusty orange and burnt yellow as the light began to fade, though in truth they were simply grey stone. Rising majestically out of the earth, they towered above even the highest of the trees in the surrounding forest, commanding the attention of all the area. They appeared still, no movement to be seen on their sides, frozen in time, sentinels gazing out ever-watchful of the activities happening beneath their monstrous peaks.

As with the lake, it was almost like even the trees stayed a respectful distance from the foot of the mountains, the closest ones at least fifty feet out.

Shikiyoku did not stop as she broke out of the trees again, arcing through the air to land confidently upon the reddened dirt outside the range of the treeline where even the grass did not try to grow.

She finished the distance to the mountains without pause and began scaling the side in leaps and bounds, zig-zagging back and forth higher and higher up, the ground falling away behind her.

The outside of the mountains was covered in a red dust that got kicked up each time Shikiyoku landed before taking off again.

Twilight had settled across the Ninth Level just as they reached a place inbetween the mountains, a shoulder where they could start to make passage into the interior that the mountains encircled.

With just a score more in feet, they reached a place where the mountains dropped back down and the valley opened out before them and Shikiyoku at the sight did stop for a moment, resting a hand against the mountain and standing still as her eyes took it all in.

This side of the mountains was blackened as if burnt, as was all of the foliage of the valley below. The trees here seemed different, of varying sizes some of which did rival the red ones they left behind, but much stiller compared to those before. The air felt less menacing, and there were no creatures in sight, and in fact there were no creatures at all, nothing of danger to worry about.

In the distance, between trees, there was a slight twinkling that indicated water, but they were still so far away that nothing more could be seen of it immediately.

Shikiyoku smiled and said nothing to Hiei at first, but this...this was home. Or it had been. A very long time ago.

"There's a story demons tell about this place." She began as her eyes scanned the valley beneath them. "The first demon, the one who fell from above, broke through all eight layers of what would become known as Demon World and landed here, on the final level. He fell so fast that he became sheathed in fire on the way down, and he hit so hard that the ground rose up around him. There was much blood spilled from his impact and it flew up so high into the air that it showered down on the Ninth Level for six days, which is why everything here is red. It took him all six of those days to recover, and he spent every minute of it with his entire body encased in the flames from his descent. That's why this side of the mountains is black. And everything that's grown here since then has been black as well."

For the first time in her life, Shikiyoku felt a sudden shyness as she gave a sidelong glance at Hiei, her lips turned upwards in a small smile that reflected that same shy feeling.

"You're the only other being that's ever been in this place." She cast her gaze back out over the valley. "If we don't count the first demon." She added quietly as an afterthought as she began hopping down the side of the mountain to the ground below. 3

Hiei pulled to a stop beside Shikiyoku, crimson eyes taking in the scenery below. For the first time in what felt like ages, he'd had a little trouble keeping up, the terrain having been something other than he'd initially expected, but he had adjusted enough to only put him a few seconds behind Shikiyoku.

So by the time he stopped beside her, she was telling a rather interesting story, one that he hadn't heard before. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and then back down to the darkened mountainside, taking everything in like a sponge with water.

Curiosity hit him, and he glanced at her just in time to catch her soft smile. For a moment, that smile threw him off guard, and he stared before turning back to the land outstretched before them. "And why might that be?"

He wondered why she would take him here, if no other being besides herself had passed through. Was it a closed-off territory, meant for no trespassers, or was it simply because of the terrain difficulties? "Rather interesting," he admitted in a quiet voice, more to himself than to her as he followed after once more, feet swiftly adjusting to each step he made. *

As they descended, Shikiyoku thought back to the circumstances that drove her here.

She had not been very old for a demon, hardly more than a toddler. Her mother banished her from the place she had been born, compelling her to avoid all contact with other demons.

For good reason.

As it was, she'd been forced to wander the outskirts of the ninth level, nearly getting caught at one point and retreating up one side of these mountains, leaving the demons who chased her behind as they appeared hesitant to so much as approach, much less climb, the side of the mountain.

"I think because...demons are scared of this place because of the story, as if a demon big enough to make a crater like this was something to stay away from, both it and the valley it made alike."

Fortune had smiled on her that day, and she'd practically grown up in this peaceful valley.

On this side of the mountain, once they went down far enough, there were trees scattered sparsely along the slope, as if defiantly attempting to climb out themselves.

A cool, comforting breeze starting blowing through the leaves below them as Shikiyoku jumped down off the side of the mountain, this time to the ground beneath the trees.

Nothing here reacted to her presence, and her running slowed as they reached the far left side of the valley, a small clearing opening up that had one extra large tree growing up out of the middle of it.

Shikiyoku stopped here and stood, hands on her hips, looking up at the tree that could have rivaled a Yggdrasil in its size, the trunk so big around that it would have taken ten of her to encircle it with her arms. The roots made a sort of small cove that she fondly remembered laying in, her head resting up against the trunk as she slept with no fear, a truly deep sleep.

She absently took a bite of the fruit she'd pulled down on their way, tossing a second in Hiei's direction as she slipped off her cloak, the black of her outfit making her blend in more appropriately with their surroundings as opposed to sticking out like so much crimson blood against the dark ground.

She pointed lazily to a particular tree across the way as she took another bite, not bothering to swallow before she spoke up.

"Any of the fruit here is edible. And safe. These ones grow in those trees." She regarded the fruit curiously. Its meat-flavor was one she hadn't forgotten, but its juiciness had always struck her as an odd combination.

"And that one," She pointed to a different tree on the other side, "Has especially sweet fruit." She kept pointing. "That one is sour. That one is spicy." She swallowed, pausing before she took another bite, "Don't mix up which is which." She advised wryly as she bit her teeth down into the juicy meat-fruit again, sounding like one who had experience with such a notion. 3

Hiei had followed to the very bottom of the clearing, his eyes scanning the area or any danger, though he could already tell there was no such thing here. Even the plants were peaceful, and he figured no demon would dare disrupt such a haven. It made even him feel as if this place could be called home, if he so desired to call it such a thing.

With lazy ease, Hiei caught the fruit that was tossed at him, grasping it from the air and inspecting it curiously, taking in its texture, its appearance, and its smell before deciding to even try it. He was quick to look up and follow the direction Shikiyoku's finger pointed, memorizing each tree and the type of fruit it bared as he lifted the one in his hand to his mouth, taking a small bite and finding himself unsure what he thought of such a thing.

His expression shifted, nose crinkling and eyes narrowing at the strange flavor, the strange texture of the fruit that he now stared at. He rolled it over and over in his hand as he chewed and swallowed the small bite he'd had.

"Interesting," he commented for the second time in the past half hour, lifting the fruit to his mouth again and taking another bite, this time finding it satisfactory. Curious, he turned and made his way to the tree that held the "spicy" fruit, plucking a small pear-like fruit from the branches and inspecting it as well before taking a bite, eyes widening with surprise at the amount of heat that immediately burned at his lips and tongue, the texture gruffer than that of the smooth meat-like fruit. Together, it was a rather delicious taste.

"I assume we're staying here for a bit?" he asked, not caring that his mouth was full. *

By the time Hiei turned back around, Shikiyoku had finished the one fruit and now held three more, standing in the same spot looking as if she'd never left to snatch them from the trees nearby.

She only nodded, contemplating the fruit from which she'd just taken a bite thoughtfully.

She did answer after swallowing this time, still staring down at the fruit, her voice only a murmur, "I wanted to stop here. At least for a little bit. It's been so long." She lifted her head and gazed dreamily off into the distance, enjoying the peacefulness that she always had associated with her former home.

Seeing that Hiei had nearly finished what he held, she absently tossed him one of the two in her hands, "Here's a sweet one."

She didn't realized she'd actually tossed him the sour of the two that she had in her grasp, promptly walking forward to lay her cloak over one of the roots that bent upwards out of the ground from the tree before them. 3

Hiei had taken turns biting once from both fruits until he had nearly finished them off, the spicy one being devoured much faster due to its smaller size compared to the meat-like fruit. He swallowed another bite and glanced at the tree that he had harvested the spicy one from, considering grabbing another despite his burning lips and tongue, when Shikiyoku called to him.

He turned to face her, mouth full of the meaty fruit again when he realized she was tossing him another, finding that the idea of a sweet taste after such a combination he'd just had sounded very appealing. He could only imagine what it tasted like, though it could be completely different than what he had thought. He was expecting an immense amount of sweetness, so he finished off the meaty fruit before tearing a small part of the fruit away from the skin of it, inspecting it between his index and thumb before tossing it into his mouth.

And the shock he received made his entire body jerk and then promptly go still, his eyes wide as saucers as the intense sour sensation filled his mouth, making his lips pull inward and his eyes squeeze shut with the sensation he experienced with his tastebuds.

A cough shook his chest, but he did not spit out the fruit. He bravely swallowed it, the sour sensation lingering, even seeming to strengthen once the bite was gone from his teeth.

His eyes narrowed once they were reopened, a glare being sent over to Shikiyoku. He opened his mouth to speak, but the air that he sucked in reacted almost violently with the sourness that still coated his tongue, making him turn and spit out as much of the vile liquid as he could in utter disgust. It took everything in his power not to retch at the awful combination he'd just experienced.*

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	31. Episode 116 - At Home and In The Gym

**A/N: **Hello once again, Lovers of Yu Yu Hakusho!

This chapter contains my favorite moment of all time between Akari and Kurama. At least...up to this particular point in the roleplay it's definitely my favorite scene between them. I'm sure you'll see why when you get to the end of it.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

A demon named Gekijou on the Ninth Level of Demon World has had contact with Otento,  
>and Koenma wants any and all information about Otento and his plans that she knows.<p>

Shikiyoku agrees to go on the mission for the Prince, but on her terms,  
>which includes a slip of paper of her demands which she gives to Koenma.<p>

She knows Koenma cannot promise her that the warrant will be lifted, since it was his father who issued it,  
>and Koenma tells her that he will try his best to do as she asks of him.<p>

And so, Shikiyoku and Hiei's trek into Demon World goes off without a hitch  
>They arrive in the Ninth Level, Shikiyoku's birthplace,<br>and make the easy journey to a valley within the Keppan Mountains,  
>a place Shikiyoku considers home.<p>

Meanwhile...back in Spirit World...

* * *

><p>The room was silent, other than the occasional sound that echoed off the walls, accompanied by heavy breathing and an occasional sound of frustration. The lights were brighter here than in the rest of the castle Akari had seen, and it made the room seem as if it were hotter than any other.<p>

Her hair, which was up in a long ponytail, slapped against the bare skin of her back, sticking to the stream of sweat that had formed all over her body. Her hand wiped at her face, forcing the salt from her eyes as she gave a huff and took a step back from her opponent, who, for the moment, was an actual person Koenma had allowed her to borrow.

Or rather, he'd sent this demon to ensure she was satisfied, and, well, this was how it had ended up.

Her fists flew again, meeting the pads of the fighting equipment that the demon wore, who easily ensured that his hand blocked hers from his body. He hadn't given many pointers in the last hour, and quite frankly, she was fine with that. It gave her an opportunity to think as if this person were an actual enemy.

Except that he wouldn't allow her to use her energy. He wearily evaded her shadows, sending warning glares each time her energy began to spread throughout the room again. She hadn't been able to test her newest idea on him, since he didn't allow such close contact to be made.

A growl escaped her and she hit him on the chest this time, hard, with her flat palm as a signal of surrender. She wasn't gaining what she'd originally intended anyway.

"I appreciate the tips, but I'd rather be alone," she huffed out at the demon, who merely nodded, dropped the pads he'd been holding, and promptly left the room without even a glance back. She watched him go, using the towel she'd placed around her neck to dab away at her face again, her other hand pulling her hair from her back.

She glanced down at herself and sighed. She hadn't considered Koenma sending people to check on her, otherwise she would have worn something other than the human training outfit that did very little in concealing her scars. With shorts that were almost too short to be comfortable and only half of her upper body covered, she considered placing her jacket and sweats back on.

But she should be left alone now. For a while, at least.

She turned and glanced at the many different pieces of fighting equipment in the room, eyes fixating on the largest punching bag that hung from the ceiling, roughly the size of the demon she and Kurama had taken down. Determined to continue on for a few more hours, in the least, she wasted no time in crossing the room and taking her stance again, this time imagining her training days with Sensui and starting from the beginning, fists flying with as much speed as she could muster. *

~!**!~

Kurama shifted his weight around on the short wooden stool upon which he sat, crouching back over the trough that barely rose in height above his ankles.

He held his hands over the white dirt within, eyes closed, though the room was pitch black around him save for the seed that pulsated with a silver color in the dirt that he concentrated manipulating with his energy.

A drip of sweat ran a trail down his cheek to his chin before dropping between his thighs to the concrete floor and he could feel his back sticking to the white sleeveless shirt he wore, the jacket he'd worn into the room already cast off to the side.

Feeling the seed with his energy, feeding it, coaxing it, he managed to split it into two identical slivers of life that each pulsed together as if of one heart.

At that, Kurama released them and sat back, stretching his neck and feeling it pop on the one side before he rotated his shoulders around once in their sockets in an attempt to release some of the tension that had built up all along them and his chest.

Putting his hands on his knees, he pushed himself up from the stool and rubbed a hand absently on the back of his neck as he picked up his jacket and walked over to the door he could barely make out in the gloom.

He blinked when he opened it, the bright lights of the gym blinding him briefly as he bent over the gym bag he'd carried inside with him and placed his jacket on top of it.

Leaving the door open behind him, he turned back to the room full of his various gardening-type manipulation tools and plucked the two seeds from the dirt, holding one in each hand before heading back out into the gym, his eyes searching the room.

He moved towards a pair of dummies, picking them up by the throats easily and placing them a few feet from the door he'd come through. He went and gathered two more, spying the last one near the biggest punching bag the room had.

As he got closer, the sound of fighting rang in his ears and he realized the sound had been there the whole time, but that he'd only just now taken notice of it.

He made no motions to hide his path directed at the dummy he sought to snag, but when he got around the edge of the bag and saw Akari, his paused for just an instant to watch her before turning with a small smile and moving to pick up the final dummy.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku knew nothing of the encounter Hiei was having with the sour fruit behind her, and so when she took a bite of the sweet fruit in her hand, her eyes widened and she immediately spit the piece out, her brain all sorts of confused as she held the fruit away from her body as if it were poisoned, eyeing it balefully.

She smacked her lips together twice, running her tongue inbetween her teeth in disgust as she found herself unable to comprehend the flavor that she had fully expected to be completely sour.

But if this was the sweet one...that meant the sour one...

Oops.

She turned to see the last of Hiei's experience, him spitting out the juice from his mouth, and she quickly sped as quietly as possible to a nearby tree, several feet beyond the clearing, hiding up inside it lest she be a target of Hiei's obvious ire.

When she got in the branches, she maneuvered around so that she was on the opposite side from the clearing, and consequently Hiei, crouching on the tips of her toes and sitting very still, her hair and outfit blending almost perfectly with the leaves and the trunk she sat back against.

She wasn't quite so frightened that she forgot about the fruit in hand, however, and this time around when she took a large bite the sweetness burst wonderfully onto her tongue and she munched happily for the moment, forgetting about all about Hiei as her eyes closed in an expression of enjoyment. 3

Hiei had seen the very last motion in the tree of a passerby skirting up into the branches, and his eyes narrowed. He hadn't appreciated her "joke" in any way at all, and he found his irritation rising at her retreat. He stood there for a moment, judging where Shikiyoku had gone before he slowly and quietly moved to the base of the tree she had shimmied up. His red irises looked up into the branches, searching expertly for a shadow that did not move with the leaves as a slight breeze passed.

After a moment, he heard the smallest of sound and he moved with instinct, quickly slipping up into the darkened branches and following his instinct, quickly closing the distance between himself and Shikiyoku, who, when he got closer, he could see chewing happily on the fruit in her hand.

The scent that wafted to his nose was one he better associated with sweetness than anything else in the area, and without even a beat's hesitation, he descended upon her, the slight breeze making his cloak whip behind him at the sudden fall from above. A single hand grabbing the wrist that held the fruit and taking it from her grasp, replacing it with the half-squeezed sour fruit and promptly taking a bite from the sweet one he now held in his possession.

Now that's more like it.

As he chewed, he stared at her with flashing irises, daring her to challenge him.

~!**!~

Akari had gotten back into a rhythm in mere moments, eyes focused on the large red bag that hung from the ceiling, her mind creating images of an attacker. It was all she could do, since the demon she'd attempted to fight with had been rather uncooperative and hadn't given her the chance to try anything worth her time.

Her fists hit, making a pop sound against the leather before her foot followed after, the thunk echoing throughout the spacious room as she imagined the attacker coming at her. Completely immersed in her own world of fighting, her body moved, bouncing slightly back and forth as she constantly continued moving about, as any demon smart enough would do.

At the edges of her mind, she registered the slightest sound in the room, but ignored it since the equipment tended to slide around sometimes, and the most recently moved equipment had been stacked in a precarious pile nearby.

When her fist struck this time, it was with every ounce of her strength, making a small sound bubble from her lips before she stepped away in thought, trying to remember anything else that might help while she had the time to herself, still completely unaware of anyone else in the room as she again peeled her hair from her soaked back. *

Kurama quietly made his way back to the other dummies, which he shifted further backwards before taking a stand about fifteen feet away from them.

He stood absolutely still for another moment, closing his eyes and reaching with his demonic energy into the seeds in his hands.

More beads of sweat formed at his hairline and his eyebrows twitched slightly in concentration as he divided the seeds in his palms one more time until he held four.

Taking another minute to strengthen them, he allowed one in each hand to start pulsating with power again before bringing his hands up and crouching, picturing the dummies before him in his mind's eye.

_Rose Whip!_

Two white vines erupted from each hand, covered in thorns, elongating until they rested onto the ground, then growing two more feet.

Kurama's breath came heavier now, and a sheen settled over his bare arms and shoulders from the sweat.

He began lashing out at the dummies, eyes still closed, whipping out an intricate pattern between the two vines he held as he rolled his wrists to vary the attacks. He took steps to the right, continuing the variations and slowly started circling in that direction around the five dummies, hearing the whips lash successfully against their bodies each time.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes widened considerably at the sudden appearance of Hiei, her mouth having been opened in preparation of taking another huge bite of the fruit which he had just snatched from her grasp only to replace it almost instantaneously with the one she meant to feast upon in the first place.

She sat paused in that position for a few seconds as he munched, silently challenging her to take the fruit back, and then she finally sank her own teeth into the sour fruit she held, eyes turning downwards to consider it as the flavor exploded into her mouth.

She did, however, half-heartedly reach out with her other hand in a brisk motion in an attempt to steal the fruit from Hiei back. 3

Hiei took a second bite of the fruit in his hand, much more satisfied with this taste than his previous one. The flavor was remarkable, even better than sweet snow. Okay, so maybe not so much that…

But he did enjoy it immensely, even as he moved it just out of Shikiyoku's reach with a warning glare. He swallowed the mouthful of the fruit he had at that moment before actually deciding to speak up, moving to the branch above to ensure she couldn't make another swipe at the fruit in his hand so easily.

"Get another. I have claimed this one for the trouble you caused."

He took another bite, happy with the sweet juice that flooded his mouth.

~!**!~

Akari stared at the object in front of her in thought, trying to ignore the feeling of sweat running down her shoulders, her arms, her neck and legs. How long had she been here? It was hard to tell since she'd been so focused today.

A sigh left her lips as another small sound was heard in the room. Footsteps? But just as soon as she thought she had heard the noise, it was gone, and she ignored it, turning back to the punching bag with a new idea in mind. Her energy moved about her, staying within close proximity as she attempted to concentrate the majority of it in her hand.

But this time, there was no mistaking the sound she heard within the room. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the loud crack that resounded, her eyes widening. When had someone entered? How had they done so without her notice?

Carefully, she stepped away from the punching bag, looking about until her eyes landed on a form that moved about in a manner that reminded her of a hunter stalking its prey. Kurama lashed at some dummies she hadn't seen be moved, and for the mere second, her breath stopped.

She hadn't brought her bag close enough for her to get into without notice.

Maybe, if she just…. quietly moved across the room… she wouldn't be seen in such a ridiculous outfit, and the fox wouldn't have to see the marble scarring of her skin. *

Kurama knew the instant the punching from the other side of the room stopped and he stood up, dropping his hands to his sides and opening his eyes to see Akari watching him.

"Sorry." He apologized, lifting one of the whips to indicate he meant for the noise they caused, his breath currently taking a moment to catch up. He began moving towards his bag near the open door, flicking both wrists to gather the vines of the whips into his hands, his shirt sticking to his chest uncomfortably now.

"I had hoped you wouldn't be interrupted." He nodded to her as he got closer, sensing her uneasiness, but still stopping at his gym bag like he meant to.

Before he had a chance to recall the whips into their seed form, they pulsed angrily in his hands, their entire forms quivering once before shattering in his grasp like so much glass.

He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away as the pieces flew into the air, one managing to slit his cheek just enough to make it bleed, and he could feel blood beginning to trickle in his hands as the slivers dissipated into the air like nothing happened, leaving behind no trace of existence save for the tiny stripes of cuts they left behind.

Kurama ruefully opened his hands to look at the two seeds left in his palms, seeing the various breaks on his skin where the previous silver whips had been moments before. He sighed longsufferingly and continued the last few steps to his bag, starting to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt as he did so.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku started to stand up and turned to face Hiei, reaching upwards and mumbling, "I meant to give you that one in the first place."

Her free hand brushed his shoulder as she bypassed him completely and grasped the fruit hanging near his head, plucking it from its place and promptly biting into it, releasing the sweet smell of its fragrance into the air and glaring right back into Hiei's eyes as she defiantly took another bite before she finished chewing the first. 3

Hiei ignored Shikiyoku's words altogether, finding that they took away from the amusement he had briefly felt at having simply taken from her, only to end up even more disappointed when he realized they were sitting in the very tree that harbored the same fruit he just popped the last bit of into his mouth.

So much for that.

He looked down at her with a raised brow, as if asking "and your point is?" Almost as soon as he swallowed the last bite of the fruit he had confiscated from her, he found another, inspected it for soft spots where it could have begun going bad, and once satisfied he bit into that one as well. This one had more juice than the other did, some even dripping onto his fingers once the skin of it had been torn away.

"The sour ones are disgusting," he finally replied, deciding he might as well continue the conversation.

~!**!~

Akari had jolted to a stop mid-step backwards when Kurama looked up, his eyes smiling as he apologized with the small huff of air he gave that almost identically matched her own. Immediately, her arms crossed over her stomach, hiding as much of herself as she could manage.

_Why today, of all days?_

"Next time, you should, uh" she paused, her mind scrambling to form a coherent thought that _wouldn't _have anything to do with getting away, "I dunno, let someone know you're here? Not that I would've done much harm, but an attack of any kind isn't pleasant, don't you think?"

She was rather proud of herself for the slightly sarcastic recovery.

When he passed by her, making it so that his back was to her as he reached a bag she hadn't noticed, she quickly turned to retreat, making a swift attempt for her own bag that was, sadly, almost clearly across the room from her.

_Of all people… __*****_

"I could say the same to you." He replied congenially. "I'm fairly certain I have been here much longer today than you."

The shirt only had a couple of buttons at the top and after getting them undone, Kurama slipped it off over his head, promptly using it to wipe away the blood from his hands.

As he looked down, he noticed a particularly long strike down the side of his stomach and he released another brief sigh of a breath, wiping away at the blood there too as he absently considered what he could do next time to either strengthen the demonic seeds or perhaps lengthen their allowed existence in whip form. He made a mental note to check his work on the dummies to make for sure there were no inconsistencies in the pattern he marked upon them.

"You have nothing to be self-conscious about, you know." He called out to the only other person in the room, his eyes alighting on the scars that decorated his now-bare chest and abdominal muscles here and there, some only slivers of regrown skin barely visible while one or two others-like the slice across his stomach-were nearly as harsh and dark as the ones Sensui claimed as self-inflicted.

He knew his back was coated in the same fashion, 'trophies' of the high constitution that he used to his advantage in order to analyze his enemies in battle, and he spied the rather nasty one on the inside of his right arm where he'd planted the death seed in the Dark Tournament, the former injury having left permanent scars looking almost like he'd purposefully tattooed a viney plant that ran up from his wrist to his elbow where it not for the obvious scar tissue in place.

"They're just a living testament to the fact that you survived whatever was thrown at you."

Kurama did not feel ashamed of the scars. At least it did not appear so to anyone that knew him. But somewhere in the back of his mind he must have viewed them as...imposing perhaps, considering he was supposed to be the model student and loving son. He had not gone around without long-sleeves in several years, much less allowed himself to be seen without a shirt. In fact, he doubted even Hiei knew of the markings.

He tossed a quick glanced over his shoulder at Akari.

For that matter, he did not think anyone had seen them before, though he sensed that Toriko knew about them well enough.

He realized he'd stopped his cleaning after a moment of staring down at the blood-stained shirt and shook his head to clear his thoughts, spying another fresh cut or two on the upper parts of his arms and reaching over to at least get the running blood away quickly, before Akari could get much further away.

His skin still glistened with sweat, though having the shirt off helped cool him immensely.

He'd completely forgotten about the slice on his cheek, the blood moving slowly for his chin only feeling like another drop of sweat, as he turned to face Akari again, lowering his hands to gaze after her only long enough to pull one hand out of the shirt, crumpling it up in the other as he trotted silently to catch up to her, lightly touching her shoulder with a hand to let her know he was there, hoping she might turn around and face him.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku hadn't sat back down, still standing on the branch she'd gotten onto to reach for the sweet fruit and she munched quietly for a moment.

"I like sour things." She murmured more to herself than to him, "And I bet you're enjoying the sweetness of that fruit all the more now because of it, too."

She lifted her head as another cool breeze swept over them, her eyes closing in enjoyment. She did not feel _tired_, per se, but she did think she might enjoy a bit of rest, and if there was one thing this valley did right, it was the kind of rejuvenation one felt after resting within it. 3

Hiei lowered himself to sit on the branch, deciding he would very much enjoy sitting among the branches of the tree he would very much enjoy eating from the most often. Yes, the other fruits had been delectable, especially when combined. However, Hiei found himself much more satisfied with the sweetness than anything else. Perhaps his sweet tooth was never satiated.

His red eyes followed Shikiyoku's movements as she spoke up, though he wasn't really sure she was talking to him specifically or just thinking aloud. But he responded anyway with a slight shrug, "I could do without." He paused, his lips lifting into a slight sneer, "Actually, I'd prefer to stay as far away from it as possible."

He took another large bite of the fruit, pushing the chunk to the left side of his mouth, pressing against his cheek as he chewed little by little, savoring the taste.

"Sweet, however, is my favorite."

~!**!~

Akari's feet almost scuttled across the ground as she scurried away, eyes locked on her bag with determination to at least receive her jacket, despite the sweat that still rolled down her arms and neck. She didn't reply to the words that seemed to only drift across the room at her, though several emotions did arise at his words. She didn't have to guess that he had scars of his own, but his were different.

She hadn't realized he had caught up to her until his hand made contact with her bare shoulder. She quickly pulled away from him and spun to face him, jaw set as she bit back words only for a moment.

"_This_ is different," she replied quickly, voice quiet as if she had trouble deciding what tone to use. "Yours were from battles, from fights that you could have gotten away from if you so desired." Her breath hitched slightly and she turned her eyes to the side, only glancing at his own scars for a moment before turning away from them.

She slowly let out a long huff of air through her teeth, taking another step away from the redhead. "Yours are different." _*****_

Kurama stood silently as she spoke, refraining from mentioning that several of them originated from the Dark Tournament, something he could _not _actually get away from without sacrificing the lives of his comrades, and possibly his own.

"Different, how?" He pressed. "Different in that they make my words any less true?" He had to resist reaching out and drawing a hand over over one of hers. "You may consider them marrings, and I would tell you they are not. Each one has a story. A beautiful one, because it is in the past and it did not kill you. Your past, your memories, they may make up who you are, but I can see as well as anyone that you do fairly well in not letting it define _who_ you are."

He tilted his head to consider her for a moment, before suddenly jumping back and activating the two seeds still in his hands, the white vines snaking out from his grasp as he cracked one in the air beside him.

"Show me." His gaze stayed steady on her as he crouched, his words low, almost a dare.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku found that she couldn't help the softening that reached her eyes as Hiei sat down and she stood there only a moment longer herself, briefly lost in her musing.

She wasn't exactly sure what possessed her to show Hiei this place.

Her eyes gazed past him into the surrounding area.

It was really a very private thing.

There had not been a single other Champion that she even whispered about 'home' to, and yet here she was, practically giving Hiei tips to surviving within the valley. As if she expected for him to return to it one day, as if she prepared him for that inevitability.

The air rustled the leaves around them in the pair's silence, and Shikiyoku hopped down from the tree with ease, slowly starting to meander off as she looked around her, taking in each bush and tree and plant as she slowly made her way off. 3

Hiei had just gotten comfortable watching her curiously, noting the expression on her face was almost a far away one, as if she were lost in another world briefly. For the first time, he wondered what had her looking by him like she was, curious about her thoughts. But he let his curiosity simmer before it died away as she moved away as well.

He didn't make any motion to follow, instead taking another fruit from the tree as he took a bite from the one he still had yet to finish, taking his sweet time in finishing it off.

If she wanted him to follow, then she would turn around and wait on him, or in the very least she would say something.

He leaned further back against the bark, eying the fruit that hung around him. He hoped they didn't have to leave so quickly.

~!**!~

Hazel eyes turned back to Kurama as he spoke, her expression forcing into a neutral mask in an attempt to veil the thoughts that ran across her mind. Several different choice words came to mind, but none of them would have accomplished much of anything other than upsetting herself, since she knew Kurama would simply talk through it, as he was doing at the moment.

"Some stories are preferred to be left untold," she responded dryly, only just noticing the stream of crimson that had slid down his face. She considered it for a moment before deciding to ignore it, since he moved away from her.

The crack of the whip he conjured made her give a small start, and just as quickly as he had moved, she was in defensive mode, weight on the front of her toes and eyes wearily regarded the weapon. _What are you up to?_

The tone he used made her eyes narrow at the redhead. "Don't," she said quietly, voice low to match his tone. She wasn't sure what he wanted to accomplish, but fighting him in any way was not something she wanted to do. _*****_

Kurama stood back up, a white, thorny vine still in either hand. He lazily raised one arm and pointed it at her before flicking his wrist, making the whip crack next to her body before lowering that arm.

"Why not?" He had no intentions of stopping, keeping his eyes trained on hers.

He did the same with the left arm now, raising it slowly before flicking his wrist again and snapping it near her face.

"You'll have to stop me yourself." He made a dash towards her.

~!**!~

Just before she wandered out of range of the tree she knew Hiei would likely fall asleep in, Shikiyoku paused and dashed back up it, reappearing by his side in little less than an instant, her hands bracing herself on a branch next to him.

Without allowing herself time to think, she leaned over it and kissed Hiei softly on the cheek, pulling back and murmuring, "Thank you." Before blushing deeply and running off again, disappearing as a mere black blur back into the forest that blended in exceedingly well with her surroundings, refusing to look back at him. 3

Hiei wiped at his chin idly, realizing he'd had some of the juices from the fruit escape him. He glanced at the fruit where he had bitten away from, the yellowed inside almost completely drenched. He quickly took another bite before the sticky liquid could fall away from him, not wanting to waste any part of the fruit in any way.

And as he pulled the fruit away, Shikiyoku was suddenly beside him, her lips making contact with his cheek that had the fruit pressed against the inside. His body went still aside from his eyes, which slid over to catch a glimpse of the girl who retreated just as quickly as she had approached.

After a few moments, he turned away and resettled against the bark, calling, "I've done nothing more than eat your fruit."

~!**!~

Akari's eyes narrowed further at Kurama as the whip cracked nearby, all thoughts of anything else gone and replaced with caution and concentration. He wouldn't…. would he?

The second lash of the whip that came close to her face this time made her flinch slightly at the extreme proximity, but otherwise she stood her ground. She opened her mouth to speak, to try and talk her way out of the predicament, but he was already moving towards her, telling her that the only way she would get away is if she made him stop.

She quickly moved away, out of range of the weapons he wielded, all thoughts and attempts of talking through the moment staunched and replaced with thoughts of movements that would not land her with a strike.

Obviously, close contact was not an option.

She tugged at her energy, letting it slowly move through her veins and fuel her movements, making her steps more fluid and sure as she danced away from Kurama as much as possible. "I hope those fall apart," she commented with a tone of irritation as her energy began tugging at shadows around the room. Almost immediately, a dark figure formed in the shape of a person roughly Kurama's size that moved fluidly in front of the redhead as a deterrent. _*****_

Immediately Kurama lashed out at the shadow, his whip making contact with it several times before returning to his side, but appearing to do nothing as his weapon passed through its form.

He made no move to slow down or consider it otherwise, instead continuing on through the shadow to get to Akari.

The sickness that hit his stomach was immediately analyzed and promptly ignored, though he heightened his awareness of his own body to make for sure there would be no lingering effects other than the chill whose shiver he did not allow to do much more than pass across his mind.

Gripping the whip in his left hand tighter for a moment, he passed his energy through it as he raised it and flicked his wrist.

The thorns on the vine disappeared into the white surface, making it smooth as it contacted with Akari's wrist and wrapped itself around her forearm.

He followed quickly after his whip, closing the distance between them and tugging Akari back towards him.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku skidded to a stop, lifting her ear to hear Hiei's words carry to her on the wind, and she turned around for a moment, smiling broadly with her hands on her hips.

"You've done much more than just that, flame-boy!" She called back, staying like that for another moment as she focused her eyes in on him, easily picking out the white star of his hair and the white fabric around his neck against the darkness.

As for what else he'd done, Shikiyoku left him to muse on it, whipping back around and strolling off again, shoving her hands down into the pockets of her black pants.

When she remembered the direction she was going though, and why she'd chosen that way, she picked up the pace again, pulling her hands out as she began to run for the sake of it and feeling the stickiness between her fingers. As she licked her lips, she realized she must have picked up some of the juice from Hiei's cheek and the smile that had faded away returned at the thought as she swiped the back of her hand against them. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku as she turned to look up at him, spotting him easily it seemed, though he figured it was made easier because of the scarf he had brought with him that contrasted so much with his surroundings. Her response was one that made him raise a brow curiously, suddenly wondered what she thought he'd done that meant he deserved thanks.

Sure, there were instances, but the only thing he could think of that called for appreciation was the Otento-

His mind immediately shut out the image that tried to weasel its way into his mind's eye and looked to the fruit in his hand. After a small moment of silent contemplation, he took another bite and turned to Shikiyoku again, watching as she broke into a run across the landscape.

"Hn."

Akari felt it in her energy when Kurama passed through her shadow, because the form dissipated almost as soon as he had broken away from it, practically returning to her in the form of broken up shadows that swirled about lazily around her feet, waiting for orders that she didn't have. She huffed to herself as she saw him lift the whip again, and in a single moment, she found it wrapping about her wrist and arm, thornless, and her instincts kicked in.

She pulled on it, slightly desperate, while her shadows made quick work of enveloping the weapon in hopes of making it easier to break free. If her energy clashed with his, maybe it would allow her the ability to get away.

But to her own dismay, she found herself being tugged towards the redhead who was still moving to close the distance. "Let. Go." she growled out as she continued to pull and resist, not really earning much leeway.

The only thing she earned was a slight stumble as her feet attempted to create traction on the wooden floor, which was near impossible. _*****_

Kurama could feel the energy within the whip begin to quiver as soon as it ensnared Akari's wrist, his asking of it to become thornless accelerating its deterioration.

He felt surprised then, as just when he was about to pull it back so that it would not shattered against Akari, she covered it in shadows, dulling the slight glow the weapon held, but also encasing it somehow, holding it together.

With a precision he could only reserve for his right hand, Kurama snapped his whip out again as he kept coming, making it draw a line from the bottom of the left side of her ribcage-just shy of her top-all the way across her torso down in a slant to her right side, stopping at the edge of her waist where her shorts sat on her hips.

The slice seemed to freeze in time for a moment before blood started dripping down from it, and then Kurama was upon her, his second strike with his free whip to snare her right arm in another thornless vine before he came to a stand-still at her front.

"Now. That's deep enough to leave its own scar." He stood nearly up against her, looking down into her eyes. "If you want to be rid of it, I can take it away, but if I do so, all of your other scars will be removed in the process. Is that what you wish?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made it all the way over to the other side of the valley before slowing, the tree she left Hiei behind in no longer visible to her eyes when she glanced back.

The forest grew thicker here, the undergrowth more dense as she picked her way forward. A mist permeated just above the ground, whispering its way about her feet and the air grew thicker with moisture and heat.

Without warning, the forest gave-way to flat, blackened stones that provided a disjointed shoreline to a small hot springs, perhaps twice the size of the ground floor in Toriko's home. There was a waterfall on the opposite side, making noise as it plunged down into the rest of the springs, feeding the water with a river that disappeared off over the side of the mountains in the distance.

The mist rose higher from the ground here, more like steam, but it came no higher than her knees as Shikiyoku began shucking her clothing off into an invisible, black pile on one of the stones.

Her steps were not hesitant as she crouched down at the water's edge, putting her hands down and slipping forward into the springs as the edge dropped off immediately after the flat shoreline the stones created.

The water was practically scalding, but Shikiyoku adjusted quickly, the water up to her stomach here, and began walking forward where the black sands beneath her feet began sloping down. She pulled her long, dark hair together over a shoulder as it began sticking to her skin from the humidity.

As soon as the black-hued water got high enough to touch her mid-back, Shikiyoku hissed in pain as it stung and threw her head back over her shoulder in an attempt to see what she had all but forgotten was there.

Of course, her attempt was to no avail and she stopped short of going farther into the water as she tried to recover her suddenly scattered thoughts.

In her mind's eye, the pain giving her the vision, she could see the three swipes she had once used a mirror to view. They went from her right shoulder blade down and across her back slant-wise, ending at the bottom of her ribcage on the left side.

They had been deep, claw wounds that had left her in a bed on her stomach for days, and when healed they remained as wicked scars, slivers of silver skin in the midst of them.

Shikiyoku bit her lip, wondering at the properties of the water that made it react in such a way as she peered into it. The last time she'd been here, she hadn't had the injuries.

She thought she could even feel the scars reopening, blood starting to drip down her back. That was impossible though, wasn't it? They were very old. Surely she was only imagining it, her mind reminded of how she received them in the first place and reliving the experience.

Hearing cries of terror, smelling blood and gore and being able to do nothing to stop it...

And then receiving the wounds and her world starting to fade to black.

She viewed the scars as a sort of penance for the events of that night, but...

Such things were easy to forget when one could not see them oneself. 3

Hiei didn't move from his spot in the trees, simply eating one fruit after another as he watched Shikiyoku disappear from his view. He lounged lazily on his branch, ankles crossed and cloak moving with the wind that passed by occasionally. He periodically accessed the bond he could now feel within himself, checking on Shikiyoku in this way rather than getting up and moving to find her.

If she had wanted company, she would have at least hinted at it.

So he sat there in the calm silence, perfectly content to eat as many of these fruits as he could manage.

~!**!~

Frustration welled up, mingling with panic and desperation that continued to mix and create chaos within her. She pulled and pulled at the vine that held her captive, the room silent aside from her sounds of struggle and Kurama's breathing.

The sound of the whip moving through the air made her snarl just as loud as she could, both in pain and anger at the strike. She didn't have to look down to see the damage done, because her mind was simply too overwhelmed with the fact that he _had _struck, when she hadn't even made a move to do any sort of harm.

By the time she was at a standstill, looking up at the redhead, she had several ideas in mind of what she could do, but her anger held her still even as he spoke. At first, her muscles began to shake with the growing anger at the redhead, a continuous rumble in her chest. "What have I done to _you_?" she growled out, at first not hearing his words, more by choice than anything else. She couldn't move much thanks to the hold his vines had, but quite frankly, that was likely the only thing keeping her out of trouble at the moment, because she could only imagine what would happen if she did try to strike back.

Her eyes moved from his and to the cut on his cheek, staring intently at it as ideas surfaced, but those ideas died away when his quiet words registered. Her growl left her in a small huff of air at his… offer… and again she met his gaze squarely, eyes flashing with defiance. "If this is an act of kindness, you have a crooked way of showing it."

Her words and expression of anger were all she could do at the moment, because internally, she was a sudden mess of scrambled thoughts and emotions. Anger, because not only had he struck, but he'd struck hard enough to cause another scar later on. But, she was surprised by his offer to make each and every one disappear. She didn't even know what she'd look like without them now. Defiance, because his offer was something she saw as an act of pity- not that she hadn't brought it on herself. It was her own fault she was in this situation.

With this demon, she tended to place herself in many situations.

Embarrassment welled up next, joining her other swirling emotions and almost making her feel lightheaded, dizzy.

"You're crazy." she finally growled out, not willing to simply stand here in silence. She tugged at his hold, her muscles even more taut than before now that she was scrambling, both inwardly and externally. "Let me go!" _*****_

Kurama made no move to change their circumstances, despite her demands that he do so, instead continuing to stare down at her face, his expression unreadable, stoic.

He couldn't really explain to her what exactly she'd done to him yet. Or at least, perhaps, he had not fully admitted to himself exactly what that was yet. Purely by conscious choice. Which he dismissed now that he had her exactly where he wanted.

Searching her hazel eyes for another moment, seeing the confliction about his offer, ignoring her protests and struggles, he waited until she seemed like she would say no more before he spoke one last time.

"I will wait for your answer until after the mark I gave you sets in." He paused briefly before going on, intending by his continuing to prevent her from interrupting, "Until then, I sincerely hope every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you will first see my scar. And that instead of thinking back to past moments belonging to those underneath it, you'll instead be reminded of _this _moment," He started to lean his head down closer, his eyes beginning to close and his voice lowering as he finished, "Right here."

He let his soft breath move over her face as he finished speaking, drawing closer until finally touching his lips against hers just long enough that there could be no mistaking the gesture.

Kurama pulled back an inch, opening his eyes again to see that Akari stared. He smirked at her.

And then suddenly, he was gone, the whips around her arms disappearing all at once as he stepped back and regarded her for a millisecond seeing how her own mental faculties had shut down. He nearly chuckled, but only shifted his face back to the unreadable neutral it had been for the moment prior.

He turned and walked off, leaving no time for her to recover, slinging his bloodied and torn white shirt over his shoulder and reaching down as he passed to grab his gym bag with the same hand, repositioning both it and the shirt over his shoulder as he left without saying another word. 3

Akari had struggled, her entire body writhing as she pulled and pulled against his hold, not surprised at all when she got nowhere. In the back of her mind, she knew it was hopeless. If Kurama wanted her to stay, she would stay there just as long as he wanted her to. And that made her struggle even more, small grunts from her protesting surfacing from her lips here and there.

Otherwise, she said no more. Why would she, when it was so clear he had no intention of letting her leave? And for a few minutes, the only sound in the room was of her struggle, her feet sliding across the floor as each muscle in her body tried their best to free her, defiant and conflicted eyes flashing at the green ones she glared into in a silent demand.

By the time she gave in and went still, arms held up in front of her torso to reinstate the blood flow in her arms, Kurama was speaking again, voice low and quiet. At his pause, she opened her mouth to retort with a rather nasty comment, but shut it again and deciding not to say anything at all, allowing him to continue uninterrupted anyway.

A small growl left her throat as he leaned closer, a small warning about personal space. She attempted to growl out a rather rhetorical, angry question about his intentions, but with their proximity closing, she felt a movement in her stomach that silenced her again as his breath washed over her face. _What are you-_

Her thought, which had been intended to be voiced, was cut short when his eyes closed and, before she could even register the second, his lips gently touched hers.

Soft was the first impression.

But that was blown away within the next second by confusion that scattered her thoughts, shock making her mind go blank but emotions roll and roil within her core, making her entire body tense up just as he pulled away, eyes reopening to reveal the shocking green that had hidden from her own gaze for the moment.

Something flashed across his eyes as a smirk colored his expression, and all she could do was blink at him as he removed himself and his vines from her bubble of space, leaving her standing there, staring at the spot he had been standing moments before as he left. Her mouth hung open only slightly, her lips parted to release a small breath of surprise as she stared blankly in front of herself.

_What just happened?_

Only when the sound of the door opening sounded through the room did she turn and watch his retreat, her eyes taking in the muscles that moved, the light in the room flashing against scars across his back. She took in each motion his muscles made, each bounce of his hair, each step he took She took in the marbled skin here and there, realizing that she hadn't noticed he had been actually planning on this the entire time.

And yet she was powerless to do anything other than watch him leave. _*****_

* * *

><p><em>The chapter is a little shorter than the other ones have been, but it's just such a great place to stop and I didn't want anything else rambling on to take away from the moment.<em>

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	32. Episode 117 - Hot Spring, False Youko

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Denizens of this FanFiction Realm!

On with the story!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Kurama rocks Akari's world by first giving her a scar across her stomach,  
>but then telling her that he can remove it,<br>though the process would also take away all her others.

As she is standing there with him, he tells her that the next time she looks at her scars,  
>instead of thinking of her past and the painful memories it contains,<br>he hopes she will see his scar first and think of 'this moment right here,'  
>whereupon he kisses her, leaving her rooted to the spot as he exits the gym.<p>

~!**!~

Meanwhile, Shikiyoku has taken Hiei to the place she called home when she was younger,  
>and leaving him to eat the fruit of the trees around them that she introduced him to,<br>she journeys to the far side of the valley and takes a dip in the hot springs there...

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku rested the back of her head on the flat rocks along the shore, sunk down up to her chin in the hot springs and nearly asleep, the part of her hair in the water taking to floating about her shoulders, her thoughts muted and wandering slowly as the haze from the humidity wove around her and the area.<p>

She kept mentally reaching for the pact between her and Hiei, but every time she hesitated and left it alone without actually calling to him. She did want to share this place with him, but...

Truthfully, she felt nervous about it, the emotion floating along somewhere in the back of her head. She wanted him to approve of the valley, to know that he was welcome here, welcome to return in the future even if...even if it was without her.

But what would he care for the place? It wasn't as if she thought he would somehow enjoy the same things as she: the sound of the waterfall, the movement of the mist as it warmed her face, the smooth onyx-like stone underneath her head. And she certainly couldn't picture him getting _in _the water.

That brought up a fuzzy image of her pulling him in, which, while good for an immediate sense of satisfaction, would not lead to anything Shikiyoku would have wanted to actually witness, she felt sure.

He might appreciate the climate, she finally admitted to herself. But he didn't seem like the type that would find pleasure in laying about for no good reason. Which is exactly what Shikiyoku was doing at that moment.

She hoped he wasn't in a hurry to leave, she thought drowsily. She wasn't exactly sure if she could pull herself away at that moment... 3

Hiei had eaten until he was full enough to be completely content, by which point he had dropped to the ground and taken to wandering around the area. He was curious over what the area had to offer, quite honestly, and for the past few minutes, he'd done nothing more than walk around. His red eyes looked around at all the blackened plants, not even a single insect nor creature moving about.

It was almost eerie, were it not for the peaceful air around the place.

His hands slid into his pockets as he continued walking through the forestry, his eyes taking in the slight change in the air that hinted at water somewhere nearby. He continued in the same direction, his ears hearing the sound of a waterfall in the distance as the humidity continued to thicken in the air, almost sticking to his face.

And just before he broke away from the underbrush and trees, the slight smell of rustic, metallic blood met his nose in the weakest of forms, meaning it had been mixed with another liquid or substance of some kind. Not worried, his pace stayed leisurely until he was looking at the hot spring through heavy mist, crimson peering over at the female in the water and the slight reddish-pink color that moved behind her bare back in the water.

"Heated water keeps wounds open."

~!**!~

She wasn't sure how long she had stood there, stunned still in the middle of the gym, but when Akari recovered, it was only due to the feeling of the sticky blood still moving down her torso against the sweat that had dried on her body.

She felt icky. And sore.

Her mind was still blank, but she robotically moved towards the door, leaning down painfully and grabbing her duffel bag from the floor, deciding it was time to go. She retrieved her sweats from inside and slid them on over the shorts she wore, next sliding the windbreaker jacket over her arms and shoulders, not bothering to zip it up and suffocate the bleeding cut Kurama had given her.

As she exited the door, ogre passed by, and she grabbed his attention.

"Tell Koenma I appreciate letting me use his facilities, and I'm leaving for the day… Likely the week."

Without waiting on a response, she turned and continued on her way, knowing exactly how she could get home without disturbing Botan.

After all, Koenma had been kind enough to create a portal-like doorway for the day that would land her in an alleyway just around the corner from her home. And right about now, home sounded amazing.

Security to think without distraction. Promise of a place to clean up and change.

The ability to sort through her own thoughts and regain her control, preferably before doing anything that might end up with another encounter with the redhead that had baffled her so easily. _*****_

~!**!~

It had taken little effort for Youko to seek out the domain of the inu, her rosemary smell leading him in a bit of a trail around the city, taking him in particular to the park in which they first met, as well as a human school, but he knew neither place was where she slept, for it didn't feel right.

When he arrived at the abandoned building, however, he immediately knew _this _was the place he searched for, as her smell was concentrated higher here. It gave off the right vibe, too.

He made no hesitation about entering, golden eyes skimming the various newer additions that he could tell were her personal effects, including the actual dog who had definitely not let his entrance go unnoticed.

"An inu with an inu." He smiled down at the animal, but could not recall if he knew the dog's name or not, squatting down with his elbows over his knees to let the pup sniff at him. "It does seem so very fitting, does it not?" He gave the dog attentions, holding his face in both hands and scratching at his fur, but stood up and surveyed the room again after a moment.

"She is not here, I take it?" He inquired of the animal absently, having known it before he set foot on the premises. He stretched, feeling tired and giving a yawn, spying the mat he assumed she used for sleeping.

He sunk down onto it shamelessly, but just as his stomach would have made contact, a bed of golden roses rose up beneath him and took his weight as he collapsed on top of them, one leg and arm hanging down and each brushing the floor, the other arm bent, his cheek resting against that hand like a pillow as his eyes closed and his breathing slowed, his ears twitching occasionally.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku knew without a doubt that it could only be Hiei behind her that spoke up, but her mind fumbled with his words, jostling them around in a semi-asleep fashion.

She started to rise up, her long hair hanging over each shoulder and down to her stomach as she did so, making sense of the word 'wounds.'

"Wha-?" She blinked sleepily. She had no open wounds?

She lifted her arms closer to her face to examine them.

Nope. No wounds there.

What was he talking about?

Her eyes drifted back down to the water that sat lapping against her skin at waist-level and she became more aware of the reddish-tinge in the area immediately surrounding her.

Where did _that _come from? 3

Hiei eyed the discoloring of the water for a moment before turning away, uninterested. It was clear she hadn't even noticed, which meant it wasn't a painful thing. So, he wasn't worried in the slightest, and his eyes immediately took to surveying the area with interest. The small opening in the trees that he'd just come from was almost entirely hidden by the haze of mist that lazily floated across the grounds, and quite frankly, he enjoyed the area, but wished to see more of the place.

"Your back, I assume," he suddenly spoke up, curious about what caused the bleeding in the first place. He had a guess or two, but made no assumptions for the most part, only looking around and around the springs, searching for the falls he could hear until his eyes laid sight on them, taking in the calming view briefly before turning to approach the rocks curiously.

He still felt the stickiness of the fruit on his face, and figured he might as well rinse it off while here.

~!**!~

Akari had stopped briefly inside the building to wash herself free of the dried sweat on her skin, mainly her face and abdomen to keep the wound from getting infected. Of course, this caused the bleeding to continue at a slightly faster rate.

So when her feet touched the concrete of human world, her mind was running a thousand miles an hour, over and over the moment in the gym. She'd kept her jacket unzipped so that, occasionally, she could look down and assess the stupid wound, which would always lead her right back to those thoughts.

_Ridiculous…_ she thought to herself. _Making another scar to prove a stupid point that doesn't even make sense. Over the top. I can't believe this. _

Her mind replayed thoughts very similar to those over and over again, since it was all she could actually make sense of at the moment, as she walked to the front door of the house. A hand outstretched and grasped the doorknob, turning it and opening the door before she realized there was a scent that didn't belong to her nor Nabu.

And for the first moment, her mind scrambled, her neck reddened because _of course _he would show up here after that scene to prove his point or whatever.

But her eyes looked over at where she had put her sleeping mat, and she blinked in confusion.

_What is wrong with today?_

Nabu waltzed up to her with wide puppy eyes and sat at her feet, tail thumping against the floor as he greeted her. "_Flowers is here too!"_

"I can see that…" but what she didn't understand was the roses. Or maybe his presence altogether… _*****_

Youko's ears perked as he heard the door open, but he only blinked sleepily once before letting his eyes shut again.

"Inu! You're back!" He could feel the slightly foolish smile on his face at the pronouncement, eyes still closed, his mind still half in dream world somewhere. "I missed you!" He blurted out, not bothering to shift around, but squeezing his eyes tighter behind a lock of hair that had fallen over his face, trying to hang on briefly to the last vestiges of his nap before letting go and opening his eyes up, his smile fading as he more fully awoke.

His nose twitched and he frowned over at her, suddenly on his feet and closing the distance between them, his mind fuzzy as he pointed to the gash across her stomach.

"Did Otento do that?" He asked very seriously, unable to remember if the other demon had marked her or not, but parting his lips viciously at the thought.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made one turn. Then another.

Her head tried looking over her shoulder, but it resulted in a motion more akin to a dog chasing its tail.

"B-but-" But the only things back there were her scars. And she'd gotten those _ages _ago, the scar tissue having been smoothed away by time and only leaving the silvery-discolored portions of where her skin had fused back together, marking her with the triple-swipe of the demon who had struck her.

Still drowsy in the haze of humidity, Shikiyoku felt tired with the effort and gave up, moved over, and leaned her arms up on the flat rocks, laying her head down over them and relaxing again.

Did she feel a trickle of blood ribboning down her waist and filtering into the water? Or was that just a trick of the mind? 3

Hiei busied himself with placing his hands in the water and rubbing at his face with his wet fingers, slowly, methodically wiping away any evidence of the fruits he had feasted on earlier. While he was at it, he simply ran his fingers through his hair as well, making the ends droop just a bit as he stood up to his full height again to look over at Shikiyoku, the mist making it hard to see her from here as he was at the source of the spring.

And when he heard her move about, the smell of blood became stronger.

"It would be wise to get out before you bleed out," he advised casually, as if it weren't actually important if she did so.

~!**!~

Akari stood in the open doorway, hand still on the knob, as she stared down at the false Youko and his bed of roses. Her brows drew together at his chipper greeting, sounding almost like Nabu did on most days, and released a sigh.

Maybe she could get away.

But that wouldn't do much good, since he'd been here for a while, it seemed.

She shut the door behind herself and leaned against the wood, ignoring the small creak of protest the worn-out wood made. She was about to question him when his eyes opened, and he crossed the room in mere moments, demanding to know of the origin of her most recent gash.

She stared at him in disbelief. He was just so…

There wasn't a word for it at the moment.

"No," she finally replied flatly, moving to step around him and find her own bandages and things that would help the stinging she felt. Now, so many questions ran through her mind that she wasn't even sure where to begin.

_Right, False Youko, at the park-_

"I have a question for you," she spoke up quickly, glancing over her shoulder at him. "What happened?" _*****_

Youko blinked, confused, having not moved since she swept past him. He was the one asking _her _what happened with that cut...how was _he _supposed to know?

He turned around and plucked the bandages she found from her with ease, pointing to the roses and declaring, "Sit." He left no room for arguments, standing and glaring at her coldly. "Please." He added after a moment.

~!**!~

_Bleeding...what? _It wasn't as if she felt any different, maybe a little light-headed.

She reached up and planted her palms on the rocks, starting to try and push herself up and out of the water.

Her mind reeled at the movement and she sloshed back down.

Hm, maybe more than 'a little.'

Which mean Hiei was right, for what it was worth. Who knew how long she had been in there, and assuming he wasn't lying about the bleeding, she did not know how long she had been bleeding either.

The second attempt was more successful and she made it into a hunched stand as she reached for the black pants discarded nearby and pulled them on, collapsing to her knees after finishing, reaching half-heartedly for her shirt before realizing putting it on needn't be her first priority at the moment.

First priority felt like...laying down. On the warm rocks. On her stomach of course. Yeah.

The flat rocks gleamed like onyx and retained much of the heat of the humid air and springs around which they lay, and she could feel it permeating even her hair, which was still pulled over her shoulders, onto the bare skin underneath.

Now, without the water confusing her, Shikiyoku could definitely feel something else dripping around off either side of her waist, but she had a hand under her cheek as she lay there, and she didn't feel any pain about any of it, so why not just...fall back asleep... 3

Hiei turned away for the moment as Shikiyoku pulled herself from the water and dressed herself….

Halfway…

He turned back to see her laying on her stomach, her bare back exposed so he could see the open wounds that marred her skin. He analyzed them briefly even from this distance and decided that, at the rate he could see the blood pooling, she didn't need to lay still and chance falling asleep. So, curious about what would happen, Hiei turned inwards, to the bond, and messed with it a bit, pulling and pushing on it to see what would happen.

He considered the idea that perhaps he could send energy through it, but he didn't attempt it as he moved around the edge of the hot spring and to Shikiyoku's side, standing over her and looking down at her open gashes.

"Get up."

~!**!~

Akari huffed at the fake Youko, realizing she hadn't elaborated because of how many thoughts were running across her mind. It wasn't too difficult for him to steal the bandages from her very hand when he decided to do as such, which made her make a sound of frustration.

Otherwise, though, she didn't protest. Why, when it was more energy wasted than was worth? All she wanted to do was lay down and let her sore muscles relax…

"I meant at the park," she elaborated as she moved to his flowery bed that covered hers, not hesitating in simply plopping down so she faced him, eyes never meeting his. She'd already decided he wasn't a threat by this point in time. "You would have attacked Otento, if not for Kurama. I find it odd that the false Youko would go to so much trouble for someone who is often getting in their way." She paused, head tilting to the side as several other thoughts distracted her, making her mind wander suddenly. _*****_

Youko said nothing as he knelt before her and tended to her wound with practiced hands, remaining silent as she rambled a little.

"This will leave a scar." He pronounced quietly once she finished, having seen enough about the damage to know for sure.

He let the room fall silent around him as he sat down next to her, the roses rustling a little and releasing more of their fragrance into the air. He gently tugged at the bandages with his slender fingers to pull them apart and started to wrap them around her torso delicately.

"Otento and I...do not see eye-to-eye about certain things. His threatening of you was in direct defiance of my position, and his own. He has since been reminded of that position." While Youko's voice started out conversationally light, he ended up with more narrowed eyes, part of his upper lip twitching as if to rise in a snarl.

~!**!~

"Mmm...stahp it." Shikiyoku mumbled drowsily into her hand, feeling as if Hiei was prodding her somehow.

"S'warm." She mumbled again in complaint of his demand when he actually came up next to her and spoke. Why get up when she felt so comfortable? She would have asked it, but only managed to get all of, "Why…?" to come out of her mouth. 3

Hiei raised a brow down at Shikiyoku's response, mildly amused that the bond had actually earned him a response. So, he began toying with the bond some more, a bit more aggressively now, in hopes to jar her mind awake.

"Now is no time to be sleeping." Even as he said that, his hands slid into his cloak pockets, his mind silently refusing to allow him to pick her up and move her, telling himself he didn't want to make the wounds worse. "Unless you _wish _to die out here before your freedom is granted."

He knew she didn't believe her warrant for her arrest could be relinquished, but he had yet to reveal to her his thoughts, his feelings on the matter. "Just know that if you die, I'm staying here and taking over your land."

~!**!~

Akari's mind had wandered inexplicably to the gym room again, analyzing the moments that had lead up to… whatever had happened. She had yet to deem it anything specific, unsure of how she felt about the moments.

He could have simply left, but instead Kurama, who had for some reason taken it upon himself to do so, had given a lecture all his own. It was an odd one to be sure, but as her eyes traveled down again to the gash, she supposed it served the very purpose he had said he wanted it to, because her mind automatically conjured up the image of him leaning closer, his eyes closing and-

She shook her head free of the image just as quickly as she could, only then realizing that False Youko had begun answering her question, and she'd missed part of it. Her mind was forced to focus on his words, though she could feel the emotions from the mere thought of earlier beginning to roll again, making her neck feel a little warmer.

"Demons having problems with control…" she began, tone slightly amused. "How surprising." Of course, she was being sarcastic. "But, again, aren't we supposed to be.. enemies?" she inquired now, her mind suddenly entirely focused on the topic without much effort. "I mean," _False Youko is getting annoying to say, _"while Youko is a rather empowering name and form to take on," _this is ridiculous, _"you went a lot of trouble to create the Foko image."

She paused, suddenly aware of the odd combination her thoughts and words had created, blinking at him once very slowly. "Whatever."

With that, she gave up trying to sort through her thoughts. It was just too strenuous. _*****_

Youko continued wrapping the bandages around her middle as she spoke up again.

"Otento has gone insane with lust." Youko warned her, "I caution you in approaching him ever again, though hopefully the lesson I taught him in who our true enemy is will stick for a while and you will not see him for a long time." He completely glossed over her nickname for him, perhaps inwardly thankful that he was considered a "False" Youko, hence 'Foko,' and not a "Pseudo" Youko.

_Psoko. Hm. No. Much prefer Foko._

"You need rest, inu." He got to his feet and made to leave, "Try not to let whatever thoughts are mingling disjointedly behind those eyes prevent you from sleeping."

~!**!~

"Hiei," Shikiyoku frowned, her brow drawing downwards towards her nose, "That tickles..." And not in a good-funny-ha-ha way right now, she meant to go on. She wasn't looking, so she couldn't even tell where he was touching her, but she didn't like it in either case.

Her back started to feel itchy and one of her hands twitched, but did not move otherwise to scratch at it. The wounds were starting to pull back together, hence her itching, and the scars they eventually formed as she kept talking looked almost new: three pink stripes across her back, only slightly marred in their appearance by the blood that was drying there and at her waist.

"I didn't _ask _for my freedom." She grumbled in an irritant manner at him, thinking back to the slip of paper she'd handing Koenma. "And that's what I meant to have happen anyway." _For you to have this land._ She released a puff of air that made a portion of her hair quiver.

She _would _release him from his pact one way or another, though, uh, she hadn't exactly meant to let that last sentence slip past her lips.

That's what he desired most: _his _freedom, right? Freedom from her, freedom from... Well, that's what she had requested from Koenma in any case. That instead of her warrant being lifted, he be free of the toddler-prince's service, allowed to return to Demon World.

And maybe...just maybe, he'd like it around here enough that he might consider calling it a home of sorts.

Sans his own desires being at the forefront of her mind, that's what _she _desired most for him. And for the valley.

A sleepy half-smile plastered itself across her face at the thought of Hiei returning here after some mercenary mission he'd successfully completed, slipping into the hot springs to release the tension from his tired muscles. ...maybe munching on a sweet fruit... 3

Hiei eyed the gashes across her back wearily as they began to close, a single brow raised. He inspected her back for a few more moments before he tugged on the bond again, a touch more forceful, now simply doing it out of curiosity and… well… because he had been amused.

But her words made him pause half-tug, making the bond stay taut with tension almost like an unfurled spring. The implications of her words made an odd emotion pass through his core, making him feel light as a feather.

She had asked about _both _of their returns to Demon World? He wouldn't be stuck in the human realm anymore, if this went over well, and he'd be able to do whatever he so desired without being badgered all the damn time.

No more interrupted naps.

No more petty missions.

No more servitude for a toddler.

They'd both be let off, allowed to do whatever in the three worlds they desired, so long as it didn't land them back where they had started. They'd be free.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at Foko, firstly deciding that that was what she would call him from now on and secondly confused by his words of a "true enemy". "What do you mean by that?" she inquired calmly as he stood, finished with the handiwork she had actually forgotten about for the moment.

But as he turned to leave, frustration hit her just as hard as earlier. "C'mon, I just got here! At least answer _some _questions!" she complained, disliking that this would be the second person in a row to "leave her hanging", as the humans had said.

Plus, for the first time in a long time, she didn't want silence. The silence, this time, would be too engaging for her mind and give her way too many opportunities to think, which would give her a headache eventually. "Surely you don't have any place to be that demands you leave such a lovely evening," she said with a tilt of her head and a sly smile, quoting him word for word from the night before in the park. "I mean, I don't bite hard." _*****_

Youko stopped at her first question and shifted back around to face her, fully intending to at least say _something_ as he slipped one hand into the pocket of his loose, white pants.

But when she practically left the invitation open for him to stay, and in such a manner of which he approved highly, he absolutely could not prevent the roguish smile that graced his lips and stayed there as he regarded her with no small sense of amusement.

"You actually _want_ me to stay?" He lifted an eyebrow at her as if the prospect were foreign, "But I thought you considered me an enemy. Surely nothing _good _could happen of letting one such as myself stay under your roof for any longer than is necessary." If he were not so obviously a fox, one might say his grin turned nearly wolfish, his tail twitching slightly in his amusement. "Won't you get into trouble?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku didn't know _exactly _what change had come over Hiei, but she _did _know that he had his hand tangled up in her hair and was yanking at it much harder than necessary. Or something. She wasn't even sure, really. And it seemed out of character even for him to do something that cruel while she lay drowsily on the ground. First the tickling and poking. Now this.

She shifted over enough to get her fingers onto the toe of his shoe to tap at it, trying to get his attention. Or get him to stop.

When that didn't seem to change anything, she managed to turn her head to face him and opened one eye long enough to catch the edge of his cloak and give another pull.

Why wouldn't he talk to her? Or at least let go.

"Hiei...did I say something wrong?" She put her hands underneath her body and started to rise, getting up into a kneel and sitting on her feet, her eyes blurry as she blinked sleepily again and searched the ground for her almost invisible dark shirt. 3

Hiei blinked as something pulled at his mind, gaining his attention and telling him that something _else _was pulling at him, this time physically. His cloak moved slightly about his shoulders and he glanced down, meeting Shikiyoku's gaze evenly as he pushed thoughts away.

For a moment, he was puzzled by her inquiry. Had he acted like he'd disliked what she had said? He thought for a moment and turned inward to think back, only then realizing what was _actually _going on. Almost as soon as the realization hit him, he released the tight hold on the bond and looked to the side silently, eyes pointedly focusing on a tree nearby.

"My mistake."

~!**!~

The smile that was turned to her made Akari's own smile become much more sly, wider and showing her teeth. She rather enjoyed doing that, quoting people's words against them. It was something she didn't get to do often, and she took almost every chance she could. But at his words, she rolled her eyes and promptly fell onto her side, rolling so her back was to the door, and thus, to Foko. She lay on her side and released a small huff of air at the pain the abrupt motion had caused, no longer considering getting up and actually doing much of _anything_ for the rest of the evening.

"It doesn't matter," she grumbled in reply to him with a sigh. "None of them know where I live, and even if they did, I rarely get visitors. Might as well entertain the both of us, hm?" After a moment, her smile returned, even toothier than before.

"Unless you're afraid the _real _Youko will come around." Of course, that wasn't a possibility either, especially after the incident in the gym.

_Stop thinking about that. __*****_

"I suppose..." He took a step towards her, "If you promise to lay down, I'll stay until you fall asleep." He went ahead and closed the distance between them, sitting down on the rose bed at her feet with another small rustle of the plants as he did so, leaning back with his hands propping him up from behind, crossing one leg over the other.

"We may be on opposing sides of the coming war inu, but in the end my quarrel is not with you." He sighed as he spoke, thinking that in truth, his quarrel was not with this "Shikiyoku" either, but that she would likely be a casualty, if not a prisoner of war, soon enough.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku assumed he meant his strange hold on her, that she had not yet been able to identify, but as she pulled her shirt on over her head, she sighed, completely forgetting about the bleeding. She left the shirt around her neck and scooted back towards the water.

Had she said something wrong? She still felt confused. And wanting to sleep.

Well, yes. She'd once again admitted out loud to...being willing to die for him. Not typical demon behavior, but without him making her purpose clear, she found herself forced to infer what he wished her to do. And he was much harder to read than anyone she'd ever encountered.

She didn't expect him to respond in the way he had, though. His poking or whatever seemed juvenile in nature for how he had reacted last time.

She sighed once she felt her feet hanging off the rocks over the water, her hands planted firmly on the ground. She shifted around again to sit on her hip, considering just sliding back in the spring to clean whatever was left of the wounds and glancing over at Hiei's feet which had not moved.

She made a noise of protest at having to ask, but went ahead.

"Would you...clean off the blood?" She grumbled at herself for having to ask, unsure if he was still upset with her and therefore unwilling to oblige. 3

Hiei watched her move back to the hot spring, her feet slipping into the warm water as she sat on the edge, shirt only hanging around her neck. He stood there silently for a few moments, eyes wandering about for a while until she spoke up again, her tone hesitant much to his surprise.

Never before had she actually shown hesitancy towards him, no matter the subject.

He hadn't meant to cause that amount of discomfort…

Instead of replying with words, he simply moved closer to the edge of the spring and dipped his hands in, not sure if his own heat would add to the water's temperature right away. But he continued anyway, completely dumping the water he had cupped in his hands over the skin between her gashes, watching the water turn a very light shade of red as it washed away and ran down her back.

He promptly retracted a hand into his cloak and tugged at his shirt, tearing a small portion of it away to help with the cleansing. He didn't dare dip it in the hot water as he began wiping at the edges of her cuts methodically.

~!**!~

Akari gave a single shoulder shrug at Foko's words of laying down, already having beat him to it. She turned her eyes to her feet by curling in closer around herself, making the bandages around her torso tighten and restrict her breathing just a fraction as she listened to him speak and watched him carefully.

"Then who _is _it you're fighting against? What's this whole thing going to amount to? I mean, a girl was completely destroyed emotionally and mentally. If your quarrel is not with us, then who _is _it who has pulled your chain so hard to make you bite anyone nearby?"

Of course, she was referring to Otento, since she knew nothing of this particular demon actually doing harm. For all she knew, his ulterior motives would have nothing to do with harming another.

"Also," she began, contemplating her own words for a moment, "the fact that you'd fight your own team over something as small as me, who has absolutely no ability to stop any sort of plans you might have, is a bit of a dumbfounding thing." _*****_

Youko gave Akari a sidelong glance, "Shikiyoku? Destroyed? Unlikely. She is much more resilient than you give her credit for." He shook his head, "Unfortunately, she will be a casualty no matter the outcome, I fear. But one for many is but a small price..."

"And as I said, Otento had overstepped his boundaries when he approached you. When he disturbed any of you. Even his first interaction with Shikiyoku came much too early." Youko's eyes darkened. He had not found out about Otento's little...solo escapade to her house until much later. "_His _leash has been tightened, I assure you. And he is not one who should be allowed without a leash, as I'm sure you've witnessed, so don't bother with any objections."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took a deep breath as she felt Hiei cleaning off her skin.

"I'm sorry. For upsetting you." She added, falling silent again as he kept working. 3

Hiei slowly moved his cloth round and round her back, all around her cuts while his free hand occasionally dipped into the water and trickled it down her back. He was almost satisfied, aside from the one that still occasionally allowed a few droplets of blood to for and fall with the water he let fall down her back.

When she spoke up, he had both hands dipped in the water, cupping them together to hold as much as possible to pour down her back and finish the job. He paused above the surface, droplets falling between his fingers and disturbing the otherwise calm surface of the hot spring.

He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Should be," he said, deciding to simply go along with it, more for his own amusement than anything else. "You're hopeless."

~!**!~

Akari chose not to elaborate that she had meant Toriko, deciding that he had just given her the name of the demon half of the girl. She didn't feel like elaborating anyway, so she let it be, only giving a small hum that said she heard him when he continued on. Until his last sentence about casualties.

"'One for many?'" she repeated, her words slightly slurred with the lull her mind had become. She wouldn't sleep yet, because she wasn't actually tired, but her mind sure did like telling her she was. "Care to elaborate..?" she asked, eyeing him slowly.

Then again, if she found out what was actually going on, the information would be useless, since telling the others would deem her a traitor, and she'd lose her head. The thought made her eyes close and a small smile form on her face. It was a good thing no one knew where she'd taken up residence, or she would likely have kicked out this demon as soon as she saw him.

Like instinct should have told her to do in the first place.

"Don't worry about protests there. Keeping him under tight watch seems better than putting many others in danger. If I were strong enough I'd go after him myself. But I think the others have it covered."

She paused, eyes sliding open again to peer at him through a half-lidded gaze. "You're not so bad, y'know. I pictured you to be rather…" she couldn't find the right word, so her sentence trailed off. _*****_

Youko glanced at her, seeing the girl nearing a more restful state, "Can't tell you too much, now can I? I don't want to say that I'd think you would blab about it, but if you don't know, there's no worry in any case."

He regarded her with a small, amused smile as she trailed off, tempted to start putting words in her mouth, but letting her be, instead taking a deep breath of the fragrance that had now practically permeated the room and otherwise staying still where he sat.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku thought of her hope that Hiei would one day be truly free.

"Not...hopeless." She shook her head slightly, "Perhaps...foolish."

She let out a sigh as she looked up over the mist, the pathways black with both the nighttime air and the colors of the trees and bushes, blinking her eyes as she fought to stay awake and not simply slump over.

Unsuccessfully of course were her attempts as she suddenly felt her body starting to lean over the hip she sat on, giving a jerk as she jolted herself away from sleep. Her body immediately relaxed again though, the humidity and clean smell of the hot springs lulling her back towards dreamland. 3

Hiei withdrew his hands from her back just as she jerked herself upright again, Hiei having not noticed at first that she had begun leaning. He'd simply adjusted without pause or notice. But as he sat back on his heels, crouched behind her, eyeing her slowly as he spoke again, this time ignoring the original conversation.

"Dress yourself before you fall in." He wouldn't mind carrying her, but he was not her caretaker, and would not dress her for her. It simply wasn't his job, and he simply refused to do so.

~!**!~

A faint smile formed on Akari's face and she stretched her feet out a little, angling her legs so that they were behind the silver-haired demon while her face nestled into the roses below. Never before had she been so comfortable, and quite frankly, she found that it reminded her of the single rose Kurama had given her.

Only…. better.

"It must be nice, controlling plants," she mused more to herself than to anyone else. "Beds of flowers are surprisingly comfortable. Without the thorns, of course." She gave a small sigh and her eyes slid closed, her mind slowly flashing small images of peaceful moments across her mind's eye in a telltale fashion that normally meant she was close to sleep.

"Thank you, by the way." At first, she wasn't sure what she was thanking him for, so she figured he'd take it as a blanket thank you, including everything he'd done for her thus far.

And again, the image of Kurama popped into her mind, making her release another sigh and shift around a bit, uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had taken. She wouldn't be able to relax if she ended up confused all over again. _*****_

"Mm." Youko intoned, "It certainly has its perks." He reached down and cradled one of the golden roses in his hand.

"And you're quite welcome, by the way. There is simply no other way to sleep." He waited for the moment he sensed she was having trouble fighting off, but he had promised not to leave until that moment came. So he would not.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made no protests, starting to stand up unsteadily as she pulled her arms through her shirt and yanked it down, removing her hair from where it had gotten caught underneath and tossing it behind her shoulder to sway, nearly dry, down her back.

There was only one place in the three worlds where she wanted to fall asleep at that moment, even if it was all the way on the other side of the valley, a thought that made her frown.

Another wave of dizziness struck her just as she meant to dash off and she put a hand up to her head.

Just how much blood _had _she lost?

"Uhm..." She looked around at the water and rocks, the trees and the grass, deciding she needed to have a secondary option at which to rest, but her muddled brain didn't make sense of it all and she nearly decided that sinking back down to the ground might be the easiest course of action.

The rocks were warm at least...3

Hiei stood up as well, wiping his wet hands on his cloak absent-mindedly and again glancing around himself curiously. He half considered wandering away to continue the small expedition he'd been on before stumbling across Shikiyoku in the water. However, he rethought it as he glanced over at the woman again, hearing her hum of contemplation.

He followed her gaze, making his own small sound of contemplation as he thought. He knew that going to take a nap was not a good idea, and keeping her moving was probably the best bet. So, without further ado, he turned to her with a smoldering gaze of demanding gleam.

"Show me more. The area is interesting."

~!**!~

Akari released a sigh, trying to push away the image, but it just wouldn't go away. It made her shift herself around a little more and squirm until her body relaxed entirely, sinking into the roses again as she ceased all movements.

Maybe if she just…. let her mind do whatever it wanted, she would sleep. So, she didn't let herself move around, didn't let the emotions that welled up get to her too much, and after a while, her breathing began to slow. And despite the unrelenting image that her brain almost demanded her to analyze, she felt sleep encase her mind.

Though the image never left her. _*****_

Youko waited until the fifth or sixth deep breath that passed over Akari's lips assured him of her slumber before he slowly got up again, uncrossing his legs and moving into a stand above her, giving only a single glance over his shoulder to assure himself he had not disturbed her or the bed.

As he started to leave, he spied the pup and bent over to give him a lazy pat.

"They'll hold you, gi-inu." He reassured the dog, "But be mindful of her middle section for a few days. She got bit."

Youko left silently through the front door.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Hiei gave her a direct order or that he actually found the area, her favorite of the whole valley, interesting.

Either way, she stood dumbfounded with his request, meeting his fiery eyes with her own slightly confused ones before recovering and giving him a nod.

Though she wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the rocks beneath her, she fought the urge and walked passed him a ways, taking the lead but pausing as she considered what he hadn't seen yet on this side of the valley, the mist curling around her feet when she stopped.

Giving only one look over her shoulder to see if he meant it and would follow, she started walking, her feet steady enough but her mind telling her that anything faster would likely cause her to faint.

The mist continued to swirl lazily about them like so many ghostly forms parting as they walked.

Shikiyoku angled her direction back towards the waterfall, intending to take the incline over which it fell at its easiest portion instead of right up next to it where they might have to climb some.

She followed upstream the brook that flowed past them towards the hot springs, the water here still steaming and the humidity still high.

Upon reflection, she found it appropriately fitting with the place. If there had been water here when the first demon fell, surely it would have been imbued with his flames forever. Or something. 3

Hiei waited while she seemed to take in his demand, his arms crossing over his chest to show that he simply wouldn't take no for an answer. And as patient as he was, he made good to appear as impatient as could be, waiting until she was a little away from him and looking back at him before following after, easily catching up and walking at her side.

He wasn't surprised she chose the waterfall route, since he hadn't been there yet and going the other way would mean a longer trek in the end of it all. He himself found the waterfall to be a rather amazing structure, the water occasionally splashing up and getting droplets on his cloak and face, which he didn't mind in the least. It was a relaxing thing, really.

He didn't say a word as he followed, simply taking to genuinely enjoying the trek, though he did make sure to keep careful watch over Shikiyoku. _*****_

Shikiyoku's ears perked as far overhead she could hear the call of some random creature, or demon, as it flew over the mountains at a high altitude, but its path seemed short as it disappeared quickly on the other side of the mountain and out of view.

At the point where she knew the brook was its narrowest and shallowest, Shikiyoku lightly jumped over it, hardly more than a hop, and started moving perpendicular to the water behind her, weaving her way through the various bits of undergrowth as the foliage around them grew thicker and darker, so much so that neither the plants nor the two demons moving in the midst of them cast so much as a shadow on the ground.

The mist grew thicker and rose higher, actually reaching a point where Shikiyoku knew it was above her head, but upon looking up, could not see through it.

After a few hundred more feet of ducking and dodging through the forest, a single pin-prick of orange light could be seen and it was towards this that Shikiyoku made her path, as straight as she was able.

The forest suddenly cleared out from around them, the mist thinning out just enough to be able to tell what Shikiyoku had been aiming for, what was plainly in front of them now.

Orange light danced from the flame that floated in place before them and cast lively shadows all around it, using the trees at the edge of the clearing and the brushes and grass as its tapestry and medium alike.

The brook must have bent in their direction at some point, because it curved briefly into view, steaming next to the tear-drop shaped fire that did not appear to burn via any conventional means.

It did not float terribly high off of the ground, instead at roughly shoulder level for the two demons that now regarded it.

As its flames seemed to spin and twirl, occasionally a tongue of white or blue would appear briefly at the highest point and then change back to the deeper oranges and reds as the fire pulled back down from its extended reach. 3

Hiei followed silently, looking about in an attempt to memorize each rock formation, each fern they passed, even though it all looked the same to him. He'd been in Human World for so long that he'd forgotten how alike the foliage here grew, how starkly similar one fern grew in relation to another. Each plant was almost identical to its neighbor, a characteristic Hiei hadn't missed of this world.

The fire demon made sure to keep close to Shikiyoku, occasionally again checking the bond. He had, again, considered the idea of seeing how the bond would react to energy being passed through or over it, but like before, he hesitated and decided against it, unsure if it would cause more harm than good. After all, fire demons were known for their destructive energy, whether it was actually being utilized or not.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a light glow began to shine just ahead, and Hiei's entire attention was focused on the only form of light within the area. When he found himself standing in front of the source, eyes trained on it, tempted to touch the small orb of fire. His fingers twitched at his side with the need, but the fact that it burned without anything visibly keeping it going made him weary enough to refrain, his crimson eyes simply staring at it in wonder.

"I assume there is a story behind this as well?" he finally piped up, not even glancing at Shikiyoku as another spout of white flame broke away, seemingly dissipating in the air as the flame returned to its reddish-orange glow. _*****_

Shikiyoku shook her head, too much in awe of the fire to speak at first.

"Demons made up a story about the mountains and the blackness of this place because they can see them. Because they know of their existence. There was only one demon who had seen this secret place with her own eyes." She felt that shyness coming onto her again, but she somehow felt less so about it, seeing as how it would hold a particular interest with him and there was no need to be concerned about whether he would approve of this secret as well.

She tore her eyes away from the fire to glance at him, happy to see that she had been right about how captivating he would find the flame, and she went on, "But now instead of one who knows of this...it's two."

She turned solemnly back to the fire, her eyes unable to stray from it for long.

When she spoke next it was quieter than before.

"I can tell you my story for it...if you like." 3

Hiei stared at the flame, fingers twitching again as the desire to touch the flame resurfaced. But it seemed to pulsate with its own life, and with something that had an energy all its own, there was no telling what could happen. And quite frankly, there was a part of him that said touching it wasn't smart, despite the fact that fire would normally be his companion.

Still, the heat he could feel radiating towards him was a rather magnificent thing, since it didn't seem to even flicker when the wind blew by.

Shikiyoku spoke up, drawing his gaze to her for a moment before it shifted back to the orb of fire, giving a silent nod that displayed he was curious enough to listen. After all, learning new things had become something he'd taken an interest into much more recently, and this was definitely something new. _*****_

"Before the first demon fell from the sky, there existed in the three worlds no such thing as fire. And when he rose from the ashes of this valley that he had burned for six days around him, he rose having conquered the pain of flame, and he drew the fire that encased his body within himself, claiming dominion over it. And the power of fire flowed freely through his veins from that moment onwards."

As Shikiyoku spoke, she started walking slowly closer to the dancing flame who made the shadows around them laugh and twirl.

"But as he stood up, a single tongue of his mighty inferno fell away from his giant form as he towered over the Ninth Level, and he did not notice it leaving him."

Here she was close enough to reach out her hand and she held it cupped underneath where the orb floated as she continued.

"This is that tongue. The first true fire. The purest of all fire. The First Flame that all those with the power over fire know deep within them exists, even though they have never seen it, because they are all his children. Because they can feel within their core a connection to it, to this forever dancing, twisting, curling, pulsing, magnificent flame that the first demon, the original fire demon, left behind. And it will go on burning for eternity, because from this fire, his fire, were they born, and to this fire they will one day return."

Shikiyoku had by this time cupped both hands underneath the fire, its light making shadows flicker over her face in an ancient dance that it had been making steps to since the dawn of time.

When she had finished, she stepped back slightly as the fire whirled faster as if in excitement, changing completely white for a few seconds and releasing a small tongue of itself up into the air that broke away and landed in the palms of Shikiyoku's hands before the orb receded down to blue, then back to the orange and red it seemed to maintain normally.

Shikiyoku almost reverently held her hands cupped underneath the tongue of white fire that now gaily whirled in place just above her skin, and after staring into it for a moment, looking conflicted at the gift, she appeared to reach a decision and walked back towards Hiei.

She carefully tipped the tiny tongue of fire into one hand, using her free one to gently take Hiei's and hold it palm up. She held the hand that had the fire over his, reaching out again for the other hand that hung at his side and placing it next to the first so that he had a bowl-shape similar to the one she had cupped her hands into beneath the orb.

She delicately began twisting her wrist and the flame tumbled head-over-heels into Hiei's awaiting palms, hovering above his skin.

Shikiyoku slowly dropped her hand out from under his, lowering the other to her side as well, and took one step back, her eyes bright and shining as she looked into his, seeing the reflection of the fire that floated just above his grasp almost mirrored by his own inner flame.

"Swallow it." Was all she said, licking her lips and appearing eager for him to do so, to taste of the first flame as she had long ago. 3

Hiei had been listening intently as his eyes stared ahead, his mind creating the images that would implant the story into his brain as much as possible. He nodded once when she was done talking, frowning slightly when she stood in front of the fire, blocking his view of the miraculous sight. But his feet didn't move to get any closer. He merely stayed where he was, watching Shikiyoku's back curiously.

He waited patiently, watching each muscle in her shoulders and back move as she moved about in front of the flame, the glow of the fire outlining her in an orange glow of light that made Hiei positively entranced, watching the glow move in an almost liquid way.

And a moment later, she was turning to him with a bit of the flame in her hands, dancing around and around above the skin of her palm. His eyes followed its motion as if it had him completely entranced, and as Shikiyoku came closer, he could feel the pulsating heat of the orb, feel the energy that was held within it that kept it alive.

So he didn't even consider protesting when she grabbed his wrist and let the flame tumble into his own hand, the flame flickering with the motion before resettling calmly in his palms. He took in the sight before Shikiyoku spoke, making his gaze slide up to her face in contemplation. He assessed her expression, watching her tongue roll over her lips before disappearing into her mouth again. And that was when he decided it must not be too bad.

So, without further ado, he raised his hand to his mouth, and popped the small flame between his lips.

The reaction of his tongue meeting the flame was instantaneous. A warm sensation filled his mouth, accompanied by a flavor he couldn't name in any way. His entire body relaxed, and as he swallowed the flame, he felt his own energy react with it by buzzing at a rapid rate through his veins, almost humming audibly in his ears.

By the time the flame reached his stomach, which only took a few seconds, his entire body was humming with happy energy, as if he'd always been meant to do such a thing. As if this was where he was supposed to be.

It settled in the pit of his stomach, but as far as he could tell, it wasn't going to dissipate. The warmth stayed there, filling his stomach and even warming him up to his core. He could even feel his skin's temperature rising just a fraction, and the amount of satisfaction that overwhelmed him was euphoric.

He had actually forgotten that he was not alone here. _*****_

Shikiyoku had guessed all along that his consumption of the true fire would likely come as a different experience, seeing as how he held flames within already, so she was not surprised to see him practically light up with a glow unlike anything she'd ever seen before and her mouth hung open a little in a smile, a little in awe as she could feel the treat pulsating within him, down his throat and to his stomach.

She tried not to let it show, standing firm by her decision to give it to him instead of eating it herself, but she did feel a pang of jealousy as that story only worked to get her a tongue when the fire had not heard it in a while.

Considering the white color, she must have done a particularly good job at telling the tale as well, though she attributed it partly to the fact that she had not told the fire the story in a long time.

She waited for a bit until it seemed like Hiei came back down into Demon World from where his mind had been soaring.

The twitching of his hand and the desire earlier to actually touch the orb had not been lost on her and she spoke up.

"He will not harm you if you wish to greet him." Shikiyoku stepped a little bit to the side in case Hiei wished to walk past her and do so. "_I _cannot stick my hand directly within his core, but you will come to no harm. He might reward you with a tongue of your own since he's never been in contact with anyone else, much less an actual fire demon." Her eyes turned bright at the prospect. If the fire really did approve of this spiky-haired warrior, it would be quite obvious. 3

* * *

><p><span>gi-inu<span> - pseudo-dog

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	33. Episode 118 - The All-Fire

**A/N: **Hello once again, Audience!

I absolutely adore the scene happening right now between Shikiyoku and Hiei and the flame. I definitely count it among my favorite of scenes between the two of them. It's funny to me that it occurs so closely in timing with the scene between Akari and Kurama that I love so much too. I gotta say though, while I love all of the OCs I created for this story, the fire is so totally one of my favorites to get to play.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

In this chapter, the character of the fire speaks a different language entirely, the language of fire itself, which is conveyed by what I describe as 'dancing.' This is simply referring to the manner in which fire moves as it burns, which normally would not mean anything, but given that this particular fire is a sentient being, one can translate its dance-like movements into speech, which Shikiyoku does for Hiei. You will see after a certain point in this chapter dialogue that is in italics and followed by a tilde, which will look like this:

_Sleep now, she-of-desire.~_

This is indicative of the fire's speech and how it is not spoken, but instead danced.

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

The Youko impersonator, whom Akari has taken to calling 'Foko' since he is a 'Fake Youko,'  
>visits her at her home, dressing her wound and staying with her until she falls asleep.<p>

She learns that Foko and Otento do not see eye-to-eye about many things,  
>and his actions against her in the park went against Foko's direct orders.<p>

~!**!~

Meanwhile, Shikiyoku takes Hiei to a dark clearing encased almost completely by a thick grove of trees  
>with thick fog swirling about in which a medium-sized teardrop shaped tongue of flame resides.<br>Shikiyoku tells the story of how the flame came to be here,  
>and the fire rewards her with a tiny white-hot flame from itself.<p>

Shikiyoku urges Hiei to eat the dancing extension of the fire,  
>which makes him feel as if his insides have been set ablaze in the best of ways,<br>and then she tells him he could place his hand inside it if he wishes...

* * *

><p>Hiei felt as if he were as light as a feather, as if he could be carried away by even the slightest breeze that blew by. But, he also felt as weighted as a block of lead that was held to a flame, his skin warming up slowly.<p>

After a few moments, his eyes focused again in front of himself, his brain and senses reminding him that he was not alone here, and there was still a whole flame that he could admire.

That he could…

Tear a bit away from, if he desired.

His eyes shifted over to Shikiyoku as she spoke up, and the most lopsided, crooked expression formed on his face, a single corner of his lips lifting and parting to show his teeth at the prospect of touching the flame. His hand twitched and his body seemed to sing at the possibility of touching the source of the fireball he had tasted.

And if it awarded him another part of its core, that would be an extra bonus.

A very delectable bonus.

He stepped around Shikiyoku, approaching the flame slowly as his eyes again took to assessing the glowing orb. It danced in the air in front of him, making his eyes flash and warming his skin as he got as close as possible without actually touching the orb.

He stared at it, his hand twitching at his side as he contemplated. He didn't understand his own hesitation, but before he even thought about assessing his own emotions, his arm lifted from his side, the arm of his cloak falling away just enough to reveal the nose and whiskers of the dragon tattoo underneath.

His fingers paused momentarily about half an inch from the flames before he slowly let his hand move through the flame, parting the fire so that the flames licked around his open hand. Even with his hand entirely engulfed in the fire, up to his wrist, his fingers were not sticking out of the other side of the fire, and for a moment, nothing at all seemed to happen, and time seemed to stand still. _*****_

The flames lapped curiously around this intrusion, feeling flesh and bone that did not give way to its silently roaring inferno.

It licked with further inspection across this 'skin,' weaving between four fingers and a thumb, none of which it understood or knew the names of, and in actuality was for the first time encountering. Flesh it knew. It had come from flesh! Or...flesh is the first thing it remembered.

When it encountered a darker portion of the flesh, the fire flared up as if startled, but released a sound like a chirp as if truly pleased, not drawing away from the marking, but rather sweeping over it with more density and then further out until it reached the sleeve over Hiei's arm.

It appeared to tentatively lift a single tongue of flame and experimentally, slowly, placed itself upon the fabric with a firm touch, chirring again when the fabric did not give-way, but perhaps with a bit more consternation at having not only found this _one _thing that did not burn, but now this _other _thing that did not burn.

Not going farther in that direction, the fire turned its attention back and swirled around the darker mark faster in greeting, and briefly its entire self flared black-which made it all but disappear in the black-colored clearing with the heavy forest canopy overhead that was too thick for any of the light to escape from anyway-except for the outer edges which contained the blaze in a purple hue.

The tattoo itself did not move, but the fire whorled suddenly white as an afterimage of the dragon's head appeared to rise briefly up from the marking below, its jaws parting with its own brief hello as the flames about it danced eagerly while it lowered back down on Hiei's hand.

After this, it did nothing more than flicker about as it had been when they entered the grove, as if thinking, watching, considering the fire demon before it. If it had a head, it likely would have been tilted as it stared in Hiei's direction before it turned and looked at the other demon that stood in the clearing, still at the edge and taking in the scene in silence.

Shikiyoku perked up as she felt the fiery gaze of the orb fall on her, and she recognized its twirling as a gesture that she should approach, which she did so cautiously.

Her eyes remained trained on the flame as she came and stood almost up against the fire, its glow washing over her body, ending up not a foot to the right from where Hiei still had his hand inside, her expression solemn.

It danced a question at her.

"Yes."

It thrilled higher up into the air briefly, its fluttering and spurting a song of joy that caressed Hiei's hand before truly turning up the heat with a roar of power as it blazed into whiteness.

The sudden, palatable wave of pushed heat would have knocked the pair of demons off their feet had it not been so controlled that they could feel it where it only pressed against them with as much pressure as they could handle and no more, even as it rushed past them at full force.

The trees of the grove were almost uplifted from their roots, suddenly set aflame in a circle around them, which appeared to explain the strange formation.

Their hair swept upwards in its heated wind, making any loose bits of their clothing lash out madly around in the air.

The small orb appeared to grow larger with each new pulsation as if angry, quickly becoming classified as more of a bonfire, then it engulfed them both in an inferno that filled the clearing up completely, a dome of true fire.

Shikiyoku was forced to throw her arm up over her eyes to shield them from the light, and for a moment she thought sure she was about to be consumed by either the raw power or the heat of the flame or both.

As the fire gathered back together in one fatal swoop, receding itself completely from the clearing, it remained large enough that both Hiei and Shikiyoku were still aflame, completely surrounded by orange and red fire.

As Shikiyoku opened her eyes from where she had not realized she'd been squeezing them shut, she looked over at Hiei in astonishment, finding that, for her, the flames did not so much as singe a single hair even as it pressed up against her skin and she marvelled at the precision, the control, feeling that the heat was just at the threshold of what her body could withstand.

It looked as if the parts of Hiei that would not burn were actually on fire, though anything flammable the fire would not touch, as with her.

The heart of the flame was still whitish-blue, but it was a little higher now, just above their heads, Hiei's right hand still in the midst of it.

The fire around them gave what was unmistakably a shove on both Hiei and Shikiyoku's outer shoulders, forcing them together.

Shikiyoku stumbled enough at the abrupt shift in her balance that she found she caught herself with her left hand on Hiei's right shoulder-still uplifted slightly into the orb-her stance turned slightly now so that her body pressed up against his back and side when the fire stopped pushing.

She turned to stare at him eye-level, her expression surprised and quite simply speechless at the series of events that had led to her being here. Next to him.

The fire kept them engulfed together, and as Shikiyoku let her gaze lift back to the white core again she found that it spoke in its own way once more, twirling and sweeping about in its dance.

Shikiyoku's eyes softened as she understood his meaning, and she also nodded sharply once, not turning to Hiei, but beginning to speak.

"He says to tell you..." She paused as she tried to put into exact words what it was trying to communicate, "To remember that the raw power of fire not only pains the flesh and sears the weak...not only can it roar in anger...and commit utter destruction...and reduce everything in its path to ash...but that it also warms the soul...and lights a path...and can by embracing others protect them..." Here the fire that still surrounded them swirled a deep red with emphasis. "And keep them safe from all harm."

She frowned. "It's hard to translate it all literally as some of it is only impressions. Like about the 'others' you choose to 'embrace'...he specifically said something like 'a select few that must be worthy of fire's protection and honor.' Not just anyone."

Shikiyoku's gaze lifted up again from where it had contemplatively lowered to speak that last part, the fire dancing its spins and dips again and she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"He-..." Her words cut off abruptly as she snapped her jaws closed, her eyes widening.

A blush suddenly flared up Shikiyoku's neck and onto her cheeks and her eyes flickered briefly over at Hiei before she felt a distinct pressing of pressure against her forehead, several in fact, all in quick succession. Like an affectionate pat of approval.

The fire had done the same thing to Hiei at the same exact time and it hummed around them with an air of happiness. 3

Hiei had the distinct impression of curiosity, as if the flame had a mind of its own and could think, could contemplate. As the fire touched his dragon mark, he could feel the interaction deep within his core, as if the fire itself were able to communicate with his best companion, and there was a conversation taking place. But it ended shortly, and he found himself staring in awe at the flame, extremely impressed with the sensation of the probing flame.

The flame stayed calm over his hand, not burning higher than before as he had at first expected it to do, but simply licking at his hand as if testing what would catch afire and what would not. He didn't even notice when Shikiyoku approached, brought forth by the flame. Only when she gave a whispered answer did he become aware of her proximity, and as he turned to glance at her, the fire seemed to burn brighter, the energy positively exploding, not only around him, but seemingly inside him as well, as if the bit he had taken for himself still reacted to the core of this one.

It wasn't uncomfortable, despite the immense amount of power that made his hair and cloak move with ferocity, as if a gale-force wind had suddenly hit him and Shikiyoku. And in the next moment, he was reopening his eyes to take in his surroundings in the new light that had settled around him, encasing himself and the woman to his right in dancing flames. Even though his hand was still within its fiery core, the sensation was a different one, as if now he were being refreshed, washed over by the flames of happiness.

He wasn't prepared for the shove that pushed at his shoulder, making his entire body shift towards Shikiyoku. He recovered easily by simply maneuvering at the fire's will, his foot catching his balance easily even as Shikiyoku grabbed onto him for support. In surprise that was nowhere near mild anymore, he turned to meet Shikiyoku's gaze, wondering if she had been expecting this either.

He saw the astonishment and the surprise on her face, wondering if that was what his own expression looked like, and was immediately aware of the physical contact of her body against his, as if they were compressed together and couldn't move away.

His eyes quickly shifted up to the flame, waiting for an explanation.

But just as soon as he was about to inquire, Shikiyoku spoke up, and Hiei was all ears. Halfway through her speech, his crimson orbs turned to her, watching the expressions that flit across her face as she spoke, never looking at him.

He didn't understand the reason behind this speech, or the reason behind the close proximity. At least, not at the forefront of his mind. There was, however, a part of him down deep that understood, soaked in the information as if his life depended on it, and stored it away for later, as if it were the most vital thing in all the three worlds.

He turned back to the flame, watching it intently, trying to figure out its way of communication so that, maybe someday, he too could speak to it. But he was too distracted, the back of his mind almost forcing him to focus on Shikiyoku's translations, to watch the burning of the flame as it became brighter in color, more energetic, almost.

Shikiyoku abruptly stopped, and before he could turn to prompt her onward, he felt the oddest sensation of being tapped on the head, as if being awarded for a job well done. Despite himself, a small part of him swelled up with pride and he found himself standing taller, spine straighter than before.

"I'll remember it." he finally said, tone even as if he were making a casual deal with another person. And his eyes slid over to the woman next to him while a deep part of him swirled with an emotion he didn't understand, making his gaze linger upon her for a bit longer. _*****_

The fire around them continued to whirl and flit about for a moment longer, its complete and utter joy practically palatable on the air, especially at Hiei's response.

It appeared to pause though, almost as if in mid-step and Shikiyoku felt it staring at her. Had it actually been a dancer, she had a distinct feeling that the pose would have had one leg lifted, which now slowly lowered to the ground as it continued presenting its face to her, arms clasped together behind its back, head tilted slightly as if expectant, waiting.

In fact, the whole clearing took on an aura that was best described as "holding ones breath," though of course, the flame had no literal breath to hold.

Shikiyoku blushed again and her head tilted down a little bit, away from the core, as the fire inquired whether it needed to repeat itself and she shook her head. She remembered _exactly _what it had said a minute ago, thank you very much. It wasn't as if she was going to easily forget something like _that_. She was definitely _not _sure how Hiei was going to take it though, and she scrambled for a moment to come up with an alternative translation. 3

Hiei felt his own spirits lift as the air around him positively quivered with happiness, with glee that was tangible in the air. It made him almost give a small smile- something he hadn't done in a very long time- but his expression stayed… whatever it had been. His eyes wandered around, as if able to see the happiness floating on the air.

And then everything was still, quiet. The halt in all things made Hiei very curious, his own breath even seeming to stop in anticipation for whatever the flame was waiting on. Instinctively, he turned to Shikiyoku, as if the flame had prompted him to do the same, and he waited in silence.

He didn't know how, but he just _knew_ there was something the flame wanted her to say, wanted her to reply to. He could feel it in the stillness of his own core. _*****_

When Hiei turned and looked at her, Shikiyoku felt her stomach drop, her mouth still clamped shut as now the _both _of them stared unblinkingly at her.

The hand she still rested on Hiei's shoulder shifted slightly.

"He-" She decided to start from the end, "He actually is quite pleased with you. Stating that you're near-perfection as far as what he wishes all like you could be, though-" For some reason, this next part seemed oh-so-much easier to say than what was coming later, despite the fact that the flame was making a correcting-like observation here, like teacher to student, "He says you're too..." Her eyes shifted to the right as she searched for the word, "Closed-off?" That wasn't quite right, "Reserved?" She shrugged, "He actually says its impressive considering the natural amount of what he calls 'true flame' you have within yourself. He suggests that you 'loosen-up' at least to-" She faltered, "Someone. Before it all comes tumbling out at once."

The fire had, of course, said _her, _in so many words, which brought her back to the rest of the translation, which the orb still waited for her to convey.

It didn't seem to protest to her slightly modified word there and she felt that it understood that she got the general idea across, the details something that got muffled on the way-side.

"He, uh, he also says we make a good team." Shikiyoku paused. That wasn't quite precise enough and she searched for better wording. "...or that we're good company for one another. It's like...both. He added that we try not to stir up _too _much chaos together though." Her lips parted in a toothy grin as she finally looked back up at the core of the flame, "But then he laughed, so I'm not really for certain whether he meant it or not."

The flame waited another beat after Shikiyoku finished, then took up burning again, weaving and waving in the air around them.

Shikiyoku let out a tiny breath she'd been holding when she got done, suddenly very grateful that the flame couldn't comprehend each word she spoke.

She had very intentionally left out a specific portion of the first part of the conversation that had take place around the word 'team.'

The more accurate word would have been 'mates,' which the fire had excitedly followed up with how pretty the children from their mating would be, continuing into a long, complicated series of impressions about said children, and also wondering when her appearance changed.

It was certain these children would be very powerful indeed, because a child born from an Ice Maiden and any other demon was always one of the most powerful of demons, if also cruel and destructive without the presence of their mother's tear-the Ice Maidens never associated with anyone outside of their floating island because they did not understand the calming effect those tears had on said children-instead fearing the inevitable result of such contact itself.

It also noted here the Jagan Eye and how spectacularly Hiei had recovered his former power, if not quite at the level he had once been.

And in relation to their spawn and how powerful it kept repeating they would be, she, of course, was no weakling in the capacity of demonic energy she had herself. The combination of them was something the fire felt eager in witnessing, and asked her to bring them here upon their birth so that it might give them its blessing.

It recognized Hiei's state of being her Champion on some level or another, and it seemed certain that their 'partnership,' by which it meant physically, would only produce male children-he would still give her twins!-but that these children might even surpass the potential of power their father had.

Something about Hiei's state as a _son_ of the Koorime that would not produce female children...the flame started getting technical here, however Shikiyoku felt her mind having already been blown and it all flew past her.

Needless to say, it remained excitedly bouncing around them, quivering in anticipation for the day when they would return and bring with them their first set of twins.

_Twins?_

_**First **__set?_

Shikiyoku fought an almost hysteric laugh, nearly reaching a breaking point mentally.

_Children? _... _Me? ...with __**him?**_

Again, the prospect seemed laughable, though this time because of Hiei and not because of how utterly convinced the flame seemed to be.

She imagined if she made up some story about all little demon children jumping out from the element that they controlled fully formed, Hiei would believe her without hesitation.

In all her years she had never encountered a male demon with so much _innocence_, even accounting for the fact that he was not all that old among their kind, but even then he was one that did not so much as express even an inkling of interest or awareness of what the word 'lover' might mean. Which was singularly the most startling thing about him for her.

Every male, strike that, every _demon_, knew _exactly _how to pass on their genetics to a new generation, and she briefly wondered just how the fire thought these _children _the two of them were supposed to have were going to come about. Because it certainly wasn't going to happen by conventional means.

Shikiyoku finally giggled at that last thought, a bubble of nervous energy at the fire practically...what was the human word? ..._marrying _the two of them.

Preposterous. 3

Hiei waited as she began stumbling through the translation, his head tipping slightly to the side curiously as his own body reacted to the feedback the flame was giving. His own core seemed to quiver in excitement as well, his stomach churning with the emotion that the flame within swirled with.

For a few minutes, the churning in his stomach seemed to escalate, making his body twitch here and there with the odd sensation from within. When she finished, his mind stayed on the "good team" part, and though he had the distinct feeling it hadn't been as accurate of a translation as it could have been, as if it were lacking something vital, he released a small sound of approval that was almost equivalent to a small burst of laughter that ended very shortly after.

Even as the flame around his hand danced happily, he gave a flashing smirk that mirrored the swirling within, his irises alight with amusement and approval.

"Of course!" He didn't elaborate any further, because quite frankly, he couldn't find the words. _*****_

As the two of them stood there together, the swirling orange flames around them started to recede, slowly licking back into to the core like the reverse of a piece of newspaper catching fire.

Pulling back all the extra bits of itself, the core lowered back down to just below their shoulder level.

While the inferno no longer swept around them, the air still felt heated, and the dancing of the now more contained fire was no less of a sight than before.

At some point during the encounter, the mist left, and it only now started to curl back into the grove, slipping back around their ankles.

The fire pulsed a wave of energy outwards, gently removing Hiei's hand from within itself before it flared white, releasing a single tongue of flame over the top of its main body that wavered downwards in front of Hiei, fully expecting him to let it fall into his hands.

Shikiyoku found herself smiling as the treat fell, even going so far as to forget that Hiei had gotten hers, feeling a surge of pleased emotions that the fire was going to gift him with such a rare color. 3

Hiei pulled his hand away from the flaming orb slowly, his arm falling to his side, feeling a little odd now that the warm flames weren't touching his skin. His stomach and core had calmed down now, and he felt a sense of quiet content. His eyes still flashed with amusement, but other than that, his expression had returned to an almost blank expression.

He was about to step away when the fire flashed, turning white with enough heat that could have singed a demon within moments if it came in contact with lethal intent. A moment later, a small part of the core broke apart and moved, almost lazily floating in his direction until he held out the same hand that had touched the fire, watching the tongue of flame dance in his palm happily.

He eyed the small flame for a moment before looking back up to the core, a smirk forming on his lips again. "Much appreciated."

He glanced at Shikiyoku for a millisecond before inwardly shrugging and popping this piece into his mouth again. The flavor, which he could not describe, was stronger this time, the flame hotter and much more enjoyable than even the first, which he had considered the best taste in any and all planes of existence. _*****_

The fire chuckled at Hiei as he thanked it, whirring slightly with another bout of happiness.

"You haven't told me how things are, yet." Shikiyoku told the orb of fire, removing her hand from Hiei's shoulder now that she was not oppressed by the control of the fire and stepping towards the swirling orb.

She reached up and passed her hand over the top of it, but through the flickering tongues of flame that danced upwards. As she did so they lapped about her fingers excitably, shivering as if tickled by her touch.

_Fine.~_

Shikiyoku frowned playfully at it, pausing her hand in mid-pass and shifting her fingers about, to which the dancing flames quivered again and cooed in laughter, but did not tell her to stop.

"You're not much help."

What did she wish it to say? Not alone in grove with so many memories inside! Spends time thinking and reliving lives of those from before. Maybe gets little lonely. But only smallness! Has much interaction with the other selves within. Does not wish to leave safety of tree-home. Black is favorite color! Besides flame. Flame is best color.

Shikiyoku remembered why she didn't actually stay in the clearing in past visits, as talking with the fire was exhausting and it tended to chatter off-subject.

She thought of the tree whose roots she loved sleeping in, her strength returned from the fainting spell of earlier, but the constant translating made her mind tired.

_Feels better!~ Is good.~ Wanted to help.~_

"Yes, thank you for that." She smiled at it as she pulled back and lowered her hand, the flames following her removal until she started to move the hand down.

The fire heaved once as if in a sigh as her hand got away, but did not protest.

_Sleep now, she-of-desire.~ Will be good.~ Has self-protection.~_

A thrill ran up its body and the thought of her and Hiei together.

_Much traveled.~_

The fire knew she had come from far away, and still had a long way to go.

_But...see again?~_

_Brings littles next time!~_

It added the second part before Shikiyoku could answer the first, but the blush did not creep past her neck this time.

"She doesn't think so." Shikiyoku crossed her arms over her chest.

The fire resounded with consternation at her, wrestling with her answer for a moment before striking up in dance again.

_Then...still bring child-of-self with, yes?~_

Shikiyoku finally laughed, knowing it meant Hiei, her arms dropping back to her sides as she gave the orb a crooked smile.

"We'll see."

_Likes child-of-self.~_

The fire flared up briefly with giggles of flames vibrating up its sides as it looked towards Hiei again.

"I know." She responded kindly.

It fell silent for a moment, growing briefly serious.

_Would bless she-of-desire, but has self-safety by side now, so does not need!~ Is having of happy feelings all!~_

The corner of Shikiyoku's lips rose a little in a half-smile.

_Sleep now.~ Has much to discuss with memories now!~ Child-of-self best news.~ Will much talk.~_

"We'll leave you, then." Shikiyoku turned her head to look at Hiei, "Back to the tree?" 3

Hiei thought of the flame that had joined its kin inside his stomach, the flames not exactly joining, but residing side by side like partners dancing around one another. The joy that filled him was unfathomable, his mind a whir of thoughts over this fire. What would happen if it stayed over time? Would it simply sit there?

Something pulled at his attention.

Snippets of words.

Or, rather, impressions of words, of a small conversation that he somewhat understood. But they were only snippets, broken fragments of sentences here and there that made little to no sense to him.

_Bring littles…~_

_Child-of-self…~_

_Blessing…~_

It wasn't much, but for some reason, the first impression he received made him blink and turn to stare at the fire again in confusion. It was similar to how he'd felt about what Shikiyoku had translated, without the feeling of it being slightly misinterpreted.

But he didn't inquire. He wasn't curious enough just yet.

When Shikiyoku turned to him, he gave a small nod of approval and turned to leave, glancing back once at the fire and testing one small thing out.

His Jagan opened beneath the cloth that hid it so well, and his mind concentrated on the flame.

"_What an interesting creature you are." __*****_

When Hiei touched the fire's consciousness with the Jagan, a legion's legion of voices spoke back to him at once, the voices of all the fire demons who had ever existed, the deepest one of all belonging to the voice of the very first demon, the original fire demon, which was almost resonating at a register too low to hear, reminiscent of its former massive size. The fire's raw power threatened to overhaul, to overwhelm even Hiei's monstrous telepathic power just from the sheer number of them.

"_**IS NOT CREATURE. IS FIRE. IS ALL-FIRE. CHILD-OF-SELF WILL BECOME ALL-FIRE ONE DAY AND BURN WITH ALL-FIRE TOGETHER. FOR ALWAYS. FOR NOW, PROTECT AND CHERISH. LIVE FULLY. IS MOST POWERFUL CHILD-OF-SELF. IS PLEASED." **_

The fire broke the connection, pulling away into itself from Hiei's mind much like it had pulled away from he and Shikiyoku before, drawing back the flames of its speech in that reverse-flaming-newspaper fashion before leaving Hiei all alone with his Jagan.

For her part, Shikiyoku followed after Hiei, taking the lead when he appeared to pause in place and continuing to walk in the direction of the ring of trees, feeling much more contented than she had in a long time. 3

Hiei became completely overwhelmed with the product of the mental contact, his mind now filled with so many voices that he couldn't even separate one from another. It made his vision swim for only a moment before he refocused, able to just barely keep his mind from being overtaken by the immense amount of consciousness that touched his own.

But more than anything, he was stunned. He hadn't even considered the fact that such a thing could be derived from past demon souls, all of the same kinsmanship. And he had felt each and every soul within the flame, and each one of those souls had responded in an uproar against his brush against their beings.

He was, again, surprised when the beings within conveyed a very clear message. His eyes widened as they left his consciousness, his mind scrambling to recover from the barrage.

And after a moment of simply staring at the flame, a small sneer formed on his face. "Interesting," he mused aloud to himself as he turned to leave. _*****_

"Told yah." Shikiyoku replied primly, having felt the surge of Hiei's Jagan Eye as she kept walking. "I wouldn't suggest doing that again though. He's easily excitable."

Without saying another word, Shikiyoku picked up the pace, having reached the treeline.

She dodged through the thick undergrowth with exact precision, spinning to the side to avoid groups of branches, ducking underneath overhanging vines, standing up more fully in her run once they got far enough away from the grove that the trees thinned out, glancing back to see that the fire had completely disappeared in the thickness of the mist that swirled just in front of her eyes.

"You won't find your way back unless he wants you to." Shikiyoku commented calmly in the middle of their return. "The grove twists and bends in on itself to protect him and the chances of it and him both letting anyone actually in are slim. He may be easily excitable, but he is also easily angered. And his fury is more dangerous than any living beings' could ever be."

She fell silent again, alternating between trees and ground, whichever one had the easier path to navigate back to the other side of the valley. 3

Hiei turned to follow after Shikiyoku, staying silent even as she spoke to him an an amused tone. He quickly picked up his pace in a run to keep up easily with the woman, his eyes staying focused on the path she wove for him so that he wouldn't branch off and simply end up in a place he didn't actually want to be. Because, now, he did actually feel like sleeping, and a tree sounded just about amazing at the moment.

As she continued speaking, though, he gave just a small scoff at her, amused. "I don't intend on bothering it again."

Even the deepest part of him told him that it was a lie. He was intrigued with the flame. And, it was highly likely he would attempt to visit again, if only briefly.

But he did take her warnings and memorized them, to ensure to be wary later on.

And it didn't take long for his mind to already consider going back, his very core still warm with the flames he had swallowed.

Such a delicious treat… _*****_

It did not take long for them to traverse the valley back to the side where Shikiyoku 'lived' when she was here. With the forest less dense than the one around the fire, it was easy to spot the gigantic tree that rose towering over the rest of the treeline.

Shikiyoku slowed as the reached the clearing and walked over to the root where she had placed her cloak, reaching up and moving it further back so that it would not fly off in the wind as it had already been shifted about just enough to be worrisome.

She placed a hand on the soft bark of the root that arced upwards out of the ground, feeling beneath her fingers the steady life of the tree it belonged to and looking up into its branches, the lowest of which were at least twice the size of the giant root next to her.

Her eyes shifted to the place where she often slept long ago, a place where one could curl up in near the base of the tree in a crook between where two roots dove into the ground underneath them. But, her gaze rose upwards to the lowest branches of the tree, which were easily at least two miles above the forest floor.

When she had been younger, there was only one time she had successfully made it up the path, though she had attempted to run the vertical trunk each time she tried.

She couldn't decide if she wanted to put out the effort to get up there or not, as lovely as the view and peacefulness of the breeze might be.

Shikiyoku turned to Hiei, hands on her hips as she inquired, "What do you think?" 3

Hiei pulled to a stop underneath the large tree, the branches moving only the slightest bit with the wind. He eyed each branch, particularly the closest ones, which were pretty high in relation to any other tree he'd ever scaled. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to get up on the lowest one without using his sword for leverage.

And he didn't even want to consider damaging such an amazing sight.

Not because of how much he enjoyed it, but because there was a very real possibility it could strike back.

At Shikiyoku's question, he glanced at her before turning his eyes back up to the branches, impressed. "Too much effort." he said casually, as if his mind had already been set on staying on the ground. Might as well, right? "The ground will do for now." As he finished this sentence, he turned and simply lowered himself to the ground, reclining against the tree just as comfortable as he could be. _*****_

Shikiyoku stretched her arms above her head, finding herself relieved with his answer before lowering next to him, leaning her back against the trunk and blinking sleepily as she realized just how tired she was.

Well...they _had _run nearly the whole day. And the fire was exhausting enough to talk to all on its own.

She shifted herself a little lower, eyes closing as she let herself relax, one of the arms that had taken to resting on her stomach slipping off slowly and she let it lay on the ground.

"I'm glad you like it here." She murmured, her body and mind edging towards dreamland. 3

Hiei's back was pressed against the bark, which was surprisingly smooth compared to its rough appearance. His head leaned back against it as he lowered himself further down, only his shoulders and up now touching the bark as his eyes slid closed, making him realize just how much he'd missed sleep. After all, he'd had a rude awakening back in the Human World, and then he'd simply gone on running for several hours.

The realization brought on a small yawn as Shikiyoku mumbled at him, and he merely nodded, not knowing if she saw the gesture.

As his body stilled from mild adjustment, he began to relax from head to toe, his mind quieting and he slowly drifted towards sleep. _*****_

A cold breeze of the valley that often accompanied the dead of night blew over Shikiyoku while she still had the wits about her to be aware of it, even if only barely.

Her brow frowned and she turned over onto her side, towards the warmth she felt to her left, and then fell asleep in the peaceful silence.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes grew brighter as she and Hiei sped forwards, drawing closer to the city gates, the walls rising like red marble at a ridiculous height on the horizon.

For some reason she felt more excited than she had in a while. she had never actually seen the inside of this city.

As they got closer, there was actually a beaten path on the ground from the feet of those coming from their direction over the years and since traffic was fairly heavy along it, she kept to the trees along the side, jumping from branch to branch along with others who had the same idea as he, passing a few demons who were simply standing in the trees, a few groups conversing about subjects Shikiyoku didn't care to listen in on.

She could feel more than a few eyes on her as she lept past them, but most of them turned back away when she got out of view, her cloak fluttering along behind her as she traversed through the trees.

She didn't have the hood up, the thought didn't even cross her mind, so when they reached the gates, forced to walk along with the traffic as the trees had stopped a half a mile back, she heard a gruff voice that cut through the rumble of the crowd.

"You, there!" A demonic gate-guard with a large pike in hand shouldered his way through the other demons, stopping in front of her so that she would have to as well.

The demons around them did not stop, instead fluidly slipping around the scene that started occurring before them. 3

Hiei ran and leapt through the branches of the trees until the branches ended, making him fall to the ground in an almost lazy manner. Once his feet touched the ground, his run turned into a lazy jog, slowing so that he could take in his surroundings and worm out any threats, if there were any, before the threat became known.

Quite frankly, the idea of going through the city was not one he enjoyed. While Hiei himself looked very obviously demon, his red eyes being the sole reason behind the assumption at this point, he was more than aware at Shikiyoku's appearance. While her scent was not of a human one, at least not to him, she certainly stood out, despite the outfit that only ebbed the situation just a little.

So, when he heard a gruff, masculine voice calling out into the crowd somewhere ahead, the fire demon was not surprised to see Shikiyoku stopped in the middle of the moving path of demons, who merely continued on. Since he was a ways back, his eyes registered everything from the weapon he wielded to the severe expression on his face.

And for the moment, he wasn't in any rush. She could handle it if she simply wished to do so.

And yet, he didn't enjoy the idea of her _handling _this particular situation. So his hands slid into his cloak pockets and he continued forward at a slightly faster pace, until he drew up just a few feet behind Shikiyoku, watching the guard.

"You're wasting our time."

~!**!~

Akari's hands methodically twisted the hair tie around and around in her hair, creating the very same ponytail that she'd had earlier this morning, though it was a little less icky now, due to the shower she'd had. It was still slightly damp, but the sun that beat overhead would fix that problem in no time at all, she could tell by the warmth that radiated over her skin.

She pulled the hairdo tighter before her arms fell to her sides, her muscles protesting even the smallest movement with soreness that could only come from the training she'd been forcing herself into each and every morning. Yes, especially this morning, even though it was tough to really do much of anything in that particular gym without becoming overwhelmed.

The grumbled word she said was not a nice one.

_Of course. First, a rose. Then, a lecture and a scar. Last…_

She huffed to herself.

_That's exactly why I skipped. I can't deal with it. _

Just the thought of seeing the redhead sent her mind into a flurry of rapid, incoherent, fragmented thoughts and emotions. And again, this morning, when she'd gone to change into the outfit she had picked specifically for her personal training, she'd seen the bandages, even lifted them to check the wound Kurama had given her, and instead of seeing the scars, she'd not only _seen _the moment in the gym, but she'd _felt_ it. On her cheeks, as heat. In her core, as a frazzled emotion she still couldn't place. And, of course, on her lips, where he'd lingered just long enough to render her speechless, smirk, and then make his escape.

_Stupid fox demon. It isn't as funny as you make it to be._

Her eyes suddenly refocused on the sidewalk she wandered along, only jarred from her dazed thoughts by a grumbling human who rammed into her shoulder, causing a small grunt of pain from the shock her torso took.

"Watch it!" the man spat at her before turning to continue on in a hurry.

_Stupid people. Stupid fox. Stupid, stupid, stupid… __*****_

~!**!~

Yusuke slurped the stick of licorice further into his mouth, one hand stuffed into the pocket of his green school uniform while the other whipped a joystick expertly around, his eyes firmly fixed on the game screen in front of him.

The noise of passersby outside the arcade did not so much as break his concentration as he glared unblinkingly at the boss fight.

When the lizard boss made one last attack and reduced his character to death, Yusuke threw his hand up into the air.

"AUGH! That's like the _fifth _time you stupid game!" He munched angrily on the licorice, pulling his hand out of his pocket with both another coin and another stick of licorice, finishing the one in his mouth as he slipped the coin into the machine and then chomped down on the candy angrily, shifting in his seat a little as the introduction ran across the screen.

~!**!~

The guard's eyes narrowed as Hiei approached and spoke, Shikiyoku doing nothing more than looking up at him with large, unblinking green eyes.

He took a sniff of the scent that wafted up from the much shorter female below, one side of his upper lip raising as it curled into his nostril.

"_Her _kind isn't welcome here." The guard retorted, talking directly to the fire demon. His words this time held less force than before.

"I have my escort." Shikiyoku purred, "Out of the way."

The guard shifted his eyes downwards to regard her again. It was true that her kind were free to go about should they be accompanied, but...he looked back to Hiei.

"She's with you?" 3

Hiei blinked slowly once at the guard, as if he'd been asked the most ridiculous question in all of the universe. He didn't enjoy wasting time in any single way. And he had already known that her appearance would create problems- not that it made it any better. It still irked him to be stopped.

"If she were not, I would not have specifically enunciated the word '_our.'"_ he finally responded, his tone even and expression mildly irate. He stared unblinkingly, waiting for the guards _wittiest _response.

~!**!~

Akari turned away from the human and continued onward, her eyes staring unblinkingly ahead while her thoughts continued where they had left off.

_Why him, of all people? I have to attend the same school, and I refuse to go as long as he acts like __**this**__._

_What exactly is __**this**_ _anyway?_

A frown colored her features as a headache began to form just behind her eyes. No matter how much she thought about it, she simply couldn't get past it. Nothing helped her sort through the mess, the chaos her mind became each time she attempted to do so. And still, the question remained, the one she had yet to answer or even consider:

_Would I keep the scar?_

Another huff of frustration and she actually threw her hands in the air now, her eyes turning to the heavens. "I give up!"

A small part of her, still as stubborn as ever, whispered _no you don't.._

It was just a stupid scar, for pete's sake! A scar! She could ignore it if…

…_.Stupid fox…. __*****_

~!**!~

Yusuke stretched and stood up from the video game, stuffing his hands in his pockets shortly thereafter and heading out of the arcade, licorice still hanging out of his mouth.

He swiped a can of soda from someone walking by and kept going, ignoring any noise of protests they gave him.

As he lifted the drink to his lips, throwing back his head as he walked, he ran right into someone and nearly jostled the carbonated liquid all over himself.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, lowered the can, "Watch where you're goin'-" He cut off the word he meant to say when he recognized Akari, inserting another in its place, "Red. I mean, come on. People are walking here." He peered into her eyes. "Woah. What's wrong with you?"

~!**!~

"I have to make sure." The demon rumbled. "It's my _job_." He looked back down, taking another sniff. "You certainly don't _look _like one of them from The Palace." He didn't ask why, but it appeared the prospect loosened his stance. "But anyway, you should consider at least wearing that hood of yours. Contain that scent. Maybe it'll keep you out of trouble."

He stepped back.

"I'll do as I please." Shikiyoku practically growled at him as she swept past.

"I'm sure you will." The guard turned before any more words could be exchanged, shouldering his way back to his post.

As Shikiyoku kept moving with the crowd through the enormous gates and into the city proper, she grumbled angrily to herself about many things, namely the division of her spirit which contributed to her inability to change her appearance, and in a very colorful string of language that made a least two of the demons next to her twitch their ears, looking at her wide-eyed as they stepped away as inconspicuously as possible from her person. 3

Hiei gave no response to the words the guard tossed his way, his nostrils flaring again as the demon's eyes traveled back to Shikiyoku in contemplation again. Hiei closed the distance between himself and Shikiyoku in about four strides, his red eyes following the guard the entire way until he was completely sure the demon would not return to him nor Shikiyoku for further debate.

And it satisfied the fire demon to have gotten away so quickly, without too much trouble.

Then again, maybe it was being able to talk to one like that again- a demon who was supposed to be of authority- without getting mixed up into tedious trouble. After all, Koenma wouldn't take the talk back, so he'd refrained for quite some time.

And the release was simply amazing.

Red eyes moved down to Shikiyoku as his ears finally tuned into her grumblings, a sneer forming on his lips at the profanities.

"Hn," he breathed out instinctively, rather amused by her language of choice and the reaction she earned from the other demons nearby. "Perhaps you should just stick to that."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't been paying attention. At all. Her most recent thought had been a halting one, a thought that made her mind go numb with realization and her face and ears warm up at the prospect behind that single thought.

She'd simply fallen right into the fox's hands, practically walking into his plan.

But that didn't change anything…. did it? She still hated the scars beneath, still wanted to be rid of them. Even the mere thought of them and the memories they held made her want to cover her head and scream into something that would staunch her voice.

And even still, the throbbing pain of Kurama's attack kept nagging at her.

It was at this thought that she ran into another human, immediately snapping back to reality and releasing a small rumble of a growl at the male that automatically began saying a sentence that would not end well for either of them.

But when her eyes met brown ones and her mind recognized the voice of the detective, her glare became harsh as he paused only briefly before calling her _red_. That hadn't been his original word choice, she knew, but she didn't linger on it.

And his question had her blinking at him, her lips pulling down into a frown deeper than any other she'd had all day. "Aside from you being in my way, ramming into people like an idiot? Nothing," she replied loftily, her nose going higher in the air as if to prove her point. She hadn't realized it was so evident, her musings. _*****_

"Me?" He grinned at her, stuffing his free hand down in his pocket and pointing at her with one of the fingers wrapped around the soda, "I'll have you know I was actually _on _my side of the walkway.

"And I _know _that look. What's up? Do I need to punch him for you?" He laughed nervously, "Unless it's Hiei. Then I'd really rather not. That guy's got abs like a rock."

~!**!~

"Stick to _what_?" Shikiyoku growled at him, not knowing what in the bloody ninth level he was talking about.

If she'd had her _true _form, the demons would have been clearing a path for her, and instead she was forced to slouch along like so much human cattle.

Not to mention the fact they wouldn't have been _stopped_, because everyone would have known Hiei was with _her_.

A smell caught her nose and her mood lifted slightly as her head perked up, catching sight of a tavern alongside the pathway. She remembered she had not actually been in this city before and she stood taller as they kept going, starting to take in the sights surrounding them and drinking them in almost hungrily as if to make up for lost time.

They started walking through the trade district where demons were lined against the buildings attempting to sell their wares to those going by. 3

Hiei chose not to reply, deciding to leave Shikiyoku to imagine what he meant on her own. The thought of her curses made his sneer widen just a fraction before it disappeared, amusement replaced with curiosity as he walked through the town, his eyes roving over each and every single thing he could see.

Demons wandered, going in and out of shops in groups or simple pairs. Different types of music drifted from open doors to what he assumed to be pubs, and different scents permeated the air, marking it a rather peculiar scent even to him.

But that wasn't what interested him most.

The trader's stands were everywhere, lining both sides of the path through the city, each table holding something different, some even with large objects set on the ground for viewing in full without breaking the table. Almost unconsciously, he drifted through the crowd to browse, small things here and there snagging his attention before he was up close on the objects only to see they were fake and continuing on, ignoring any and all chatter about him _buying the newest product. _

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Yusuke and turned her eyes to the side, not surprised he had turned to teasing her so quickly about her own lack of observation. It wasn't like she'd been even remotely close to reality anyway- her mind had been so consumed with-

She cut the thought short to prevent the same thing happening again, her eyes turning back on Yusuke as he spoke up again, making a scoff leave her lips.

The mental image of the detective trying to attack Kurama, while amusing, wasn't tempting enough to have her mouth open and speak about it. So, she chose the next best thing.

"Admiring another man's torso, are we?" she taunted, moving around him to continue on. "Huh, and here I thought you might actually have a chance with a female. Too bad, I suppose. She must be _very _disappointed." _*****_

"First of all," Yusuke did not seem phased by her jabs, instead pulling his hand back out of his pocket and lifting a single finger, "He's not a man, he's a demon. Which really makes it unfair in the first place." Another finger, "Secondly, that was what we humans call _jealousy. _I know it's hard to tell the difference sometimes, but you'll catch on. Probably." He tilted his head and left his lopsided grin plastered across his face.

"Hey, listen, I just left the arcade, but I wouldn't mind going back." He jabbed a thumb behind him, "You wanna hit up a few of the machines?"3

* * *

><p><em>Okay, so I gotta say that I love getting to play Yusuke against Akari. CM and I decided that he and Akari have a kind of love-hate sibling relationship that even now we wish we had opportunity to explore!<em>

Koorime - the name of the race of ice maidens that live on the floating island Hyouga (Hiei's birthplace).

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	34. Episode 119 - City and Arcade

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

We have broken a thousand views for the story! I am so glad there are so many people that have at least taken the time to check it out. CM and I originally never intended to post the story, so it's cool to have people peeking in to see what we've done! It's especially neat that FF tracks the 'display location' feature on the traffic stats so I get so see the different places people are from that are viewing the story! It's pretty sweet!

As to some actual A/N, my current plan is to continue posting chapters once a day throughout the rest of this month as well as the next, but to switch to a schedule, like Monday/Wednesday/Friday postings at a specific time, starting in February.

Anyway, I appreciate all of the views the story has gotten and if you are enjoying reading our roleplay, feel free to leave us a review and let us know what you think!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari is having trouble _not _thinking about the kiss Kurama gave her,  
>and she skips school to avoid him,<br>running into Yusuke near the arcade.

~!**!~

The All-Fire speaks with Hiei through Shikiyoku,  
>eventually rewarding him with another white-hot flame.<p>

The next day the two of them arrive at the first city  
>and start to make their way through to the other side...<p>

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku kept moving, unaware of the fact that she had left Hiei wandering behind her somewhere among the vendors, her crimson colored cloak lightly rustling near her feet.<p>

Even as her eyes appreciated the city around her, in the back of her mind she thought through the other articles of clothing that she had, thinking about how the next time she was going to have to choose her outfit more carefully so incidents like what happened back at the gate would not hinder her visit.

Deep in these thoughts simultaneous with the bit of wonderment in her eyes, she did not notice the pair of sharp eyes that caught sight of her form as she entered into what was unmistakably the mercenary district, as those who strolled about her changed from the more 'normal' demons to ones with a fiercer cast about their faces, some of them openingly carrying large weapons, others nearly completely shadowed by the cloaks they wore, their appearances unable to be made out.

There were both male and females demons lining the walls-in groups or pairs or singularly-of the buildings that had various signs denoting the merc guild within, and these demons were of a particular vocation, though of different status within said vocation, usually denoted by how revealing their clothing was or the style. Or both.

More than a few called out to her as she passed by them, but she only took to gracing one or two of the ones she actually felt deserved it with a look a only a demon of her kind could conjure, taking the demons who received the look completely by surprise as they realized just by the sultry smile and flashing eyes exactly who they cat-called to, in spite of her simple appearance. And those couple of demons took it as a compliment that she would even give them such a look, though they also knew what she meant by it and stayed back.

She raised an eyebrow amusedly as she turned back to continue watching her way along after glancing at the last one, most of the demons around her this deep in the district tall and imposing figures of muscle, with only one among their number being near her height, though the ferocity of his face Shikiyoku considered to rival even Hiei's.

"What do you want?" She said suddenly.

"Whatever you're willing to give me." Came the snarky reply of the demon who caught up and matched her stride as soon as she spoke.

"You've certainly been following me long enough."

"You knew, then?"

Shikiyoku stopped and turned to look up at the demon, realizing at that very moment that Hiei was no longer with her and that out of the corners of her eyes she could not see him anywhere nearby.

The demon was tall-though most were in relation to Shikiyoku-and wiry with a filled out form accented by the tightness of the brown leather clothing he wore. He was surprisingly attractive in a devious, roguish sort of way, his sharp nose and tilted blue eyes with a well-cut jaw complimenting the mop of unnaturally white hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck with pointed ears sticking out from the sides of it, his crooked smile with full lips revealing bright teeth. He looked as if he had not shaved in several days, but the smattering of facial hair only added to his handsomeness, not thick enough to cover a single stripe of a silver scar across his left cheek. He had two sheathed swords on a pair of belts tightened around his waist at his right, another single one, slightly longer, at his left. There were tattoos on his defined arms, left bare by the sleeveless tunic, and one of his hands had come to rest on a hip, the other hanging loosely by his side.

"There are more where _those _came from." Her caught her eyes sliding to take in the markings "But you haven't even told me-" His expression started back as her scent drifted up to his nose, "Oh. OH." He looked down at her with realization in his eyes.

Shikiyoku let her lips settle into that particular smile.

He let out a brief laugh, the hand on his hip sliding down to rest about the hilts of the pair of swords at his side. "I'm not sure now whether to stay or run."

"You should probably run." Shikiyoku purred.

He bent closer to her, whispering in confidence, "Then I'll most definitely stay."

One of her eyebrows quirked at his riposte and she found herself more intrigued.

He stood up straighter. "I was going to ask you something completely different at first, but I think I've changed my mind."

Shikiyoku tilted her head slightly in a nod to his decision.

The demon held up a finger, "Don't go making such rash judgements of me so quickly."

"You didn't even hear my answer to your original question."

His stomach retracted slightly as he meant to release his next words, but she took him off-guard with her expression and the statement that he did not expect her to make and he didn't say anything at first, opening his mouth and taking another breath in the pause.

"You know..." His other hand had not moved from the hilts of his swords. "You're very tempting." He clucked his tongue, "And if I didn't know your type, I would take you up on that in an instant."

"What if I said _you _were my type?"

"Well, I would hardly be able to blame you for that." He immediately replied with no sense humility whatsoever, obviously aware that he had good looks. He went on from there.

"I was originally going to ask for your company-"

"And you still could."

He raised an eyebrow and quirked his lips with a smirk, "But now I think I would ask for your services."

"They can be one in the same."

He laughed again, more exasperated this time as he raised the hand not on his swords up to cover his face.

"Are you _always_ this difficult to hold a conversation with?"

"Depends on what we're talking about." She made no effort to hide her suggestiveness, though she had not been doing so the whole time.

He chuckled again, lowering his hand, "I asked for that one."

"Yes."

His fingers gripped a little tighter on the pommels of his swords, ready for the chance that she might release her powers on him.

"My guild would hire you for a job-"

"That would depend on how many of you there are."

The demon's mouth hung open, stuck in half a grin and half speechlessness at her audacity.

She waved his moment away, appearing slightly more business-like, "I require that you kill the informant for me once the work is done."

Returning back to the present, the demon caught up, straightening, and nodded once, "That would not be a problem."

"I would suggest that you let me speak to your guild leader before we go any further."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"_You're _the guild leader." She said flatly.

"At your service." He made a slight bow from the waist.

She gave him another look that made him release another nervous laugh and put his free hand up behind his head.

"Pretty human is alone?"

The white-haired demon looked up over Shikiyoku's head and she noticed the immediate shift in his feet. She turned around and took one step backwards towards the guild leader.

"Friends of yours?" He asked lightly.

"No." Shikiyoku murmured, her eyes taking in three burly, huge, obviously animalistic-demons, each with a large, spiky club. The one in the middle had his resting across his shoulders behind his neck.

"Not alone!" The guild leader replied pleasantly. "We were just discussing business."

The demon in the middle, the one who spoke first, narrowed his beady eyes.

"Then is alone if only with you for business." He made no attempt to hide the saliva that started leaking from the corner of his lips.

"Also, not human!" The white-haired demon pointed out.

The new arrival took a loud sniff of the air through his large nostrils and his eyes brightened in understanding.

"Is almost as good." He reached down with a large paw-like hand.

"Ah-ah-ah," The guild leader reprimanded, drawing the single, longer sword out of its sheathe with his left hand so quickly that in one split second it was not in the air, and in the next he was crouched slightly over Shikiyoku with his knees bent and his head almost at the same level as her with the sword between her and the grabby demon who stopped his hand just short of the blade that gleamed red in the light. His right hand came to rest on Shikiyoku's shoulder companionably.

"I found her first. I suggest you leave her alone before things get ugly." 3

Hiei meandered about, eyes soaking in the sight of the merchandise before him, completely unaware of anything else at the moment. He pulled to a stop at a very particular stand that held things that were very interesting to him, featuring daggers and swords and weapons galore. A single blade had his attention, and curiously, he eyed the hilt and the sheath the blade was hidden within.

The sheath itself was plain black, with small lesions here and there where it had obviously come in contact with another as a last resort for defense. The hilt, however, was flawless. The gold that encircled the small gems that plated it was glittering in the light of day, not a single scratch on the weaker metal.

"Good taste, you have," the demon behind the stand spoke up, reminding Hiei dully of a character that humans often quoted and mocked. "Price lowered with this one, it is. Been on the market long time."

Hiei sneered, eyes never leaving the very beautiful blade. "That's too bad," he replied as he ran a single finger down the handle until his index finger touched the sheath, which felt as if it were covered with felt.

Such an odd combination.

"Touch the blade, you will not. Not unless buying."

Hiei's eyes flashed as he slowly turned up to look at the scrawny creature with beady eyes. A sneer formed on his lips as he took the challenge by the handle, quite literally, and he lifted the blade from the table's surface and unsheathed it.

The sound of the metal being removed from the sheath was music to his ears, and without even looking at the blade he knew it was in pristine condition.

"Place down or die."

Hiei ignored the threat, pulling the weapon entirely from the sheath and wielding it in his dominant hand, weighing it thoughtfully and poising it as if ready to strike. _Nice balance. _It rivaled even his beloved katana, despite its larger size. It was only a few ounces heavier than his current blade, but that didn't matter much for the fire demon. He still had speed on his side.

The demon across from him made a sound that was obviously of a last warning, and Hiei moved with a flash of speed, pointing the end of the blade at the demon's neck, watching the taut skin of the demon go still and draw closer around his bones in fear as he quite literally shrunk into himself. "I wish to test the blade's quality in the art of slicing through skin. Care to be the experiment?"

"N-not so, sir."

"Good."

And with that, Hiei turned and left the stand, blade still in hand, now sheathed and held in his left hand. He was very happy with his prize, even so much as considering using it, since it was very easy to see the sharpness of the blade was unlike the one he already owned.

In a single motion, he had the sheath tied to his belt, hiding it underneath his cloak on his right hip, making both sides of his body now occasionally bumped by sword sheaths.

Only then did Hiei realize Shikiyoku was not within sight. He paused and turned to look in the direction he had come from, searching for her, but not seeing her. He searched a bit longer before he met the eyes of the demon whom had had his most prized blade taken, but that demon didn't seem to think it wise to send someone after him.

_Good._

Hiei turned and followed the path until he was in another district of the city, and faintly, he could smell Shikiyoku's scent moving along a path that she had taken minutes ago. He calmly followed it, his feet moving a little faster so that he jogged by demons, easily weaving his way through the crowd that moved against him.

At least the bond hadn't acted up yet. That meant she was fine…

But still…

His feet continued to move, faster now, at a run through the crowd as he searched for a visual of Shikiyoku.

~!**!~

AKari raised a thin brow at the detective and a small smirk formed on her features, a sarcastic "ha ha" leaving her at his response. "Jealous of the grump with three eyes? I hadn't pegged you the jealous type. It must suck," she mused, turning to face him again and pausing in her leave. "Maybe one day your muscles will shrink from the soft pillows they are and become… rocks, as you said," she taunted, eyes glittering with amusement and relief now that she had something to keep her mind busy. "I mean, your fists aren't soft, but it seems the rest of you is. From muscle to heart, you're the epitome of kindness." Her voice hadn't ever wavered away from her sarcasm, her eyes rolling to the sky above. "It's an odd thing to combine with your love for scuffles."

She went quiet in contemplation now at his offer of video games. It was… tempting. And she _had_ withdrawn of Sensui's account earlier for food. _That needs to end soon. _

Her head tipped to the side as she eyed the detective curiously. Her first thought had been that hitting the machines was likely not very advised. But of course, she knew that hadn't been what he meant.

"I suppose I have time to kill," she responded with a shrug. "Might as well. Lead the way, since you know the gaming systems and I do not." She paused and gave a small sigh. "But only for a bit. I have things to do." _*****_

"Then allow me to welcome you to my domain!" Yusuke threw an arm over Akari's shoulder and led her in the direction he had just left, reentering the wide open arcade and moving to sit down at a different game than before.

"This is a fighting one." He pointed to the joystick and buttons as he explained the basic mechanics. "High attack. Low attack. Move. Jump." He slipped a coin into his machine as he went on, "You make combos based on the order you push the buttons and how you move your character." He demonstrated a couple. "Pretty simple, right?" He glanced over at her.

~!**!~

The demon with the club took another sniff of the air that wafted to him from Shikiyoku's body, the invisible, undetectable tendrils of her energy being pulled up into his nose and taking over more quickly his lesser developed mind.

So it was with a couple of wide-eyed looks from the companions on either side of him that he hefted his club off of his shoulders and smacked it against the palm of his hand. _They _could both easily see that the guild leader, a notorious merc at that, should have been left alone as soon as his sword was drawn, and they each took the slightest of steps back, leaving their leader more to himself and silently indicating to the white-haired guild leader before them that they would not be participating in the unsound judgement call their own leader was making.

The demon who still bent over Shikiyoku was smiling deviously upwards at the leader.

"Think I should give him one more chance to back off?" He said aloud, letting his eyes glance over to the side of Shikiyoku's face.

Shikiyoku knew the look on the demon's face, that he had already been captivated by her unintentional power.

"It's not going to matter." She responded in the same light tone that he used, though at the moment she felt nervous, unwilling to exercise her abilities on a brute that _might_ do as she said if she asked him to back off, but would likely come back for more.

"You think so?"

"He's too stupid to know any better."

The demon with the club growled at her, lifting his weapon over his head to bring it down on top of both Shikiyoku and the guild leader still protecting her.

Shikiyoku didn't even blink and she missed what happened as the demon lurched in place, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as the upper portion of his body suddenly shifted heavily to the left and then completely disconnected from his waist, falling over onto the ground.

She _did _notice, however, that while he had not appeared to move-his left arm still protectively dividing them both from the would-be attacker-the guild leader's right hand was no longer resting on her shoulder and he now had her in an embrace, her shoulder covered by the pit of his arm as it hung slantwise across her torso.

She heard the slight click as the pair of swords at his left finished sliding back into their sheaths, and she made the conjecture that he had drawn them and attacked so quickly with his right hand that her eyes did not follow, his body tall enough and his limbs long enough that he had been able to do so by reaching over, around, and in front of her instead of having to step back far enough away that he would have the room.

He did not remove his right arm from around her, Shikiyoku finding her back pressed up against his chest, instead letting his fingers linger lazily over the hilts of the two swords he had drawn, sliced, wiped the blood off of, and resheathed too quickly to follow.

Letting his eyes pass back and forth to the other demons in front of him, the guild leader let his lips part on the one side in a half-grin.

"Are we finished here?"

They hesitated, Shikiyoku's smell beginning to tantalize them as well. 3

Hiei moved through the crowd with almost full speed now, his feet hardly touching the ground as he felt the bond quiver a bit with emotions from Shiki that weren't strong enough for him to define just yet. His own core moved just slightly as he pushed and ran his way through the crowd, his feet now carrying him by sheer instinct as Shikiyoku's scent lingered with others.

A hand moved beneath his cloak as he moved, his keen eyes zeroing in on a scene not too far ahead now, the smell of blood drifting up to his nose, carried by the wind. His expression shifted and his eyes flashed, his lips forming an angry frown as his brows drew down at the scene.

Shikiyoku was standing very, _very _close to another demon, who had an arm about her body. A single demon fell, but two more still stood in front of her. His vision turned a tint of red and his hand withdrew a sword, the hilt unfamiliar under his palm. He'd get to test its sharpness after all.

The fire demon moved, circling at a speed that made him nothing more than a streak through the crowd as he moved around, behind the demon who held Shikiyoku captive with a sword so obviously drawn. It wasn't hard to keep his own presence hidden, something he'd instinctively done when the unease set in his stomach.

In the next second, he was standing behind Shikiyoku and another demon, a blade just touching the cloth of the demon's outer wear while his eyes sent a very deadly, very silent warning to the other two.

"If you value your life, you'll step away immediately."

~!**!~

Akari blinked at the arm Yusuke tossed over her shoulders, but didn't protest when he moved to guide her into the building filled with various machines that played various types of music, various themes. Her eyes roved around the building, taking in the different colors of flashing light in the darkened room. She had to admit, the atmosphere certainly was a pleasant one, despite the smell of sweat and trash.

She looked down at the game Yusuke stopped in front of, her eyes moving with the gestures the boy made to each button and lever. A grin formed on her features. "Fighting hand to hand isn't enough, so you resort to games?"

She reached into her own pocket and fetched a coin, eyeing it before eyeing the machine's asking amount. She slid the coin inside once confirming it was of equal value needed to play and the plopped herself down on a stool that was poised for long-term gamers. "Do we play together, or separate?" she inquired curiously, wondering if maybe she'd be able to beat him in _this _fight. _*****_

"Well, I was _gonna _be nice and let you figure this one out on your own." Yusuke grinned, his eyes never leaving the screen where his game had already started. "But if you really wanna, I'll move over there when I get done." He jerked his head to the machines opposite of where they were sitting, which appeared to be all part of the same unit, and would allow a versus setting for the players on either side. "Just consider that your practice round." He tilted his head to indicate the game that was starting up in front of her.

~!**!~

At Hiei's sudden appearance, the other two living demons across from Shikiyoku found their heads much clearer under the threat of his eyes and they took a couple more steps back before slowly starting to disengage themselves from the encounter and moving beyond them to get away.

Shikiyoku reached up and rested a hand on the arm the guild leader held around her even as he let his sword arm drop just a little, silently indicating to him that he stay where he was.

She sighed long-sufferingly, "It is not good for business to threaten a prospective employer, Hiei." She could not see Hiei from where she stood with the guild leader practically surrounding her vision with his shoulders, but she could just imagine the position he had them in. 3

Darkened eyes narrowed at the two demons that stepped backwards, away from the scene just a little. He hadn't meant that they back away, but it was just as well. The less he killed, the easier it would be to get through the city without problem. Not that demons really cared about skirmishes…

Shikiyoku's voice floated to Hiei's ears almost lazily, as if she had been waiting on him to screw something up and lecture him in the most patient of tones. Bored, perhaps, but still patient.

"Employer?" he repeated, eyes sliding to the demon who blocked his view of the demoness. Why would they need an employer? It was more trouble than it was worth, in his opinion.

He lowered his blade and stepped around, figuring that as long as Shikiyoku seemed calm, observing no threat other than the two brutes in front of her, then he might as well move so he could see her face. But his energy remained hidden for a very specific reason, his eyes taking in the male that held Shikiyoku almost protectively against himself. He didn't see much danger from this one, since his body was so relaxed and he merely stood there, not a single muscle moving to even protest Hiei's appearance.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged at Yusuke, her hands moving into position over the joystick and the buttons, the music from the machine blaring loudly in response to her willingness to play. "Only if you want to." She scrolled through the different characters she could play as while the opposing computer player chose one almost immediately, making her frown as she read the stats of each player. In relation to any demon, these characters were considered weak.

It wasn't very accurate.

She finally settled for a certain character she'd heard the name of many times in her life, and his battle cry as soon as the game continued on was one that made her raise a brow incredulously.

"This is ridiculous. They're not even portrayed correctly."

But she began pressing buttons, easily figuring out a few combinations and sticking to the ones she knew worked, attacks that she had witnessed before. A small smile of amusement played on her lips as her character dashed across the screen, throwing the other to the ground and continuing to stomp at him.

At least the signature move was accurate. _*****_

"Alright, then Miss Contrary, _you _pick the next game." Yusuke waved a hand randomly behind him at all the other machines to choose from, quickly bringing it back down to mash on the buttons some more. "It's not like this is the only thing here. Racing. Sports. Gambling. Whatever."

"Ha, ha!" he exclaimed as his character pounded the face of its opponent into the ground for another win.

~!**!~

The white-haired demon had felt Shikiyoku beneath him relax at the sound of him being threatened, which would have left him wondering at her had he not known a few things. She didn't look like one of the ones from The Palace though...

As he felt the presence behind him recede from its attacking position, Shikiyoku lowered her hand from his arm and he began to stand up.

"Ah, so you _do _have an escort." He commented, intentionally letting disappointment drip a little from his words wistfully.

"Were you going to apply for the position?" Shikiyoku rejoined as she turned around to watch the guild leader finish sheathing his weapon and pivot so that he stood to the side of her and Hiei, able to see them both plainly.

"It would certainly make life more interesting, of that I have no doubt." He swept one foot back slightly and made a flourishing bow to Hiei, "I apologize for encroaching upon your territory," here he stood back up, "But I've always found that a dead mercenary is a useless mercenary." His eyes alighted on Shikiyoku, "Even if said mercenary hasn't actually agreed to anything, negotiations seem to fall flat when one of the two involved falls over prematurely."

Shikiyoku had to remind herself that Hiei was not actually accustomed to her line of work, at least what it had been under Youko as well as what it had been here when she still lived on the Ninth Level, so the situation he had barged into was nothing like anything he'd ever seen in regards to her before. Upon reflection, he really had no experience in what he was actually meant to do, though there was not any opportunity for that much in Human World. 3

A single brow twitched, but otherwise, Hiei gave no reaction to the disappointment that lingered in the words from the male. HIei let his blade hand at his side, still gripped in his dominant hand with a hold that was ready for anything.

When Shikiyoku's 'employer' moved, he instinctively shifted, moving a foot backwards to ready for attack, blade moving only a fraction of an inch towards the demon before he realized the motion was one Hiei had never received before.

The demon bowed, voicing an apology, and Hiei wasn't sure what to do. He certainly wouldn't bow back, but was there a type of guideline to something of this nature? He moved to stand up straight again, blade lowering and wrist relaxing at his side. He didn't even know how to reply to the moment other than relinquishing his threat silently, sliding his blade away and out of view in a silent show of peace.

His crimson eyes shifted to Shikiyoku almost expectantly, waiting for her to say or do something that might indicate something he was missing, or perhaps time to leave.

He didn't like being in the city.

~!**!~

Akari's character continued to kick at the opposing character on the screen until the speakers yelled at her and the words "You win" flashed across the screen. She snickered and sat back, leaning the stool backwards as she looked over the character on the screen with familiarity. Perhaps it wasn't too different than him.

"One game," she said to Yusuke, turning to face him with a determined gleam in her eyes. She knew this character inside and out, if he wasn't too butchered, and she was confident that as soon as she figured out the right combination, Yusuke's character wouldn't stand a chance. "Then we'll see about another one." _*****_

Yusuke shrugged, "Sure."

He got up and went to sit down at the machine across from her, putting his coin in, activating the game, and picking his character, waiting for Akari to load in.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku held Hiei's gaze for a moment, gauging her reservations as well as the look in his blood red eyes.

Going into a contract with a Champion as inexperienced as her current acquisition was going to be dangerous, even if she wouldn't actually have trusted the job of her protection to anyone else. In a pinch, only her Champion would have the sense of mind to be able to stop an interrogation session should it dive out of control. Anyone else would be just as susceptible to her wiles as her prey, while the Champion would at least be focused enough should her life stand on the line to kill the informant.

She calmly moved her gaze over to the white-haired demon beside her.

"I'm afraid I am not actively seeking work as a mercenary at this time, so I will have to decline your offer."

The guild leader raised his eyebrows, but his expression did not change otherwise.

"Not even going to allow me to try to persuade you otherwise, princess?" He could already tell that for whatever reasons she kept to herself, she wasn't going to be saying yes today.

Shikiyoku felt her eyes twitch slightly when the guild leader called her a princess, but she gave no actual indication of her feelings on the word otherwise. It sounded to her as if he really thought she were royalty from The Palace she knew lay two cities away, and was not using the word as a pet name.

"Even if I were looking for work, my price is much too high for you." After speaking, her closed lips curled upwards in a wicked grin.

He didn't seem terribly phased, "Doubtful. But I'll take my leave of you anyway. Feel free to give The Palace my regards upon your return."

He leaned forward and slipped a hand behind Shikiyoku's elbow, gently pulling her arm up as he ran his fingers underneath her forearm until he reached her palm, where he maintained hold of her hand in his own and bowed as he brushed his lips against her fingers, gazing directly into her eyes with his piercing blue gaze as he did so.

Shikiyoku blinked once and he let go, releasing her and turning to walk away, one hand resting on the pair of hilts at his hip while the other arm swung freely in the air down by the third sword on his other side.

She found her hand still hanging in mid-air when he let go, her eyes following his retreat, and after he began to disappear into the crowd, she pulled the hand closer to her face, staring at the place where his lips had been, feeling a tingling sensation where they had pressed up against her skin.

Rationally, she knew the tingling was all in her head and not the product of poison or the like. But something else entirely stirred within her and made her eyes trail after the direction the guild leader had taken. And she realized they had never even told one another their names...3

Hiei didn't move from the place where his feet had become planted to the ground, his arms hanging at his sides and fingers slightly twitching. He was curious about the offer he had been ready to make, and why Shikiyoku had not even considered it. Perhaps it was because Hiei himself had no idea of anything to do with her line of work. At least, that's what he assumed, and the thought left him scowling to himself.

For once, Hiei was the one who felt useless.

And that irked him just a little.

So when the white haired demon was gone, Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and watched Shikiyoku carefully, contemplating on inquiring of her… profession. But he refrained for now, since they were within the walls of the city.

He would have lingered longer, if it were not for the next thing that happened.

Several voices shouted out at once, yelling different things such as "Over there!" and "That's him!" Hiei didn't have to turn to know what was going on. A small sneer formed on his features as he glanced over his shoulder, four rather large demons running his direction, each with eyes on him. Glee at the thought of the challenge arose, but he turned to Shikiyoku again.

"Time to go," he stated almost casually, as if leading a friend away from a particular ride in an amusement park.

~!**!~

Akari's grin turned wolfish, her eyes gleaming with mirth as Yusuke agreed, and almost as quickly as her hand would move, she had another coin in the slot of the machine, the music picking up where it had begun the previous round she had played. Her hand pulled at the joystick until the character name Lin Xou popped up, the character with a long, sleek black ponytail bouncing around on the balls of his feet on the screen as she hit ready.

"Y'know, these characters are based on actual people right?" she called across to the boy, suddenly deciding to share her own thoughts. "At least some of them. Lin is actually a demon who lived in my own village a few decades ago. Swell guy, until you made him mad."

She wasn't sure why she babbled like a moron.

Maybe it was because one of the characters slightly resembled Kurama, with the red hair, and her mind wished to be busy. _*****_

"Huh. Really?" Yusuke briefly looked across the profile pictures of the characters he hadn't really considered very far into before.

_Well...I guess that one __**does **__kinda look like Kurama...but it can't be..._

Yusuke glanced up over the machine at Akari, refraining from mentioning that particular notion. She hadn't reacted to Hiei's name, and he knew _someone _was bothering her. He'd worn that same look often enough in relation to Keiko to recognize it on others. And since she wouldn't so much as consider a human, like say Kuwabara...or anyone else for that matter...Yusuke felt pretty sure it had to be the fox getting under her skin. He wasn't surprised. Bloody intelligent bastard.

Best to get her mind off of these things.

"What about the sumo-wrestler in the corner? You know him too? Best buds?"

~!**!~

All of Shikiyoku's previous occupation with the unknown guild leader, as well as the encounter she'd nearly just had, melted away at the scene she could just imagine Hiei having been responsible for and she found herself grinning foolishly at him, putting her hands on her hips.

"What did you do _this _time?" 3

Hiei shrugged lightly at her, his eyes flashing with mischief as he glanced back at the group of demons charging through the parting crowd.

"I was given a rather interesting trinket. Why argue over it?"

With that, he turned and decided to take a small run, to find better fighting ground that wouldn't end up destroying parts of the city he had actually began to enjoy. His smirk never left his features as he rushed by Shikiyoku, a hand sliding into his cloak and just touching the blade he wished to test. He didn't withdraw it yet though, since he seriously didn't want to destroy any buildings and cause more trouble, but a little mischief here and there was enough to keep him entertained.

~!**!~

Akari smiled at the screen as she scrolled over to the character the detective had indicated, giving a small sound of thought before shrugging. "As far as I know, if he's a real person, he's either dead or enjoys laying low." She paused as a human passed by, looking at her as if she were completely out of place in the building.

As soon as he was out of earshot, she continued, "Granted, these characters are based pretty loosely on the actual characters. I'm sure the humans had fun using what they considered to be myths for the basis of these people."

She gave a small sigh. "Hit start already! I wanna see if I can kick your butt here!" _*****_

"Oh, uh, right," Yusuke had gotten distracted by attempting to see if he recognized any of the other characters now that Akari had mentioned it.

He started up the game and waited eagerly as it loaded, hands easily curling around either the joystick or the buttons as needed.

As he got into the game and the fight started, he jumped backwards to put some distance between himself and the girl, trying a combo or two quickly before she did anything just to make sure he remembered exactly what this fighter did.

~!**!~

"The only thing I might argue," Shikiyoku turned to follow after him, with the same smile on her face, "Is over your definition of 'given.'"

Her own eyes were bright as she dashed alongside him, wondering what _exactly _it was that he'd...been 'given.' 3

Hiei didn't reply right away to Shikiyoku, deciding to let her simmer for a moment over the fact that he knew not of the city's make up and was blindly looking for an open area. Of course, he wasn't worried since their pursuers were slow as boar demons.

As he ran, he found himself taking sharp turns, following the widest path through town until eventually, it did open up to a rather large courtyard-like scene, where only a few demons lingered, but otherwise it was barren of people and structures.

Sure, if he wanted to, he could simply get away.

But what was the fun in _that?_

~!**!~

Slender fingers poised over colored buttons and curled around the single joystick as the countdown began, and as soon as the fame shouted "GO" at her and Yusuke simultaneously, her character moved forward, towards Yusuke's retreating character as a few attacks flew at Lin. With the touch of a single button, her character slid on his knees underneath the attacks and was striking at Yusuke's character, which was, ironically, another character she recognized. Of course, not very well. Only the name, since her family had done a lot of research over specific types of fighters.

The character known as Lin threw punches one after another, followed by kicks. _*****_

Yusuke mashed furiously on his combo buttons, swooping the joystick down, over, and up in order to release one of his character's signature moves, but managed to get kicked in the middle of it as the character closed the distance too rapidly and found Akari's character's foot in his face.

Yusuke snorted at himself for the mistake, holding backwards on the joystick so that the next several punches were blocked as he looked for an opening, thinking he might jump overhead and get behind the other fighter.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku found herself gazing around at the blur of buildings and demons, still interested in seeing more of the town even as they were fleeing from the...

Hiei stopped, or rather slowed, and Shikiyoku raised her eyebrows as she felt he was preparing to turn on the demons who pursued him.

"I'm...pretty sure I don't need to be in the way." She made a path for the nearest building wall and ran up the side of it, getting to the roof and twisting around so that she sat with her legs dangling down over the air, hands next to her thighs, still wondering what a demon like Hiei would steal.

It wasn't like Demon World had sweet snow...3

Hiei glanced over at Shikiyoku as she spoke up, watching her form continue onwards and scale a wall of a nearby building, making a small sneer form on his face as he realized she had no idea what he'd taken. To her, it likely would be a silly thing, but to him, it was an interesting trinket that seemed to resonate with the energy of its wielder, as if becoming an actual part of the fighter who held it.

Even as his hand enclosed around the gems of the hilt at the very moment he turned to face his oncoming challengers, he could feel it almost humming with the resonance of his own energy. He didn't have to wait long before the four larger demons were standing around him, actually huffing from the run they'd had to make.

"You're rather out of shape." he commented, his eyes looking them over again as he reconsidered his observation. "Well, I suppose roundl is a shape.."

A growl resonated from each demon simultaneously, creating one low rumble that echoed on the wind. Without another response, each demon charged at once, two coming from his left, one in front of him, the other on his right.

Hiei only needed to make a lazy hop into the air to evade their clumsy fists, his arm withdrawing from his cloak to reveal the weapon he'd taken, though it was only a mere blur as it was struck down at the shoulders of the two closest demons, disabling the use of those arms entirely.

"Too slow."

~!**!~

Akari's hands pushed against the joystick, urging her character forward and down into a low kick that was aimed low at Yusuke's character's ankles, the sound that resonated from the screen of the grunt from Lin's character actually making her laugh. It was such a ridiculous sound that wasn't anywhere near the voice she vaguely remembered that she was momentarily distracted by her own amusement.

"Ridiculous," she commented again as her eyes turned back to the screen to see her character being tossed around. She didn't really care, since it was just a game. The fact only made her laugh a bit harder. _*****_

Yusuke shrugged as he advanced on her character again.

"It's entertaining enough." He grinned, "And I guess it keeps me out of trouble or something, so that's good right?"

He aimed a few punch/kick combos at her and then danced back briefly to try out another special attack that had his character twirling forward at a near-impossible rate while glowing as it tried to roundhouse kick hers.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku actually scoffed at her foolishness.

What _else _did she think Hiei would have...been given? Certainly not a shiny bauble like she would have wished for. She wouldn't know what to do with a sword. Except perhaps "don't hold the pointy end."

"He issss fassst."

"Mm." Shikiyoku intoned absently in agreement, feeling pleased. "The fastest."

Shikiyoku had a shiver run through her body as a tongue tickled at her ear, tasting the air near her hair which she had just gotten finished tucking behind one ear.

"Do you _mind_?" Shikiyoku grumbled, tilting her head away.

A hand roughly met with the back of her head and she could feel it grabbing a hold of her hair and jerking her backwards from the edge of the building.

"Not at all."

The slithering voice had another spine-tingling sensation skip down to Shikiyoku's toes, but her eyes narrowed as she got her footing underneath her, a burst of anger making her spin around, the grip on her hair not tight enough to prevent her from jerking around in spite of the pain it caused.

"_Not _the hair." Her eyes flashed with power and the demon released her, stumbling back as her energy hit him. "_You_ don't get to _touch_ the hair."

He hissed at her, torso humanoid, lower body snake, his tail lashing harshly behind him, annoyed as he visibly cringed away from her.

His recovery was quick and as Shikiyoku glanced over her shoulder to check Hiei's progress, he whipped his tail out in an effort to bind her, but she noticed just soon enough to leap back out of the way, landing firmly on the edge of the roof, her body bent defensively.

"Wantssss it." He slithered again, forked tongue tasting the air and her smell again, his eyes regarding her hungrily.

"Yeah, you and everyone else in the vicinity." Shikiyoku growled.

Being that his sense of taste was coupled with his sense of smell at how he pinpointed her location, Shikiyoku knew her energy was affecting him three times faster. And she had no idea how long he'd been at her shoulder. Or if he'd been following her since they'd entered the city for that matter.

If only she'd had her demonic form, she wished not for the last time. Everyone would be less likely to mess with her because of Hiei-his connection with her being more obvious with that form-but it seemed her luck was going to be the opposite for as long as this particular stay in Demon World lasted.

The demon was coming at her again and she dodged out of the way, though he seemed to predict her left movement and turned himself fast enough that he did not tumble off the roof of the building, only scattering bits of the materials down the side of the outer wall.

He shifted his weight to come at her with his tail again, but this time when she moved the opposite way he was ready for her, pushing his body forward so that he could capture her in a single hand, his massive fingers easily wrapping around her small form and lifting her off the ground.

Shikiyoku turned her head away and squeezed her eyes shut, but she could feel her scalp already tingling as her power started to shimmer defensively to her so-called 'aid.'

_Not now... _She pleaded silently.

If she could not keep it under control, every demon within the next mile would be after her, and they would not give up their chase so easily.

"Any time now, Hiei." Shikiyoku growled as the snake-demon pulled her closer to his face and tasted at her scent several more times with his tongue. 3

Hiei was enjoying himself, creating a small game of his own as he moved about, only just dodging the fists that were thrown at him and slowly hacking away at muscles, wondering if any of them would actually shout for mercy. He hardly thought so, since his strikes seemed to only anger them as if he were only prodding them with a cattle stick.

One demon came too close, and his head was rolling to the side in a second's notice, the large body falling with a rumble underneath him as he made another leap into the air, landing on the back of a demon who was hunched over, an arm trying to staunch the bleeding in his torso with an arm that no longer did his bidding.

Something pulled at his attention. Something tangible it seemed, as if a rope were being thrown over him and tugged lightly. He gave pause where he stood and assessed the sensation, but it left in another moment and he was moving away from the demons now, all patience and amusement having left him now.

He felt…

Rushed.

His lip curled upwards as his instincts told him he was wasting valuable time now, his skin crawling and hairs on his arms beginning to rise with an odd sense of panic that bubbled just below the surface. He killed another demon and turned to search for Shikiyoku, his eyes not immediately landing on her form at first.

He didn't have time to search anymore. The two remaining demons were charging, roaring at him, horns pointed in his direction as their heads bent forward in a tell-tale sign of a bull. A sound of irritation left him as he swung his sword again and quickly turned to leave the scene, not even watching as his playthings fell to the ground, as if forgotten.

His feet moved with his instincts, carrying him up the opposite side of the building than Shikiyoku had taken. As soon as his feet touched the roof, a flame formed around the blade he held, his sudden rage at the scene fueling, moving from himself and quite literally to the hilt of the blade and causing the gems to glow a crimson that rivaled even his own irises.

He hadn't appeared to have moved from his spot, but in truth, Hiei had lunged forward and swiped his newest weapon through the torso of the demon holding Shikiyoku, even returning to his previous spot before anyone had time to react.

He was tempted to speak, but his mouth couldn't quite find the words to say, so he settled for flicking his wrist, sending droplets of different colors of blood flying to the right and off of the smooth blade that no longer was aflame.

~!**!~

The game was a pretty close match, with both characters' heath bars just below half gone. Akari's character recovered from Yusuke's strikes and was standing up, fists moving in front of his face while he stood there, Akari thinking for the briefest of moments before making her character move again.

Her fingers mashed buttons just hard enough to create loud sounds, but not hard enough to break the machine, her other hand jerking the joystick around as she attempted her own special move.

_Up, left, right, left, blue button, green, yellow. _No matter what button she pushed, none of them lead to a combination that she was looking for, only sending more jabs and kicks or even making her character spin across the screen in an odd windmill like fashion, arms glowing yellowish with power whether or not the strike landed.

And it was beginning to frustrate her that she couldn't figure out how to use the best move of them all. Without it, she figured she would lose this game, but regardless of that thought, her character continued to fly around the screen just as fast as he could go, spinning, kicking, punching, whatever it was he could do, but each attack missing, sadly. _*****_

As Yusuke dipped, ducked, and dodged Akari's furious series of attacks, he watched the glowing meter in the corner of his screen every so often, seeing that he was close to filling it up.

He spun forward again, following the roundhouse kick with a combo of air attacks and a throw, eyes lighting up satisfactorily when that closed the gap he needed and the meter started to flash, glowing a bright blue.

Yusuke quickly jumped back and started executed the combination needed to release his character's final attack.

~!**!~

The snake-demon did not move for a moment, frozen in time, then his grip on Shikiyoku loosened and she fell to the ground, catching herself on one knee as the snake-demon crashed over onto the ground.

She coughed furiously as he had been squeezing and her vision swam before her until another wave of anger washed through her body and she growled as she stood, holding a hand up to her ribcage as she glared down at the empty shell of the snake-demon.

By this time her energy was weaving in the air around her, agitated, her hair waving just slightly as if a breeze were brushing through it.

The longer she glared, the more her eyes started to glow a dangerously green color, completely preventing any sight of her pupils or irises as the energy around her stopped in place for a moment before a giant pulsating wave nearly shook the building underneath her feet.

_Damn this __**stupid BODY.**_

Her demonic energy blasted out into a radius around her at least five feet wide, and thick enough that her features were indistinct.

Within it, Shikiyoku threw her head back as her eyes gleamed outwards with power, snarling up into the air as her entire body shimmered, suddenly covered in something akin to darkness as her shape beneath appeared to start changing, morphing into something altogether different.

The pulsating wave that had instigated this event imploded back towards her and everything froze for a brief second before it all collapsed, something obviously going very wrong as everything that had just happened reversed with a snap and Shikiyoku was left standing hunched over, several drops of sweat trickling down from her hairline as even her hair settled back down her back. She breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling with obvious strain, and then her eyes cleared, the final piece of the unsuccessful attempt quivering away from her.

The air around them had stilled, everything in the area holding its breath for another moment.

Shikiyoku glanced out over the city, most of which they had traversed at this point, and let loose a curse.

That's when all activity started again, but its buzzing seemed strangely humming towards her direction.

Without looking back, she dashed off the roof of the building towards the exit-gate of the city, feeling with a certainty she did not need to explain that she needed to get out of there.

Now. 3

Hiei stayed where he had landed, sword in hand and eyes trained on Shikiyoku as she landed on her own feet, her expression becoming more severe in the few moments he lingered where he stood. One moment, he was watching her breathing pick up in rhythm, become heavier with each breath she took.

And in the next, he couldn't even see her. But that wasn't what made his muscles tense up, his body rigid with complete and utter awareness of everything to do with the woman.

Her energy positively exploded around her, hitting him full force and making his core shake with the intensity behind it, the anger that motivated such a release. The fire he had almost forgotten about in his stomach moved rapidly, swirling about and keeping him focused enough to know that moving away from where he stood was not a wise decision.

But still, he _wanted _to move.

At first, it was not away from Shikiyoku, but towards her that he desired to travel. His body fought against his wish to move closer, to find the face that was hidden by the energy around himself. But as that fog seemed to clear, his desire to move forward shifted to another desire that was much more important at the moment. He could feel the shift in the air of the city, and his crimson orbs instinctively moved to the ground below.

Demons, hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, had turned their eyes up to him and Shikiyoku. Simultaneously.

He blinked as the fire in his stomach roiled again, as if telling him to get a move on, and without any hesitation, he turned and took off as well, his feet carrying him up to Shikiyoku and keeping pace with her easily, his eyes sliding over to her silently as small inklings of odd emotions slipped across the forefront of his mind here and there.

But he was too fueled by the fire to linger on those thoughts. He was too preoccupied with the idea of such sheer numbers coming after himself and Shikiyoku to even consider another thought for just a second. "Do not fight me," he suddenly voiced as he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up so that she sat on his left shoulder as his feet picked up the speed, making him now able to move at full speed without any delaying their escape.

He wouldn't dare give any other demon a chance to catch up, because if one even so much as delayed them, he wouldn't be able to fend all the rest of them off.

~!**!~

Akari's character spun and kicked across the screen, Yusuke's own character making contact with hers before dancing away to the furthest side of the screen, as far as could be from her own character. She huffed to herself, though her smile had never faltered since the game began, and she continuously tapped on buttons as if it would make her character get up any faster.

"C'mon, you lazy bum, Lin!" she tried coaxing at the pixelated character, her eyes suddenly moving to Yusuke's character and realizing he was creating a combo she hadn't seen before. "Uh-uh. I don't think so," she said to the detective as her character finally stood, but she doubted it was in time to block a special move, as this game had explained earlier. _*****_

In a similar fashion to Yusuke's spirit gun, albeit fired with the heels of both hands together and a blast at least a hundred times in width of his usual bullet, a blue wall of energy shot across the screen from his character into hers, throwing her character up into the air as the words K.O. popped up across the screen.

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at her and winked, "It's just not fair, is it?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku was glad for the sudden rush of air that now stung at her eyes, for tears of anger and hatred had formed there as she started running. Anger at herself for being unable to control her emotions, for erupting like that, even if her attempt to change had been a valid effort for her to take. Hatred boiled up underneath that though, a hatred for the impenetrable wall she had almost literally run headlong into just as she could taste her true form returning.

And the source behind that wall?

Toriko.

If Shikiyoku hadn't been rushing by whatever it was Hiei sped them past she would have spat in disgust at the ground below them.

Instead she gnashed her teeth together in fury.

A sort of sense of self returned to her just enough that she could tell Hiei wasn't running quite as fast as he was able, having to adjust for her height above him, which also prevented him from slipping through smaller passageways, having to skirt in various directions to regain their path.

She squeezed at his shoulder slightly with her right hand in warning to let him know she was going to shift and with a dexterity only a demon could have achieved, she dropped her weight behind his shoulder, pulling her legs over and behind it as she simultaneously shifted enough to have her right hand over to the other side of his head, positioning her legs on either side of his waist and draping her arms lightly underneath his neck in a piggy-back ride.

She proceeded to bury her face between her left arm and his neck as she clenched her jaw together with a barely contained wrath, knowing if at that moment she had contained the ability, she would have obliterated the stupid "human" side of her without hesitation. 3

Hiei continued moving along a path that was wide and open, surprisingly void of other demons considering the situation. He cut through alleyways anyway, his Jagan forcing itself open to look ahead, burning away his bandage that veiled it since he hadn't had the ability to remove it with a hand. The third eye looked ahead, acting like a mapping system and easily creating a route for their escape that, while was not the shortest, was the best route in relation to very little interaction with other demons.

He was about to glance over his shoulder when Shikiyoku's hand squeezed the very shoulder he had been about to look over, and her jostling around momentarily slowed him before she was set again, his arms instinctively curling beneath her legs to act as support for her body against his, his feet now moving with every single ounce of speed he was capable of.

He glanced over his shoulder to see very few demons able to keep him within their sights, and his Jagan adjusted the route accordingly, making more rapid turns and random shifts through alleys in the city to better relieve himself of any pursuers until, finally, he was seeing the gate that would let him escape the walls of this place and disappear into the dense forestry outside.

And, not to his surprise, the gates had begun to close at the sight of the sheer number of demons making way to it, Hiei managing to get through just before they slammed shut with a rumble that shook the ground under his feet. Only then did he slow, and it wasn't even enough of a slow down to allow his form to be seen other than a blur.

He didn't want to take any chances, so he merely continued on, and if he were to go in the wrong direction, Shikiyoku could simply point him the right way.

~!**!~

As the game ended, her screen playing sad music as Yusuke's machine blared music of triumph, she looked up to catch the expression on his face, her eyes staring at the tongue he stuck out at her. If she had been close enough, she would have grabbed that tongue between her thumb and index finger.

Instead, she settled for mocking the gesture in a child-like manner. "I'm Yusuke, and I think I'm the biggest, baddest wolf in town," she grumbled, her eyes still shining with mirth and a smile still plainly plastered on her face while her hands waved by her face, her body making a small dancing move to accompany her teasing, causing the stool to rock slightly back and forth.

"I guess I'm done gaming for the day," she said as she recovered from her own taunting. "They're not as enjoyable to me as they are to you." _*****_

"I'm _so _glad you've finally seen the light." Yusuke took the opportunity to let out a little howl, his eyes dancing until she said she was done.

"Aw, really?" His expression obviously grew disheartened, "I mean, there's other stuff you could try too..."3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	35. Episode 120 - Anger and The Aswang

**A/N: **Hello once again fellow, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

Another chapter, just for you. Yes, you.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Yusuke takes Akari to the arcade in town,  
>and the two of them play a fighting game together,<br>Yusuke eventually pulling out a win.

~!**!~

Hiei and Shikiyoku make their way through the first city on their trek across the Ninth Level of Demon World.  
>Shikiyoku makes friends with a Guild Leader of one of the mercenary guilds,<br>and Hiei takes a fire-attuned sword for himself, stirring up some trouble.

Shikiyoku retreats to the top of a nearby building as Hiei takes care of the chasing authorities,  
>but ends up needing Hiei's assistance as a snake demon becomes enthralled by her energy.<br>In a fit of anger, Shikiyoku attempts to revert to her demonic form,  
>(most demons would see her connection with her Champion that way and leave her alone)<br>but fails and instead only catches the attention of any demons on the street.

Hiei picks her up and retreats out of the city...

* * *

><p>When Shikiyoku felt Hiei's arms moving underneath her, she relaxed into his hold, knowing her weight would be of little consequence to a demon even as she leaned forward into his back and shoulders to help counteract the balance issues she might cause at his rapid pace.<p>

Her thoughts remained dark and murderous, wrestling for the first time in her life with visions of actually killing another being, something she had never done with her own hands.

At that very moment though, she desired nothing more than to annihilate her other side, to wipe her from existence, to obliterate her, to-

Shikiyoku squeezed her eyes tighter together where she had her face hidden against Hiei's neck, loosely burying her fingers into the white scarf around his neck, violent thoughts filled with blood and gore running through her head until she was awash in a sea of red, her entire body strung taut. She wished to tear the very face off that she knew Toriko shared with her, as if somehow underneath it would be her true form that had only been waiting to be freed in such a way.

It wasn't as if _all _her problems would vanish were she in demon form, but the pact between her and her Champion would be obvious to any other demon no matter the distance that separated them, and the vast majority of Demon World would avoid her as to be accidentally enraptured would mean death by the hand of he who watched over her, the higher level ones only approaching her for work. Or pleasure. Or both; they often coincided for her anyway.

She sighed and felt herself relaxing again, the rhythm of the fire demon, both his core and his feet, steady and strong underneath her, his warmth cutting through her disjointed and angered thoughts and lulling her into a calm. 3

Hiei's feet continued in the steady rhythm he had created, making a beating song all its own against the ground that transitioned from dry dirt that kicked up with each step to grass that quieted his steps only a little. When Shikiyoku shifted around a little on his back, he glanced over his shoulder at her, only just realizing she had her face buried in his back and fingers hidden in his scarf.

His eyes turned forward again, his Jagan periodically making a sweep for threats in the area, but for the moment, all seemed well. He was simply moving too fast for most demons to even sense his presence, much less get a look at him and land a strike.

As time wore on, Hiei began letting his feet slow to a jog, no longer worried about any threats from the city that was now miles and miles behind them. His grip on Shikiyoku loosened enough to keep her seated comfortably on his back, but it also conveyed that there was now no need to continue any form of escape because there was no longer much threat aside from the creatures in the underbrush that they would have to trek through.

And still, he didn't say anything. He could feel the anger that she was sifting through as if it were his own, and he didn't want to interrupt.

~!**!~

Akari gave a shrug as she tipped the stool backwards, toying with the balance for a few moments, a single hand on the machine to keep herself from falling backwards. "Surely you don't _need_ company to stay amused?" she asked as she set the legs on the ground again and placed her own feet on the floor, standing up and retreating from the machine.

"While I'm sure you had valid reason to skip class other than video games, I _do _have my own reasons for doing the same." She tossed a smirk over her shoulder at the boy before turning to continue on, sashaying her way around the machines with complete intent on leaving.

But she wasn't really sure what she'd do next, honestly. While she _did _enjoy the distraction Yusuke provided, she didn't enjoy the games as much, likely because of her mood. She paused and turned to face the direction of the detective again. "Unless you're hungry, perchance?" _*****_

Yusuke raised his eyebrows as she spoke, having already guessed at the reason why she had skipped classes for that day. A certain _other _red-head attended the same school as she, after all.

"I could definitely go for something to eat." Yusuke admitted. "You gotta place in mind?" He stood up and trotted after her to catch up, sticking his hands in his pockets and remembering the licorice from earlier, slipping a stick of it in his mouth before putting his hands behind his head as they walked, looking up into the sky.

~!**!~

The feeling that had fueled her escape earlier from the city had faded completely, and when she experimentally felt about them, she could sense no demons in the area and knew that with her presence removed, those behind her who had given chase would die to the dangers outside the city walls.

As if echoing her realizations, she felt Hiei beneath her grow less concerned with their speed as well, loosening his grip and slowing to move along at a more comfortable pace.

She could honestly admit to herself that she didn't really want to get down, despite her observations during the beginning part of their trek that she was adamant he would _not _be carrying her. It felt...nice.

All of the things that made her wary to let him do so at first seemed far away, somewhere beyond the sturdiness of his body as it never faltered along their pathway as well as the warmth afforded him by his kind.

Finally though, after letting several more miles pass, she pulled her head up, sighing as she leaned it against Hiei's with her eyes closed still because of their speed and murmured into his ear, "You can let me down now." 3

Hiei glanced back at Shikiyoku as she again shifted, her head just lightly pressing against his and very quickly gaining his attention. He raised a brow at her request, but he did slow down until, after a few more moments, he was standing still and uncurling his arms from underneath her knees, crouching just enough that when she moved, her feet would just touch the ground and she would be standing.

"No more cities," he said in a low voice, his tone even as he considered her for a moment. "I dislike them."

~!**!~

Akari gave a lopsided smile at Yusuke as he caught up, fueled by the idea of food to walk by her side and follow her to wherever she decided to eat. The first place that popped into mind was the shop that Toriko had shown her once before, when they'd gone to eat in "celebration" of her test grade.

"Ramen stands are rather popular around here," she commented casually, glancing at him again as he stuck candy between his lips and laced his fingers behind his head lazily. A small huff of a laugh left her and she turned forward again, eyes on the sidewalk she followed. "There's one I particularly enjoy more than the others." _*****_

"Always an excellent choice." Yusuke agreed as he walked alongside her, catching her spying the stick he spoke around as he pulled one out and held it out to her, interpreting her glance as one that wished to have a piece. "Wan' it?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku didn't feel as if she had the strength to argue with him at that moment, though neither did she particularly blame him for his dislike either. Not after what they had just been through.

She did know, however, that the areas surrounding the cities were some of the most hazardous within the ninth level and that the trek through a city, even if chased by countless demons, would be much less dangerous as there would be little to actually catch them should it come to that. Outside the walls? There were things that were much, _much _faster than even Hiei.

After standing on her own legs, she immediately reached within her cloak to the inside layer, and tearing a long strip of the black fabric that lined it from the part that faced her body where the missing piece would be unnoticeable, held it out to Hiei, refusing to look him in the eyes, saying nothing. 3

Hiei let his arms hang at his sides when Shikiyoku was standing on her own, immediately turning to face her as he considered several things. If it weren't for his own need to amuse himself, he'd still be able to see the inside of the city he'd just distanced himself and Shikiyoku from. He actually did enjoy looking through trading stands, and the one that had interested him most had, inevitably, lead to a city-wide chaos, in a sense.

All aimed at them.

The thought made a very tight-lipped frown pull at his lips and his eyes turn back to look in the direction they'd just come from. He hadn't minded cities before, since he hadn't had to account for another person with him when he acted as he desired, but now that he wasn't sure what would happen with another person with him, particularly Shikiyoku and her type of energy, it made him wary of cities altogether.

He heard a ripping sound and his eyes slid back over to Shikiyoku, eyeing the the strip of fabric being offered to him. He didn't have to ask to know what it was for. And he didn't hesitate to accept it either, swiftly tying the thin material around his forehead as the Jagan slid closed for its own type of hibernation.

"Which direction?"

~!**!~

"Hm?" Akari hummed out in slight confusion as her eyes slid back to Yusuke, her eyes considering the candy he held out to her. After a moment, she gingerly took it from him and lifted the stick to her nose, sniffing at the licorice curiously, cautiously. It wasn't too bad of a smell, but it wasn't one that automatically told her she'd enjoy the taste either.

So she stuck the end of the candy into her mouth and tore off a bite, chewing thoughtfully as the odd flavor coated her tongue. It wasn't so bad, she supposed, despite her definitive lack for a sweet tooth.

"Thanks," she grumbled before tearing another piece away from the candy and chewing. She fell almost completely silent again as she munched. "It's good." _*****_

"It's fairly easy to snag." He explained, "And it fits in my pockets so I can take it in anywhere." Here he shrugged as if uncaring whether the answer sounded lazy or not. His thoughts wandered to the ramen they would soon be eating and his stomach let out a hungry growl that made his face break into a smile. "I hope it's not that far."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku didn't say anything at first when he asked, her gaze trained steadily on him with an unreadable look before glancing about them.

The spot he had placed her down in was clear enough, surprisingly safe, at least at that moment.

She turned back to him and slipped her cloak off of her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground a foot away from her, not answering his question.

"You might want to step back." She warned, closing her eyes as her hair began to whisper around her shoulders just enough to make one think it were alive, her entire body starting to tingle from her scalp to her toes.

She deliberately turned her head away from him as her energy manifested in her eyes as the same green glow that had hidden her pupils previously, opening them once he was not in eyesight and letting them stare unblinkingly forward as her hair started to almost float in a wind that wasn't there. 3

Hiei blinked once at Shikiyoku's warning before turning to do as she had instructed, retreating into the tallest branches of a tree a few yards away from her, so that were something to happen, he could still swoop in and interfere in a moment's notice. His crimson eyes took to looking about his surroundings, the wind moving around him at a stronger push up in the tops of this tree than on the ground, making his hair move atop his head and cloak whip around his shins.

Nothing seemed out of the norm. Nothing seemed to stand out from here, his eyes searching each and every shadow he could see in the trees, on the ground, and anywhere else he could see them. But inevitably, his eyes turned downwards to Shikiyoku again, observing, wondering what she was doing this time.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small smile at the path ahead of her, picturing Yusuke smuggling more than just a handful or two of this candy into buildings that wouldn't allow such a thing to happen if they were aware of it. Movie theaters, for instance, would have him throw it out in a heartbeat.

She stuck the last bit of the candy into her mouth and chewed, at first not noticing the slight change of the scent in the air. It wasn't a very prominent change, something only a demon would have picked up. But when she _did_ finally notice the smell, her feet stopped moving and her eyes began searching the area, her nose flaring with each test of the air she inhaled, trying to find the direction the smell came from.

"Yusuke," she mumbled out, that being the only thing she did in order to grab his attention as her eyes followed an invisible trail that only her nose paved for her. She turned to follow the smell, crossing the street at a jog to avoid traffic.

With the smell of the blood so weak from here, there was no telling how far the danger was from the town. So her feet continued to pick up in pace, despite the protest her torso gave to her swinging arms.

The scent lead her weaving through alleyways, behind houses, around shops until she was standing just outside of town, the scent strong enough to make her nose crinkle. No human would survive that much blood loss.

Yet, there was no body in sight. Only a small, wrinkled old woman passing by. At first, she thought nothing of it, but her eyes did follow the elderly woman that turned to look at her, eyes much older than the skin she wore. _*****_

At first Yusuke only glanced over at Akari when she murmured his name, but when she took off across the middle of the street he scrambled after her, calling out, "Red?! Hey, Red!"

She didn't appear to hear him, or was ignoring him, but the abrupt shift in her demeanor made the hairs at the back of his neck stand up and he stopped trying to get her attention, taking to keeping apace with her and noting the strange look in her eyes.

He didn't even see the old woman, but he _did _accidentally shoulder into her and he muttered an apology when he took note of her age as she looked over at Akari.

~!**!~

The last time she'd tried this her mind had been fueled by the fury she felt with her current form, and this time she approached the attempt at change with a much clearer head.

It had only been because of her anger that such a forceful and uncontrolled wave of her energy had captured the attention of the entire city, though here in the blood-red forest around them there was no chance of capturing the attention of thousands of demons all at once anyway.

As she slowly accessed the demonic energy within her, the motion deliberate and measured, a yellow aura of the stuff began shimmering around her and while there was still a pulsing of a wave out from her body, it was much more within her grasp, extending not much farther than a foot or so, but it steadily continued pulsing as if reflecting the beat of the core within her.

The yellow energy started becoming more concentrated around her body even as the rest of it wove into the air like so much fire, hiding the details of her form from view as it made a heavy veil that continued to darken until her body looked almost completely black.

Her image shuddered at that point, as if trying to shift, and the pulsing waves faltered.

Within her, that same wall, that same sense of Toriko blocking her, rose up and Shikiyoku felt the same flash of anger ring through her body that had spurred her onwards before and she rushed headlong into that wall inside her head, the next pulse of energy out of her body stronger, the next two following the same before Shikiyoku smacked into the wall.

Her energy fell away all at once and she stood still looking normal, black hair, green eyes.

Her fists clenched together and in a blast of energy she was at the point she had just left, her breath coming faster than before and the pulsing waves more intense and closer together in time from one another, her eyes clouding over as she looked within.

The same thing happened as had the previous two times and Shikiyoku could feel her ire rising as she was forced to cut power once more, a line of sweat around her hairline before she tried again, this time with much more force than previously.

Things were stirring in the forest about them by this time, and a small scaly creature hopped out from the undergrowth and sat not inches away from her feet, staring up at her with wide and _almost _innocent eyes if not for the too sharp teeth that were visible as its mouth hung open while trying to look into her face. 3

Hiei watched with his head tilted slightly in curiosity, his eyes taking in the energy that amassed around her, blocking his very view from her in a sense he didn't quite enjoy. Her energy continued to move about the area, even making the grass and plants around her move around and around in its own swirling typhoon of power.

He had to admit the sight was rather impressive.

But the thought that she had so much energy, and no ability to fight, made him scoff at the irony. If she could harness that power to fight, she'd be among the strongest demons he'd ever seen, if not _the _strongest. Her energy level was remarkable, but its purpose made the effect of seeing such an amount of energy dim.

He hadn't noticed the small demon right away that had approached Shikiyoku's feet, looking up at her. But when he did, his own eyes trained on the creature, his irises hardening in a silent warning that he knew the creature wouldn't see from there.

As soon as he had become aware of the creature, his mind became much more aware of the stirrings around the area, especially those closest to himself. Wings began to beat as demons were awoken, creatures began scurrying around in dazed confusion.

But still, the only one to have approached Shikiyoku was the one at her feet, and he watched as he slowly began moving down the branches of the tree. Admittedly, he was somewhat wary of approaching her, but if something happened, he'd be there in a millisecond.

~!**!~

Akari stared into the blue eyes of the elderly woman, noting a small film that covered the gaze that stared back at her with unease.

"E-excuse me, doll," the woman croaked as she brushed by Yusuke.

Akari reacted, pulling Yusuke away from her immediate reach as the woman had lifted a hand to grasp at Yusuke's arm. She placed herself between the two, avoiding the hand carefully as every hair on her body began to stand on end, her skin crawling as she realized this human had no spiritual energy at all. It was almost as if she had no source of energy, no life energy to speak of.

"You do not belong here," she whispered to the woman, glare harsh at the smile she received. It seemed so innocent.

"I was just out on a walk, sweety."

Akari's nostrils flared as the smell of her breath hit her nose, disgust quickly evident on her features and her energy instinctively moving about in her body, rapidly filling the area as she stepped away from the woman. Close quarter combat with this creature was not advised, so as she stepped backwards, she pushed Yusuke back as well, a low growl forming in her chest and rumbling in her throat. "Where is it?"

"I don't know what you're referring to.." _*_

Yusuke hadn't had time to react to Akari grabbing him, but he wondered at her addressing the old hag that way, not having taken her to be so harsh with her elders.

_I mean...__**I'm **__a delinquent. But she's got no excuse._

When her energy burst from her body, stepping back and shoving Yusuke along with her, _that _he did notice and his eyebrows raised at her.

Granted, he could have just blasted the woman with a Spirit Gun, but what on _earth _was Akari thinking? They weren't supposed to harm _humans. _That was in the job description.

Somewhere.

Not that he had been given a manual.

Not that he would have read it.

Psh.

~!**!~

When Shikiyoku's energy cut off this time, her breath was coming much harsher out of her lungs.

She didn't even notice the creature who still sat staring wide-eyed up at her, nor did she take notice of the others that were crawling out of the woodwork to form a sort of peaceful circle around her with the same expression that the smaller one wore.

As she blasted out again with her energy, this pulse the largest so far, none of the creatures that were surrounding her seemed to be harmed by the high concentration that they were being exposed to, whereas if it had been any other type of demon hitting them with such waves of power, they all likely would have been disintegrated just by the exposure.

Some of the smaller ones wove their way out to come closer, and the littlest one, the one who had been standing in front of her the longest, closed his eyes as he hopped right up to her foot and began rubbing his scaly head against her ankle affectionately, the noise he made akin to a cat's purr as it gurgled in his throat.

A strange vine-looking one that slithered along like a snake slipped up her body until it wrapped around one arm, both of which were held out from her body at this point, fists clenched tightly and bent at the elbows.

One of the flyers, something like a miniature dragon, landed about her shoulders and first ran around the front of her neck before diving into her hair, his tiny black body invisible except for his fiery eyes that were half-lidded as he came to rest tangled up against her skull with his tail hanging out over one shoulder and draping in front of her neck like an onyx necklace.

She let go again, her breath coming no slower, a bead of sweat dripping down her back as the creatures around her being cooing and snarling and growling encouragingly at her efforts, all of them wearing expressions of contentment that they had likely never experienced in their lives.

Her concentration completely on the wall within, she did not hear or be aware of her audience as she tried again, beginning to rage at the wall Toriko held up with a strength Shikiyoku could simply not seem to match. 3

Hiei's eyes moved around as he paused halfway down the tree, witnessing many different types of creatures slithering, wobbling, crawling, flying from the tree all around him. He blinked and watched each and every single creature make its way to Shikiyoku, some curling at her feet and some actually curling around her body as if she were charming them into doing so for her own amusement. In truth, the sight was an interesting one.

None of the creatures seemed ready to do harm, only curl up as close to her as could be and to soak in the energy that radiated from her in stronger doses than before. They each looked to her with happiness, appreciation, innocence. It was starkly different from the look the demons in the city had had when her power had touched them.

And for the moment, he was almost completely sure his own expression turned to one of wonderment at the scene. He sat back, watching her and the creatures interact, seemingly without Shikiyoku noticing. But he felt no immediate threat. So he stayed on the branch he had occupied, completely taken with the moment.

~!**!~

Akari watched the old woman that smiled at her with closed lips, as if the woman noticed how keenly Akari searched for the last telltale sign of what she needed to know. "Why don't we part on good terms, deary?" the woman spoke, holding a hand out as if to shake. The distance that stood between her and Akari was only enough that if Akari so desired, she could actually reach out and take the hand with a fully extended arm.

And despite her caution earlier, she did just that, reaching her left hand out to take the hand just as a sound reached her ears, a hissing almost, and the woman swiped at her with speed she had trouble keeping up with. Claws had formed and the image of the elderly woman gave way to the image of a very leathery-like creature with wings, the same hand that had tried to strike at Akari swiping in another attempt as she stumbled backwards.

"Move, you moron!" she growled at Yusuke, breaking away from his proximity and moving to the demon's left,

"_You've been very rude to others," _the creature said in an almost dreamy tone, the s enunciated only slightly as a his with a long, round, thin tongue that showed itself through very sharp, very dangerous teeth as the creature ran at her with blinding speed, backwards feet not even slowing the creature that not only swiped at her, but threw a gurgled attack of acid from her throat over at Yusuke. _*****_

It did take Akari's words to pull Yusuke from his stare as the old woman began to change, but he did manage to dodge away from her.

"What the _hell_?!" He exclaimed as he spotted the flying spew of grossness coming his direction and deciding that he probably shouldn't let that hit him either and back-pedaled a few steps so that it fell to the ground in front of him, hissing as it ate into the concrete.

"What _is _that thing?!"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku repeated the process several more times: hair waves, eyes glow, energy pulsates outwards, aura forms, body darkens...wall rises.

She yelled angrily into the air, her fury giving her another hard shove of more powerful energy at the wall as her body kept shimmering and trying to morph.

This time when she cut power, her knees almost wouldn't hold her up and she took a step backwards before they could collapse underneath her to give herself a more sturdy stance, breathing heavily with the effort she'd been exerting.

It wasn't fair. How in the three worlds could this...this _human_, or near enough to disgust Shikiyoku into using the term, have more defensive power than the 'attacks' Shikiyoku mustered against it.

The very thought drove her into blasting out energy again as she could feel her body beginning shaking, enraged.

Again, she met the same wall, ever-passive, ever-resistant to anything she threw against it, again feeling her body trying desperately to bend to her will and change as she wished it, but to no avail as she could not get past that blasted wall.

Her anger made her so mad that as her body trembled with the emotion, she could feel tears of wrath stinging at the corners of her eyes that did not fall, but were still there nonetheless.

This time when her power fell away, her body actually wavered. She took no notice as she very quickly recharged.

This last attempt was short-lived as she collapsed to her hands and knees on the ground, shoulders tense as she started to rise, pushing herself up into a stand, body visibly shaking not just with her anger any longer.

Lost in her mind, taking not into account the very obvious protests her body tried to warn her over, she shoved away whatever itch it made at the back of her head as distraction and once again erupted with power. 3

Hiei's eyes widened just slightly as he was able to see the strain Shikiyoku was putting her body through now. His mind quickly shifted from his thoughts about the rather impressive and enlightening scene with the demonic creatures to thoughts over sudden worry that she would push herself too far, that she would collapse and become comatose.

He didn't want that, and he figured she didn't either. So Hiei dropped the rest of the way to the ground in only mere moments, his feet touching the grass and moving across the clearing until he was stepping around the animals at Shikiyoku's feet. His eyes zeroed in on hers, still with a harsh glow that made his thoughts falter for a moment, leaving him standing still as her energy beat against him to his very core.

He stood there, dazed, for a few moments before something shook him free of the charm and he reached forward, grabbing Shikiyoku's arm to keep her body still.

"_That's enough," _he spoke telepathically to her, knowing his actual voice would do no good. "_Your body cannot take much more."_

~!**!~

Akari was stumbling around, her footing unstable as she continued to back away from each strike the demon made at her, claws elongating ever so slightly with each miss. A continuous hiss escaped the demon's mouth through the sharp teeth in a sound that almost resembled a snicker.

"You're too slow!" The demon cackled as the claws just tore at her shirt and the bandages underneath, missing skin by a hair and making Akari growl and create shadows that enveloped her hands, something she had yet to test.

It was true, she wasn't as swift, but Akari swung out anyway, blocking the strike that had been aimed at her stomach with a shadow-encased arm. Surprisingly, the creature screamed and recoiled.

"What, shadows do harm? I thought you were friends with them."

She glanced over at Yusuke when he yelled at her, the creature turning and spitting again in his direction since he seemed to be a larger threat than Akari was. "A-"

Akari ducked and swung her arms at the creature again, striking the stomach of the Aswang that sucked in its belly to avoid her strike, allowing the girl to continue past and towards Yusuke. "Don't let it bite you, scratch you, spit on you, nothing!" She instructed as she passed him, her energy forming a shadow creature that resembled a large dog, eyes red and snarl louder than one she'd ever been able to produce. "No close combat!"

The shadowed figure had the Aswang by its ankle, snarling and pulling at the let, its head whipping from side to side as loud screeches filled the air, each swipe that hit her shadowed companion actually causing slight pain within Akari's core.

"Just kill it, would ya?" _*****_

"Geez," Yusuke exclaimed again as the next shot of acid nearly brushed the toes of his shoes when he moved back again, arms out from his sides to maintain his balance.

"You realize," He yelled out at her, "That close combat is kinda what I do, right?" He found his back against a wall of the alleyway and grumbled to himself, his spirit energy flowing to his fists as he weighed whether or not to listen to Akari and stay back.

His eyes quickly glanced about them.

There was no one 'around,' at least not in the alley itself, and it wasn't like normal humans would be able to _see _his spirit gun, but they would see if it smacked into a building and blew the top of the thing off.

But when Yusuke noticed Akari had the thing pinned in place, he rolled his eyes and stepped away from the wall, pulling up his hands and pointing the first finger of the right one at the demon.

_Spirit Gun!_

The blue blast shot through the air, heading straight for the thing Akari had caught.

~!**!~

Within her head, the wall Shikiyoku fought with suddenly took on Hiei's face and aura and she started back just as she would have hit at it again, hearing his calm voice echoing through her mind and becoming aware that he had taken a hold of her arm.

Another pulse of energy escaped in the time it took for her to comprehend that he had approached her, and she turned her head away from him to close her eyes, a frown making her eyebrows clench together as she gave up her power all at once and it blipped out of existence save for the usual, high-leveled scent that wafted invisibly about her out of her awareness.

Without the energy coursing actively through her veins, she could feel her knees collapsing, the exhaustion of her constant tirade sweeping across her limbs as she wavered just between standing and sitting. 3

Hiei waited patiently until her energy disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared, creating almost a pause in the clearing as time seemed to stand still for just a moment. In the next moment, creatures were moving and Shikiyoku's body was trembling, her muscles giving way to the strain she had placed herself under.

His hand tightened around her upper arm just a little as he held her upright, unable to get much closer without practically kicking away the creatures at their feet aside. He eyed her slowly, keenly. "Don't make sudden movements," he warned quietly, eyes slowly moving to the creatures that perched on her body in various places. He hadn't a clue what they'd do.

~!**!~

Akari spun to stand behind Yusuke, watching her own handiwork with a sense of pride. Normally, that attack didn't do more than run through a person, demons under middle D class being paralyzed by the attack on their nerves. But this… This was odd, since the creature was actually a creature of the night.

_Makes no sense. Why's it out anyway?_

The Aswang swung at her creature, and the shadows separated as acid was spat simultaneously. Just as Yusuke fired his shot, the creature was up and moving again, just missing the shot and charging underneath it, screeching as it ran with a limp, one foot that had been originally backwards now facing inward. Akari moved almost immediately to the side of Yusuke, going for the Aswang's dominant side and aiming another strike with her shadow-encased hands at the ankle that wasn't harmed. With a single swipe down at her, Akari lost a few strands of hair and the last of the binding of the bandages underneath her shirt, though her shirt was only torn in four places.

A snarl and strike later, Akari had the demon on the ground again. "Shoot again!" she growled out while more shadows slid across the ground, acting as bindings as Akari crouched to the side not caring much if she were close enough to be struck by the edges of the attack. But she did move away, more so to avoid the acid spit at her than to avoid Yusuke. _*****_

Yusuke refrained from grumbling, taking the opportunity again to shoot a second blast.

"If I miss this time," He shouted at her as the energy blasted from his finger, "I'm just gonna start wailing on it with my bare fists!"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes came back open from where they'd closed as she felt her body wanting to collapse as Hiei gripped her arm tighter.

She had not taken note of a single one of the creatures that surrounded her when they first approached, but as her vision cleared and focused back onto the outside world, neither did her expression particularly change at the sight of them.

The countless pairs of eyes trained on her did nothing for her dark mood and her lip lifted in a snarl.

"Go. Away."

The larger ones in the back almost immediately turned away, as did the others who were the most recent among their number and the group thinned, the creatures apparently not willing to attack one another for as long as Shikiyoku's energy lingered within them.

For the littlest one, he stayed where he had sat on top of her foot, his scaly tail wrapped around her ankle and his expression pleased as he stared up at her in his version of a smile.

Shikiyoku shook her other arm with an irritated look as the vine-snake did not remove itself at once.

"Get off." She growled again as she felt it loosening and then finally dropping to the ground, the last vestiges of her anger still simmering just along the surface of her emotions.

The slightest bit of movement just at the outskirts of her vision over her eyebrows caught her gaze and she found herself straining her eyes upwards to spy a tiny black-scaled dragon-head bent upside down from over the top of her head with two glimmering eyes set like rubies on its face staring at her.

Realizing the dragon was woven tightly into her black hair, Shikiyoku pursed her lips together and glared back at it.

Sensing her unhappiness, Shikiyoku could feel the dragon's belly expanding as it took in a breath, then trilled a sounded from its throat that sounded so much like Maneshi's pleased murl that a sudden smile broke out over her face and she reached up to stroke a finger along its scaly neck, which made it gurgle in pleasure.

"It's hard to stay mad at something so eager to please." She admitted to it as it closed its eyes, enjoying her attentions. 3

Hiei let his grip loosen just a little on her arm as Shikiyoku shook her opposite arm free of the creature that had latched onto her. His eyes turned downward to see most of the creatures had left, aside from a few that lingered, even closer to her than before now that the area had thinned of creatures considerably.

He eyed the creature around Shikiyoku's ankle. It was a rather odd looking thing, a type of creature he didn't know how to classify. He hadn't ever seen anything like it, and quite frankly, he was half tempted to reach down and touch it to test the scaly look of its body.

But he didn't do it though. Touching a creature he wasn't familiar with wasn't something he would do, since he wasn't sure of what type of attacks it could have. If it bit him, he could die on the spot for all he knew.

"Perhaps we should continue on."

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Yusuke as she danced around the continuous clumps of acid shot at her like cannonballs. Yusuke's blast lit up the alleyway again, blinding Akari for a moment and she pulled an arm up to cover her eyes, her back pressing against the building she had accidentally pinned herself to.

The screeching in the alleyway stopped abruptly, replaced with the sound of sizzling skin as the blast died away. Akari's arm fell to her side again and she looked down at the remains of the demon.

"That, my dear detective, is called an Aswang." she said slowly, turning to look around herself again as her nose refocused on the smell of human blood. "They're notorious for their poisonous bite and their claws that are coated with the same acid as their spit, which could burn through skin before you even realize you've been hit. Oddly enough, clothing goes unharmed by the acid, hence the reason my shirt is still intact. They're not very popular with even demonworld. They hide a lot and normally hunt at night."

She paused, drawing in a deep breath. She didn't want to tell him what they preyed on. "The old lady disguise is something they adapted when the three worlds separated, so they could hide here without being noticed and hunt all they wish."

She didn't look at him as she turned to walk away, her nose twitching as her eyes moved around and around the alleyway. There was no sign of blood in sight, so it was very clear the creature had done well in learning the tactic of hiding the remains. "I'm surprised you can't smell this." she commented as she continued down the alleyway and out into the open area between the town's buildings and the trees, not slowing at all as she continued following the stench. _*****_

Yusuke laughed nervously as he followed after Akari, putting a hand up behind his head and scratching at his hair in a motion reflecting the type laughter he loosened.

"Sniffing things out isn't really my speciality. I'm usually following Kuwabara's nose."

~!**!~

"I..." Shikiyoku started to speak, realizing as she tried to move forward that her legs weren't going to respond, unsure of how she'd been able to stay up this long on them in the first place. "I think I need to sit down." She was going to have to rest before they kept moving, as delicious as resuming her position on Hiei's back and letting him do the running work sounded at the moment.

A pang from their pact jolted her as the tempting thought of forcing him to do so flitted across her mind.

_I know. I know. Can't make him do anything he doesn't want to do. I get it._

Hiei waited for the rest of that sentence, hand still lingering below her elbow just in case. He could see the muscle strain seem to become worse, her legs shaking more as she finally continued talking. He wasn't surprised by her observation. In fact, he actually agreed, aside from the creatures that were still attached to her. He wasn't sure what would happen when the effect of her energy wore off.

He weighed his options carefully for a few minutes. If they stayed, there was a possibility that she would recover, regain her strength in time that they could leave without any incidents. But, if they stayed and her energy wore off from the creatures before she recovered, he would still have to make an escape for the both of them.

Might as well stay ahead of the game.

"Shake them off," he said slowly, eyeing the two creatures left on her body. He himself wouldn't mess with the one at her hair, because he didn't want to mess with her hair, but he did crouch to pull at the one around her ankle just as carefully as he could. "We're leaving. Staying in one place too long isn't what I do."

~!**!~

"I don't actually think _his _nose would have picked this up either." Akari continued walking, surprised by just how far away the blood was. Silence followed after her now, and for a few minutes she continued to walk, following her nose. But she paused as the air seemed to even taste like blood, heavy and thick. She paused and looked around, realizing this must be pretty close to where the body was.

"Prepare yourself, detective," she said grimly, her ears picking up the smallest sound of dripping liquid above them. She looked up into the nearest tree, unable to see the cause, but she began pulling herself up into the branches, climbing with care and completely ignoring the stinging strain of her torso that began to not only sting now, but almost feel as if it were on fire. _I shouldn't be doing this._

When she paused, she heard the sound again, this time much closer, and she turned to see the child's body, lifeless, on the branches a few meters to her right and up. It was very easy to see the hole in the carcass where the heart and liver had been stolen, devoured by the demon Yusuke had just killed.

"Yusuke," she called as she popped her head between branches to look down at him. "Call Botan, if you can." _*****_

Yusuke pulled the compact out of his pocket and flipped it up, Koenma's face buzzing onto the small screen.

"Problem, Yusuke?" His face fizzled a little with interference, but did not appear to be breaking up.

"Uh, sheah." He turned the camera towards the tree dripping with blood.

He couldn't see it but Koenma leaned forward in his chair as if that would help him get a closer look.

"My goodness, Yusuke! What on _earth _is going on?"

"It's uh, what was it called again, Red?" He called to the demon up in the tree.

~!**!~

The tiny demon with its tail wrapped around Shikiyoku's ankle did not protest when Hiei started to reach for it, but instead its eyes got big and sad and it wrapped its tail about his wrist when he had it in hand, letting its clawed paws rest lightly on his fingers, chittering quietly at him.

Shikiyoku started to reach her arms up to gauge how badly the dragon was woven into her hair and as she dove her hands in just past her ears, she felt it thrash about a little and her arms gave out.

She had to sit down before she collapsed.

She shifted her weight around to sit as the tiny creature that had been on her foot attached itself to Hiei, pulling her legs into a cross underneath herself and taking a breath before reaching up for the dragon again.

This time one of its claws caught in her scalp and she smelled blood as it scratched her when it began wiggling about trying to get away from her fingers. Its tail had retracted to join the rest of its body within the mess it was making of her hair and she sighed.

"Get out." She tried ordering.

The tiny head peeked out over her eyebrows again and trilled a note that reminded Shikiyoku of Maneshi's negatory 'mrow' he often gave her when he had no intention of doing something she asked of him.

"Please?" She tried, moving her hands up again.

Same note, though this time the head had retracted out of view and its leathery wings sprouted out of her hair briefly and flapped once before getting pulled back in, miraculously without further entangling themselves.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Shikiyoku commented, noting that the wings did nothing to further its 'trapped' position.

This tone was higher, an affirmative that purred when trilled.

Shikiyoku actual let out a growl at this point, but it wasn't exactly threatening as she had a hard time being mad at something that seemed so pleased with her.

A few of the smaller critters had closed the distance when she sat down and she swept an arm outwards, pointing away from herself.

"Nu uh." She warned, "One hitchhiker is bad enough. The rest of you can go away. Now."

The collective group considered her a moment and then did as she told them. 3

Hiei frowned at the creature that wound its way around his wrist, eyeing it with slight disdain. It wasn't such a bad creature, he thought as it looked up at him with wide, unblinking eyes filled with disappointment. He almost found himself moved by the expression.

Almost.

His opposite hand moved and began working at the creature again, trying to peel the long tail from his wrist and the clawed feet from his fingers. "Ridiculous." He didn't enjoy that it wound itself tighter around him in determination to stay with the one who had entranced it, the creature obviously smart enough to know that wherever Hiei went, Shikiyoku would go as well.

"What kind of creature is this?" he inquired with a tone of irritation, more of a rhetorical question really. His eyes turned to Shikiyoku as she spoke up, motioning for all other creatures to leave, which they promptly did so. He eyed the dragon that he could just make out in Shikiyoku's black hair, suddenly curious about how it would react in relation to the dragon the fire demon had sealed inside his body, wound around his arm in a dark tattoo.

~!**!~

Akari moved to sit on the branch closest to the child's body, from this spot just barely able to see the detective. She was mildly relieved that the detective couldn't see the child, only the blood that fell from branch to branch in a small trickle.

She glanced down at her black shirt, a hand just touching the place where the bandages had previously been, her hand feeling wetness below the fabric. _Well, this sucks. _

"Aswang!" she yelled back to Yusuke, eyes turning back to the detective to eye the compact in his hand, almost amused by the sight. "He'll know what it is. Tell him there's one casualty." _*****_

Yusuke turned the face of the compact back towards himself, seeing that Koenma's expression hadn't changed so the toddler likely hadn't heard Akari's words.

"An Ass-wang?" Yusuke repeated experimentally.

The unsureness of Koenma's expression nearly took actual form as a sweatdrop on his hat.

"You mean an Aswang?"

"I guess."

Koenma coughed.

"She says there's only one casualty."

"Anything else she can tell us?' He was tempted to ask Yusuke to just put her on the device, making a mental note to get Akari her own. "Location of the demon?"

"Took care of that last question already." Yusuke described the location of the alleyway in which the fight had taken place.

"Well, that's certainly a relief. Any other signs of ones its killed?"

~!**!~

The creature began chattering with Hiei as if holding conversation with the fire demon and Shikiyoku glanced up, unsure if her feet could bring her even to a stand yet.

"It's called a lur'mog." Shikiyoku observed it clinging to Hiei and she reached out her hands in a silent offer to take it from him. "Like this one," her eyes shifted up briefly, "Fairly harmless to anything larger than it is. Would simply attempt to escape from a would-be oppressor."

The dragon made a peep noise at Shikiyoku's 'attempt' word specifically.

"Well," She started, "Obviously all of your attempts have been successful since you're still alive."

She could feel its warm breath sigh over her scalp in a little huff of protest, apparently still not satisfied. 3

Hiei eyed Shikiyoku as she spoke, the creature she called a lur'mog resting its body down against his skin as close as it could be now that he had stopped prying at it for relief of its presence. It sat still, eyeing him and Shikiyoku as they exchanged brief conversation.

"They're rather annoying," he said, though he wouldn't admit that he actually didn't mind their presence, aside from their reluctance to peel away from one or the other. He reached the hand down to her that held the small, red, scaly animal while his other hand, his right hand, slowly reached towards the dragon in her hair, his curiosity winning over.

He wanted to know if this dragon would react to his own dragon.

~!**!~

Akari listened to the detective below, fighting the urge to whack herself for his awful attempt at saying the word. Instead, she released a heavy sigh that said she was giving up on the boy. He just wasn't living up to her expectations very well, she realized.

Slight exasperation hit her when Koenma continued to ask questions. She was tired of yelling, and just wanted to get out of here. So, her energy swirled just slightly around her, creating another string of shadows that slithered down the tree and towards the detective, wrapping first around his wrist and then covering the device he held and pulling it from him. "Thank you," she grumbled, more to her shadows that did her bidding than to the detective as the compact came up to her face.

"There was no sign of any other Aswang in the area, but then again, we haven't had the chance to look around much. The smell of this one casualty was strong enough to go across town, meaning the attack happened just before we found her." She paused, giving a small sigh and glancing down at her torso in contemplation. "I can search the area, but I haven't told Yusuke that it takes children yet. I'd prefer him not know, since he's rather emotional."

She turned to look at the child's carcass. The poor girl couldn't have been older than four. "As far as I can tell, it's just the one casualty, but it wouldn't hurt to look around." _*****_

Yusuke's mouth dropped open slightly in consternation as he couldn't help but relinquish the compact to the shadows that reached for it.

Exasperated, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, putting more licorice in his mouth as he wandered over and looked up in the tree.

The gore of the scene made his nose scrunch up.

Somewhere inside of him he did hold a bit of pity for the family of the dead girl who would likely search for her to no avail and that led him through a couple of trains of thought that ended in a certain question he decided to voice.

"That what they feed on?" He jerked his head at the remains. "Or was this just for fun?"

~!**!~

At the movement, the lur'mog started jerking his head around rapidly, chittering with concern until he caught sight of the second pair of hands reaching out for him.

At their appearance he immediately released his grasp on Hiei and crawled very slowly from him to the other set of fingers.

As soon as he got his whole body away from Hiei, he blinked out of sight, appearing a millisecond later at her neck where he clutched at her skin and rubbed his cheek against it, rapidly blinking in and out of sight multiple times as he did the same thing to a shoulder, and her arm, and her knee...

"Are all signs of affection 'annoying' to you, Hiei?" Shikiyoku asked quietly, eyes softly tracking the creature as he kept moving about, unable to spot his movements as they were so quick most demons assumed the thing could teleport, but Shikiyoku knew from experience they were merely the fastest runners in the entirety of Demon World. They had to be to survive.

They did no sneaking up on their prey, just running so fast that they were invisible. They did no fighting with their predators, blinking out of sight before one could do much more than spot it. The slowest of them would only leave after-images of themselves when they moved, though with their color one would hardly make out the blur, and the fastest simply disappeared from one place and reappeared at another. Much like the one that continued flitting about her seated body.

The dragon Hiei now reached for did sense his movements and turned its sanguine eyes upon him, the jewels trained upon his person the only part of its visible in Shikiyoku's hair. It made no signs of protesting his reach, simply waiting to see what would happen, whether or not he would actually touch it, though it did not appear to mind the thought. 3

Hiei gave a small shrug at Shikiyoku. Her question was one he normally would ignore, but quite frankly, he didn't ever really seem to ignore any question Shikiyoku asked. Perhaps it was due to her prowess, or perhaps their bond. He wasn't sure.

"Clinging to one person or another is not affectionate. It's suffocating." he paused, eyeing the creature in her hair curiously before he let his fingers just touch the dragon's small head. "And I don't do affection." He pulled his fingers away from the creature again, not lingering long enough to chance a reaction causing thrashing by the creature that could do more harm to Shikiyoku.

"I know about as much of affection as I do children and puppies." He gave pause as he stood up straight, eyes turning to the side. "And I have no desire to even consider beginning to care for it now."

The fire in his stomach swirled angrily, burning inside him as if he'd done something to anger it. He flinched without thinking much about the motion, turning inward for assessment. But the sensation vanished and he refocused on the area he had been watching.

~!**!~

Akari hadn't noticed Yusuke moving away from where he'd been standing. She eyed the child's body for a few more moments before sighing and turning to the compact, opening her mouth to speak before Yusuke called for her attention. She frowned and looked straight down, slight panic immediately welling up from the height she hadn't realized she sat in.

"Mainly the heart and liver…" she replied to him ruefully, her expression shifting to a grim one. The mere idea of a child, innocent as they were, being prey to a demon made her feel upset.

Despite her own trick she'd pulled against Kurama that one instance…

"Koenma, I assume you'll send Botan for this?" she asked into the communication device quietly. "I can survey the area, but I don't see any evidence pointing to another casualty. Or smell anything else, for that matter." _*****_

Yusuke shrugged at Akari's assessment of the heart and liver consumption, glad to know that the killing occurred out of a survival need and not for cruelty's sake. A body's gotta eat.

"I'll definitely have my people look into it." Koenma asserted, "We've already sent a cleanup crew. We'll check to see if this is an isolated incident or if there are other souls who have come through recently from that area ahead of schedule." He chewed on his pacifier. "Let me know if you find anything. Good work, by the way. Spirit World out."

The screen fizzled out and went blank.

~!**!~

"Clinging is clinging." Shikiyoku replied as she held up at eye-level the fingers the Lur'mog had intertwined himself around. "But in the same way that not all clinging is affectionate-if it can even be called that-neither is all affection expressed through 'clinging.'"

Shikiyoku didn't even _bother _to comment on his last few statements as she leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against the nose-slits of the tiny creature, who closed his eyes at the touch and returned the gesture as he chittered in a more relaxed manner, opening his eyes after a moment and parting his lips to nibble gently with his wicked teeth on her nose as he kept murmuring noises at her.

His statements were ones she felt were painfully obvious, at least for her, about the fire demon and warranted no further observations on _her _part.

When Hiei's hand touched the dragon, its head slowly rose away from her scalp as he pulled away, its onyx-colored neck elongating away from the woman to stare at the hand most intelligently, its forked tongue slithering experimentally out of its closed mouth, never blinking as its wings expanded a little from where it clung to her before pulling back together and resting against its body. 3

Hiei didn't reply to Shikiyoku. He didn't feel the need to. Instead his eyes turned back to the dragon creature again, watching the tongue move from the mouth of the dragon. The wings that expanded were interesting to him, reminding him of his dragon attack vaguely. He considered extending his hand to the dragon again, but refrained from doing so and merely sat there, looking into the creature's eyes evenly as he considered the gaze it had on his hand that now hung at his side.

He wondered if it would be curious enough of him to approach him instead. Likely not, since Shikiyoku had explained that these animals normally fled rather than approached.

"How're your muscles?"

~!**!~

Akari blinked at the screen as it went blank before turning her eyes down to Yusuke. She was surprised by his definite lack in reaction. She had expected the Spirit Detective to go postal, angry that a small child had been not only killed, but quite literally ripped apart from the inside out.

Something nagged at her mind, something Nabu had said once.

"_The one with the markings on his face."_

Akari stared down at him keenly, expression blank as she thought over it. "Yusuke," she called slowly, but changing direction with her words entirely and deciding on another topic, "are you still hungry?"

Even as she asked the question, she shifted and began to lower herself from branch to branch, completely aware of her reopened gash across her torso, and not allowing her thoughts to turn to the source of the wound other than one, single thought that she had repeated a million times today.

_Stupid fox. __*****_

"Well...I can't say the thought of eating a child hasn't completely ruined my appetite." Yusuke stepped back from the tree, looking away from the gore it had in the branches, "But neither have I eaten anything today and I probably need to. Once we get away from here maybe I'll be able to consider a bowl of ramen as something besides an intestinal meal."

The smell wasn't exactly the best thing he'd ever been exposed to and he kept moving away from the tree. Now that he'd noticed it, he tried not to gag. Blood in a fight and blood in...whatever this had been...smelled completely different from one another.3

* * *

><p><em>I won't lie..."Ass-wang" STILL makes me crack up every time I read it. I love writing for Yusuke!<em>

lur'mog - the word actually started out as an anagram of 'murloc,' but I replaced the C with a G to try and hide that fact.

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	36. Episode 121 - The Dragon, The Chef

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!

If you want a bit of a visual representation for what a lur'mog looks like, you could google a baby murloc for reference. A lur'mog's tail is longer, like a rat, and it has loads more teeth, but they're otherwise fairly similar. The lur'mog's front legs are more like a mouse's, however.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

In this chapter, the small, black dragon that buried itself in Shikiyoku's hair in the last chapter has dialogue. The dragon "speaks" by telepathically projecting images or pictures and emotions directly into the mind. His so-called dialogue will be in quotes and italics, but because this is a _fire_-breathing dragon, the dialogue will be followed by a tilde, in a similar fashion as the All-Fire, and will look like the following:

_"We fire!"~_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke make quick work of an Aswang,  
>Koenma promising to send in a crew to clean up the mess.<br>The two of them decide afterwards to go ahead and get something to eat.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku attempts to access her demonic form once she and Hiei are safely away from the city.  
>She can feel Toriko within her preventing her from doing so.<br>Her efforts attract nearby demonic creatures, all of who she manages to turn away once she finishes  
>except for two of them: a lur'mog who is now wrapped around her fingers,<br>and a little black dragon who tangled itself up in her hair...

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku shifted around, feeling spiritually and mentally exhausted from her earlier tirade, which was strange since she had done no actual physical exertion and her weakness came from somewhere else entirely.<p>

Instead of answering, she got up, the unsteadiness of her feet stemming from that same weakness that was not originating from the any weariness of her muscles, but somehow felt more centered in her very core.

She considered the creature still wrapped about her fingers and he blinked his eyes at her as they stared at one another.

"I _don't _really know what to do with you."

As she stood, the dragon's eyes never left Hiei's right arm, but after she got up, its ruby gaze slowly lifting up to regard Hiei, again with an intelligence that held sparks of something behind its eyes.

Its calm demeanor did not appear to change, but it did puff out of its nose-slits two tiny black tendrils of energy that curled like smoke out and disappeared quickly into the air.

It opened up its mouth in a deliberate fashion as it stared at him and huffed once, a strawberry-sized cloud of that same energy, now easily seen as so dark of a purple that it was nearly black, silently swooshing out of his jaws.

It turned away from him only briefly to start disengaging itself from Shikiyoku's hair, quietly rustling the dark tresses and starting to crawl backwards out of it before stopping and whipping its head back over to stare at Hiei accusingly.

It had seen how he treated the little one, and it wasn't sure whether it really wanted to leave its hidden perch to go all the way over to him if he wasn't going to be receptive to the honor it would be to have a dragon such as itself upon his person. 3

Red eyes followed Shikiyoku's movements as she moved to stand, Hiei searching for any sign that she may collapse again. But as she spoke to the creature on her hand, something else caught his attention. His red gaze turned to the small puff of black-ish smoke that moved through the air from Shikiyoku's locks. Curious, he waited until another puff of that same cloud was seen, larger this time, but making him realize it wasn't exactly black like simple smoke.

Again, he was reminded of his Dragon of the Darkness Flame.

He nearly scoffed in amusement at the movement of the creature that had begun sliding around, only to pause and turn a glare onto him as if he had been ready to pull it from its hiding spot. How could such a small body hold such an amount of emotion in such small, beady eyes?

He met the gaze of the creature and raised a brow patiently at it. He didn't make a move towards it, nor away from it. He simply stood stock still, watching as if a single movement would scare the creature away.

~!**!~

Akari paused in her descent to the earth, looking down at Yusuke and assessing his reply for a moment before continuing the rest of the way down, having to drop about ten feet to the ground from the next-to-lowest branch in the tree.

She landed with knees bent, the shock making her breath shorten just a little. She was being careless, she knew, but what else could she do? She pushed herself to stand and looked down at herself, frowning at the different slashes in her shirt that could have ended very badly.

"We need to stop somewhere first, then," she said to the boy as she walked behind him, not bothering to catch up just yet. "I don't know about you, but torn shirts aren't very comfortable. And humans don't like them." Her tone was slightly amused, her lips twisted into a slight grin. "Hope you don't mind." _*****_

Yusuke wasn't exactly sure how Akari's shirt had been ripped, that is _where_, so as he kept walking, he slipped off the outer green shirt of his school uniform and held tossed it behind him in the direction he heard her voice coming from, putting his hands back in his pockets once he finished, the breeze picking up the loose edges of his white sleeveless undershirt tucked into the green pants of the uniform.

"I mean, we can still stop. But people might wonder at what happened if you walk around with it torn. We'll avoid punks thinking I did something to you this way."

~!**!~

After gauging the soul behind Hiei's eyes, a color that so appropriately matched to its current eye-color, the dragon made up its mind and continuing extracting itself, delicately removing sharp claws from the long hair it had woven into and backing out the same way it came in.

It clung to Shikiyoku's shirt with its pointed talons as it picked its way backwards until it was entirely free, and the material was thick enough and tight enough on her person that it did not much give with the bit of extra weight the black dragon added.

When free, its wings spread out and it released Shikiyoku entirely, hovering behind her once as its wings beat twice, fluffing her hair with their wind as it twittered a noise at her, and then soared the short distance to Hiei's right shoulder where it sat in a position reminiscent of Maneshi's sphinx stance, tail hanging down Hiei's back, wings folding up once more.

It lowered its head until it was even with Hiei's eyes, and from this distance, it was easy to see that the scarlet orbs set on its face were whirling from red into a lighter orange as it felt the warmth Hiei naturally exuded.

An impression, brief and nothing more, extended into Hiei's mind: an image of a single flame along with an emotion of identification in regards to both itself and the demon it spoke to. The meaning could not have been more clear.

"_We fire!"~_ 3

Hiei watched the onyx-colored creature unwind from Shikiyoku's hair and move to the air, making a rather curious sound before flapping its wings over to Hiei and perching on the very shoulder that Maneshi normally hopped up to sit on. He stared into the eyes that watched him, searching for… something. He wasn't sure what it was he was looking for within the gaze that stared back into his own.

Crimson eyes widened as a brief image flashed across his mind's eye and he momentarily sneered in satisfaction, the creature seemingly approving of Hiei's presence in a way that was unique, in the fire demon's opinion.

"Interesting." He eyed the creature for a moment before continuing on. "Indeed, fire."

He turned back to Shikiyoku. "This one isn't so bad."

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes as the jacket was tossed her direction, easily catching it from the air and pulling it over her arms and shoulders, buttoning it up enough to cover the damaged part of her shirt. She adjusted it, surprised at the difference in size between herself and him. Sure, she had known he had muscle, but this jacket just about ate her. She didn't even have to worry about it brushing against her shirt's torso where her wound had reopened.

That was one less problem.

"Thanks," she said to him almost lazily, her hands playing with the end of the jacket as she considered it.

_Kurama's would be considerably larger due to his height difference._

The physical jerk she made at that thought was a violent one, her mouth releasing a sound she hadn't made very often in her life, and could only be described as an "erk" sound. She ground her teeth together, and her gaze hardened.

If she would have been looking in a mirror, she likely would have hit it to symbolise punching herself in the face for the ridiculous thought.

What had even prompted it anyway?!

She realized she had stopped moving and quickly made her feet continue on again. _*****_

Yusuke stopped when they made it all the way back to the edge of the alleyway, certain by this time that Akari had covered up, but hesitant to actually turn around until she joined him.

"So, where's this ramen place? I think I could eat about now."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku looked over at the dragon and its new perch, reaching up with her free hand to smooth down the hair that had gotten rustled around by the creature.

For a reason she understood, but at that moment chose to claim otherwise about, Shikiyoku could feel the pang of jealousy that wrenched her stomach at the obvious approval Hiei held for the dragon.

She turned back to the lur'mog that was still woven in her fingers, its tail wrapped about two or three of them.

"I suppose you're not _all _that much trouble." She sighed at it.

It chittered at her as if it could hear the resignation in her voice, as if it could hear that it won the right to stick around.

Shikiyoku didn't really expect it to stay all that long, but for the moment...what else was she to do?

When the dragon turned its head back to regard Shikiyoku, its eyes whorled back to red and the thrumming sound it made at its chest sounded strikingly akin to a cat's purr.

It lowered its head down to Hiei's eyes again, this time the red swirling into emerald.

An impression of a giant dragon, many _many _times larger in size than the tiny one at his shoulder, so full of energy that it did not appear to have a body and was only made of insubstantial dark-purple energy, brushed Hiei's mind from the dragon on his shoulder. Along with it came a sense of questionness.

"_...Where?"~ _3

Hiei, without knowing he did as such, mirrored the dragon's movements by turning to look at Shikiyoku at the exact same time the creature on his shoulder did, watching her interact with the small animal that had wound its way around her fingers. For a moment, he thought it actually fit her, perhaps even Toriko too, if it were not for its origins being the Demon World. It was a calm, docile creature it seemed, and Shikiyoku seemed to not mind it so much as it seemed able to keep out of trouble.

He turned back to the dragon on his shoulder in time to see the small head swivel back to him as well, red turning green as their gazes interlocked and odd sensations, pictures, swooped before his mind's eye. He raised a brow, confused. Why would it know of his dragon?

He could assume they were from a certain line of ancestry, or it could be that this dragon could feel the energy of the dragon Hiei had consumed for his own personal desire. For his own use when necessary.

He lifted his right arm to allow the sleeve to fall down halfway between his elbow and his wrist, the cloth bunching up there where it could go no further without him forcing it up his arm. He held up the darkened tattoo as if asking _this?_

~!**!~

Akari shook her head at herself as she walked, not even realizing Yusuke had paused at the mouth of the alleyway before she had almost run into him.

A second time.

She gave a small sigh and stepped around him. "It's not too far from here. Just a couple of blocks," she explained, taking the lead as she rubbed a hand to her forehead. "Toriko showed it to me a few months ago. It's my personal favorite, and I suppose that's because it was the first one I'd tried." This small explanation wasn't for Yusuke's knowledge, but for her own distraction as her mind made a very strong attempt to shift back to earlier thoughts.

"The chef is nice as well. Good man, sometimes makes specials if you catch him on a really good day. If you make him laugh, your meal is free." _*****_

"Well, if the food is worth it," Yusuke raised an eyebrow as they started off again, "I'll have to come up with a good joke or something, right?"

He looked up, contemplating as his eyes scanned the sky.

"Any suggestions for subjects?"

~!**!~

At the sight of the dragon on his arm, the emerald eyes widened into red, but very quickly swirled with so many different colors that the hues were difficult to make out. There was certainly purple and blue, green among them, and definitely pink, but the pink was brief as the dragon turned back to Hiei and appeared to regard him in a new light, eyes finally settling into a jasper-orange and almost gleaming.

An image of a dark-purple dragon being struck by something fatal and then swirling into nothingness, accompanied by an overwhelming emotion of sorrow, passed over into Hiei's head. The image went on further to reshow the dragon bleeding and its spirit leaving its body as its eyes closed-as if in deeper explanation of the first image-the spirit taking on an energized form, then the picture shifted to that spirit flying over what could be nothing other than the Ninth Level of Demon World as the ground beneath it was covered with red foliage.

Shikiyoku, having been occupied with thoughts of the lur'mog, only started to look over at Hiei when she saw him move his arm up from his side, and when his sleeve fell away she sucked in a giant breath, a gasp, her eyes widening as she saw the black tattoo that wove about his arm. 3

Hiei watched the many different colors move through the dragon's eyes, the many different impressions moving across Hiei's own mind's eye. He wasn't sure exactly what the dragon was thinking, or saying, or whatever it was it was doing now. He simply waited, half prepared for the rage of such a small creature.

When the color of the dragon's gaze became orange, he didn't react. Not outwardly. Inwardly though, he was slightly curious. Nothing more. Not even when Shikiyoku's sharp intake of breath broke the silence of the clearing that had settled for a few moments.

His eyes refocused on the dragon on his shoulder, staring unblinkingly, void of any and all emotions. He didn't say anything. What could he say? He wasn't sure what exactly the tizzy was about. Yes, it was the tattoo of the dragon, but it wasn't the _actual _dragon, only the impression of the actual beast in his arm.

If he could, he likely would have allowed the dragon free for the moment to allow the two to interact, but quite frankly, he didn't think it possible since it now did his bidding and was under his complete control.

So he just stood there, staring blankly.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged. "That's the thing. I can't tell you." A wicked smile formed on her lips. "If I do, I'd have to kill you."

She continued on until the stand was in sight, the smell of ramen wafting to her nose on the breath of air that whispered through town. She took a deep breath of it, and just as quickly as any unbidden thoughts had turned her mood sour, the smell of ramen made her mood return to a rather pleasant one.

"Truthfully, I haven't made him laugh yet. Except once."

She moved the flags that hung over the small opening of the stand, ducking just slightly as her eyes looked up to find the chef turning to look at her over his shoulder.

"Akari! You haven't been in a while! You've been avoiding me?" He turned his back on her over the stove before he could see Yusuke.

Akari gave a small, lopsided smile. "Nope, Shyn, just been busy. School, y'know?"

"Right right! Have a seat. Your usual?"

"Of course."

He turned to her with a small smile of familiarity before his eyes zeroed in on the jacket she wore, then shifted to Yusuke. "You're a new face." He paused, glancing back to Akari and leaning forward. "New _guy_ friend, eh?"

"Not entirely. Not the way you think, anyway. He's claimed."

"Too bad." He turned to Yusuke. "What can I get for you, young man?" _*****_

Yusuke gave a good-natured laugh and threw his arm over Akari's neck, resisting the strong urge to grab her cheek in a pinch.

"It's too bad for you, Red. I know you're _so _into me and all."

He let her go and turned back to the chef, "Whatever she usually gets." He jabbed a thumb at Akari.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku turned away and covered her face with a hand, her shoulders starting to shake, but she couldn't contain the laughter for very long and she threw her head back and barked it out, hands on her hips and a disgruntled looking lur'mog hanging onto several strands of her hair and glaring at her for moving so quickly.

The dragon turned to regard her, its eyes swirling red when it first looked at her, but quickly shifting to purple right before it closed its eyes with an expression that reflected the laughter Shikiyoku let loose in the clearing. 3

Hiei's brow raised curiously as the clearing suddenly burst into the sound of laughter, his eyes turning to Shikiyoku. Her laughter was, in his mind, unnecessary. Then again, he didn't know what she was laughing about, so he stared for a few moments before turning to look at the dragon as well, seeing a very similar expression on its face.

His own expression shifted to mild irritation.

"What's so funny?"

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at Yusuke as his arm landed on her shoulders, silently wondering if this was his attempt to make the chef laugh at him for a free meal. "Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night," she said as she broke away, taking a seat at the small bar-like counter and leaning forward.

"You bet," the considerably larger man said with a nod, turning to begin making the two ramen bowls. "So, why are you here, now, of all times? If school is so busy, why skip?"

Akari gave a small laugh that barely concealed her nervousy. "I needed a break."

"The weekend just ended?"

"An extended break."

A beat of silence. "And you, uh.."

"_Yusuke_," Akari informed.

"Yusuke. Why are you out of class?" _*****_

Yusuke sat down on the stool next to Akari, his expression serious as he leaned forward and put his elbows down on the counter, folding his hands together up by his face and resting his nose on his fingers, listening to the shift in Akari's voice.

_Dammit, she __**isn't **__supposed to be thinking about all that. That was the point._

Yusuke turned to the man, whose name Yusuke had promptly forgotten, his face never faltering.

"I had to save the world."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku held up a hand as she caught her breath, wanting to reassure Hiei that she did not mean to raise his ire at her, but choking a little before she could recover herself.

"I...you...eheh." She chuckled again, "No wonder...heh." She took a second and cleared her throat. "Do you know what that is?" She finally managed to ask, waving her hand in the direction of his tattoo. "Or rather, do you know what that _was_?" 3

Hiei raised a brow. Of _course _he knew what it was. He'd defeated it, hadn't he? He didn't reply right away, only taking to holding his hand up so the sleeve fell again, revealing the tattoo once more for him to survey.

How was such a powerful being… _funny_ to her?

He decided not to give his full-blown explanation of an answer, and decided to wave his hand at her to continue on, to make it easier for the both of them. Either he learned something new, or he could simply tell her he had already been aware and go about his business.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes cut to Yusuke curiously, realizing the angle he was going to play. And for once, she thought she might hear the man actually laugh full-blown.

But he merely looked over his shoulder at Yusuke with a smirk and a raised brow. "Is that so? Tell me, what from? Another flood? The wrath of hell?"

Akari snorted. He was close.

"I'd love to hear your heroic adventure, son." _*****_

"There's an evil emperor of another realm who has sent his avatar to try and win a tournament our realm holds every fifty years because he's lost his own body and for some stupid reason winning the tournament is gonna help him get it back." Yusuke looked thoughtful, "I never really understood how that part worked." He shrugged. "But I have to win the tournament for whatever reason. So he doesn't get his body back I guess. I never understood the plotline really. There's just a lot of fighting and I really like that part."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku raised an eyebrow. Surely Hiei was only playing stupid with her.

The dragon seemed to have the same impression, though it opened its eyes and turned to look at Hiei, purple color swirling into the questioning of green.

"The being that tattoo represents dates back to the beginning of the ninth level. The first demon, the original fire demon, became too strong for this realm to hold him. In order to prevent it falling apart around him, he separated the darkest flames from himself and created the element demons refer to as 'darkness flame.' At least...that's the story demons tell. Maybe even one you've heard yourself." She didn't wait to see if he would grace her with an affirmation or a negative, going on, "Truth is, when the fire demon separated that part of himself, it was so strong, and so sentient, that it manifested in a physical form: a female demon able to freely wield the flames from which she had been created. He took her as his mate.

"When she died, her spirit remained so strong that she did not, could not, pass to the other realm, and her ghost took to the skies of the ninth level in the form of this massive black dragon made up of the darkness flames and she wrecked havoc for _eons. _She was still flying around when I was born. Tons of demons tried to harness her power, thinking she was only an element to be controlled and not an actual spirit."

Her newest Champion had to be power indeed in order to have control of that element, not only the element, but if her suspicions were correct, the original darkness flames itself. Her eyebrows raised at the realization.

"In fact, I didn't even consider that she might actually be gone now. I just assumed we'd been lucky so far and she was elsewhere in the level. It's large enough that even with her massive size we would not have sensed her for a while were she on the other side."

The dragon turned back to Hiei and the same first image shimmered into his mind from its, that of the spirit-energy-dragon, who had suddenly one day shot up into the air with a giant roar, disappearing. This was accompanied by a wonderment at where the spirit had gone. Then the image of the tattoo on Hiei's arm as the little dragon at his shoulder had just seen it, plus a certainty that the spirit of that first female demon was finally at rest, her spirit able to move on now that she was free of her power. Hiei's capturing of the element freed her to move on and meet her mate in the afterlife.

It conveyed all this with a series of images and its eyes swirled a mixture of red, orange, purple, and brown, the last color accompanied within Hiei's mind as a sense of contentment. Fulfillment. Release.

"_Thank you."~ _3

Hiei had indeed known of the story. Or, at least, most of it. There were bits and pieces of it that he'd either forgotten over time, or he'd just never known. As for its origin being linked with the first fire demon, that he was sure he hadn't known. It gave him a slightly more interested view on the power he'd come to acquire. His eyes turned down to his tattoo, though his vision of it was blocked with the images and impressions that the smaller dragon flashed across his mind's eye.

He looked up when all was over in his mind, meeting the gaze of the small dragon evenly and giving a small nod.

He hadn't known that he'd released such a being's soul. He'd only wanted the power.

Perhaps it was a bonus?

"_No problem.."_

He turned back to Shikiyoku and met her gaze squarely, a small smirk on his lips. "Most of that was old information I'd already known. However, the new information is rather interesting." He again looked at the tattoo that had been on his arm since he had consumed the dragon.

He seemed to be taken by surprise a lot more lately, and it was all because he'd come here, to Demon World…

With Shikiyoku.

~!**!~

A small huff sounded from the man, while Akari stared at Yusuke, slightly confused by his explanation. She wasn't entirely sure what he was referring to.

"Is that how it works nowadays?" The man asked, turning around and sliding two bowls to the only people in the place, one for Yusuke and one for Akari. "You're a fighter, then. Bet'cha get into tons of trouble at home, eh?" The man was smirking knowingly at the boy, as if he understood exactly what was going on. "Doesn't impress me, boy. You have to work harder for your free meal." _*****_

"Ahaha," Yusuke finally laughed as the man finished speaking, lowering his arms to rest one along the counter and scratching the side of his face with a finger of the other, "No, I'd actually forgotten about that last part." He sincerely hadn't been trying to make the guy laugh. "I just get so wrapped up in that game though, you know? It's probably my favorite at the arcade." His expression grew more serious with his final statement.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku actually scoffed, "Tch, if you didn't want to hear the old stuff, you should have told me what you knew so it didn't get repeated." She started to walk off in the direction of the next city, trying to force the exhaustion still settled over her bones away.

The dragon's eyes whirled blue with worry, sensing her agitation, and lifted from Hiei's shoulder to fly after her when she got more than a couple of feet away. 3

Hiei didn't react, only turning to follow after Shikiyoku, slightly disappointed when his company left him for her. But he didn't think much on it, only brushing it away as he stuffed his hands in his cloak pockets. He wondered how long the two creatures would stay with them.

"Recounting the story was very generous of you," he commented almost snidely, though he was much more amused than he played it off to be. He truly had been glad for the recounting of the story that he had almost forgotten entirely, learning new things simultaneously.

~!**!~

"I myself enjoy games, though the arcades aren't my favorite. Home consoles work best, especially if you have kids. Saves a lot of money, it does."

Akari smiled at the chef as she took a bite of the noodles, lifting them with chopsticks very carefully to her lips before slurping them up almost too noisily, completely satisfied by the taste. "You do better every time, Shyn. How is it that you make it different every time?"

"Chef's secret, Akari. Can't share the secret recipe."

"Too bad. I'd love to attempt this, though I'd probably screw it up and end up right back here anyway, giving you all of my money."

The man looked at her with a wide grin, as if fighting off a sound that would cost him a meal. "You're my most regular customer."

"and my bartender," she joked, referring to how much she seemed to open up to him. About the mundane things, of course.

"I don't get paid enough."

"I'd be broke if you asked for more."

Finally, he cracked, giving a small laugh and ruffling her hair. "I'll take this one, just for you."

Akari grinned, turning her eyes onto Yusuke. "The secret is getting to know the chef who makes your meals. Otherwise, you're asking a stranger to buy your meal."

"Hey, no selling the secret!"

"I'm not, I'm just giving it away for free."

"Touché." _*****_

Yusuke was _going _to make a comment about likely forgetting the place as soon as he left so her advice would be wasted, but he was already halfway into his ramen bowl and quiet about it for once as he consumed his way through the tasty meal, his stomach growling as he tried to eat fast enough to satisfy it while he listened to the conversation going on around him.

Hopefully he could remember exactly where this place was...

~!**!~

The dragon flew in front of Shikiyoku and she halted abruptly, taken aback by its sapphire eyes as its wings beat puffs of air softly into her eyes while it hovered at face-level. Shikiyoku murmured something to it after gazing curiously at the two gleaming gem-like orbs that regarded her back with concern. Its eyes swirled a red-orange as it took off, flying over her in the direction they had come from.

She stuck her nose in the air as she kept moving, feeling as if Hiei were mocking her with his tone of voice, "Well, it certainly helps explain why the fire was so interested in you back at ho-...back in the valley." She lowered her face, contemplating her stumble before appearing to shake it, "I guess the story was a thank you for ridding Demon World from its oldest danger, _hero_." 3

Hiei eyed the dragon that flapped in front of Shikiyoku before flying off back in the direction they had previously come from. He turned back to Shikiyoku, smirking as he watched her head toss back, her hair falling further down her back as her nose moved higher in the air than before.

He didn't reply to her right away. The fire demon was too amused by her slight falter in her words, realizing that she was referring to the valley as her past home. He thought nothing more of it, deciding to bypass that and simply continue on.

"Perhaps it was worth it. I gain much more than I've lost."

~!**!~

Akari lifted more of her ramen to her mouth, her eyes looking down to the rather large bowl filled with noodles and other things. The steam that rolled off made her nose twitch at the amazing smell, actually able to almost pick out the different ingredients for his recipe. But she wouldn't dare attempt cooking. She enjoyed Shyn's style too much to do that to him.

"So, what else besides school is there? Any work yet?"

Akari looked back up at the pot-bellied man who was watching her with keen, curious eyes. She shrugged then gave a small nod. "Here and there," she mumbled around the noodles in her mouth. "It's a _hire as needed_ job, really. No real schedule."

"Sounds… awful."

Akari's eyes flashed to Yusuke momentarily before she shrugged again, leaning back with the bowl in her left hand, chopsticks in her right. "It's not as bad as it sounds. I have more freedom with it than, say, working in a store."

"The pay worth the inconsistency though?"

Akari didn't answer, actually taking a moment of slurping noodles to consider how she should answer. Technically, she wasn't being paid. She was paying back Spirit World… There wasn't a way she could say that. "I suppose. I mean, I'm just a school kid, after all."

"That's the spirit! Hey, Yusuke," the man rounded on the boy, arms crossing over his belly. "While I take the silence as a compliment, I like to get to know my customers. Where do you school? Same as Akari? What do you do outside of school aside from game?" _*****_

Yusuke grinned at the man, swallowing his mouthful of ramen before speaking, "Sarayashiki Junior High School." He blinked for a second, shoveling another bite into his mouth and wondering what on earth job Akari had. _He _certainly didn't want to work if he could help it. "And I try to stay in as much trouble as possible." He added when he remembered the final question, mouth full this time.

~!**!~

As Shikiyoku walked, she couldn't help the smile she wore, feeling that Hiei's words had put the situation aptly. No demon in their right mind would surely care about the 'heroics,' right? Power. That was the incentive.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized the fact that she had likely pacted with one of the strongest demons the nine levels had ever seen. Well, the potential was certainly there. He wasn't there yet.

The impressions the All-Fire had give her about his Jagan, the little she received about his past-since he was _from _fire, the fire could read _his_ fire-told her that he was a "cursed child" of the Koorime, which meant extreme power at a young age, knocked among the lowest with the addition of the Jagan, and nearly having regained all of his former power at that very moment...

The Koorime blood prevented it from doing a full, thorough reading of his past, and anyway the fire appeared more excited about their..._his _future.

Even so, it was impressive. It was more than impressive where demons were concerned actually, and Shikiyoku could feel a newfound respect for the demon her other side chose to ask for protection.

That last thought made Shikiyoku grumble to herself about her inability to return to full demonic form, but she let her former feelings of wrath slip away-or at least tried to-given that somehow the bumbling fool had managed to snag a pact with such a high class candidate. 3

Hiei's hand reached up and readjusted his scarf that he only just realized had been moved out of place by the small dragon. It took a moment of moving the cloth before it was comfortable around his neck again, not restricting but not too loose either. That hand promptly fell to his side again, red eyes now looking down at the ground, watching the grass move all its own. Again, his eyes moved up, this time back to Shikiyoku, not surprised by her lack in reply.

He watched the back of her head for a few minutes, watching the way her hair moved around her shoulders. Again, he felt the ridiculous desire to reach out and touch it, but it was stronger this time. It moved so smoothly that it almost seemed to resemble silk. His pace, unknowingly, picked up just enough that in only a mere moment, he was trailing only a step behind her, hand twitching at his side.

He recovered quickly, blinking as he moved to walk on Shikiyoku's right, still staying a step behind her, but no longer within arm's reach. Perhaps she hadn't noticed…

~!**!~

"A little bit of trouble is good for the soul." Shyn replied loftily, a large smirk on his face. "But too much trouble lands you jail time. Keep it in moderation." There was a pause, then he continued on. "Especially since you have _this _one with you."

Akari looked up from her bowl only momentarily, a second later turning back down to the bowl in her hand and stuffing more noodles in her mouth. "Me? Why, whatever makes you say _that_?" She could actually see the bottom of her bowl now, through the broth.

The man leaned over to Yusuke, a hand placed at the corner of his mouth as if telling a very dirty secret that should not be heard by others. "Don't let her looks fool ya. She looks mean, but she's just about as cruel as a kitten."

Akari resisted the urge to snort. _Wrong creature. __*****_

Yusuke shot a mischievous look at Akari, that for anyone else might have hinted at a telepathic understanding at the thought that just passed over her mind. In his case, it was just that he happened to follow the same train of thought as the demon beside him.

"Nah, kittens are way too soft and cuddly." Yusuke's grin remained just as toothy. "_I _would argue instead that her bark is worse that her bite."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku still mused on the potential power her Champion held. And if she was being perfectly honest, she wasn't really sure if she thought the trade off was worth it. Power and innocence? Strange combination.

Thinking of what she learned from the All-Fire, she felt herself better acquainted with the fire demon walking near her.

His discipline to achieve great power was such a cornerstone in his existence that there had simply not been room for 'frivolous' things, that being "everything else" she ventured to guess. He pursued power so relentlessly and for so long that she suddenly found it no longer left her speechless that he appeared to have neither the interest or drive for anything else. He knew nothing else so he had not the _capacity _for anything else. In place of a sense of more..._luxurious _pastimes, he instead only had room for the fighting he did that would increase his own self further along.

Fascinating.

Shikiyoku stayed quiet as she walked, lost in her thoughts of the fire demon she knew was near. 3

Hiei kept his eyes forward, away from the silk-like hair that had, for some reason he didn't understand, become quite a tempting thing to touch. It made no sense to him. So, he thought on it for a bit.

He knew her power was of the… pleasing kind… and that it centered around desire. He was also aware that when her energy was released, her hair moved and her eyes seemed to gleam like gems under a bright light. Anything after meeting such a gaze made his mind hazy, and he had trouble recalling some moments after a situation like that.

Perhaps her hair was of the strongest mediums for her energy. It would certainly explain a lot. Especially where Toriko stood with keeping it up most of the time.

Now that he thought on it, how had he not realized? He'd known that her bobby pins had kept her hair up, helped seal away power, but he hadn't much considered that her locks were the main focus of energy.

He really needed to observe her more, he realized.

~!**!~

Akari completely ignored the look that she could practically _feel _Yusuke sliding her way. The sneer that threatened to form on her face was hard to keep concealed, causing a twitch at the corner of her mouth before she stuffed the last of the noodles between them, making sure her cheeks puffed with the amount of food so that she _wouldn't _be caught grinning.

"I would agree, but she's kept all her promises on my end."

"Tha's no' many." Akari said around noodles that made her words slur, looking up with a serious expression on her face. "Onl' vishiting."

He rolled his eyes at her, then looked up at a man who entered the stand, calling a brief welcome and taking a few steps over to the customer to take his order. Meanwhile, Akari sent a smirk to Yusuke, and after she swallowed her food she gave a short laugh. "Sometimes I think he might have a little bit of awareness." _*****_

"Shizuru shehz," Yusuke swallowed his bite, continuing to speak in the same low voice in which he started, keeping his eyes on the chef. "Shizuru says all humans have awareness, its just that most of them ignore it or chalk it up to superstitious-nonsense or a disease or something like that. I mean, even I get chills every so often." He stuffed more food in his face and pointed at her with his chopsticks, "Naht vurr of'fn, mind."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku continued heading in the direction of the city that would be the next stop in the journey. Or, she at least planned on making the stop there. They had enough daylight to make it that far, and she had a mind to stay through the night. Of course, she had a couple ulterior reasons for wanting to stop within its walls too...

A trilling sound caught her ear, Shikiyoku had not been moving at a very fast pace simply meandering towards their destination, and it made her stop and turn, seeing the little onyx dragon from before gleaming in the daylight as it soared back to her.

She held up her right arm and it came wheeling towards her, slowing its descent abruptly when it came just above her arm, flapping a couple of times in a hover as it gauged the distance between itself and her extended limb before dropping suddenly in a perch.

Its eyes wheeled green and red as it tilted its head at her and Shikiyoku raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes."

The green melted into blue, though the red remained, and Shikiyoku sighed.

"No wonder..." She trailed off as the dragon's eyes swirled into orange and green with the red and this time both eyebrows lifted and she found herself shrugging. "I'll live. But if you like."

The red and orange mixed faster this time, though its head tilted and it appeared to move its shoulders up and down in the same motion Shikiyoku had just done, its wings fluttering in the same fashion as it did so and Shikiyoku couldn't resist the laugh as it imitated her.

"Go on, then." She hefted her arm a little and the dragon spread its wings, at that point Shikiyoku actually lowering her arm a bit and then sharply lifting it to give the dragon some velocity as it took off into the sky once more.

As Shikiyoku and Hiei started to be able to see the walls of the city rising up in front of them, the massiveness of it rivaled the appearance of the one they had left earlier in the day, though these walls were much sleeker in their red color, having none of the impurities or shoddy workmanship that the last set of walls did.

When they were roughly a mile out, a more excited trill echoed above them and Shikiyoku stopped again to turn and look.

While one would have been expecting to see a black shape, the strangeness of some sort of red creature swooping down to them made Shikiyoku frown until it got almost right up to her face and she let out a huff of amusement.

The dragon peered at her with ruby eyes whose colors matched the hood that it had up over it face, flapping its wings to hover before her.

Her scarlet cloak was around his neck, hanging far enough down its back-between its wings-to make it obvious the thing was not for the creature as it extended passed even its tail. She reached forward with a smile to lift the cloak back over its head, swirling it off of the dragon once she freed it and continuing the motion to set it once more over her own shoulders.

"My deepest thanks, little one." She reached a hand out from under the cloak to the still-hovering creature, "For your silly show of affection." She did not appear to be actually reprimanding the dragon for having retrieved her cloak, her fingers smoothing against its scales as it purred in contentment with its eyes falling half-lidded, in spite of her usage of the word 'silly.'

As Shikiyoku turned without a word back in the direction of the city, she took off at a run, pulling the hood of her cloak up over her head to better hide her features, tucking her hair within it.

The last mile between them and the gate closed quickly, though this time, while the gates were open, there was hardly a soul milling about except for a couple of guardsmen who didn't give the two newcomers a second glance.

Just a few blocks within the gates and the city started to bustle around them with daily activity and Shikiyoku's eyes were bright in taking in the sights she had so often in the past seen. Everything was almost new and different it had been so long.

A group standing just within the walls of the city did take notice of the pair where the guardsmen appeared not to and that group moved around to cut them off, stepping in front of their path. They were five in number, looking like a gang by the strange wind-like symbol they each had somewhere on their person or their clothing.

"I guess you weren't told, but there is a toll for anyone who wants to view the city."

Shikiyoku held out an arm in front of Hiei as she stopped short of them and she stared up at the demon in front, their leader most likely. The little black dragon that had been flying above them alighted on Hiei's shoulder and settled there, regarding the situation with onyx-colored eyes.

"I don't pay tribute to snot-nosed kids."

A demon or two of the group almost laughed at Shikiyoku's audacity as she stuck her chin out a little farther, her green eyes flashing a little from underneath her hood.

"Lucky for you, shorty," The leader spat, "The price just went double." He stomped closer, getting in her face and leering at her, "Of course, I'm sure we could think of some other way you could pay your dues."

Shikiyoku had a hard time not laughing at the demon, but he noticed the twinkle in her eyes and narrowed his own, reaching up to flip her hood off her head, but she caught his wrist before he managed to touch her.

"I wouldn't." She warned him.

He sneered and flicked it off her head with his other hand, the group behind him sucking in a breath as even his own eyes widened, his nose quickly sniffing the air.

"You don't _smell _human."

"You're not as dumb as you look."

The demon clamped his mouth shut, but had not moved, staring into her green eyes as his hand tightened over the hilt of a knife he had at his belt.

"I wonder if you bleed like one." The corner of his lips lifted to show his sharp teeth as his hand started to pull the knife from its sheath. "Or are you from The Palace? That would be a mighty fine prize-"

"Garou!" A voice sharply called out from the midst of the crowds around them, approaching the gang from behind and shoving his way through to clamp a hand onto the shoulder of the demon who threatened Shikiyoku.

This demon had brown hair and eyes, a red bandana about his forehead. His green jacket was open at the top, as was the cream shirt underneath it, and both were under the wide belt he had around his waist. His pants were white with brown boots over them that came up to his knees.

The new demon spun Garou around to glare piercingly into Garou's eyes.

"I suggest you leave now before _that _one kills you." The new demon said in a growl and jerked his head slightly towards Hiei.

Garou did not turn around, the new demons had still clamped firmly in place, but his eyes did attempt to flicker over his shoulder.

He shrugged the new demon's hand off and adjusted his shirt.

"Stay out of it next time." Garou glared back into the new demon's face.

"And let you get killed? Gladly."

Garou shoved his way past the new demon whose eyes followed him as the youngling slouched off with his gang.

Without saying anything, the brown-haired demon turned back to Shikiyoku, his chin slightly raised as he peered down at her almost over his nose with his head turned just a little.

His expression remaining neutral as he put one hand on his hip, he reached out and took Shikiyoku's chin in his hand, turning her face this way and that to scrutinize her profile.

"I'd recognize that jawline _anywhere_."

"Taka." Was all Shikiyoku said, her eyes almost sparkling up at the full-chested demon.

Taka let out a belly-laugh as he let go of her face, "I _knew _it was you, sweetheart!" He winked and held out a finger to waggle it at her, "You can't just go and change your colors and think you're going to escape from me."

"Aweh," Shikiyoku's voice took on an air of mock-pity, "Still pining for me after all these years, bird-brain?"

"Oh, I don't know." Taka replied with good-nature, "I think most would tell you I'm a reformed demon since all that time ago. I'm feeling a relapse coming on though." He let his eyes narrow playfully, "You wanna help me out with that?"

Shikiyoku finally laughed, "Ah ha, we'll see."

"Not an immediate no?" He exclaimed, "Be still my core!"

"Taka, this is Hiei." Shikiyoku said in way of introduction, tilting her head slightly to indicate the fire demon with dragon on his shoulder. "Hiei, this is bird-brain."

"Ouch." Taka grimaced as he nodded once to the fire demon, "Harsh."

His eyes alighted on the dragon that had not moved since joining Hiei.

"Ryou! I can't believe you, sir. Ditching your master already?"

The dragon's eyes swirled purple.

"He's going to be heartbroken."

Ryou turned his head to the side and closed his eyelids, loftily refusing to make eye-contact with Taka.

"He nearly destroyed the tavern after you left. I don't know _what _he'll think of you attaching yourself to someone else."

Ryou opened his eyes and turned to look at Shikiyoku, his eyes shifting into red.

"You and me both, brother." Taka grinned over at Shikiyoku, "Since I'm going to go into a regression, I think some drinks are in order."

"The Niiro Kaga?" Shikiyoku's eyes brightened immensely at the thought.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Taka's lopsided grin hadn't moved, "It's still alive and kicking. And as worn-in as ever."

"It outta be." Shikiyoku replied, "Been in place since the beginning of time."

"Practically." Taka turned to lead them. "We keep trying to get Kafu to fix up the place, but he won't have any of it."

"_That _old man is still alive?" Shikiyoku fell in step beside the brown-haired demon.

"Still runs the place." Taka nodded once.

"He was ancient when _I _first arrived." Shikiyoku seemed impressed.

"Speaking of which..." Taka trailed off, his eyes glancing over at Hiei before he returned to paying attention to leading them through the crowds.

"Hm?" Shikiyoku thought she had missed the rest of his sentence.

"Nah, not important right now." Taka replied, "We can talk about it when we sit down." 3

Hiei was quiet, and had been for hours. Even his mind had been silent, with no real thoughts touching the forefront of his mind. All he did was follow Shikiyoku, because he simply had no other choice. He knew little to nothing about this level, and the only things he did know were only because he'd just experienced them.

Crimson eyes looked up at the wall that had just come into sight from the break in the trees, its color pretty close to his irises. Its height was incredible compared to the previous city wall that he had seen. With the mental image of the previous city wall came the mental image of the many demon inhabitants simultaneously turning and looking up and himself and Shikiyoku, each moving in step together.

A scowl settled on his face. She was taking him through another city, despite his disdain.

He didn't repeat his earlier complaint over cities, since she had pulled to a stop to retrieve a cloth from the dragon he had actually forgotten about over the past few hours. He eyed the cloak, not surprised she'd ended up with it in the end. But, he turned away to regard the city walls again, only moving when the dragon settled on his shoulder and Shikiyoku sprinted past him.

Again, he slowed his pace once he entered the city, looking around at the bustling inhabitants wearily. He wasn't happy about being here. He contemplated turning and simply carrying Shikiyoku out, while his gut churned and his senses seemed to pick up on every single blip of energy in the area.

He talked himself out of it though, just in time for a group of demons to step in their way. He didn't say a single word throughout the exchange, his eyes flashing dangerously and a hand moving to his hip, to the holster of his sword, when one of the demons had made a move for their knife.

He wasn't in the mood to give any verbal warnings. If they decided to act without thinking, he'd simply sever their limbs. Easy as that.

His hand closed around the hilt of his oldest weapon and he pulled at it, only an inch of the blade being pulled from the sheath before _another_, much larger demon in comparison to himself stepped forward, pulling away the demon whose life had been on the very edge. Even as the group of demons retreated, Hiei contemplated an attack.

But his hand retreated from his katana, allowing it to click back into place on the sheath.

Introductions were made. Hiei made no sound, only nodding once in acknowledgement of _bird-brain_'s existence. But he was very aware at the familiarity between the two, and the familiarity that Taka held with the dragon on his shoulder as well.

Hiei was the odd man out.

As usual.

His eyes turned to the dragon, raising a brow at the creature. _Ryou is a fitting name._

He looked back to Taka and Shikiyoku, silently soaking in each movement between the two, each word exchanged as if it were dire for him to remember everything about this moment. And when they turned to leave, Hiei followed after just as silently, eyes taking to looking about himself, completely ignoring the hesitation that Taka held with his last few words.

Words he didn't say.

Whether it was because of Hiei's presence, or anything else, he still felt a bit if irritation rise and settle as a hardened stare straight ahead.

He wanted out of the city. Now.

~!**!~

Akari finished off her bowl by downing the broth and set the white glass on the counter, watching the back of Shyn work over the stove as he chattered to the other customer, tone as if he hadn't been joking about with Akari and Yusuke minutes before.

"Well, I suppose." she finally replied to Yusuke, resting her elbow on the counter and propping her chin on her fisted fingers, turning so she could watch the boy eat. A crooked smile touched her features for the shortest moment before disappearing. "I suppose everyone has their flaws. Not every spirit detective can be completely… spiritual.." She gave a small huff of contentment that turned into a long sigh. "Pretty good for just a stand, hm?" _*****_

Yusuke gave her a roguish smile, "After Sensui, can you blame Spirit World for hiring a punk like me?" He didn't answer her other question at first, but he thought he got his point across anyway by the slurping noise he made as he lifted the bowl to his lips to catch some of the broth.

"How did you find this place again?" Yusuke had lived here, well, forever, and he couldn't seem to recall ever having eaten at this place previously.

~!**!~

There was little more than pleasantries and banter exchanged between Taka and Shikiyoku on the walk to the tavern.

Shikiyoku could feel Hiei following behind them, and despite the large number of demons that surrounded her, his presence kept her calm.

Over the entrance to the tavern was a sign with a painted picture of a red flower.

As soon as they entered, their ears were accosted by the noise and revelry of the demons within, much like a pub would have been in Human World, for all the flack the demons would have given someone for pointing that out.

Tables with benches and stools made from the red wood of the trees in the Ninth Level were filled to overflowing with so many demon patrons and servers alike.

Taka sent a wave to the old bartender who nodded once efficiently at the other demon before going back to serving those who sat in front of him.

Taking the lead and shouldering a path for the two who followed behind him, Taka went for the corner and a table there that was thankfully a little set apart from the general mayhem of the establishment, and he sat down on one side, Shikiyoku moving to slide into a seat across from him.

Without saying a word, Taka caught the eye of one of the servers and held up three fingers. She nodded to indicate she noted his request, turning to finish serving drinks to the table waiting beside her.

Ryou had slid farther over on Hiei's shoulder, closer to the fire demon's head, pulling his wings in tightly against his body in an effort to not get jostled about, occasionally reaching over to place a tiny clawed paw against Hiei's head for extra steadiness when someone would bump into them. He slipped his long scaly tail over Hiei's shoulders and curled it in front of the fire demon's neck loosely to keep it out of the way. He seemed unconcerned with the ruckus, and had in truth been in this tavern many times.

Taka leaned his elbows on the table so that he would be closer to Shikiyoku. Their corner afforded them a little less noise, so he did not have to shout when he began speaking.

"So, what happened, sweetheart?" His brown eyes glanced briefly over at Hiei. "One day you were around, the next no one had heard from you or Iro. Stayed that way for months until I happened to catch wind from upstairs of your pact with Youko, in so many words."

Shikiyoku appeared reluctant to talk at first, but she went ahead.

"Iro's dead." She shrugged when she finally responded. "Youko got hit by Hunters. The entire compound got attacked, actually. The price on our heads is a high one. I just barely got into Human World and they lost me. Been there for the last fifteen years."

Taka's eyes lit up for a moment, "Good warrant then, huh?"

"Better than yours." She resisted sticking her tongue out at him.

He laughed and leaned back, knowing she had not told him everything. He wondered what all this fire demon next to her knew and if he was the reason she did not wish to go into further detail.

"So, you're a free demon now?" He asked her archly as three steins of the beverage he'd ordered slammed the table, he reached for one, but didn't break eye-contact.

"Not in the way you're thinking." She replied impetuously.

"Aw, come on sweetheart, you said I'd be the next one."

"I said no such thing." Came her prim reply as she snagged for another one of the three mugs and took a long draw from it. "But I _do _remember _you _claiming that." 3

Hiei frowned as they approached a building that he could clearly tell was a tavern, now entirely set on not going through any other city for the rest of their trip. He disliked the loud noises that berated his ears as soon as the door was open. He disliked the crowd of demons that stared as he passed, moving about in a large group almost and he had to actually shoulder his way through.

Though, his glare _did _help a bit.

By the time he reached the table, the dragon was almost completely wound about his neck, and as he sat down in a chair opposite Taka, on Shikiyoku's right, he turned to look about the room again until his eyes simply settled on the dragon, inspecting the creature until the conversation picked up.

At first, he didn't care enough to listen in. It wasn't his business anyway.

Until a very familiar name was slid into the topic, at which point Hiei's ears twitched just slightly and his eyes slid over to Taka. He had suspected it had been something of the sort when Youko had healed Shikiyoku, but having it confirmed made odd things swirl inside his core. He didn't understand his own need to listen in to the conversation.

_Around every corner, something else pops up._

Drinks were set down, and Hiei glanced briefly at the one left for himself. He gauged it, looking at the liquid within the glasses with slight interest before turning away from it entirely. For the moment, he could care less about beverages. He wasn't hungry or thirsty, so he saw no need in drinking it.

Not even for courtesy's sake for the demon who had obviously ordered it for him.

He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the knee of the other, turning to eye the dragon again while his ears listened intently to the conversation, a hand lifting to the creature on his shoulders as if to make himself busy.

~!**!~

Akari didn't reply to Yusuke's first question, deeming it as rhetorical, despite the few ideas she'd had in mind for retorts. 'Course, she couldn't really say much either, since Sensui had done very well in using her as a puppet. Even if she had wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to vouch for the guy.

"Toriko," she answered casually with a shrug of her shoulders. "After school one day, she paid for dinner. I've come back at least once a week since, no matter what." She paused and glanced in the direction of Shyn again before turning her eyes back to Yusuke, then let her eyelids slide shut as she realized just how full she was.

_Nabu needs something too._

"If I remember correctly, this place hasn't been around longer than a year. Not very well known yet. He said he'd always wanted to open a ramen shop, and, well, this is just the beginning I suppose." She thought on that for a moment, realizing that the human had started rather late in his life to open up his dream place. The man had to be at least fifty, what with the grey hairs that colored his otherwise dark hair here and there.

_Suppose even Humans make the most of their time. __*****_

"That girl's got good taste." Yusuke noted, finally sitting back in his chair and stretching a little before reclining at the table before him. How long had she been around? Maybe he was just inobservant. Too busy getting into trouble and saving the world.

Maybe he'd take Keiko here sometime soon…

He got a dreamy look in his eyes that he didn't realize had settled there as he pulled his arms up behind his head and rested in the chair with his full stomach.

* * *

><p><em>Several of my OCs I tend to base on the look of another character already in existence mostly because I can't draw and it makes it easier for, say, a role-play partner to picture the character in their head. For example, Taka the bird demon has the same look as the character Tibarn in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.<em>

Shyn - no meaning

Garou - hungry wolf

Taka  - falcon (Falconidae family); hawk

Ryou - dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon);

Niiro Kaga - Red Flower Bud

Iro - can mean different things depending on the kanji used. For this particular case it would be "lover," "irregular kana usage, Noun, Male term or language "

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	37. Episode 122 - Drinking and Talking

**A/N: **Hello once again, Readers!

Onwards to the chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

In this chapter, the small, black dragon named Ryou has dialogue. The dragon "speaks" by telepathically projecting images or pictures and emotions directly into the mind. His so-called dialogue will be in quotes and italics, but because this is a _fire_-breathing dragon, the dialogue will be followed by a tilde, in a similar fashion as the All-Fire, and will look like the following:

_"We fire!"~_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke head to the ramen stand that Toriko took Akari to a while back.  
>The two of them spend their time talking with Shyn, the cook, and eating their food.<br>Yusuke gets a dreamy look in his eye as he thinks about bringing Keiko there sometime in the future.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei arrive at the second city in their journey across Demon World,  
>with the lur'mog and the little black dragon named Ryou in tow.<br>They have a run in at the front gate, one which is tempered by a bird demon named Taka.  
>He and Shikiyoku are apparently well acquainted and they travel to a nearby tavern named The Niiro Kaga.<br>Hiei is sitting at the table with the other two, petting Ryou who is still on his shoulders...

* * *

><p>Ryou took to Hiei's attentions with pleasure, his throat vibrating like a purr, if muted what with the tavern noise around them.<p>

When the fire demon didn't reach for his drink, Ryou slunk off of Hiei's shoulders onto the table, tiny claws clicking almost imperceptibly against the wood as he got over to the stein, which was nearly as large as he, and stood up on his hind legs with his claw clutching at the rim. He easily dipped his long neck down and started to drink at the liquid therein.

An uproar that superseded the ruckus around them started in the other corner and had Taka rolling his eyes.

"The he goes again."

"Who?"

He glanced back at Shikiyoku.

"I forget it's been a while." He mused for a second, "After you left the level, but not too long after. Demon came into town and hasn't left. He's a drunk. Stirs up trouble every so often, but no one can seem to off the guy. Name's Uryo. Or at least that's what he's told us. Who knows. He's never sober enough to get a straight answer from."

The table and bench combo next to them-a good thirty feet away-suddenly flew up in the air, doing a somersault before landing back upright. In the meantime, however, the demons who had been sitting at it got uprooted and tossed about the tavern, into other patrons, and so on. Their drinks went everywhere too, though the table at which the trio of demons and dragon sat luckily stayed out of the line of fire.

"That would be where he usually sits." Taka noted.

A slender demon slid onto the bench at the end of the now no longer uprooted table, drink in his hand and several more appearing on the table in front of him from somewhere they could not see. He appeared to have one hand resting inside the left part of his overcoat on top of his belt and it likely had some sort of beverage, but seeing as it was his right arm, the side facing the trio, it was hard to tell.

His hair was the darkest black, and he actually had a line of age underneath each bloodshot eye, but there was a horizontal grey mark near his forehead that stretched almost from ear to ear just behind the bangs that shaded his face. The rest of his hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and hung down straight and long almost touching the floor.

"Not a very pleasant fellow is he?"

"Depends on the night." Taka admitted.

The tavern had grown extra silent at this point as a figure stepped up to the demon Taka had called Uryo with two swords drawn. He proceeded to point them at Uryo.

"You're very rude." Came the steely voice of the demon.

Uryo didn't bother looking up at the kid, "And you're very shtupid."

The demon didn't take that very well and immediately lunged forward.

Without rising or pausing in the middle of the drink he had just begun to tip his head back to take from his right arm, Uryo flashed out his own sword and calmly blocked every double-bladed attempt the punk at his side tried to put through.

"Look, kid." Uryo mumbled as he placed the drink back on the table. "Jusht give it up."

"The price for your head is a high one."

Uryo swung over to actually look at the demon for the first time.

"Tell yah what," Uryo's face was flushed with drunkeness, "If you can sh'o much ash hit me, I'll turn my own damn sh'elf in." He looked back at his drink, throwing his head back as he reached the bottom.

The demon's pointed ears perked, but his expression remained otherwise irritated, his breath coming rather quickly, which was no surprise given the amount of forced he'd put behind the attacks just now.

Coming at him again, the demon tried to get past Uryo's defense, but to no avail as the swordsman deflected each blow single-handedly without so much as pausing between drinks, staring almost vacantly at the wooden table while he did so.

Finally fed up with the drunk, the demon slashed out at the drink Uryo held in his hand, slicing it completely into pieces and leaving Uryo holding only a handle.

"You sh'ouldn't have done that."

"Then get up and fight me." The demon growled.

"You're...hic...already dead."

The demon's eyes narrowed and as he moved his arm to make another slash, blood crept out of his mouth as the arm fell off into four pieces, the body falling to the floor.

Uryo stood up suddenly and yelled over at the barkeeper, "How many wa'sh that?"

"Only twenty, Uryo." The white-haired barkeep appeared to be frowning in disappointment.

Uryo swayed on his feet and started counting his fingers, looking over at the body on the floor as he mumbled to himself.

"But that'sh only twenty!" He shouted back after a moment.

The barkeep nodded.

"Damn." Uryo sat back down and started drinking again as a nonchalant server started to clean up the demon on the floor and the rest of the tavern started murmuring again.

Taka chuckled as he turned back to Shikiyoku.

"He thinks twenty-one is the number of perfection, so he's always trying to get there. Only ever manages four slices on the arms, legs, and torso. Twenty." Taka explained with a bit of a shrug as he smiled. 3

Hiei frowned slightly to himself as the dragon moved away from him and to the drink he had left on the table. He didn't find himself very surprised. He merely watched the long necked creature stick its head into the glass, momentarily amused by the amount of stretching that it required for the dragon.

But in the next second, Hiei was entirely distracted with a new scene. In moments, there was a fight going on and things were being thrown about wildly. Calmly, Hiei turned to witness the scene, a neutral expression taking in the flying drinks and such. He almost found himself interested.

He turned away and watched the dragon again.

Until the table across the room moved slightly. Red eyes again moved to the fight scene, watching the events unfold without much interest.

It was a scene he'd imagined a million times when younger. A particular reason why he'd avoided pubs- they were a waste of time and energy for him.

But this one… This particular tavern was beginning to prove him wrong about the normal inhabitants, he realized. He watched as a single demon blocked a dual-wielding swordsman, eyes following each movement even as the one named Uryo continued to drink.

He watched unblinkingly until, finally, a carcass was in pieces on the floor. The fire demon eyed the fighter with no small ounce of interest now, slight respect bubbling to the surface. It was clear this demon was very skilled in his art of sword fighting, since even Hiei had had a bit of trouble keeping up.

He'd only counted fifteen.

"Hn."

~!**!~

Akari listened idly to Yusuke's quiet musings before he too went quiet, the sound of his bowl touching the counter again after he'd slurped up all the broth ringing in her head. But she wasn't much listening to her surroundings after that. If he had spoken up, she hadn't noticed.

She was too busy thinking about the human who had done just as he had said he'd dreamed to do since High School. A small twitch of her lips threatened a smile.

She'd been wrong about humans.

Most of them.

They were actually… decent, on some level.

"_I have found that their merits lie deeper than just their smell and their intelligence."_

She finally understood what he had meant back then. Kurama had seen the best of the humans, and with Sensui, much of the worst as well. Hell, Yusuke would be classified as one of the best, despite his rambunctious and fiery nature.

_Even as an enemy he taught me something new._

Another image flashed and she found herself ashamed of that day.

Yet it was almost as if that hadn't ever happened, since days like _yesterday _had happened.

She gave a small sigh, no longer fighting the thoughts. Might as well, eh? _*****_

"So, what happened?" Yusuke said abruptly, though his voice held none of the usual brusqueness that the Spirit Detective tended to naturally carry.

"I mean," He quickly retracted, pulling his arms down and leaning up against the table without looking over at her, "You don't _have _to tell me-"

He cut himself off again, "Dammit, here I was trying to get you to forget about all of that and now I'm just bringing it up. Stupid." He gave a nervous chuckle, but wouldn't raise his eyes in Akari's direction.

~!**!~

Somewhere in the middle of their distraction with the scene that Uryo unfolded next to them, the small lur'mog had extracted himself from where he had taken up residence next to Shikiyoku's core down the front of her shirt. That spot against her skin on which he had curled was quite warm and he blinked his eyes sleepily as the light from the tavern hit them when he crawled out from the folds of her cloak.

The webbed spines along the first few vertebrae of his back perked up as his nose separated all the different smells in the room away to let it concentrate on the one in the strange shiny tower before him.

He watched with interest as She reached out and picked it up, its size appearing to mean nothing to Her. The creature knew then that the liquid inside must be good, as if he had not already guessed at that.

As soon as the tower was put down, he skittered over to it and hopped up the side, grasping at the lip and pulling himself high enough to peer within it.

Nothing.

Making a small huff of displeasure, the creature zipped to the other tower across the table, finding the same absence of the liquid.

When he got up to the third and started to peer in, he felt a puff of energy waft over his face and he let out a tiny cough, looking up to see that the dragon, whose eyes were a half-lidded, and whirling in a contented brown, was starting to swirl a light pink with irritation while the two creatures stared at one another.

Before the pink got darker with anger, the lur'mog decided to hop back down.

His nose-slits still sniffed at the air, large eyes zeroing in on several more towers of different colors on the table just across from them. His scaly tail flicked once in excitement.

And without further hesitation, he was speeding from this table to the next at such a pace that he had no need for the floor, in essence running over the air between the two, his invisible path going unnoticed by those around him.

Not so much as a millisecond had passed since he disappeared from sight, already nearly at the closest tower, when he suddenly slammed into a wall that had not been there half-a-millisecond before.

To anyone watching, the lur'mog was standing curiously at the edge of one table and the instant the creature disappeared, Uryo's left hand came down and hit the table, thumb facing upwards, and the lur'mog was reeling back from the impact with his palm.

Uryo took that moment to gently curl his fingers around the small creature while it could make no protest and he brought it up closer to his face, blinking drunkenly at it from behind the black bangs that were a bit longer than he liked them.

The lur'mog curled his claws around the apparition's thumb in a soft reaction-type gesture, his tail wrapping around the rest of the man's hand, and he had recovered his senses by the time he had been lifted up to be scrutinized and he started chittering as he found himself inspected by a pair of strawberry irises whose color was almost indistinguishable by the amount of blood-shot veins surrounding them.

"I ush'ually don't sh'are...hic." Uryo point out, his head bobbing a tad bit as if his neck could not hold it up. "But you're cute."

He reached out with his other hand and stroked a finger down the spines of the creature who gurgled with pleasure as his spikes lowered underneath the touch.

Uryo reached for one of the tankards in front of him. "If you can take thi'sh sh'tuff...hic...then maybe we can be drinking buddies." He loosened his grip on the creature and lowered his hand towards the edge of the mug, before giving a small chuckle.

~!**!~

"The servers always were fast on the cleanup." Shikiyoku noted as the server who had knelt down to remove the gore rose only a minute or so later.

"They've gotten much faster at it ever since Uryo arrived. It seems like he always has some punk demon or another trying to collect the bounty on his head. It's at least once a day. And it always happens in here if its just the one."

One of Shikiyoku's eyebrows raised, "I would assume one of the merc guilds here in the city would just send their entire force after him and split the bounty if it really were so high."

"You noticed how slack the security is around our gate?"

Shikiyoku nodded, unsure how that mattered.

Taka held up his hands, elbows resting on the table, and began ticking off the fingers of the one with the other.

"First came the bandit clans stationed outside and around the city to claim Uryo's life. Bunch of the smaller ones. They failed and the rest all tried. Got up to the largest two. All dead. There's not a single one of them left. And finally House Youhei decided to take him on."

_That _got Shikiyoku's attention.

"You're kidding."

"Nope." Taka lowered his hands, "The entire household, the largest mercenary guild in the city and the third most powerful, sent every single apparition in their ranks after him. All at once. Couldn't touch him. And he was in a drunken rage at the time too. I doubt he was able to see straight."

Shikiyoku nodded with a grim expression. She knew of House Youhei. _Heh._ She more than 'knew.' She had taken jobs on several occasions at their behest. And now that guild was no more?

She turned back over to look at the drunk with more respect than she had previously.

"The other households wizened up and left him alone."

"And no one knows where he comes from?"

Taka shook his head.

"'Course, no one's bothered to ask."

During the time it took for Shikiyoku and the bird-demon to get halfway through their conversation, Ryou had downed the entire tankard that had been intended for Hiei, climbing further and further inside the mug as the liquid lowered until only the end of his tail had been visible, wavering slightly back and forth in the air as it helped the black dragon stay balanced as he braced himself against the smooth sides of the inner walls.

That tail disappeared now as Ryou curled himself around at the bottom of the empty beverage in order to be able to lift himself up and climb back out.

The sturdy mug did not wobble in the least as the dragon heaved himself out of it, using even the barely manipulatable talons at the top of his wings as leverage against the edge of the tankard in order to pull himself up and plop back onto the table in so many limbs and wings, his stomach protruding ever-so-slightly from the drink inside.

He easily righted himself, his thin tail swishing back and forth elegantly, but the tips of his wings against the table as if he were a wyvern that did not possess the full four legs he had, crouched over in much the same position that one of his dragonkin would have been, the talons on his wings that he had used earlier now delicately hitched into the wood of the table.

A puff of the dark purple energy-smoke whooshed out of his mouth as his body lurched with an otherwise silent belch, but he raised his neck up to stare at Hiei, eyes swirling in a satisfied brown.

Impressions came from the dragon and slipped into Hiei's mind as it looked up at him.

"_Fire!"~_

This time the excitement was much more mellow and contented, and centered specifically around the 'fire' that had settled in his belly, and not 'fire' in the literal sense.

"I am going to go give my regards to Kafu." Shikiyoku stood up after lifted her tankard to her lips and finding it was empty, letting her seat shift backwards behind her knees.

"Ha, you do that, sweetheart." Taka appeared to find the notion amusing, "Just don't rob him of too many drinks. More than three and he's liable to recognize you from the way you're batting your eyes at him."

"I have _no _idea what you're talking about, bird-brain." Shikiyoku flipped her dark hair over her shoulder, unwittingly releasing some of the scent of her energy that it contained into the air.

As she started to walk away, Taka had his eyes narrowed, that tantalizing smell reaching his nose, and a portion of his lips lifted in a snarl as he growled at her almost playfully. She turned back and batted her eyes at him. 3

Hiei stared across the room at the demon that Taka had continued explaining about. The names of the people who was being described as previous challengers of this particular drunk. meant nothing to him. He never had been good at keeping up with names and dynasties around the different levels of demon world. He hadn't needed to, since all he ever needed had been within reach.

Sure, it took all ten fingers and a quick run to get something of importance here and there, but never had he decided to challenge any guild or family known for fighting. As amusing as it would be, he wasn't sure how much he'd lose to something like that.

At least, that's how he had viewed it then.

Now, he simply didn't care. But, from the sound of surprise from Shikiyoku, this demon had to be rather high up on the rankings. A challenge, from what Hiei could decode. A challenge of the best kind.

But he didn't care for a fight. Not here, not now. He wasn't in the mood to fight for fun. Especially not since Shikiyoku was with him.

And if there was any shadow of a doubt about winning, he wouldn't dare put her life on the line as well. That would simply be too… troublesome.

His eyes slid over to Taka and Shikiyoku again, watching as she turned to leave and his nostrils flaring at the scent that wafted his way. Otherwise, he gave no notice of her banter. He simply turned away again, eyes going down to the dragon that was now grabbing his attention.

His expression didn't change as he regarded the scaled creature. He merely let out a small hummed word that indicated slight irritation. Though, it wasn't aimed at the dragon specifically, just the atmosphere in the tavern.

His eyes turned up again, staring unblinkingly at Taka, almost curiously, but completely blank as he assessed the demon.

~!**!~

Akari had to fight herself to simply let the thought pass by uninterrupted by her own emotions, hoping that just letting them slide across her mind, they'd leave her alone for a while. But it didn't seem that would work. At least, not right away, because her mind became quickly stuck on the moment in the gym, replaying it like a video she'd seen a million times.

And the question he had posed.

She still had time, but still. The thought of all scars leaving her body was something she'd dreamed about for a long while now. She would be able to be completely confident in herself again.

So what made her hesitate?

_A small growl left her throat as he leaned closer, a small warning about personal space. She attempted to growl out a rather rhetorical, angry question about his intentions, but with their proximity closing, she felt a movement in her stomach that silenced her again as his breath washed over her face. What are you-_

_Her thought, which had been intended to be voiced, was cut short when his eyes closed and, before she could even register the second, his lips gently touched hers. _

_Soft was the first impression._

Akari's eyes slid open, but the image remained. Her second impression, one she hadn't been aware of, was genuinity. Warmth. What _that_ what was holding her back? A stupid little gesture from a fox demon who-

She suddenly blinked, realizing Yusuke had spoken up. She looked up at him, only just realizing that she had stopped breathing for a beat of a moment and her ears had become very, very warm.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, having only heard a part of his question. But the last part she heard made her freeze, her mind scrambling away from the image and searching for something- anything- to say.

"Uh, It's just, uh…" She was fumbling, embarrassment, confusion, and several other emotions rendering her from thinking properly. "Just uh-" She took a deep breath. "It's nothing." she settled, forcing herself to turn and face the counter, so she couldn't look at the detective. "Nothing of consequence." _*****_

"Liar." The word was simple, a rebuttal to ensure that she knew _he _knew it wasn't 'nothing' in spite of her statements to the contrary.

Yusuke released a sigh that could have been taken as either relief that she did not want to discuss it, or a noise of hesitation on whether pursuing the matter would be prudent.

It _had _to be the fox. Who else could get under her skin? The kitsune had a knack for getting into people's heads after all. This particular case didn't come as a surprise.

He released another one of those sighs again, though this one was more hesitant in nature.

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it, I'm not gonna bother you about it. Just-" He pursed his lips together, "I'm pretty good at listening." He grinned just to offset the seriousness he found himself slipping into, "When I wanna be."

~!**!~

Taka's eyes followed Shikiyoku as she made her way through the crowd, watching the way her hips swayed and her hair shifted in the opposite motion of her steps. He almost made a disgruntled noise as she reached up and pulled her hood over her head before disappearing behind several bodies, but he also knew the intelligence behind such a gesture as her appearance _was _startlingly different than previous.

Well...almost all of her appearance.

_Geez, Taka. You slipped into that 'regression' you mentioned pretty quickly. _Taka forced his gaze over to the brooding male he'd taken for a swordsman when he'd noted the stance the shorter demon had shifted into when Shikiyoku was threatened.

"So, what brought the pair of you to the Ninth Level?" He lifted his own tankard, which was not yet empty, up to his lips.

Ryou's movements appeared so sleek that he practically glided over the table back to Hiei and the shoulder he had taken to resting on, actually laying down this time with his tail hanging behind the fire demon's neck and lazily swishing around over Hiei's shoulder and his four limbs and head laying down on the other shoulder. 3

Hiei considered Taka for a moment in silence, at first not sure what he _should _tell of what he was doing here. But, he decided he could still disclose _some _information, without being too descriptive, and his eyes slide to the dragon that was getting comfortable on his shoulders.

"Tracking down a demon," he said casually, eyeing the creature that rested across his shoulders with a small ounce of fondness bubbling up. He actually enjoyed this one's company on a level he didn't quite understand.

Maybe it was due to the dragon he'd consumed.

"A challenge that's amusing enough to pursue."

~!**!~

Akari didn't reply to Yusuke, her mind now entirely stuck on repeat on the single moment that left her frazzled. Each time it replayed, she could still feel the contact.

"You're not a sibling, Yusuke," she said without thinking, her eyes staring blankly forward as her expression smoothed out to a facade of calm neutrality. But after a small bit of hesitation, she gave a resigned sigh. Again, her lips moved without her brain telling them to do so.

"He's made a very tempting offer in a very twisted way." She didn't even name the person involved. She didn't deem it necessary. "And I am not sure what I wish to do, which I'd rather live with." _*****_

"Hey, don't ruin me trying to be nice to you and all." Yusuke gently punched at her shoulder when he accused her of acting like a brother.

At her next words, Yusuke was taken aback, his thoughts-of course-immediately turning inappropriate, which he forced away in the next second to better scrutinize her statements.

Offer? Kurama? What on earth-

He forced away those thoughts, instead taking her at face-value and turning thoughtful.

"Hm." He stalled for time, resting his arm on the counter and putting his face in his other hand, his expression turning faraway. "So, refusing him could be good, but accepting him could be good?"

~!**!~

Taka felt his eyebrow quirk at 'challenge,' but he remained silent.

"My first instinct was going to be to next ask you which merc group hired you, but your traveling companion hasn't been a mercenary for centuries."

_Not since she shacked up with that bandit of a kitsune. He had her at his beck and call and coveted her in who exactly got to use her and when. Which meant her attentions were exclusive to his gang's interests. Intelligent bastard._

His thoughts were a bit jaded, even if he couldn't fault the famous Youko, and he could still feel the scent that Shikiyoku had left at the table stirring in his mind and though he didn't show it outwardly, Taka had been deeply moved by her sudden reappearance.

He'd been the third wheel from the moment she and her Champion rolled into town, and though the trio ended up hardly apart, there was always that other layer of interaction occurring between her and the other apparition that he had never been able to crack.

And now...

Taka's eyes flitted over to the bar where he could just make out the top of her scarlet-colored cloak as she engaged the bartender in deep conversation.

"So, who _did_ hire you? Or should I just go ahead and hazard a guess?" 3

A sneer formed on Hiei's face. "Hiring wasn't necessary for this one." His teeth flashed momentarily as his lips parted in a lopsided gesture of malice before his expression swiftly shifted back to neutral and he sat back again, a hand moving to pet the dragon at his shoulder now that he was certain the creature was fond of such a thing.

"This one is for personal amusement, and even if it weren't, I suppose it wouldn't matter to you anyway." The tone he used and the glare he aimed at Taka held no small amount of ire, his telepathy having picked up on the demon's musings when he'd been listening into the minds of the others in the room for reassurance of Shikiyoku's safety. "It only concerns Shikiyoku and her Champion."

~!**!~

Akari barely noticed the pause Yusuke gave, her mind again playing over her options. If she _kept _the scars, would the newest one matter? Would it help, or cause more distractions than it was worth? If she got rid of them…

If she were rid of them, what would she do then? A solemn expression took over her features at a new realization. Even if her scars were gone, her ears and tail would still be gone as well. There was no fixing that. Nothing could bring back her most desired thing in the world..

But, would getting rid of the scars matter?

_I wouldn't be reminded of…. those days… without them._

"I'm not sure," she finally replied to Yusuke with another sigh. "I suppose so, but both have… repercussions like anything else." Her eyelids slid closed again and she found herself mirroring Yusuke's sitting position almost perfectly. "That's the problem. I don't know about the bad and the good collectively. Only the good, and making a rash decision about it isn't something I want to chance on." _*****_

Yusuke nodded at her wisdom.

"Sounds tough. Damned if you do and damned if you don't." He sighed again, "I wish I could be of more help." He confessed. "I guess...just do whatever's going to make you happy in the long-run. You already kind of said that though. About not knowing which one you could live with." He paused. "Maybe try and think about which one you couldn't live _without_."

~!**!~

Taka chuckled as he lowered his drink again.

"Personal amusement, huh?" Of course it would matter. Or course he was interested. It was Shikiyoku after al-

_What did he just say?_

Taka's eyes moved back across the room, a frown obvious on his face.

_She isn't __**marked**__. Claimed. Whatever._

He couldn't recall the exact word, but there had been this definite scent mixed in with her own: the scent of her pact-mate. He knew it helped mute her energy, ward off others from her power. At least the smart ones. Iro had been strong enough to take care of anyone stupid enough to get close and stay close. And maybe the scent-mixing had to do with the fact that she had been romantically involved with the demon. Taka had no idea in that regard.

What he _did _know is that Shikiyoku also held no physical manifestation of the supposed 'pact' her companion across from her claimed to be in place. Taka would have seen it. Not to mention sensed it. There had been actually markings on her face the last time, ones that would glow when someone would get close unless she intentionally resisted it.

But then how would this-

His eyes dropped back to Hiei.

_Really?_

His silent question was to all the unfairness that the sudden prospect of his thoughts conjured. 3

Hiei stared at Taka with a glare that used to be completely etched into his face, before he'd come across the detective. He hadn't shown such an intense glare very often since being stuck in Human World, and here, it held more meaning anyway, though demons normally seemed to ignore it.

The thoughts of Taka floated to the front of his mind as he continued reading them, and if it were possible, his glare intensified. He felt as if he were about to be challenged, and Hiei was definitely in a bad enough mood to strike without much caring of the aftermath now.

He decided he didn't care for this character. It irked him, made his desire to slit someone's throat stronger than anything had in the past few days. He would say longer, but Otento was pretty high on his hit list with more ire held towards him than perhaps any other being Hiei had ever encountered.

He didn't say anything to the demon. He merely sat, silent and watchful, waiting for any sign that the demon would do something rather foolish.

~!**!~

Akari blinked and turned her face to Yusuke, chin still in her hand. _That _was an angle she hadn't considered taking over the matter. She eyed him for a few moments before turning her face away again, catching Shyn turning away from her and Yusuke silently, busying himself with dishes.

_Which I.. couldn't live without?_

She sat there for a moment, completely lost. She could live without either.

Right?

A small huff of air left her lips in a puff. She felt calmer now, in a sense, but now she felt that she could look at the situation differently. Would either affect the way she saw herself, as well as the people around her in a way that would make her resent what she'd decided?

Her eyes slid over to the detective again, her gaze softening slightly. "Thanks," she mumbled before turning away again, digging into her pocket for cash for Shyn, despite his words of taking her meal and letting her have it for free. She even grabbed enough to pay for the detectives, tossing it on the counter before shifted and letting her feet touch the floor, sliding off the stool almost lazily. "What other games do you have? Anything more interesting than fighting or racing?" _*****_

Yusuke raised an eyebrow as he noticed Akari paying for his meal and he fought inwardly for a second about making a fuss.

_Would you protest if she actually __**were **__your sister?_

His gut still told him 'yes,' and he clenched his teeth together before released a sigh that turned into a laugh at his thoughts.

"Maybe." He said teasingly, getting up as well, "And the only reason I'm letting you do that," he pointed at the money she'd put down, "Is because if _I _paid for _yours _then this is a date and Keiko would kill me.

"Does this mean you want to go back to the arcade?"

~!**!~

Taka stared at Hiei, matching the crimson gaze with his own darkened, brown one.

As the tension began rising, Taka finally released the breath he had taken with the intention of saying _something_. He shook his head and instead spoke with more resignation.

"So, _you're _the lucky one, huh?" It was not difficult to hear the longing in his voice as he went to take another drink.

_The three worlds go to all the trouble of dropping her back into my life... _

He never would have admitted it, but there was little he wouldn't have done at that moment to have been in this apparition's shoes.

_I think the Kamis enjoy laughing at me._ 3

The silence stretched on, but only in Hiei's ears. In his mind, there was a flurry of voices, of thoughts that were loud with the number of drinks each demon had had, and it set him on edge even further.

But the breath released by Taka seemed to collectively effect the fire demon as well, causing his shoulders to relax just a fraction, no longer readying for a fight that he hadn't realized he'd been preparing for. In fact, with the words Taka spoke, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction well up, as if this simple fact of another knowing that he was the Champion of the seductress was something he'd been waiting for. As if it were something he'd always been very proud of.

Not that he hadn't.

He simply didn't know all of the guidelines.

A slight sneer ghosted over his features before disappearing again and he sat back in his chair, not sure when he had leaned forward, placing his ankle over his opposite knee again in a show of calm. "Certainly seems so," he retorted, both to the thoughts that he heard and to the words that reached his ears.

And again, the satisfaction was simply amazing.

~!**!~

"How sweet," Akari gave a small smirk at Yusuke, "she must be able to keep up with you well enough to keep you in line, if you're _that _wary of her anger." She turned to leave, calling a small _see ya_ to Shyn on her way out, who only shook his head at her back and waved her onwards.

"As for your question, I suppose the arcade will do. It's a good way to kill time, is it not?" WIthout another word, she turned to lead the way back to the very same arcade Yusuke had been in earlier that day, deciding she actually wouldn't mind games now that she felt a little better, her mind a little clearer, about the situation she hadn't been able to think through previously.

"But, we _are _stopping at my place first. As comfortable as your jacket is, I think I'd prefer _not _to be seen wearing it, in case some kids decide to step in and waste our valuable gaming time." _*****_

"Eheh," Yusuke nervously rubbed at the back of his neck as they left, "I'm fine with that. Can you just imagine what she would do to me if she saw you wearing it?"

~!**!~

The look of smug satisfaction that settled over Hiei's face was not lost on Taka.

"You have _every _right to that look on your face." Taka pointed at Hiei with a finger that held the mug up. "There are some _extremely _specific requirements to being her Champion, not the least of which is a considerable amount of battle prowess."

He took a drink and swallowed before speaking up again. "Walking around as her protector is one of the highest stations in Demon World that an apparition can achieve. At least everyone around here always seemed to think so. I don't know why you haven't _claimed _her yet though. It'd make things a lot easier for the both of you, especially since she's wandering around like a human nowadays for whatever reason." He scoffed into his mug as he took another drink. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Taka as the bird-demon pointed at him, spoke, took a swig of whatever he was drinking, then continued on. At first, he hadn't found much worth in his words other than the simple fact that he _did _rather enjoy the sound of being called a Champion. But as the demon went on, Hiei's right eyebrow went up a little further until it hid in his bangs entirely.

Though he didn't speak, he made sure his expression conveyed the message:

_What the hell are you talking about?_

Wasn't just _making the pact_ enough?

~!**!~

Akari's grin widened at Yusuke's unease, simply picturing the scene that could only have Yusuke cowering the way he would in front of a girl whom she could only guess had a good _slap_, in the least. It was all she could picture, quite frankly.

Perhaps she nagged a lot.

The thought made her huff in amusement. _This _human needed someone like that to keep him in line.

"I suppose it wouldn't be much of a problem if I showed her the rips in my shirt from the creature we killed. Unless, that is, she doesn't know of your…. extracurricular activities," Akari said with a light tone. "Then Spirit World, I'm sure, would have to kill me for disclosing that type of information to a human."

She took a deep breath as she continued walking, hands toying with the jacket sleeves as she contemplated rolling them up to her elbows. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable in such a loose article of clothing.

"_...Urameshi."_

Akari's ears twitched with the whispered name and a sigh left her lips, the sound of a group of people falling into step behind her and Yusuke making her feel slightly exasperated. _Well, so much for that. _

"Oi, Urameshi!" a voice boomed from behind, much closer than she'd first anticipated. She didn't exactly fight against the hands that grabbed her shoulders and pulled her backwards, an arm replacing the grip as her side was pulled against a human's rather brawny chest. "Nice girl. Maybe I'll keep 'er."

Another sigh.

"See, Yusuke, this is what I wanted to avoid." _*****_

Yusuke made no move to defend her, putting his hands out to the sides in a shrug.

"Hey, if they don't know any better than to mess with me, that's their own problem.

"Oi, idiot! You're about to get an unpleasant surprise!" He called to the gang members.

~!**!~

Both of Taka's eyebrows raised at the reaction he received from the demon across the table and he lowered his mug and gave him a guarded look.

"I've assumed thus far that the physical mark of her Champion isn't visible because of her human form. And that alone would be more than enough to stave off all but the lowest levels of demons from pursuing her with a relentlessness that I can only imagine you've had to deal with already, especially if you've been in the Ninth Level for very long. But-"

Here he had to take a drink as his next thoughts scattered into place, his mind only slightly addled by the beverage, but enough that he didn't think _too _hard about putting anything delicately for this apparently uninformed Champion.

"Claiming?" He went on, "You know, _mating_? You're walking around Demon World with _the _most potent aphrodisiac and have managed to resist its wiles." He seemed almost impressed, "Which I can tell because your scents aren't mingled together. That alone would _also _stave off any would-be...admirers from her person." He practically scoffed another bark of laughter, "Don't tell me you're really a Koorime in disguise or something. They're the only apparitions I know of whom could possibly have _that _much willpower when it comes down to sex drive. Since they seem to have none." 3

_Ah._

Hiei continued to stare at Taka in silence, as if he hadn't understood a word that had been even uttered. Sure, he knew what mating was, but he held absolutely no desire for it, and likely never would. His eyes shifted to look at the cloaked figure of the woman across the room, sitting at the bar with a drink in hand and seemingly chattering, though he couldn't tell since her face was not where he could see it. Slowly, his eyes returned to Taka, his brow slowly moving back into its original position at the last few words that came from the demon's mouth.

Again, he didn't answer verbally. He merely crossed his arms over his chest and blinked once at him, waiting to see if the _bird-brain_ would understand. 'Course, it didn't matter one way or another to him. He was what he was, and that was all there was to it.

~!**!~

Akari sighed at Yusuke and glanced up at the human whose arm was tightly around her shoulders, squeezing her side up against his. His brown hair was a mess, something she figured was natural for him since he didn't seem the type to groom himself often. His black jacket was completely out of season, the hood lined with fur and the inside, she could smell, was lined with fleece. His jeans were ripped at the knees and ragged at the ends that scuffed the ground over his sneakers. _Typical human. _

There were four others, one on her left that wore a plain red tshirt and black headphones around his neck, his obviously-dyed blackish-brown hair neatly tucked under a cap, only his bangs falling from the white accessory. The other two stood behind the first two, silent, but watching. They didn't seem as important. They merely seemed to act as insurance, for purposes that even Demon World seemed to use from time to time: influence, to cause unease and make the scale seem tipped in a certain direction.

"What, that you're baby fists actually sting now?" The one who held her retorted snidely, a corner of his lips lifted up and parted slightly in mocking at the boy. "We've got your girl, you can't do much now." As he spoke, he bowed his head, brown eyes still trained on the detective as he ruffled Akari's hair with his nose, his breath making the hair atop her head move and her skin crawl.

Anger.

"Step away," she warned to the boy, eyes now trained forward, looking past Yusuke's head in an attempt to keep calm enough not to snap some bones.

"Awh, feisty," the second commented, smirking at her while several chuckles resounded from the two behind her. "Cute. Especially since you're so small and.. fragile." _*****_

"You know..." Yusuke folded one arm over his stomach so that he could rest his elbow in his hand and then tap the side of his face with the other, "I _was _going to warn you, but now," he lowered his arms in a shrug, "Eeeeh. You deserve what's coming to you.

"I'll beat a couple of them if you want me to. But then I'd be having all the fun." Yusuke rested all of his weight on one foot, "Let me know if you get tired of it, though."

~!**!~

"Second guess," A mischievous grin spread over Taka's face when he noted that Hiei did not so much as _flinch _at the mention of mating with Shikiyoku, "You haven't hit your hundred years yet." He lazily took another drink.

_Holy __**hell**__, what's it been like for __**her? **_He suddenly wondered.

Even if this Champion hadn't gone through the second hundred of his years yet, that oh-so-interesting coming of age time that plagued them all, Shikiyoku certainly had. And come to think of it, if she'd been lying low in Human World, it's very likely...for how long?...fifteen _**years? **_

Taka managed to not release the sigh that he wanted to grunt from his throat. Hopefully she'd managed to catch some sort of comfort when she'd landed back in Demon World. He probably would have gone crazy now if he'd been her.

It was almost insulting that the Champion was not only that young, and naïve about his seemingly new station in life, but that he likely held power enough not only to be her protector _now_, but would only increase in power with his age. Barring extremely extenuating circumstances, it meant there would be no chance of Shikiyoku needed to pact with anyone else. Ever.

Taka couldn't hold back the groan he released into his cup as he had lifted it to his face once more. 3

Hiei's brow raised briefly once more at the demon's second guess, obviously not taking the hint that he'd been right the first go round. A sneer formed on his face in an almost condescending way as he released a small sound that he'd begun using more and more lately, as if he'd forgotten it and only just remembered how to use it to his advantage. "Hn. Why would it matter otherwise?" His irises gleamed slightly with the amusement from Taka's accusation.

He knew why the question had been posed. But, in short, those _laws_ of Demon World development didn't really apply to him, in a sense, as Taka had said about the Koorime.

"Lingering on it does no good. Perhaps you should take to a more interesting topic other than my age."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't blinked once since a small part of her had snapped into anger that almost was considered rage. Her body had stilled, and for the moment, she found herself concentrating on the beating hearts of the humans. If she so desired, she could make the sound simply…

Stop.

"What, not going to fight for your girl?"

Akari shifted her weight, strategically placing a foot over the jeans of the boy who held her, glad that this one was dumb enough to wear jeans that were scraping against the ground. Finally, her eyes turned up to the boy, her head retreating from under his nose. "Because, you moron, he doesn't have to fight _for _me."

Before the boy had time to react, Akari grabbed the hand that was dangling over her shoulder, to keep the boy in place, and her other elbow slammed into his stomach. She could hear the breath leave him in a very audible sound that made her lips curl into a dangerous grin. She twisted the boy's wrist, then released him to allow him to stumble, only for the boy to fall backwards, his pants falling just enough to reveal his pinstriped red and blue undergarments.

The second blinked, all of that having happened in seconds, and he reached for her with a yell that she considered to be a battle cry. Just as quickly, she had him laying on his back on the sidewalk, head hitting the concrete hard enough to knock him unconscious.

She had half a mind to continue, but kicking a dog while it was down wasn't something she enjoyed, so she rounded on the last two. She regarded them for a moment before turning to walk away, satisfied for the moment and returning to Yusuke's side. "Those two are yours, if you so wish." _*****_

Yusuke was grinning at her response to the male, which would have been the exact reply he would have made.

"Alright." He moved forward lazily, bent his neck to the side and rolled his right shoulder in his socket before he made a quick dash forward that made it appear to the humans as if he'd disappeared before coming back into view bent slightly beneath the first one, his first pulled back.

Yusuke had to hold back his strike so as not to completely explode the head off of the punk, but even so, the kid was lifted off the ground when Yusuke thrusted his body upwards and landed a solid uppercut underneath the other delinquent's jaw.

Spinning horizontally in the air at least twice, and clearing the head of his friend, the punk did actually shudder to get up from the ground, though he meant to scramble away.

"You want some?" Yusuke grinned wickedly at the remaining member.

~!**!~

"Or what if it's _both_!" Taka continued, rakish smile on his features.

He shook his head, dismissing that portion of their conversation, "Even if you _aren't _living up to the fullest of your, or _her_, potential as pact-mates, I envy you the position even without the perks." His eyes glimmered, "As far-fetched as that sounds. For that matter, I would wager every high-leveled demon here would envy you if they knew you were the one with it. They'd definitely fear you more than they are right now, that's for certain." His eyes roamed over the raucous uproar of the room. "You have power you haven't even dreamed about in your wildest considerations."

Taka leaned back in his chair, "And much more. All of which you have so far simply refused to take advantage of. Pity." He arched brow and half-smile countered the word gloriously. 3

Hiei regarded Taka with his sneer still on his lips, the expression of snide amusement never wavering as the demon before him spoke. He wasn't, quite honestly, sure what Taka wanted him to say. Maybe that he was wrong? Even if he was, the fire demon wouldn't have enlightened him on the fact. He didn't know this demon, and while Shikiyoku seemed to trust him, Hiei did not. There wasn't much real reason other than his own wariness and ire at people who were of the jealous nature, as it seemed this one was.

"I suppose, as I said earlier, it is none of your concern." he said casually, again letting his expression turn to one of neutrality, his eyes assessing not only Taka again, but the way he sat, the way he moved. When he was bored with that, his eyes shifted to survey the building again, watching each and every demon in the room.

He didn't need them to fear him yet. Only if they attacked would he decide to make them realize he was here, and only then would he make his presence dominantly known. If any of them dared to even consider an attack of any kind, he wouldn't hesitate to step in.

"Discretion tends to be my ally."

~!**!~

Akari turned around to face the remaining two humans when Yusuke moved forward, her expression slightly shifting from mild anger to wicked amusement at the speed Yusuke used. For a human, it was likely a very chilling thing to have someone move with that much speed.

And she didn't even have to duck for the boy to miss her when he'd been thrown into the air.

The last human took several steps back, hands up in surrender and expression holding no small amount of fear and desperation, like a smaller animal cornered by a much, much larger creature. "N-Nah man, I'm not involved. Just- I haven't been a member long!" With that, the boy turned to leave, making Akari chuckle to herself.

"At least one of them is smart?" _*****_

Yusuke shrugged, "They were stupid enough to jump 'me' like they did in the first place. What did they seriously think that was going to do? It's not like I couldn't have thrown him off. Ridiculous."

It wasn't hard to see the grin that plastered across Yusuke's face just from that short brawl.

"Now, where were we?"

~!**!~

"Strange little demon, aren't you?" Taka's eyes glittered amused out from over the tankard at Hiei.

"Doe'sh zh'ish...hic...belong to you?"

As Taka lowered his mug, he found a small creature stuck in his face.

Uryo had appeared without warning next to their table and held the lur'mog loosely in his hand where it was not hard to see that even the cold-blooded, scaly creature had the same flush around his nose-slits, as he clutched lightly at the hand holding him, that Uryo wore just underneath his eyes.

Taka gave Uryo an inquisitive look.

"What _is _that?"

Uryo shrugged, though it almost made him stumble.

"He came to sh'teal my drink." Uryo stated. "But I sh'natched him first." His lips parted for a drunken smile, "Little bugger can hold the Demon Fire, but he'sh no mat'sh for me."

Uryo blinked for a second, then rolled his neck over to spy Ryou who was thrumming pleasantly against Hiei's shoulder, half-lidded eyes almost black for how dark brown they were.

"Ryou!" Uryo's eyes grew big as his emotions flipped again, "I can't believe you! First you leave me! And now you come back! With someone else!" Uryo appeared to be near the brink of tears, "And you've even been drinking with them. How could you? How could you do this to me?"

Ryou lazily lifted his head, his eyes becoming a mixed red when he saw Uryo speaking to him. Strangely enough, it appeared as if Uryo had somehow sobered almost immediately, though his eyes betrayed the still-hazy glaze of drink.

"Oh, don't give me _**those **__eyes. _You can't make up for this! You've betrayed me, Ryou!" Uryo pointed his other hand accusingly at the dragon. "...hic."

"Ah, cut 'im some slack, Uryo." Taka said lazily, "You were smothering the little guy."

"Sh'mothering him with drink!" Uryo protested, finger still pointing. "And you _know _he loved it! Everyone knew!"

Ryou's eyes still had the brown in them, but the red was more prominent now, and a tinge of purple started around the outside edges as he began to get up, and started to crawl away from Hiei, delicately wrapping the talons of his paw around the pointed finger and climbing up Uryo's arm.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Ryou's eyes did not change at the demand, but he continued making his way until he reached Uryo's slender shoulder, passing deftly behind his neck and spreading himself out between the two and Uryo's hand lowered, though he continued staring at Ryou with glassy eyes.

"Ye'sh, ye'sh. '_We fire_.' I know." Uryo made it sound as if he heard the sentiment often.

A pair of hands slammed down on the table and Taka started back, at first thinking Uryo had shifted into a rage, but it was only Shikiyoku who had appeared, her petite form standing right inbetween Uryo and the table, bending over a little so that her face was at Taka's eye level.

Her neck only held the slightest pink twinge of drink behind the hood that had miraculously stayed up at her speed across the room, but part of her hair had come out and was laying over her shoulder and halfway down her chest. Her green eyes were practically sparkling, gleaming, though she did not appear to notice.

"I'll have you know," She leaned in closer to Taka, confidingly, the smile playing over her lips a wicked one, "That he didn't recognize me until the twentieth one." It seemed to be a point of pride for her. "_And _I managed to finagle a room out of him _before _that." She primly stuck her nose in the air and shifted her face a little so that he was looking at her cheek.

"Then he's losing his touch." Taka lazily reached up as he leaned towards her and spoke, bringing his left hand to her face and gently holding her lower jaw, turning her countenance back to him where they were maybe a foot apart by this time.

Their expressions mirrored one another, half-lidded eyes with a wicked smile, and Taka kept moving forward after that brief pause, lightly pulling her to meet him as he put his lips near her ear on the side away from Hiei across the table and murmured something.

Shikiyoku's smirk grew until her teeth were showing. She moved her right hand over to take Taka's face in much the same position his was in, but successfully knocking his down all in one smooth motion. She turned his face to the side so that she could lean farther over the table, putting her own lips almost against his pointed ear, her cheek pressed up against his.

"Get your own room." She murmured back at him. As she breathed her words over it, the ear twitched, and there was no mistaking that the air coming from her mouth was thicker, shimmering in the air like heat from a hot stove.

"That can be arranged." He replied archly as she stood back up, folding her arms over her chest. His cheek felt like she had set it aflame with just that small moment of contact and he felt a pang across his stomach that told him he wanted more. _Much _more.

Shikiyoku felt a slight tug and her hood fell back from her head, and as her hair scattered freely over her chest and back, the smell of it rose strongly into the air. It was so potent that its heaviness was almost palatable, muted by being in the cloak previously.

The perfume wafted up to Uryo's nose, he had been the one to pull the hood back, and his nostrils flared as he took in the smell, his eyes having slid down to regard her the instant she appeared, but there was no other visible change.

He squatted down and spun Shikiyoku around to face him, keeping the hand he used to do so-the one without the lur'mog-at her shoulder,

and peering into her eyes which widened at the sudden motion.

Anyone watching would have felt like the air grew a sudden tenseness-Taka had certainly grown wary and that partially accounted for it-but nothing happened between the two as Uryo and Shikiyoku only stared at one another.

Uryo's face broke into a many-toothed, genuine smile.

"You're a cute kid." He ruffled the top of her hair, which released more of the smell, "Sh'ee one'ah your'sh?" He asked the two gentlemen at the table as he stood back up, spinning her back around as he did so and leaving his hand to rest familiarly on her shoulder.

"Sh'ould be proud. Ha'sh energy _rolling_ off her." His smile hadn't left his face. "Thick. Like a cloud...hic."

Taka's left eyebrow twitched as he closed his eyes during the exchange between Uryo and Shikiyoku, his jaw clenching together.

It had been a _long _time since he'd been exposed to Shikiyoku, but it appeared the affects her powers had would not lessen without her presence when reintroduced. And the drink within his belly did nothing to help at the moment.

Even _he _found himself having greatly underestimated Uryo's strength if he had _that _much drink within him and did not appear outwardly phased by the strength in Shikiyoku's smell.

Taka had also forgotten that she exuded it in such a manner, and for Uryo to be able to _see _it, his own power had to be very, _very _high indeed.

No one Taka knew had _ever _been able to see the energy that swirled around the female apparition. Oh, he knew it was there. Anyone with half a mind could _smell_ her, but to his knowledge that's as far as anyone had ever gotten. Anything but an extremely above-average apparition's senses couldn't handle the energy level, so instead of seeing it, it manifested for the rest of them as that god-forsaken _delicious _scent that was accosting his nose at the moment.

Shikiyoku didn't even appear to know she was doing it, but through talks with her Champion, Taka was able to make his own conjectures. Not that he had shared the information with anyone.

Taka's eyes flew open when he felt the light press of lips against the tip of his nose, seeing Shikiyoku's cruel gaze that was most obviously enjoying his tortured state.

A low growl resonated deep within his chest, almost in his stomach, and he remained unmoving in his seat, but it took all of his willpower to do so. From that growl he managed one word as his chocolate-colored eyes glared at her from under the red bandana over his forehead.

"Tease."

Shikiyoku's brows flicked upward slightly as she pulled away, but she made no attempt to argue in one direction or the other.

She turned away and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she began moving for the stairs. 3

* * *

><p><em>Several of my OCs I tend to base on the look of another character already in existence mostly because I can't draw and it makes it easier for, say, a role-play partner to picture the character in their head. For example, Uryo resembles the character Stefan from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance except that Uryo is left-handed and his hair is mostly black with a long ponytail.<em>

Uryo - (as uryou:) Rainfall. This is actually just what I came up with when I did an anagram of 'Ryou.'

Kafu - I can honestly say I don't remember what meaning I meant for this name. Depending on the kanji used, it can mean several different things, among them "widower" and (amusingly, considering the name of the bar) "flower album." Other kanji translations are "steward" and "one's father." Also "fireman." Again: I pick names with a specific purpose, so I know the name was intentional, but I apparently need to keep track of those things...

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	38. Episode 123 - More Conversations

**A/N**: Hello once again, Fanfiction Enthusiasts!

The next chapter awaits!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Yusuke asks Akari about what's actually been bothering her this whole time,  
>and while she doesn't tell him about Kurama's offer to remove all of her scars,<br>Yusuke gets the gist of what's going on and he ends up suggesting  
>that she decide which option she "couldn't live without."<p>

They leave the ramen stand and head to Akari's place,  
>but not before getting jumped by a group of thugs,<br>whom they promptly run into the ground and continue on their way.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei learn that Uryo is apparently a newcomer to the Ninth Level,  
>a master swordsman and a roaring drunk,<br>capable of seeing the energy that Shikiyou constantly emits as a persistent scent.

Through Taka's conversation with Hiei, the bird demon learns that Hiei  
>is Shikiyoku's current Champion, much to Taka's chagrin.<p>

Uryo brings over the lur'mog and they also learn that  
>Ryou is actually Uryo's companion.<p>

Taka attempts to invite himself to Shikiyoku's room,  
>and the she-demon tells him to get his own room.<p>

* * *

><p>Hiei had kept his expression blank with the interaction he was witnessing, not feeling any source of malice from the brute who towered over Shikiyoku. He did, however, set both feet on the floor and sit up straighter, leaning forward only slightly in anticipation, just in case.<p>

If he could help it, he didn't really want to fight this one.

But he hadn't exactly been expecting the odd sense of cordiality that rolled off of Uryo when he ruffled her hair. Again, he didn't outwardly react, but inwardly he found himself slightly amused. He glanced to Uryo, looking up at him in a way that might seem comical to others, what with the height difference. He raised a brow, regarding the demon and the dragon companion that was around his shoulders.

"Quite an interesting creature you have there," he said casually, as if attempting to make friends with him. In reality, he simply wanted to ensure that there wouldn't be much of a problem. This was among one of the easiest ways to do such a thing.

He turned away, glancing at the cups on the table, all empty, and for a moment contemplated trying it despite his earlier thoughts of the beverages. He turned his eyes a different direction, in time to see the last moment between Shikiyoku and Taka, eyes narrowing momentarily before his blank expression returned and his eyes followed the retreating Shikiyoku.

He couldn't decide whether or not he should follow.

~!**!~

Akari wiped her hands on her jeans, glad she had decided not to wear the school uniform for the day. It made it easier to blend in, but at the same time, she felt much more comfortable. She turned and began walking away from the scene, expression holding slight remnants from the anger she'd felt from the moment.

"I was going to change before we head to the arcade," she reminded him, glancing at him to see the smile on his face was one filled with glee. Her own smile spread across her face; she couldn't help it, his cheery attitude was almost infectious.

"And we were musing about how your girlfriend would murder you if she saw us. Sounds rather like a drama, eh?" _*****_

Yusuke followed after her.

"Or a soap opera, am I right?" He grinned, he raised his hands dramatically, "'But why was she found wearing your jacket?' 'I told you there's nothing going on between us!' 'Well, that's good because she's _dead_!'" Yusuke gasped, putting a hand to his chest in mock-astonishment.

~!**!~

Taka couldn't help it. As Shikiyoku turned to leave, he stood up abruptly in his chair, making it jerk behind him with a noise as he took one step away from the table.

_Oh, those __**eyes.**_

Uryo stood in his way, and that gave Taka pause for thought, plus there were servers and other demons walking behind him and blocking his path, but he placed a hand on Uryo's shoulder as if to excuse himself and slip behind him, eyes trailing along Shikiyoku's dark tresses as they waved around her waist. 3

Hiei kept his eyes on Shikiyoku's back until he couldn't see her through the crowd that seemed to only just now boom around them, moving about and blocking his sight of that side of the room. He stared unblinkingly in that direction, as if he could see her still, though really his nose paved the path for him. His nostrils flared just briefly with the small intake of breath, suddenly realizing just how strong her scent had become in the tavern full of alcohol and sweat.

It was a very appealing scent, and his mind seemed to focus on it completely.

So, when Taka stood abruptly, Hiei silently moved to his own feet, as if calmly mirroring the sudden desire the other had to follow.

"_Get your own room."_

Crimson eyes narrowed only slightly, and as Uryo stood in Taka's way, Hiei merely moved to bypass the both of them, sending a very brief glance towards the birdlike demon as he slipped by.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes, threw her hands up by her face, palm outwards and fingers spread out in a mock motion of fear. "Please, spare me! I swear, nothing happened! I was just… I was only in need of a little assistance!"Akari gave a small huff of a laugh as she took a turn around a block, her ramshackle house coming into view. Even from here, she found herself raising a brow at the small form that she could just make out jumping around in the tall, unkempt grass in the front yard.

"My death would be rather comical, to be quite honest. What a soap opera _that _would be." _*****_

"I dunno if Keiko would actually _murder_ you. _I'd _be the one getting the death glares anyway, so if looks could kill, it'd be _my _body lying out on the floor." He laughed, "She probably wouldn't even be mad at you. She'd just think I was up to something." He absently rubbed his cheek where he'd gotten slapped one to many times for his taste.

"She'd have a mean left hook though, if she ever decided to close her fingers."

~!**!~

After a moment of the crowd that jumbled by her jostling her about, that side of the tavern became very quiet as Shikiyoku's scent started to catch their noses as she passed.

The roar from the other side of the building had not stopped, but in this particular area, apparitions began to notice her and step aside as if she parted them as she flowed in between their ranks. Their eyes followed her path towards the stairs.

Taka still stood staring after her as the boisterous demons nearby began to quietly settle and track after Shikiyoku, some of them standing with their mouths slightly open much like he did, and he made a move to follow after her, finding an arm blocking his way. Only then did he blink and look down, then over to Uryo's face.

The swordsman's eyes also watched in that direction, but he did not seem to be fixated upon Shikiyoku's form, instead having caught the glance the shorter demon aimed at Taka-and thus stopping the bird-and examining the faces of the only vaguely murmuring crowd Shikiyoku walked through.

As Shikiyoku disappeared up the stairs, the spell on the other demons of the room lifted and the murmur slowly built back up; she had not looked at any of them and thus none were invited.

The demons of this city were stronger than those of the last to say the least.

Ryou had stood up on the shoulder nearest to Taka, his eyes swirling red as he glanced into Uryo's face.

"Mm." Uryo said in response to something that passed between him and Ryou, giving a slight nod to the dragon.

"I would watch your step around that one." Uryo said to Taka, indicating with another little nod towards Hiei. "That fire demon is much too reserved for one of our type. He's liable to explode keeping everything pent up inside like he does."

Taka's eyes widened as he slid them back to watch Hiei go.

Taka hadn't even realized the shorter apparition was a fire elementalist. He certainly didn't act like one.

"And let me just say that you certainly won't want to be around when his fire side _does _explode."

Ryou had told Uryo of Hiei's Koorime heritage. The little dragon could sense it. It did explain a lot, but one day or another that fire type was going to come blazing out, and woe be to anyone standing in his way when it did. Fires were always passionate and easily angered… And being a 'cursed child' certain didn't help those qualities. Luckily for the rest of Demon World, it seemed for now the fire side was dormant.

It didn't take much for Taka to put two-and-two together.

_He's a fire demon...AND a Koorime? _

Duh.

A chill ran down Taka's spine as he thought of the implications.

He _had _to speak to Shikiyoku before she skipped town. 3

Hiei's eyes slid away from Taka after the brief moment of staring at the demon who had been stopped a second time. He let his arms move with the motion of his body as he followed after Shikiyoku, not even taking the moment to look at the demons staring in front of him as he passed.

He slightly wondered if his deadly silence would grab some attention, but he highly doubted it and shoved the thought away, his feet beginning to climb up the stairs. He hadn't heard anything that Uryo muttered, only the voice that was speaking but not caring enough to listen in to the words and figure out the actual meaning behind them.

It was of no consequence to him.

As he continued up the stairs calmly, eyes pointed forward, now finally able to see the female since there were no bodies between his and hers. The way her hair moved seemed to make her scent drift backwards, making him blink very slowly as he continued behind her, footsteps only heard when the wood creaked beneath his weight.

~!**!~

Akari glanced at the detective for a moment before shrugging at him, as if shrugging away the conversation. "I wouldn't be worried. You're quick enough to make a run for it. Make a fake passport and disappear until her wrath subsides. Not too difficult, really," she mused, smirking in amusement as she walked up the sidewalk, her home now close enough that she could hear Nabu's yipping at an insect he was playing with and his small body rustling the green grass.

She lead the way up to her door and pushed it open with ease, the door creaking open and gaining the attention of the pup in the grass, whose head suddenly appeared above the weeds.

"_Akari!"_

"I'm not here long, Nabu. Just to clean up and change."

"_Aw, okay.."_

"Are you hungry?" she asked the dog as she crossed the threshold, more than aware of the pup's bouncing body following after, stepping into the house before the door swung shut on its own behind him.

"_No, I found a dead bird."_

"Scrumptious." she commented as she grabbed a new shirt, pulling Yusuke's jacket from her shoulders and tossing it to the boy before moving to the next room, waiting until she was out of sight before pulling her shirt over her head and looking down at the bandages that hung very, very loosely around her stomach, the fabric red and ruined from the fight earlier.

On the bright side, it hadn't reopened enough to cause concern. Just in one area, right above her navel. She gave a small sigh and turned on the kitchen sink, running her fingers under the water and carefully rinsing away the dried, crusted blood on her skin as she searched for the bandages that…

That she just realized were in the same room as Yusuke…

And the bed of roses that had yet to disappear…

_Hell. __*****_

After getting the green overshirt of his school uniform back and slipping it back on where he just let it hang open, Yusuke respectfully turned away and knelt down to engage Nabu in some good head fluffing.

He heard a sink start running and about that time, a small patch of red on the edge of the inside material of his now-returned overshirt caught his eye and he stood up and whipped around, unable to see her.

"Akari?! You're hurt?" His mind raced back to the Aswang. Didn't she say something bad would happen if its claws scratched her? This is definitely not goo-

Yusuke blinked as his scrutiny of the room made him double take back to where he assumed a sleeping mat would normally be rolled out and his mouth hung open when he saw the golden roses in place instead that could be called little else than...well...a bed.

Flashes of images ran rampant through Yusuke's human, teenage, male mind, blinking rapidly as he tried to bounce his thoughts to something else before he finally snickered, then outright laughed, falling to the floor and holding his stomach as he nearly rolled around.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had made her way through the crowd almost solemnly, suddenly accosted with memories of her past that blinked like still-imagery in her mind's eye.

_This _was how things had been at times. A reverence following her, a silence. At least when those around her had been of a high enough strength and resilience to not immediately reach for her.

She represented something that even she _herself _did not truly understand. Not fully. Not yet.

Regardless, each demon whose eyes followed her found themselves in a pause for thought, emotions stirring in their minds to which they could not put a name. That is why the murmuring of the tavern took a moment to return even after she disappeared, reaching the top of the stairs with the intent to turn down the hallway on the second floor.

She heard a creaking sound behind her, and after taking the final step up onto the landing, she stopped and turned around with her hands on her hips and a gleam in her eyes.

"Taka, I-" She blinked and the gleam faded, replaced with a widening that after a brief surprise seemed carry an extensive amount of...relief, and a bit of tension she hadn't realized she'd been carrying at her shoulders dropped.

That...that wasn't Taka. 3

Hiei didn't stop as Shikiyoku turned to face him, only slowing his steps just a fraction and not even reacting to the name that slipped from her mouth. He simply approached her until he stood on the step below hers, his eyes meeting hers.

"He didn't follow." he finally said, watching her gaze carefully with his own unblinking one. "Your influence on him is rather… potent."

~!**!~

Akari sighed, her eyes beginning to look for another set of bandages, if there was even a possibility of such a thing being in here.

Yusuke's question almost quite literally boomed through the rooms, reaching her ears with no small amount of volume. She sighed; she must not have done a very good job at keeping his jacket from her shirt. "It's nothing," she called back, running her hand under the sink again and reaching for a cloth that she'd had the other night for cleaning up a mess Nabu had made. It was still clean at one corner, so she carefully used to to wipe at the very small amount of crimson liquid that tried to seep through the healing gash.

And the next thing she knew, Yusuke was laughing. Loudly. So loudly, in fact, that it almost hurt her ears.

"What are you laughing about?" She huffed out, not really sure if she'd spoken loud enough for her to hear her. When she was sure no bandages were in sight, she heaved another sigh and pulled the torn shirt back over her body, to cover her scars, and walked into the next room with cautious steps, hoping his back would be to her and she would be able to get away unnoticed.

Of course, even if he did look at her, it wasn't like there'd be much consequence. The rips in her shirt showed little more than her right side and a little of the cut she'd just cleaned.

When she entered the room, she found herself looking down, towards the floor, at the laughing detective that Nabu was sniffing at. "What?" _*****_

_That sly fox..._

Yusuke didn't get much farther in his head than that, still struck with the giggles at how he hadn't thought about it before when she'd mentioned her problem earlier.

_Pros and cons indeed._

He'd gained control of himself enough to give her a beguiling, but somehow innocent expression.

"Nothing!" He chimed, taking to sitting cross-legged on the ground and holding at his ankles with his hands, his grin much too wide to brush aside as 'nothing.' He suddenly dropped the expression, "There's a spot of blood on my shirt." He appeared anxious. "That Ass-wang thing didn't hit you did it?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku pulled the edge of her lower lip into her mouth and chewed on it at Hiei's words, her eyes shifting briefly to the side to get away from his stare.

"He-" She blinked, unsure why she was about to tell him when he probably couldn't care one way or the other. "We were quite close at one time. You might have even called us 'friends.' Allies at the least. But he had spent a lot of time around me and without the pact his exposure to my powers was unadulterated...unfiltered."

Shikiyoku turned to step into the hallway, doors lining either side that led to rooms that made the tavern more like an inn, selling out the space for...various reasons.

She didn't feel like she needed to say anymore. She and her Champion left the city in the end so that they did not end up having to betray their ally, so that they were not forced to kill him for something that was entirely beyond his control.3

Hiei watched her with a very keen gleam in his eyes, noting the hesitation and making mental note that she either didn't enjoy talking about it, or was hesitant about his own reaction to whatever she was about to say. He almost decided to say he didn't want to know, but deep down he really did. So when she continued, eyes shifting away from him, he listened to each syllable carefully, each waver her voice made as she spoke.

He had figured something along those lines, though the reason for their separation he figured was something she hadn't made out of cheer. And, from the way Taka acted about Shikiyoku, he had a feeling that it had been just as unexpected to him as well, and much more unpleasant.

He took the last step up to the landing and followed after her silently, not pressing on the issue. He'd learned all he needed for the time being. Now he knew that while the demon was not of a threat to her life…

Taka could actually be a potential threat to _his _if he decided to act on primal desires. Not that he was very worried about it.

"How long has this building stood here?" he suddenly inquired, tactically shifting the conversation to a more…. calm one.

~!**!~

Akari frowned down at the detective, arms crossed over her stomach and a gleam of impatience in her eyes. But her orbs shifted momentarily to the bed of golden flowers and she sighed, realizing he must be laughing at _that _commodity, though she wasn't exactly sure why it was so funny. It was just roses, after all.

"They won't go away," she grumbled before turning around and spying the roll of bandages that Foko had used previously, placed neatly where she had plucked them from before he'd taken them from her. She snatched them up and moved to the next room again, not looking back at the detective as he asked about being harmed.

"First of all, it's pronounced _Ahz-Wong. _Secondly, no, it didn't strike me. This is a wound I had gained yesterday during-" she paused, frowning briefly, "training session I had in the Spirit World. I would already be dead if the Aswang had hit me." She returned to the faucet and shut it off, not realizing she'd left it on, and pulled the shirt from her body again, taking with it the last remnants of bandages that barely hung around her body.

Her hands began working quickly with obvious practice, one hand holding the end down while the other moved as far around herself as it could go before she swapped hands, repeating the action as needed.

Nabu sat behind her, at the place where the kitchen broke away from wood and turned to carpet, signifying the change in rooms. His eyes watched her for a moment before he turned back to Yusuke, an ear twitching as he thought.

"_Flowers did that. I think he didn't mean to actually hurt her, though."_

Of course, he only said it because Akari had told him what had happened- at least, about the gash- but before that the demon had actually bandaged her up.

"_Why would he be so confusing?" __*****_

"Hee hee hee." Yusuke let the trio of chuckles slip out of his mouth when she complained about the bed not going away. Like it was going to go away if Kurama didn't want it to.

He listened as Akari spoke, "I...I thought you didn't fight with knives?" Or swords. Or whatever sharp pointy object that would have slit her flesh during a training session.

Yusuke caught Nabu looking about at him and he flicked his eyes back up to look at the spot Akari disappeared behind.

"...he said something to me, didn't he?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had continued musing quietly in her mind.

Even in just their short reunion she was reminded of how legendary Taka's self-control was. He'd hardly slipped even an inch here, his flirtatious mannerisms being something he always possessed. And she wasn't exactly making it easy for him either, though that was part of _her _mannerisms.

Yet it had been Hiei who followed her upstairs and not bird-brain.

At least she could rationalize away the fire demon's presence as 'professional courtesy,' but as to why Taka _hadn't _followed her as she fully expected him to...that escaped her at the moment.

She sighed a little.

Always forced to keep moving. Always forced to leave everyone behind. The faces of her past Champions flitted across her eyes. In the end, she'd always been left...alone.

Pulled from her thoughts when Hiei spoke up behind her, she replayed the question in her head that she had just missed taking account of.

"It's been like this since I first arrived, so...several centuries at least?" She made a vague gesture at the run-down appearance. "I mean, it doesn't look like it's aged a day since then, but it certainly feels and looks old enough."

Shikiyoku kept moving as she talked and they turned right, going a bit farther before turning right again, the hall extending a good distance in front of them before it looked to turn right again.

As she got into this longer hallway, Shikiyoku stopped about four doors down in front of one to the right and turned the knob, the door making no sound as it swung inward. She moved across the threshold inside where the wooden floor beneath her had the thinnest covering of dust.

It was small. Quite small. Maybe twelve feet from the door to the opposite wall, and it extended about eighteen feet to the right.

There was a window directly opposite them, but it was not terribly clean and had no sill to sit on, about four and a half feet off the ground and set directly into the wall. One or the other of the pair could have very easily slipped through it while crouching, but there did not appear at first glance to be a way to open it.

To the right of the door was a wooden desk and chair, also dusty and void of any decoration, and the rest of the room was bare except for a small bed in the corner up against both walls which Shikiyoku tilted her head at, having forgotten how small the beds were.

Not that it would be a problem for her and Hiei since they were both about the same size and...compact at that. But the quarters would be...their shoulders would definitely be up against one another even if they both lay on their backs.

On the plus side, the bed-two pillows in pillowcases, sheets, a blanket folded up at the foot of it-was remarkably clean and void of dust or dirt.

Shikiyoku let out a long-suffering sigh, turning to see Hiei had followed her inside and stood right behind her just within the door.

She made as if to take a step forward, "I know he's got one more room open down the hall a ways." 3

Hiei assessed the wear in the building, finding himself actually interested in the place despite his first thought of the lackluster subject change. But, it seems to have done its trick, so he stuck with the subject, pausing in the doorway to take in the musty room. It was about what he'd thought it would be: small and not very clean.

The bed, however, seemed rather comfortable from here. He wouldn't mind it so much, despite the size. He glanced at the window, momentarily eyeing it as if maybe looking a little longer would make a windowsill appear.

When Shikiyoku moved, speaking, he considered her for a moment, not sure if that meant she didn't want him here or if she thought he himself wouldn't want to be here.

But the thought of himself being in another room and someone like Taka walking by catching even the smallest whiff of her scent… He frowned slightly. His luck would be that his own room would be on the complete opposite end of the hall, which would mean it would take longer for himself to get here if something happened- even if it was just a second or two longer.

"Leave it," he finally said, moving out of the doorway and sauntering his way inside the room and turning to face her, stopping in the center of the room and staring at her. "I dislike taverns," he spoke, though he mainly referred to the inhabitants within taverns who caused trouble. Trouble not worth the fight.

~!**!~

Akari paused halfway through her bandaging and glanced over in the direction of the living area, unable to see Yusuke for the wall that separated the rooms, but able to see the very edge of the roses through the doorway that lacked an actual door. It was easy to reply to Yusuke's question without lying, since she'd been attempting something of the sort anyway.

"It doesn't hurt to learn new things, Yusuke. And when you don't have energy, it makes it harder to fight long distance when your opponent doesn't allow you to get close enough with fists. It's nothing more than a precaution." She paused, a slight smile ghosting across her features as she thought about her failed attempts to create a dagger with her energy. Perhaps she had lied just a _little_. "I at least would prefer to know how to block an attack with knives. It's useful, don't you think?"

She went quiet again, her hands resuming in their work to wrap the bandages around her torso some more, until not only she was out, but the last of the cut was covered. At this point, she tied the ends together tightly and grabbed her replacement shirt, the light blue color bright and almost painful to her sensitive eyesight. By the time it was slipped over her head, Nabu had spoken up and Yusuke was asking about his words.

At least he didn't actually understand canines.

"He's just complaining about how confusing people are," she replied casually, ignoring the large huff Nabu aimed at her.

"_I wasn't complaining. Just pondering." _He turned to face Yusuke again and pranced his way over to the boy with the stripes very lightly coloring his face, stopping in front of his crossed legs and resting his chin on the boy's left knee. "_Flowers is confusing," _he repeated, his eyes moving to glance at the roses nearby for just a moment before turning back to look up at Yusuke. "_But I like him. He's nice." __*****_

Yusuke listened to Akari as she spoke, snorting through his nose.

"If my fists can't do it, I've already lost anyway."

_Wouldn't want to use anything besides my hands anyway. Nothin' like the feeling of punching someone. Very tactile. Satisfying. I'll leave the weapons to the other detectives._

He started petting Nabu's soft fur, noticing that the dog glanced back at the bed of roses, and knowing that the small animal could talk made him imagine the various things the pup was saying to him right now.

Yusuke stifled a giggle behind one hand, quickly biting his lips to get his his grin to go away before returning to act as if the various thoughts running through his head had not been there moments before.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku blinked at Hiei as he dismissed her concern. She had somehow felt certain he wouldn't want to be stuck in such close-quarters with...well, anyone.

She closed the door as he swept past, and did not oppose his declaration. Something in the back of her mind, her active portion of the pact if she had chosen to investigate, sang out something that eased away her considerations for Hiei's comfort and she actually felt more calm knowing that he would be in here with her.

As she turned to face him, the room was dark-no light switch anywhere of course-and the daylight outside had vanished, the sky barely visible from the crusted window.

"I'm...sorry." Shikiyoku said to him carefully. She had honestly not thought about him being so adverse to public places, though her head disagreed with her on that note.

_He __**hadn't **__wanted to risk the city in the first place._

"I was not my intent to make your job more difficult for you." She gestured vaguely to the room, "There are protective wards around each room, so there is no chance of being heard."

No need to say _why _the wards were there. 3

Hiei stood in the center of the room, hands in his cloak pockets as he regarded Shikiyoku carefully. His eyes searched her face, finding the smallest inkling of surprise and relief in her eyes that she didn't seem to allow further than that gleam. He promptly turned away after assessing the shine in her eyes and continued into the room, wasting no time in stretching out on the bed that was surprisingly clean, considering the rest of the room. He lay on his back on the side closest to the door, ankles crossing and his left arm sliding underneath his head for slight support against the pillow that did very little for the way he lay. His eyes strayed back over to Shikiyoku, watching her again as she apologized.

He didn't respond, since his ire at taverns wasn't really for the building themselves or at her for leading him here to one, but the ruckus inside that he couldn't hear anymore. At least, not very well. He gave a small huff of a scoff. "It's noisy and crowded." He wasn't sure why he felt the need to elaborate, but he did.

His eyes slid closed as he got comfortable, though he had no intention to sleep yet. He wasn't exactly tired anyway.

~!**!~

Akari gave a huff of a laugh as she moved into the living area, momentarily taking a look at the roses and regarding them while her nose inhaled the scent. Briefly, she was reminded of the fact that she'd fallen asleep with Foko nearby, and realized that if Yusuke had any sense of smell stronger than a human's, it was likely he would be able to pick up the very, very slight difference between Foko and Kurama's scent. The difference? Kurama's was more potent. Foko's, while similar, did smell more of other plants as well as roses.

She came back to reality with a sigh as she turned to Yusuke, not catching his chuckles as Nabu's tail thumped on the floor. "If you wanna go, you better get up and get going. I'm about to leave your butt behind." With that, she turned and made for the front door, not waiting on him for even a moment. _*****_

Yusuke scrambled to his feet, casting one last glance at the 'house' around him before scurrying out after Akari's disappearing form.

"So...you got any family back in Demon World?" He asked as he caught up to her and stuffed his hands in his pockets, his green overshirt flapping a little bit as they walked since he hadn't dained to button it back up.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku nodded as he spoke, realizing exactly what he didn't like about the tavern.

After only a blip of a pause in the air, she went over to the bed and crawled up from the bottom into the space he left open. The bed did not so much as jostle him as she made her way up by her hands and knees. She could feel the flush that had settled around her neck starting to fade.

_Gonna have to remedy that, _she thought and as she lay on her side facing Hiei, her back just barely away from the cool-and dirty-wall of the room to try and leave him as much space as possible. She moved her left hand under the pillow and her right hand she pulled up just under her chin. She looked over at him for a moment thoughtfully before she let her eyes slowly close.

As she grew still, she could feel her hair had spread over the pillow under her between her and Hiei, and while she made a small huff about it being under her head-causing a few strands beneath her mouth to wave around a little-she didn't bother with it.

She lay without moving, her cloak covering the rest of her entirely, enjoying the comfort, then spoke up again.

"I plan on returning after a few hours. There are little to no patrons at that time if you wish to join me. I doubt things have changed around here as far as the ebb and flow of customers."

_I bet I can get at least four or five more drinks from the barkeep. Even if he __**did **__figure out who I am. _That thought put a smile on her face as the psuedo-warmth from the alcohol she had consumed began to disappear entirely. _Especially if there's hardly anyone else around._ 3

Hiei didn't open his eyes again, not even when he could feel the bed move just slightly with Shikiyoku's movements as she joined him, laying on his right. The silence in the room was a comfortable one. At least, it was comfortable to him.

His mind wandered, his thoughts turning back to the conversation with Taka. What did it matter anyway what Hiei took advantage of and what he left be? Or, rather, what did it matter to the other? It wasn't like the bird demon knew Hiei. There certainly wasn't any influence in Taka's words, aside from slightly confusing him.

Shikiyoku's words paused his thoughts and he nodded once at her in acknowledgement of her words. "Perhaps." It wasn't much of one, but that single word was his form of agreement. He was simply too engrossed in his own mind to say more than that.

Would Taka's influence affect Shikiyoku's view on _himself_? The question was an odd one, but for some reason, he didn't want the bird demon skewing the woman's view of him.

_It's her decision_, his mind reminded him, and he swiftly brushed all thoughts away. He simply didn't care.

At least, that's what he told himself.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged at Yusuke as he caught up, Nabu following only until he was out in the grass where he immediately resumed his game with the insects. She glanced back briefly to make sure the dog wasn't following before turning to look at Yusuke once.

She hadn't been asked that question in a long, long time.

"Somewhere, yeah." It was a short reply, somewhat hesitant, but her expression was neutral as she continued. "Not sure where anymore. I haven't been in Demon World for about half my life." A short laugh escaped her. "You'd think I knew more about this world than I do, but schooling shows me how much I _do not _know about humans." _*****_

"Ugh, _school_," The word itself expressed exactly how Yusuke felt about that subject. "I don't know why I even bother. There's never anything good and everyone's always hounding me. Do show up, don't show up. Doesn't matter. Someone's always riding my rear about it.

"I'm surprised you think we're interesting enough to study, or whatever you're doing in school."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's mind drifted pleasantly on the verge of sleep, allowing her ears to remain alert to the silence, but granting her restfulness for the time she wanted to spend downstairs later.

She hardly took notice of the tiny shape that crawled out from behind her head.

The lur'mog weaved around a little, feeling strange as if his whole world had been slowed down, but he managed to successfully scale over Her shoulder, tumbling down onto the bed inbetween She and Hiei.

He sat on his rump for a moment, an obvious flush about his face as everything seemed to move much too fast around him for his tastes.

A bit of air got caught in his throat and he bounced a little as his version of a hiccup jostled his body.

He blinked his eyes and tried to make sense of his surroundings, but they kept moving or were blurry...which meant he was moving. But he wasn't. Right? 3

Hiei forced his mind silent, no longer thinking on anything important or otherwise. He considered adjusting the way he lay, but the idea of moving around wasn't quite as appealing. So he stay there, resting his eyes but not sleeping, not even going near the verge of sleep. He was simply… resting. It was just as fulfilling as sleep to him, and it also allowed him to keep tabs of their surroundings.

He'd done this many times, sometimes without even noticing. And this was one of those times.

A small sound, almost too quiet for him to catch, just barely reached his ears. His eyes slid open and glanced about the room briefly before turning to look at Shikiyoku who, despite how uncomfortable it must be up against the wall as she was, looked quite content where she was.

His eyes moved to a spot that he thought he'd seen move beside him, and quickly he recognized the lur'mog that Shikiyoku had been toying with earlier. He hadn't even known the creature was still with her, much less in the room.

His hand that rested upon his stomach moved slowly towards the creature, his index finger extended to the small animal so he could just touch its head, as if to pet it. _Harmless, hm?_

~!**!~

Akari again shrugged at Yusuke, disregarding his obvious dislike of school. "Quite honestly, I hated it at first. This world, the people in it. Sensui simply enabled that hatred to grow, as if taking fertilizer to a newly planted shrub." She hesitated, eyes trained forward. "I won't lie, his idea about a tunnel was a very appealing one, at first. I not only had the chance to get back home, but the people who'd brought be here would have been killed in the process. Of course, by that time, your dear friend Toguro had finished off the only remaining humans I'd been hunting for. I was beat to the punch."

She took a deep breath. _And then I died._

"Now, though, I guess all I can do is just go through the motions until Koenma allows me freedom to return to demon world, so I can at least go back home for a while. In the meantime, I will learn what I can so I can blend in properly. It just so happens that it has begun to peak my interest in the process." _*****_

"Welp." Yusuke sighed and put his hands behind his head as they walked. "If you really do like school, then I guess we can't be as good of friends as I thought."

~!**!~

At first the creature did have the slightest notion that there was anyone around, except for Her. And with his world bucking and weaving about him, he only sat, bobbing in place a little and slowly turning his head this way and that to try and gauge his surroundings. His large eyes would wink slowly, first one and then the other.

One of the hands at his sides had found its fingers wrapped around the hair he sat upon and he tangled his claws in it, feeling the silky smooth texture as it almost caressed his scaly skin.

As Hiei's reach got within the lur'mog's sight, his eyes grew as wide as possible, entranced by the movement. The tip of his tongue found its way out from between where his lips would be if he had them and he gazed mesmerized as Hiei grew closer, the rest of his body still in quiet anticipation. 3

Hiei's index finger lightly touched the lur'mog's head, running over the scales that were smooth under his touch. Quiet amusement flashed in his red eyes as he witnessed the eyes of the creature grow wide, as if the movement were much too fascinating to be real.

"_Foolish creature," _he said telepathically to it, his mind sending the thought out of habit. He wasn't sure why, but the small creature was rather fascinating to him.

Maybe it was because the only creatures he'd ever seen in his life were dangerous or annoying.

And this one was neither of those things.

~!**!~

"That's too bad," Akari grumbled, expression neutral, "I was considering throwing a party and you were to be the first invited." Of course, she was only kidding, but whether he would pick up on that or not, she wasn't sure. As she found the arcade coming into view, she stuck a hand in her pocket to gauge the money she had left that was not on a plastic card, fingering the cash momentarily before finding a few coins.

_This will do for now. _

"As for everyone riding your case, I guess you'll get over it, eh? Want them to stop, then I guess you can do whatever you can to please them." She gave a pause that was used to turn a wide smile onto him that made the corners of her eyes crinkle. "But, what's the fun in that?" _*****_

"Well, then that's too bad," Yusuke fired right back at her, "Because I'll have you know that I'm considered the life of a party!" He jabbed a thumb at himself with a grin.

Yusuke grew silent at her next words, a strange look coming over his face as he kept walking.

"What fun is there indeed..." He mumbled half to himself.

While it had not exactly been said to him in so many words, he had picked up somewhere along the way recently that if there really _was_ something that he wanted or wanted to do, he had the power to be able to do so, and there was hardly anything in the known world that would be able to stop him. Definitely not in Human World anyway. Assuming that the other detectives weren't around.

Ruling the world seemed like a lot of work though. And the fight would hardly be worth taking the time to make.

~!**!~

There were no words to be found in the mind of the lur'mog. None that any creature that did not understand their language would be able to pick up on, if the creature even had such a thing as 'words' in the first place. There was no way to tell.

For the briefest of moments however, his eyes grew wider if possible, for he had heard Hiei's intrusion, but not with his ear-holes and the implications confused him for he did not have the capacity to know what happened.

The alcohol was partially to blame for that. It made his mind muddled for Hiei. The most prominent thought was heightened awareness of the fact that everything around him seemed to be moving so very fast. He lived his life with everything else in slow motion for the vast majority of it.

His emotions were not so foreign or garbled with the alcohol as to be misunderstood, however, and if the gurgling sound that his throat made was not indicative enough of the enjoyment he received under Hiei's attentions, the webbed spines down his back almost completely relaxed against his skin and his eyes slowly closed, the only thought in his head the emotion of pleasure as Hiei touched him.

The lur'mog reached up with a tiny clawed paw to brace himself against Hiei's hand as it moved and rocked him since his balance was off-kilter. And anytime the fire demon started a stroke from the top of his head, he leaned into it and nudged the finger encouragingly.3

Hiei found himself smirking slightly at the lur'mog in amusement, finding the creature rather enjoyable and entertaining for the moment as his finger slid down the head of the creature until he touched its neck and started over, again rubbing at its head with the encouragement he was receiving. He didn't mind the clawed paw that braced against his hand, since the claws didn't touch his skin and even if they did, it wouldn't do much harm to him.

He sat there, continuously petting the creature at the odd angle he was laying until his shoulder began to hurt from the angle at which his arm was bent. At this point, he gently wrapped his hand around the small body and adjusted so that he could set the small lur'mog on his stomach, shifting his weight ever so slightly so that his muscles wouldn't cramp up and he again resumed lightly touching the small body.

This time, Hiei lightly ran his finger along the entire body of the creature, feeling the spines and scales with slight interest.

~!**!~

Akari stayed quiet now as she stepped into the arcade, music now thrumming loudly over the speakers of the building and mixing almost beautifully with the music from the machines in the room. She looked around briefly and considered the different options, some obvious as to their gaming types, but some were vague- at least, to her they were.

She remembered the game Aminuma had played here, or rather, in another arcade, and she found herself searching for anything that had the name "Goblin City" on it, curious about the game that had been reserved for the boy who hadn't gotten to see much of the world.

"Yusuke," she piped up, still standing in the door of the arcade, "What's Goblin City, and where is it?" _*****_

_Well, __**that's **__a can of worms for sure._ Yusuke wryly thought back to the still relatively recent encounter with Game Master.

"This way." Yusuke started weaving a path. He began explaining the premise of the game as they went, careful to leave any mention of Sensui or Aminuma or the group's trial, but making sure Akari knew the game was like a whole bunch of different games in one.

"Here it is!" He sat down at one of the free consoles, but didn't put anything in it yet, "The games it picks are kinda random though." He wrapped up, "So even if you have a favorite, the chances of getting it can sometimes not be in your favor." He sounded as if he'd had experience with such bad luck before.

~!**!~

The scaly creature made no protest when Hiei first picked it up, his eyes open with wonder as the room moved so fast, only curling his paws about the hand which held it, though his tail seemed almost in an instinctive response to wrap around Hiei's wrist.

When Hiei made to resume petting him, the lur'mog slipped his muscled tail off the wrist and instead curled it around his feet and clutched it in his paws, still making quiet gurgling noises of joy as he hunched up.

Shikiyoku's eyes slid open silently.

The lur'mog had pulled at her hair when Hiei removed him, unable to remove the claws he'd woven into the strand he held fast enough and thus getting her attention at the slight tug that had just as quickly disappeared before the creature got too far.

She took in the sight of Hiei with lur'mog without saying a word, closing her eyes when she realized the source of the small pull. There may have been a smile on her lips as she drifted back between the waking and sleeping realms. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the small creature, feeling the odd sensation close to a purr reverberating against his index finger as he continued to slowly rub down the lur'mog's spine, playing with the spikes again each time his finger came in contact with them.

Again, he found himself referring to the creature as foolish, though within the quiet recesses of his mind.

He wasn't sure why, but he rather enjoyed silently petting the creature. So, he decided to lightly tap at its head, curious of what it would do if he began poking at it in a playful manner. Perhaps it was a playful creature?

~!**!~

Akari trailed after Yusuke, listening to his every word carefully as she took literally every step he took until he was sitting down in front of a console. She eyed the screen that danced with letters and numbers, telling her to put in enough credits into the coin slot before she could even consider playing.

"Sounds interesting.." she mused, eyeing it as she considered her options. "Is there a practice thing, where I can learn before playing the entire game, or is it a learn-as-you-play kind of thing?" _*****_

Yusuke rested his face in a hand, turned to watch her, with his elbow on the console he sat in front of.

"It's learn-as-you-play." He..wasn't really sure if he could play this game again just yet. The memories of Aminuma and Kurama were too vivid still. He was determined that Akari should play it though, and if she needed guidance, he could at least tell her what he knew, or what he learned from his time in the Game Master's territory even.

~!**!~

The gurgling of before had become a steady thrum, the area just below the lur'mog's chin expanded and retracting slightly if one looked at it.

His tiny paws intermittently wrung at his scaly tail, but when Hiei tapped at his head, his eyes came open and he looked solemnly up at the fire demon, a darker red blush across his nose-slits from the alcohol, as if he thought Hiei were trying to get his attention. The spines on his back slowly started to come back up as his mouth came open a little, forming a small 'o' shape as if waiting for Hiei to make some sort of earth-shattering statement that would change everything he knew about anything. 3

Hiei sneered at the small creature that looked up at him, waiting it seemed. He merely tapped at the small head again, his lip twitching in amusement at the lur'mog's expression that was so… confused? He tapped the small cranium twice more before moving his finger to the mouth of the lur'mog, lightly tapping there as well as he began toying with the creature in his own way that wouldn't include harm.

~!**!~

Akari nodded and sat in the chair in front of the game, swivelling so she faced the screen and slid a coin into the coin slot, nearly jumping when the music began blaring louder than any others nearby. She eyed the screen, listening to the monologue of "_Welcome to Goblin City, where you and your team of seven…" _It went on, the music almost louder than the words, and she watched the animated doors open.

Immediately, there was a slot machine spinning different combinations on the screen, and she sighed as it came to a stop, the mechanical voice screaming at her, telling her that the game was a puzzle game, level three tetris.

She knew this game well.

"Cool, one I know." _*****_

"Definitely not one of my favorites." Yusuke shifted around a little to get more comfortable as he watched, "But I'm not much on puzzles, really."

~!**!~

The lur'mog let go of his tail as Hiei tapped his head again, his arms hanging from his front like a mouse, and the tail swung out behind him lazily, the portion nearest to his rump laying flat against Hiei's body, while the last third of it curled up into the air with the end of it bending in the other direction, making the general shape a reverse question mark.

When Hiei touched at his mouth-his face upturned to stare dutifully with wide-eyes at the apparition-his jaws slowly parted and hung open as if in direct reaction to that specific place, revealing four rows of tiny, pointy, red teeth along the top and bottom of his mouth, two rows of one behind the other on the top and two on the bottom in the same fashion with a surprisingly normal looking tongue pressed up against the back of the bottom row. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised by the reaction he received, the lur'mog's mouth opening to reveal teeth that Hiei scrutinized carefully. Shikiyoku had said this creature was more of a runner, but he was certain that this creature could rip apart anything it so desired.

And that thought, he lightly tapped the rows of bottom teeth, noting the sharpness before retracting his finger and again tapping the snout once with a slender finger, now just doing things to the lur'mog out of slight boredom instead of actual curiosity.

For a moment, he released a huff of air that would normally resemble a scoff, but there wasn't enough force behind it to create the necessary sound to convey his amusement at the expression the lur'mog wore as he once more tapped the end of the snout, sure to just miss the nostrils for the second or third time.

~!**!~

Akari positioned her right hand over the joystick and her left over the buttons of the gaming console as the game started up, the numbered tiles moving slowly at first in the descent on the screen. After a few moments of complete and utter concentration, she smiled at the screen, remembering that her family had always had games around for her to play.

The game ended after a timer went out, pinging at her and saying she'd won the round and another was going to be chosen. "Number games are fun for me, sometimes. Strategy is okay, but not a favorite." she said nonchalantly to Yusuke as the slot machine whirred again, showing her a few images that the screen translated into a game she didn't recognize right away.

"Sports Goblin, Rugby, Level one!"

"...Rugby?" _*****_

"Uh," Yusuke had _heard _the name before, "Oh, I think it's like American Football. Or something." He sat up a little. "I...don't think I've seen it on here before, though."

~!**!~

When Hiei tapped the lur'mog's teeth, the mouth started to slowly close around the digit, but Hiei had removed it before the mouth came all the way closed and it stayed in that half-open state as Hiei tapped its nose.

The throat area underneath the chin throbbed as Hiei tapped his nose, but there was no sound and the nose slits closed before he touched near them.

As he tapped the second time, the lur'mog reached up and ran the side of his arm against his head as if in a semi-cleaning motion, but after the third, the lur'mog gave a sound that strongly resembled a sneeze, one that jerked his body a little and made him wobble around before he plopped back onto his rump, little hands in his lap while he shook his head once as if to clear it. 3

Hiei found himself, despite his normal neutrality to such things, amused and quite taken with the lur'mog, finding himself enjoying the company much more than he thought he normally would have. Usually, he would have found such a creature annoying, but for some reason, he found himself almost fond of this one.

He didn't know why, but he didn't think about it either. It wasn't like he was going to be taking it with him back to Human World, especially since its sharp teeth hinted at a carnivore.

The small sneeze made the corners of his lip twitch again, and this time he took to prodding the stomach lightly with the tip of his finger, eyeing the tail that continued to move about with each prod Hiei made at it.

~!**!~

Akari nodded, though she had no idea what that meant. So, she simply braced herself for anything, knowing that since it was a sports goblin, she would at least have to deal with a ball and a team fighting against another.

But when the screen loaded, she wasn't expecting to see such a large group of players on the field that was unfamiliar to her. But the game began before she could figure out which team was hers- which wasn't so hard after it started and a ball was kicked across the screen, a single player moving around the screen in correspondence with the joystick.

Minutes ticked by and not much had changed, pixellated players running around the screen and the ball being run back and forth until her character scored a point and put her team ahead just before the timer ran out again.

She sighed and sat back in her chair, turning to Yusuke as the spinner went on again. "This is actually fun. The mix keeps it interesting."

"_Pop Quiz, Level ten!"_

Akari's eyes shifted to the screen again as the voice continued, telling her who her opponent was, though she didn't catch it. She wasn't very happy with this one, since she assumed all facts would be about this world.

All of which she was almost completely clueless about. So, when the game began, her mind began going over everything she had been studying in school, though the first question already had her staring at the screen with slight irritation.

"_In the United States of America, there is a series of football games where the two teams who have won the most play against one another for a title over the rest. What is this tournament called?"_

_How the hell am I supposed to know? __*****_

Sensing Akari's hesitation, Yusuke waved away her concern.

"You'll have a one in four chance. Just wait for the choices to come up."

~!**!~

The belly of the lur'mog was of course coated with a much softer version of the scales that the rest of it and at Hiei's prodding the lur'mog started to twitch, his eyes closing and his little body beginning to shake as his mouth pulled back from his teeth in what most would consider a smile underneath the flush across its nose-slits.

His tiny hands batted playfully at Hiei's finger, but he didn't seem to be trying very hard to get the fire apparition to stop as his throat giggled up and down and produced a high, fast chuckling noise.

Perhaps he simply _couldn't _try very hard as the prodding tickled his stomach and pushed him over onto his back-his tail sliding out from under him and then curling up over his body where it gently wrapped about Hiei's wrist-where his four limbs and torso squirmed even as he still tried to push Hiei's finger away. 3

Hiei's brows raised as the lur'mog fell backwards, his lips parting to show his teeth in a very wide grin at the position he now had the scaled creature in. Even as the tail wrapped about his wrist, he found himself not wanting to stop. Dully, he was reminded of a child being tickled in the human realm, and the thought of this creature being similar to a child- human or otherwise- made an odd and very rare sound escape his lips.

Hiei's chest moved with three chuckles that sounded in the quiet room, at a volume that wasn't very loud, but was actually able to be heard. His eyes shined even more as the lur'mog's own version of laughter sounded, making him chuckle once more with a stream of four chuckles this time as his finger scratched a little more at the smooth belly.

He couldn't help it. He didn't understand why this amused him so, but he just couldn't bring himself to stop, not even when his finger was being lightly pushed at. Instead of retreating like the lur'mog seemed to want him to do, he merely scratched a little faster.

~!**!~

Four answer choices came onto the screen, as Yusuke had promised, and she frowned at each and every one of them. None of them were familiar, so she sighed and chose B.

"Incorrect!"

A huff escaped her as the game continued. "_The Philippines lie in which ocean?"_

Four more answer choices popped up, and this time, Akari decided as the smallest memory from a few weeks ago popped to the forefront of her mind.

That had been the only question she got right. The next thing she knew, there was a cackling coming from the speakers on the screen and it appeared as if she'd been kicked out of "Goblin City", the words "YOU LOSE" across the screen.

She blinked, realizing that in order to know the ending, she would have to win. And that, she was certain, would never happen. "Well, now I know what I need to work on.." she grumbled, turning to Yusuke and looking at him in consideration.

She wanted to know how the game ended so badly…

But she didn't ask right away. "What do _you _want to play?" _*****_

At her asking, Yusuke's eyes lit up and he stood, smiling but not saying anything, and started to walk off for one corner of the arcade.3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	39. Episode 124 - Tickles and Distractions

**A/N**: Hello once again, Dear Reader!

To the next chapter we go!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke make it back to Akari's place so she can change,  
>and Yusuke sees the bed of roses that the false Youko left behind,<br>but naturally he thinks it's Kurama's doing,  
>and bursts out laughing as he assumes Akari's "problem" is directly related to the bed.<p>

Once Akari is properly changed, the two of them head back to the arcade.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku headed upstairs to the room she had gotten for herself and Hiei from the bartender,  
>Hiei following after, and when Shikiyoku lays down to rest Hiei settles next to her.<p>

The lur'mog tumbles out of Shikiyoku's hair and Hiei begins entertaining himself with the creature.  
>After a few moments of simply petting it, Hiei begins tickling at it...<p>

* * *

><p>The tail around Hiei's wrist was long enough to be wrapped twice with some slack and it shifted between tightening right up to the skin and releasing as the lur'mog was tickled. He batted again at Hiei's finger with no progress being made except for more of its chattering laughter filling the air as it kept squirming under his touch.<p>

Finally, the lur'mog got his hands and feet both clutching at the finger lightly, but with his senses being overwhelmed and slightly drunk in the first place, did nothing more than that, mouth opening wider as his throat kept gurgling with noise.

Shikiyoku had been pulled from her rest the first time the creature giggled, and she lay quietly watching with half-lidded eyes, the alcohol in her veins making her completely relaxed even if no longer flushed, but the scene unfolding before her leaving the whisper of a smile on her face, especially to see Hiei mirroring her amusement, until Hiei actually laughed outright.

If possible, Shikiyoku grew even more still than before as if that would help her hear the sound better, going so far as to shut her eyes again as he did it a second time, carefully recording every nuance of the chuckle and storing it away in her mind.

She must think of a way to thank the tiny creature who appeared to be bringing Hiei this private moment of joy, and she felt grateful to him for tagging along, even if he only graced them with this one precious moment out of all the time he stayed. 3

Hiei continued for a few more seconds until all of the lur'mog's feet were on his hand, an obvious but very weak attempt to get him to stop. He chuckled once more before he stopped, curling his finger inward to get it away from the belly and allow him to breathe. For the moment, he considered repeating the action, but his body shifted just a little and his arm that had been propping his head up slid away from the pillow, resting on his stomach just behind the lur'mog.

He went to move his hand to scratch at a very small itch on his nose, but the lur'mog's grip on his wrist and hand was enough to bring it with his hand, dragging its back along his cloak and only slightly ruffling the fabric.

He eyed the red creature with a smirk of amusement still in place, watching the berated breathing of the creature make its chest move rapidly. As if in apology, Hiei rubbing a finger on the smallest paw and pulled his hand up higher until it rested, lur'mog and all, on his chest lightly.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at the glint in Yusuke's eye before he was up and moving, the dog demon scrambling to get up and follow after, walking along the row of games quietly, eyes roving curiously. But as she passed an older boy who looked as if he might be a university student, she paused at the music she heard blaring from his machine.

"_Rejoice, for the goblin king is dead!" _the machine yelled, music of triumph sounding underneath the monologue. She took two steps backwards until she was standing behind the boy who was stretching his arms in the air, her eyes not on him but the screen.

The scene of the fallen king's grave stirred emotions within her that made it difficult to keep her expression blank. _So that's how it'd happened? _She had known that the boy's game would become real with his energy, but she hadn't known the game, and thus, hadn't known how the boy would get by. For the longest of time, she'd even thought Aminuma would have been able to live.

But with this scene, she knew better. After all, the detective and his friends had come to the tunnel, unharmed…

She blinked slowly at the screen before turning away, hands retreating to her pockets as an odd stinging beginning in her eyes that she quickly rubbed away with her hand. The stinging stopped and she glanced at the screen again, eyeing the human who was now moving to leave the gaming station.

She'd liked the boy. Game Master had been her favorite of them all- aside from Sensui, at the time.

_And his favorite game was his end…_

Akari took a deep breath and turned away from the game, not moving away just yet as she sorted her thoughts. _*****_

Yusuke sensed Akari stopped behind him, and his ears did pick up on the proclamation from the console she stood in front of them and he slowed, stopping and turning around to gaze sadly at the victory screen he could just make out.

He hadn't gotten much time to consider the implications of Game Master's death when it happened. He doubted any of them had since right after that they'd been forced into another fight to save the world and all. He lifted a hand to rub self-consciously at the back of his neck.

Even if it was Kurama who had struck the final blow, they all had a hand in the untimely death of the human boy.

_...too young._

Caught up in the aftermath, Yusuke had almost forgotten about the boy until things settled down and his brain slowed enough to remember the cost of their win. And remember that there was probably a mother somewhere wondering where her little boy had gone.

His own mother's cries rang silently through his head and he grimaced. At least _he'd _gotten to come back.

What was the old saying? Needs of the many or something?

Yusuke scoffed. As if one life was more precious than another. Each life deserved a chance, but...Aminuma just didn't get that chance.

_...much too young._

~!**!~

The lur'mog's chest heaved up and down, the tiny creature out of breath for the first time in his entire life. The flush across his face had grown more prominent now, casting a strange darker red blush there that contrasted with the rest of the red of his body.

He didn't take much notice of Hiei brushing up against his paw, his eyes still closed, but the moment did seem to coincide with another chuckle as if a remnant from before remembering the tickling that had only recently stopped.

Ribcage still huffing to try and catch up on oxygen, the lur'mog opened his mouth wider and bent his head to take the tip of Hiei's finger delicately inbetween his teeth, chewing on it twice without puncturing the skin as his hot breath moved over the finger before pulling away to close his jaw and rubbing his cheek against the finger affectionately, nose-slits rapidly expanding and contracting as he continued to inhale and exhale at a fast rate. 3

Hiei eyed the lur'mog as it nibbled twice at his finger then proceeded to rub against it in a way that made the demon smirk a little wider than before, finding that he actually did like this creature. A lot. He supposed this was what _fondness_ was like to the extreme, without crossing over from fondness to admiration.

He rubbed his finger against the side of the lur'mog's head as the creature rubbed some more, showing his own form of acceptance of the show of affection. He gave a small sigh of relaxation, making his chest rise and fall more than his normal breathing would have before he resettled back into his normal breathing rate.

"Curious thing," he murmured to himself as he continued to rub against the creature's face.

~!**!~

Akari stood there for a single moment longer before forcing her feet to move forward, spying Yusuke not too far away, also paused. She forced her expression to stay neutral as she approached, hands still in her pockets and she glanced at Yusuke.

"You just gonna stand there, detective, or are you gonna show me the game you are so excited about?" _*****_

Yusuke blinked, pulled from his thoughts by Akari's brusqueness.

"Uh, yeah!" He came back to the present and turned, leading once again the way to the corner he'd been going for.

There were four or five arcade machines set up back in this corner that were all playing the same game. A racing one. The chairs were high-backed and gave the feel of actually sitting down in the driver's seat of the car, complete with steering wheel, gear shifted and gas/brake pedals on the floor.

Yusuke slid into one of the seats, one hand curling over the gear stick as he leaned forward and put money into the machine. He grinned at Akari.

"Wanna?"

~!**!~

The lur'mog began gurgling appreciatively, quickly settling into the low thrum that had vibrated its throat when he pet it before.

Shikiyoku sat up slowly, stifling a yawn, and began scooting off to the edge of the bed where she shifted her hips to get both feet hanging off the end and gave a small hop to stand, meandering over to the door as she waved a hand absently in Hiei's direction.

"Goin' downstairs." She stretched as she put a hand on the doorknob and turned, stepping out of the room.

He'd join if he wanted to or stay if he didn't, but Shikiyoku could feel the relaxation of her muscles filtering away and she meant to remedy that since they would likely be off in the morning and she probably would have to wait another fifteen plus years to get a drink half this good. 3

Hiei's eyes slid over to Shikiyoku when she suddenly stirred, interrupting his small moment of appreciation with a small amount of surprise. He hadn't known she was even close to being awake. He watched her, finger still idly rubbing back at the cheek of the creature wrapped around his hand and wrist.

When she said she was leaving, he stayed for a few moments, eyes turning back to the lur'mog that was again making a sound akin to a purr that made him watch it, taking in the odd expression on its face.

Most creatures weren't as expressive as this one. At least, not with him.

After a few more moments, he moved, sitting up and setting his feet on the floor, contemplating following after her like he had planned to do earlier that night. His eyes again shifted to the creature on his hand, weighing his options.

Without another thought, he stood and followed, his hand that held the lur'mog close enough to his cloak that if the animal were to fall or even decide to unwind itself from his wrist, it could easily latch itself on his cloak and find another comfortable spot while he walked to and out the door. Silently, expression now entirely blank, he followed the trail that Shikiyoku's scent made down the stairs.

~!**!~

Akari followed Yusuke until he slid into a chair that reminded her remarkably of a car, which she realized the next second was exactly what it was meant to look like. When he turned to her with a smile, she mustered a raised brow and a ghost of a smile, pushing away all thoughts of Aminuma- after making a mental not for a _to do later_.

She eyed the game and gave a sigh. "Racing is your favorite, isn't it?" she questioned as she slid into the seat next to his, hands gripping the steering wheel and feet playing with the petals idly. After a moment of playing with the controls, she was set, and placed a few coins into the system before rounding on Yusuke. "Against each other, I assume?" _*****_

"You know, if I didn't already have ideas about what I want to do when I'm old enough, I might have wanted to get into professional racing." Yusuke admitted. "And sort of." He tilted his head a little at the screen. "We'll be racing against each other and computers all at the same time."

As he talked he was flicking through the different sorts of cars and drivers, not paying particular attention to the stats and instead going for whichever one he thought looked the best.

~!**!~

The lur'mog had little trouble righting himself around Hiei's hand, deftly using his strong prehensile tail to his advantage and scrambling up along the inside of the fire demon's sleeve, his movement only detectable because of the drunkenness that slowed his world down as he wound around and around Hiei's arm up the loose clothing.

Getting up to Hiei's shoulder, the creature kept moving until he reached Hiei's neck, popping out of the top of the cloak, still behind the white fabric and therefore unable to be spotted, and curling up in the folds of the scarf against Hiei's skin, lightly extending his tail across the front of Hiei's neck for leverage and then relaxing with a tiny sigh, his nose-slits puffing soft bits of warm air against Hiei's neck where his head nestled comfortably.

~!**!~

The tavern portion of the building downstairs was almost completely silent this time around, with only a handful of patrons sitting together or alone talking in hushed voices.

Easy to spot without the crowds was the bar area, which only had one demon at it on the far end closest to the door, sitting by himself and staring into the glass in front of him.

Behind the bar stood a very old demon, though he was handsome enough as far as looks go. If one didn't know they were in Demon World, he looked almost like any other well-bred elderly Japanese man, though he was maybe six feet tall and still had a broad chest and shoulders under his simplistic clothing which was covered with a reddish-brown apron whose color matched the worn, red wooden floor of the establishment.

The most prominent features of the bartending demon, Kafu, were the two extra arms that appeared to sprout from his back somewhere and extended just above his head where they hung down at the wrists. These hands appeared insubstantial and were just barely visible and even then only from a certain angle, hovering like ghosts. They disappeared about halfway down their length, giving no indication of where exactly they sprouted, though it was obvious they were from Kafu.

He stood cleaning a glass with a rag, but did glance up at the sound of feet coming down the stairs.

"Back for more already, girl?" He asked once she was closer.

His voice was a light baritone, and it was easy to sense in the way it reverberated in the air about him, even at the low register, that if need be he could have gotten the attention of the full, loud bar earlier that night at any moment.

"Making up for lost time, old man." Shikiyoku slid into one of the barstools and leaned onto the counter, putting her face to rest in her hands as she set her elbows down in front of her and looking into the old demon's bright amber-orange colored eyes.

"Should I keep a running tab?"

"It's not about the money for you."

Kafu didn't disagree. He was...different as far as demons go.

"But go ahead." Shikiyoku finished. "If it'll make you feel better."

He laughed, "Is it going to matter?"

"Mm, maybe." She smiled.

He just shook his head, "What'll it be?"

"What do you think?"

He raised a single, grey brow, "More?"

"Gotta stock up. Can't get Demon's Fire just anywhere, you know."

After a laugh, Kafu's smile stayed and while he looked back down at the glass he still cleaned, it was easy to spot movement from one of the high shelves behind him.

Up near the top of the ceiling, a plain brown jug came down as if by magic, moving swiftly towards Shikiyoku where a worn, red tankard from behind the counter floated and got set down.

Kafu glanced at the demon at the other end of the bar and the bottle that had been left with the glass lifted in the air as Kafu turned away. The bottle tipped and poured deftly without spilling a drop, refilling the glass the patron had just put down as empty. At the same time, the contents of the jug hovering in front of Shikiyoku were being poured into the tankard, the cork that had been in said jug floating nearby.

"You won't be here long, then." Kafu made the statement as the red tankard filled to the brim and moved towards Shikiyoku, the cork being placed back in the jug and set nearby.

Shikiyoku reached out to let the tankard come into her grasp, lifting it to her lips for a drink before nodding as she lowered it again and swallowed.

"And for you?" Kafu made eye-contact with Hiei. 3

Hiei had watched the little creature run up the inside of his sleeve before it was out of sight and he continued on down the stairs until he was in the main room of the tavern. It was much, much quieter than before, and he found it much, much more tolerable. He glanced around the room before moving towards the bar and taking a seat on Shikiyoku's right.

He watched the bartender for a moment, curious as he saw things move around the room without much prompting. Impressed, he leaned forward on the counter with a blank expression, eyeing the different drinks behind the bar with contemplation. He knew little to nothing about the drinks, but still, he did find himself a bit… parched.

He hadn't been listening to the conversation, only glancing about calmly until he was addressed, his crimson orbs moving up to meet the barkeep's. He wasn't sure what to answer with, so he let his eyes wander for a bit longer before glancing over at Shikiyoku's drink, eyeing it speculatively before deducing that it was either similar or the same thing as she'd drank earlier, the very drink he had ignored.

He finally looked up again, tilted his head towards Shikiyoku. "Same," he said simply, arms crossing on the bar's surface as he leaned forward.

~!**!~

Akari glanced at Yusuke, taking in his expression as he spoke about an idea he had for what he wanted to do after schooling. She turned back to the game after a moment though and proceeded to scroll through the vehicles, much the same way Yusuke was, and looking at all the statistics of the cars. There wasn't much of a variety, she found, but after a moment, she chose a red car with black stripes, pressing down on the gas pedal to confirm her choice.

"What is it you want to do, Yusuke?" She scrolled through the maps that were available, turning to glance at Yusuke's screen to see which one he chose to race on. _*****_

Choosing a sleek green car, Yusuke steered through the course selection and found one with a couple of good round curves and picked it, waiting as the game loaded and searched for players from among the other consoles.

"Open up a business." He answered simply, shrugging a little.

~!**!~

Another tankard came up from underneath the counter where Kafu stood and the jug moved over to fill it before it scooted closer to Hiei.

In the meantime, Kafu placed the glass in his hands down where it belonged on the prep table one level below the counter, picking up another of the wet ones he had in a group in front of him and beginning the same process.

"So, can you tell me what kind of job or would you have to kill me?"

"The second one." Shikiyoku grinned.

Kafu didn't seem phased.

"One of _those, _huh?"

Shikiyoku shrugged noncommittally, taking another drink.

"Anything like what you used to do or have you moved on?"

"I...you know actually it's a _lot _like what I used to do, now that I think about it."

Kafu gave a nod, "You've always been most excellent at information gathering."

Shikiyoku snorted into her tankard, "_That's _putting it mildly."

Kafu raised and lowered one shoulder, flitting his gaze over to Hiei.

"And what business brings you to the area?" He had guessed the two were together, but perhaps they had only just met for other reasons. Kafu had learned long ago to make no assumptions when it came to his customers. 3

Hiei surveyed the liquid that had been poured for him, the liquid a rather odd scent. It smelled like a mixture of things he couldn't name at first. His hand closed around the handle of the mug-like cup and lifting it to his mouth, pausing for a moment to take another experimental sniff of the drink. After the slight hesitation, he took a small sip of the drink, the taste unique and, at first, almost undefinable. But after the liquid slid down his throat, burning slightly, a bit of a sweet taste left on his tongue to counteract the burning in his throat.

It was a pleasant taste, despite the burn that continued down even to his stomach. It settled there and was automatically expanded when he took another drink, eyes looking over the brim to meet the barkeep's again when he was addressed.

He set the tankard down onto the countertop after his second swallow, hand never leaving the handle as he assessed his body's reaction to the liquor.

The question made him raise a brow, but it quickly resettled into place again. "Guard duty," he replied simply, not really in the mood for an extensive conversation despite the good mood he was in. He looked at the liquid again, taking another drink before setting the tankard down again and glancing over his shoulder, as if he would be able to see the lur'mog underneath his scarf.

~!**!~

Akari matched the map Yusuke chose easily, watching a countdown begin as other players were being searched for, as the screen said. "Sounds interesting." she replied naturally as the game began another countdown, this one for the start of the race.

She went quiet again, eyes now focused on the screen as the word "go" flashed in large yellow letters on the screen, her foot pressing down on the gas pedal so that her car shot forward with the others, though a little slower since she hadn't revved up. _*****_

At the back of the pack, Yusuke shot forward too fast and ran into the rear end of the car in front of him, grumbling as he adjusted his gear speed and slowly accelerated again until he hit top speed, taking the corners easily with drifts and an easy handle of the steering wheel.

It wasn't the course that was terribly challenging, but for some reason the other cars seemed to be out to get him this game and he spent the first lap continuously having to slam on the breaks to swerve around them.

~!**!~

"Heh." Kafu let the air huff out past his teeth with amusement, "So you two _are _together."

The sound of him swishing the cloth around the glass was a muted one, but the rest of the tavern was so quiet they could hear the motion.

Kafu let his eyes glance back at Shikiyoku this time.

"What happened to the last one?"

"You mean-"

"No, I mean the last _one_, not the one you had last _time_."

Shikiyoku downed the rest of her drink and shoved it towards him, grumbling as he obliged her request and the jug moved again seemingly on its own.

"You always _were _too perceptive for your own good." She commented as she watched the jug fill the tankard again.

"What was his name again?" He acted as if he had to think about it, but Shikiyoku didn't even bother to pretend like he didn't know, waiting for him to come around with it. "Let's see, was it Kurama something? No, wait, he went by...Youko Kurama, right?"

Shikiyoku scoffed, a light smile touching her lips as the tankard moved back her direction and she lifted it again.

"As if you didn't remember."

On silent wings, Ryou wheeled into the open door of the tavern, soaring around the room once before clattering lightly onto the bar top on Hiei's other side within arm's reach.

His eyes swirled a vibrant ruby-red at the sight of Shikiyoku, turning to Hiei and melting into orange as his mind brushed against Hiei's.

The impression he sent was distinctly one of "_Fire-brother!"~_ flames and kinship moving through their brief connection, which appeared to be his greeting to the fire apparition as he stepped closer with a dragonish smile. 3

Hiei didn't reply to the man behind the counter, his eyes returning to his drink that he found himself enjoying, likely faster than he should have. But it didn't feel as if it had much of an affect on him, aside from the burning that still seemed to be warming his stomach more and more. The taste was just sweet enough to keep him wanting more, not so sweet that he didn't enjoy it. As for the flavor, it was almost like a variant of a type of fruit, though he wasn't sure.

Hiei hadn't noticed the dragon landing next to him until the impression was brushed across his mind, at which point he turned his eyes to Ryou and he returned the mental communication with "_Indeed."_

Another drink, the burning sensation seeming to grow not only in his stomach, but in his throat as well.

~!**!~

Akari's vehicle, for the most part, went untouched in terms of other players. As for the course… well, she hadn't ever actually driven before, so there was no explaining how bad she was at the game. Occasionally, she let out a small growl of frustration when her car hit a wall or another car, making it hard for her vehicle to get going again.

By the time the first two out of the three laps were over, she was in last, though she was adjusting as the game continued, not hitting the wall as much. When she felt her handling was a little better, her eyes took in the screen, seeing an odd metal-looking tank at the right hand corner of the screen that had the word _nause _bouncing over it animatedly. She raised a brow, curious about what it would do and pressed the button it indicated.

Her car shot forward, miraculously missing four or five cars as the speed drove her car forward, setting her in fourth and just barely able to keep the car off of the walls of the course. _*****_

It was easy to see why Yusuke had considered professional driving, even though this was only a game. Once he got clear of interference, he took the curves of the course masterfully, shifting gears and adjusting speed with an inherent smoothness.

He didn't win by much, only a second or two, but it was a win, and when he ruefully considered the poor start and the aggressiveness of the computers, he shrugged and turned slightly to watch Akari finish the last of the course.

~!**!~

Kafu and Shikiyoku continued to exchange small-talk back and forth, Shikiyoku steering the conversation away from Youko Kurama and Kafu having enough sense to leave well enough alone and following her lead.

During that period of time, there was no telling how many tankards Shikiyoku had downed, Kafu filling it back up for her every time without fail.

At one point, Shikiyoku had one hand pressed firmly against the bar top even as the other gripped tightly at the tankard's handle as she carried a heated discussion with the bartender about some trivial subject or another and even when they conceded each other's views her hand stayed and it was at that point that their conversation lulled briefly.

While their conversation had been going on, Ryou attempted to slyly steal drinks from Hiei's tankard at different intervals, sitting innocently nearby when he wasn't.

In the meantime, the lur'mog at Hiei's neck awoke.

The lur'mog nuzzled at Hiei's neck once or twice, chittering quietly to himself and happy with how accommodating the fire demon had been in the arrangement, until he remembered the 'prodding' the fire demon had done earlier and a mischievous thought-likely the first of its kind to ever occur to the creature-led to the lur'mog scurrying all about the skin of Hiei's torso, his back, chest, sides, and abdomen, out of sight underneath his cloak and shirt in the hopes of discovering sensitive areas that might make the fire demon's muscles twitch underneath his dainty claws.

His attempts were such that he left no mark on the fire demon, and after a while he shot out of Hiei's sleeve onto the bar top, bumping into the dragon that sat just beyond Hiei's hand.

This encounter led to the pair wrestling with one another on the bar, neither intending to do true damage to the other, but their grappling and consequent rolling around near Hiei-intermixed with trills from Ryou and chattering from the lur'mog-certainly was loud enough to have Kafu and Shikiyoku each giving a good-natured laugh at the show somewhere in the midst of their conversation.

While the wrestling occurred, Shikiyoku found her hand that rested on the bar snatched up in another and she released her other hand from the tankard's handle before it spilled as she was pulled from her seat, stumbling once to maintain her footing when she almost fell from the stool with the jerking motion that set her to following, a firm hand keeping her from actually falling down. All of this happened rather fast and she didn't even bother making any noise about it.

"Taka, what are you doing?" She asked patiently as he kept dragging her away, only a few feet from the door by this time.

"I haven't gotten to spend any time alone with you." He replied stubbornly as he kept moving, brushing past the one or two patrons coming inside.

"Taka, I hadn't finished my drink." Shikiyoku growled irritably, the flush of her cheeks warmed by the touched of Taka's hand just as much as the alcohol she consumed, and her eyes glanced back at her half-full glass that was being left behind, already almost out the door with him.

"Too bad." He pulled her along outside where there appeared at first glance to be not a soul out in the streets.

Kafu was watching the wrestling pair rolling about while he continued to clean glasses, and each time that they appeared about to spill off either side of the bar top, the pair somehow changed directions under Kafu keen eye.

Even with his attention on the interlocked dragon and lur'mog, he did not miss Taka entering, striding with confidence up to Shikiyoku and half-sneaking her away, but he was used to Taka whisking her off and did not think much of it.

Once outside, Taka made two more strides and gathered Shikiyoku into his arms, looking upwards as a pair of gorgeous brown wings emerged from his back, flecked here and there with white feathers.

He ruffled them once before stretching out and lifting the two of them from the ground with only a couple of beats, moving quickly up into the air and over the top of the roof.

When he grabbed her, arms wrapped around her shoulders, Shikiyoku had enough sense of mind to step on the tops of his feet, knowing exactly what was coming next and knowing it wouldn't be a long flight given how he held her.

She felt her stomach stay on the ground below and she actually moved her hands up to clutch at Taka's shirt.

Feeling her do so, Taka let out a laugh as she squeezed her eyes together, keeping his feet flat like a platform to help hold her up though he didn't normally fly that way.

"S'not funny, Taka." She grumbled into his clothes.

It only took maybe half a second to get up the two-story building before Taka landed easily on the slanted roof, getting his balance and then slowly relinquishing his grasp around Shikiyoku so that she could take her time getting her own.

When she stepped off his feet, she glanced at the ground and the sign with the red flower below them.

"Really?" She turned back to him. "That was a big production for nothing."

Taka had his hands on his hips now, wings fully extended as he let the breeze blow through them. He pulled them back towards his shoulders and they grew smaller until they disappeared. He made a show of shrugging at her as he did so.

Shikiyoku stuck her nose in the air and marched about halfway across the roof, past the small collection of chimneys that were bigger than her in both width and height, plopping down on the roof and scattering bits of it around as she reclined, legs bent at the knees in front of her, hands propped up behind her where she leaned into them.

Taka laid down beside her with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles.

"So, how'd you get back in Demon World?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

"Maybe it's exactly my business."

"I'm simply doing a job, Taka."

"What job is that?"

"It doesn't involve _you_."

"How am I to know that?"

"Because I just told you."

"Your Champion said the same, in so many words."

"He isn't stupid."

"Well, how am I supposed to know that either?"

This banter continued on for a while as the breeze swept by them, two long-ago allies enjoying-perhaps one more begrudgingly than the other-the other's company.

Shikiyoku eventually gave up on besting him and fell silent after an exasperated sigh, Taka grinning as he counted it as a win.

The lack of spoken dialogue between them was not an awkward once, instead companionable as each of them became lost in their own thoughts of the past and previous times such as the one they were sharing now.

Somewhere in their witty repartee, Taka had risen to make some point or another, sliding up until he sat in much the same position as Shikiyoku, though he had his right knee up with an arm resting across it, the other hand supporting him on the ground, which made his position more open and towards Shikiyoku next to him.

Off in the way distance on the other side of the city there started the spiking of powerful demonic energy and a couple of buildings were set aflame, a giant blast of black energy shooting off into the sky as a third crumbled to the ground.

A grip of fear took Shikiyoku's core in hand at the color, especially as several more shots of black intermittently disappeared upwards with a couple of pink ones when another demonic aura spiked up from a closer distance than before.

"Looks like _her majesty _is in a bad mood." Taka noted mockingly.

"Looks like it…" Shikiyoku could not mask her uncomfortableness, another set of blasts firing off even closer. Even though they were blessedly more than a couple of miles away, she shifted around, her core starting to beat faster, wondering how visible she was up against the dark crimson of the rooftop.

After coming closer one more time, the sky grew silent and Shikiyoku released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, core still pounding in her chest.

"Sweetheart…"

The hesitation in Taka's voice, different than any she'd ever been privy to in his presence, made Shikiyoku look up at him suddenly to see that he was in fact looking over at her. Her previous fears vanished into curiosity.

His faraway gaze kept her silent as he slowly came back to the present, eyes darkened with his thoughts, and yet revealing nothing hidden behind them.

"You _do _know your pact-mate is the Cursed Child?"

Well...even if the All-Fire had not revealed that to her less than a day ago, she certainly would know now, wouldn't she?

"I know he is born of the mating between a Koorime and a fire demon." She replied cautiously.

His brown stare did not appear surprised by this revelation-his concern would have increased if she _hadn't _known-though something stirred behind them when she refused call him 'cursed.'

"And that the fire portion of his heritage is muted by the Ice Maiden blood? For now?"

She nodded.

"And what will you do when it awakens?"

Shikiyoku shrugged, "Should we still be pacted, I'll simply...be there. Whether he wishes it or not."

"You would willingly put yourself in harm's way for this...demon?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, as if he already knew the answer.

"He will need someone there, and it will be me even if he does not ask for help." _Which he won't. _Her answer came with no hint of hesitation, as if she had already considered the options. "Should that specific situation occur, then to answer your question: of course."

Taka gave a short, dry bark of laughter.

"I guess I never understood your kind."

Shikiyoku's nod seemed a little sadder this time, but it was a nod nonetheless. "No, you never did. Most apparitions don't." _Hell, I don't understand me half the time._

Taka's expression grew thoughtful somewhere behind his concern as he studied her face and then spoke up again.

"...what _is_ it?"

She heard more than just those three words. What makes her kind different? Why don't most stronger demons understand why they pause when she walks by? She gave a small sigh. _What is it indeed, hm?_

"Tell me." He encouraged gently, "Even if I don't understand what you're saying."

A laugh nearly bubbled up from inside her and past her lips, but she only smiled.

"I...I think..." She didn't actually know, really. She had not been raised among others of her kind. "It is not just desire, Taka." She shook her head, smiling a little, "Behind all the lust, all the...the craving..." Something deep within her stirred a little, as if she spoke ancient words inherent in her very being, "I see the beauty in all things. We are the only demons born with the natural instincts required to love. Unconditionally and without cause."

"That word is foreign to me." Taka did not seem sad about it, merely making the statement of fact.

Shikiyoku knew exactly which word he meant, and while she had not ever put any of this into so many words, it all just seemed in that moment the right thing to say.

"Creatures that can express so much directed, passionate hatred like apparitions do have just as much of a capacity for love. They are, in essence, the same emotion. Any demon can _learn_ to love, if given the proper environment. But where I lack in fighting...where other demons come naturally to battle, I come just as naturally to...to love, I suppose." Her expression grew thoughtful. "Any other demon will react almost strictly to the instinct of survival. Kill or be killed. Our strongest instinct is love, in every form of the word. And other demons fear that without allowing themselves to understand why, because they fear realizing that love is stronger than hate, preferring to believe it is a weakness when it would actually make them all the more powerful."

Taka let the silence grow between them, though he found himself very lost in thought with her strange points.

"And what if you are not loved back?" He wanted to know.

She shrugged, "It makes no difference. That cannot, nor does it, stop us."

"...even when you receive nothing in return?"

"Strange concept for a demon, no?" Her eyes twinkled a little.

"Very." His voice faded off again into silence as they sat there and Shikiyoku let him think.

"Did you love him, sweetheart?" He asked quietly, thinking of the Champion she left the city with all that time ago.

"There are many different types of love, Taka." Her voice was no louder than his.

"Did you _love _him?" He pressed.

"I told you, we love all things."

"Sweetheart." He knew she was skirting the subject.

A slight pause.

"Of course I loved him." Shikiyoku replied gently.

He pursed his lips and Shikiyoku tried not to smile as he sorted through exactly what he meant, what he was _really _trying to ask.

"Did you...did you love him...more than what you inherently do?" Taka became very aware, as he tried to ask his question, of the fact that there had to be more than one type of love, and that the one, blanket word used to cover them all was simply not...specific enough.

Shikiyoku hesitated, and it turned so long that Taka came to think she had not heard him.

"...Shikiyoku?"

"No." She finally replied after only a second more. "I do not think so."

She had not had a chance to put all of this together at once before, but the more they spoke of the subject, the more she realized she had a great many thoughts about it.

The tension around Taka broke, and he sat back, unsure of when exactly he had started to lean towards her.

"And he loved you?"

"Perhaps love is too strong a word for that."

"Do you love me?" His roguish smile returned.

"Yes, Taka." Shikiyoku resisted rolling her eyes at him.

The smile faded a little and he opened his mouth to ask her again, in the more different way, like before.

She sensed his intentions and cut in before he could ask.

"...No."

He nodded, smile gone now, but there was no clouding on his face at the knowledge.

"That's good, then." He finally responded.

She arched a brow at him.

He flashed a small smile in her direction, "I don't love you."

Her other brow joined the first, a hint of a smirk on her face.

"Oh?"

"Nope. Not at all. I think I'd just feel bad if you did and I didn't." He stretched a little as he sat there looking up at the sky.

Shikiyoku just shook her head, "I think you just don't know what love is, bird-brain."

"So, you're saying I _do _love you?" Another grin, "Or is that just wishful thinking on your part?"

Shikiyoku let out a scoff, but she was smiling nearly as widely as he. She did have to resist smacking him though, knowing the gesture would either get her into the kind of trouble she did not wish to bring on herself from him at that moment or further egg his teasings on. Neither of which she particularly wanted to do.

"Or is that what this spell is? The one that drives me crazy any time I'm near you? The one that makes me want to bed you? Surely _that's _not love." If it was, then yes, all demons _did _love. He thought the concept rather hilarious.

"It's one _aspect _of love." Shikiyoku explained, patiently, but with that silly grin still on her face at his questions. "But just like _touching _isn't the only way to expression affection, wanting to mate isn't the only type of love. And the love you keep asking me of is not one I can manipulate with my power. You may _desire _me, sure. And yes, that is a sort of love in and of itself, but I can no more manipulate you into _loving_ me than anyone else."

Taka grumbled nonsensically to himself. This was all getting too confusing.

"How do you know the difference?" He seemed very interested, as if he himself was suddenly not sure if he 'loved' her.

"Love is...as unique as the one who feels it. To put a strict ultimatum on it as being one thing or another would take away from that uniqueness, but...one viewpoint is there is all-love, friend-love, and fire-love. Loving all things no matter what. Loving in that you mutually have one another's back. Love that is passionate, physical, sometimes consumed by the other in thoughts and desire." Shikiyoku shook her head, "I think it is much too simple, to have only these three labels. You will have to discover the difference between all the types there can be for yourself."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Maybe it is." She teased. "It might take your entire life though. It's probably the most difficult challenge there is."

"Mm." He intoned noncommittally. He didn't often get challenges directly from the mouth of the female next to him.

A breeze picked up and her scent carried over to his nose in a more powerful dose and he shook himself from his thoughts, feeling suddenly that his self-control was slipping and that if he stayed much longer with her he was liable to take her right there on the rooftop whether she liked it or not.

_**That **__thought didn't help. _He mused grimly. _Bird-brain._

"You're leaving in the morning, aren't you?"

She nodded, "As soon as the night sleeps."

Shikiyoku could hear the roof crackle as Taka started to stand up.

When he got to his feet, he looked out over the relative quietness of the city.

Taka started to stroll away from Shikiyoku over the rooftop from where they'd come before he paused and turned back, a bit of a suggestive smile falling across his countenance.

"I'm _sure _you're aware, seductress, that demons of fire rarely mate with any outside their kind because of their brutality between the sheets."

"I'm perfectly aware of most all apparitions' habits in regards to that particular subject, bird-brain." Shikiyoku stuck her nose in the air and turned her head away. "Including _your _species' own ridiculous ones, not the worst of which involves _nests_ in the least accommodating way possible and the bizarre notion that everything is better in _trees_."

"That's because everything _is _better in a tree." Taka began walking away again, waving a hand at her as he left, "Just thought you needed to be reminded, sweetheart. Before that Champion of yours goes berserk with his fire heritage."

"Taka, shut up." Shikiyoku's words did drip with a venom, but it sprouted more from her irritation with him at the turn the conversation had taken than anything else.

He just let out a laugh as he leapt into the air and winged out of sight, leaving Shikiyoku to make a noise of disgust at his 'warning.'

Not that it mattered what Taka had to say, but Hiei wasn't a full-blooded fire apparition _anyway_.

She actually couldn't help groaning again as she sat there a moment longer by herself-_That idiot-_and gave another snort at the subject Taka had just brought up, shaking her head. It hardly seemed like a point of contention in the first place because...well...

"He doesn't even _like _me, bird-brain." She grumbled to herself, wishing she'd smacked him when she had the chance. 3

~!**!~

Hiei's body had tensed as the odd sensation of a small creature running around his body began, his teeth clenching together hard enough to make his muscles flex in his jaw. However, he refrained from looking down, concentrating instead on the odd sensation that made the most alien feeling take over his core. It made air bubble up in his throat, as if to make a chuckle, but with much more force. The sound, however, never escaped his lips.

He only relaxed when the lur'mog ran along his shoulder and down the length of his arm, appearing from under his sleeve and running smack into the dragon he hadn't really paid much attention to- unless it came to sharing the drink he was rather enjoying. He'd occasionally allow the creature a sip or two, but more often than not he pulled his tankard away from the reach of the dragon that was now wrestling, in its own way, with the lur'mog.

His eyes remained trained on the pair even as he finished his drink and set the mug down, which promptly slid away from him, was refilled, and then slid back into his hand in a matter of moments. He quickly lifted his drink from the countertop as the fighting creatures threatened to ram into it, their sounds loud enough to keep him from, at first, noticing Shikiyoku's disappearance.

His eyes shifted to the side, curious about the silence, and found her seat empty. He refrained from reacting outwardly, turning to the bond he could feel inside his core and, for the moment, finding it peaceful. His momentary worry drained away and he turned back to his front, lifting the alcohol to his lips again and enjoying the burn.

It reminded him only slightly of the fire in his stomach. The fire that had been given to him in the valley, the difference being that the drink had an actual definable taste.

He was halfway through another refill when he felt the bond quiver inside his core, making him pause with the tankard half-way to his lips, eyes going unfocused as he assessed the bond that immediately had grabbed his attention.

_Fear._

Hiei slowly set his drink down and stood to move, without saying a word to the barkeep about returning or otherwise. His feet moved with dangerous precision, mind centered on the bond to help find Shikiyoku- who wasn't really that far, surprisingly. He stepped outside into the night and, as soon as the door shut quietly behind him, his eyes pointed up, searching for any sign of struggle.

The fear was still there, but the only thing he heard at first was silence.

"Looks like _her majesty_ is in a bad mood."

He recognized the voice, that it belonged to Taka not escaping him since he'd done very well at memorizing the voice with the face of the demon who had irked him earlier that night.

But, the fear he felt in the bond dissipated as light conversation ensued, and he realized that something else must have caused the reaction that had him standing out here now. His eyes turned to look around himself, though from the ground, he didn't find much to worry over.

Aside from the faintest of glows in the distance. It wasn't hard for him to identify the glow of fire, and he was very quickly uninterested.

Yet, he lingered, listening to the conversation the floated down to him on the light breeze with an unimaginable amount of curiosity. Perhaps it was the drink that had him standing here, reacting on a mild emotion that normally didn't take this much control of his actions.

At the turn of conversation onto a _cursed child, _Hiei found his eyes shifting and turning to his right, his lip twitching in the struggle to keep the scowl from his face. But for a reason he didn't understand, when Shikiyoku refrained from calling him the same name everyone else had dubbed him, even himself, the scowl that had won over his features disappeared and he found himself leaning against the outside wall of the tavern.

As the conversation continued, he found himself receding into his own thoughts, though he didn't miss anything being exchanged above him either.

He knew that fire demon blood was dangerous. It had been the very reason he'd been tossed from his birthplace, over a cliff and left for death. His aggression had always stemmed from that, he assumed, and his need for fighting had, over the years, increased with ferocity. This had been mainly fueled by his anger that had always been present in his mind, in his body, and perhaps even in his soul. Not even bandits had wanted him around after they found out of his aggression.

He was feared by most who knew of his blood. And fear had always driven him into anger at the other, accompanied by, on some level, satisfaction at having been given the reaction. It always lead to him killing the other, no matter their pleading or their excuses for life.

After all, if he hadn't had an excuse for his life, why would another be allowed the privilege? At least, that's how he'd thought for a vast majority of his life.

When had that aggression changed? Sure, it was still there, but… quieter?

_Right. Yukina._

He'd found his sister, even released her from the grasp of a human who had deserved to die, but hadn't been killed by his own hands.

Only after that did he begin to realize how much he _loathed _being referred to as the cursed child, whereas before he had used it as fuel to his rage and a reason to prove entities right about his kind. He had been wanted to be feared. But over the time he spent in Human World, it seemed that aggression muted, and his loathing of his _nickname _had grown exponentially.

Enough that he actually felt sick when he heard the name.

"And that the fire portion of his heritage is muted by the Ice Maiden blood? For now?" A small pause. "And what will you do when it awakens?"

"Should we still be pacted, I'll simply...be there. Whether he wishes it or not."

"You would willingly put yourself in harm's way for this...demon?"

So, Shikiyoku not calling him by "cursed child" made an odd form of… some emotion or another move through him. Relief? He wasn't sure. And her words seemed to offer an odd sense of comfort, though he wasn't sure of the meaning behind his reaction to those words. He'd never been spoken about like that before.

"He will need someone there, and it will be me even if he does not ask for help."

Hiei's head bowed as he immersed further into thought, his eyes sliding closed. He'd never really thought about asking another for help. Why would he, when he was very capable on his own? He had heard rumors of how fire demon energy was dangerous, how once it took over, the demon would either go insane with rage or simply… go mad with the amount of energy that tried taking over.

Demons who couldn't handle the amount of power and rage that came with it often went insane to a level that would lead to, eventually, the demon destroying themselves. Not with their own energy, since its obvious lackluster in affecting the wielder of power, but by… other means.. Normally, by sending themselves into battle that would require every ounce of energy, or by simply…

Ending it…

A deep scowl formed on Hiei's face. He hadn't forgotten the stories. He hadn't forgotten the different possibilities that came with being born of fire and ice. He had simply… stopped thinking about it.

The anticipation of that kind of moment alone could lead a demon to his death, if he were weak minded enough.

When he came back into the present, another conversation had begun, about… another. He had his eyes slid open to stare the ground as the conversation turned to _love_, something he didn't know the concept of.

"Did you love him?"

Hiei could only guess who was being referred to. But he listened, curious for her answer, and when her answer did reach his ears, he wasn't sure what to think.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, Taka."

Hiei stuffed his hands in his pockets and pushed away from the wall, ears listening to the lull in conversation before the word "no" was barely heard.

As the door was pulled open for his return to the bar, he briefly caught the "Well that's good, then. I don't love you."

The door shut behind him just as quietly as before as his feet whispered against the wood to the bar, sliding back onto his barstool and peering into his cup, which had been refilled to the brim. "Thanks," he grumbled to the demon behind the bar, his hand closing around the handle and bringing the drink to his lips for a long swig of the sweet drink that now seemed a bit more bitter than before.

Or maybe it was because he'd stopped drinking it for a while and had momentarily forgotten the taste, the burn.

~!**!~

Akari's car was almost impossible to control as the pause shot her car at an impossible speed forward, only slowing to the normal speed again when she passed the car in fourth place, putting her in that position on the track until her car crossed the finish line. She smiled at the screen despite her earlier struggle with learning how to play, turning to Yusuke with teeth flashing.

"That's pretty cool. How often do you play this one, anyway? Any other you like as much as this one?" _*****_

Yusuke leaned back in his seat once Akari crossed the finish line, smiling when it seemed like she actually enjoyed herself.

"Often enough." He responded glibly, "And…" He hesitated, though he seemed to find his hesitation humorous. "There's one." His smile grew a little more sheepish, "But I gave up on playing it a while back for...reasons."

He got up and started to lead her to another portion of the arcade, calling out, "Come on!" And gesturing for her to follow as he did so.3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	40. Episode 125 - Games, Taken

**A/N**: Hello once again, Fellow FanFiction Fanatics!

The next installment is here!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke continue entertaining themselves at the arcade,  
>Akari getting to play Goblin City as well as a racing game.<br>Yusuke tells her there's one last game he always liked,  
>but he stopped playing it for 'reasons.'<p>

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei go back downstairs after a while,  
>the bar having cleared out so that only a few patrons were left.<p>

When Hiei is distracted by the wrestling of the lur'mog and Ryou,  
>Taka swoops in and snatched Shikiyoku away to speak with her.<p>

He warns her about Hiei being the Cursed Child,  
>and even though she already knew, she refuses to call him that.<br>That particular portion of the conversation is overheard by Hiei,  
>but as Taka leaves, Hiei goes back inside<br>and Shikiyoku is left by herself on the rooftop...

* * *

><p>The door of the bar slammed inward against the opposite wall and Shikiyoku stalked inside, Kafu calmly raising his gaze to check on who it was.<p>

Her face was obviously flushed with drink, and she was scowling deeply, a dark cloud across her vision. She grumbled angrily to herself as she nearly stomped over to where her drink still sat on the counter.

At her entrance, the lur'mog and Ryou both stopped their wrestling in mid-fight, turning to stare with wide-eyes.

While Ryou definitely regarded her with his usual affectionate ruby-color, upon sensing her mood a starburst of sapphire-worry started from his irises and shot out to consume the entirety of his pupils and he and the lur'mog quickly untangled themselves from one another in order to stand, both coming to attention and staring at her while she moved.

"I could almost kill someone right now." Shikiyoku was muttering dismally there at the last as she threw back her head and downed the rest of her half-full tankard in a flash.

She slammed the tankard down on the counter, still standing next to it, and began glaring at Kafu when he didn't immediately take it from her to refill.

"Kafu…" She said warningly.

"You know as well as I do that this stuff is potent." His calm expression had not changed, though he did not look up from where he stood wiping glasses down.

"Kafu…" She growled it from her chest this time.

"I see that it's had time to take effect." He replied lightly, give the blush across her face a pointed look, "You ought to restrain yourself. You seem to have forgotten that this stuff takes at least twenty minutes to kick in. And you've had a lot already."

In one smooth motion, Shikiyoku jumped up and planted one hand firmly on the bar, holding her body up-her feet finding the middle support across one of the stools and bracing there-as she snatched Kafu's apron and pulled him across the counter to meet her face half-way.

Again, he did not seem phased, even as he found himself staring directly into her obviously displeased countenance, glass in one hand and rag in the other.

Her voice did not shout, but seethed out from between her teeth like so much ice-cold murder, "You will give me more or I swear I will come over there and strangle you with your own twelve hands." Her eyes glimmered with power and Kafu shrugged in response.

She released him, continuing to stand on the support of the stool with one hand planted on the counter as she glared daggers at Kafu while more Demon's Fire from the jug was poured into her tankard.

As soon as it was filled, Shikiyoku snatched it and threw it back over her head again.

"How was your talk with Taka?" Kafu asked politely.

The tankard was lowered just enough for the flow of drink to halt so that Shikiyoku could speak around the edge of the mug still in her mouth.

"I _hate _that accursed demon." She went back to downing the beverage.

"So, about like usual, then?" Kafu appeared to be talking about nothing less than the weather outside.

Shikiyoku slammed the mug down on the counter a second time, viciously wiping the back of her hand across her lips, and pronounced probably a little more loudly than she would have normally, "He's a fat, smelly, putrid excuse for a bird-"

When Shikiyoku stopped suddenly and glowered at Kafu, the tankard got filled again, though he surreptitiously only gave it half this time, which Shikiyoku did not appear to notice as she went for it again.

"-and I hope his feathers drop out of his wings and never grow back!" She finished as she slapped the tankard down again.

"And how do you want to see him die this time?" Kafu asked, appearing to have heard all of this at an earlier date.

"He can- He can go...die in a fire!" Shikiyoku snarled.

"You've used that one before."

"Fire!" She repeated forcefully.

"You never mean that."

Shikiyoku growled, but didn't actually disagree with Kafu's point.

The lur'mog had cautiously made his way across the counter from where he was on the other side of Hiei and at the lull in the discussion, he placed a tiny paw on the hand Shikiyoku still had planted firmly on the countertop.

The gesture did not go unnoticed and Shikiyoku's wrathful gaze sunk down to see the large eyes widely looking up at her. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she reached over with her other hand and scratched at the lur'mog's cheek gently with a single finger. Her eyes lost a little of their ire.

"Maybe not a fire." Shikiyoku grumbled as she removed both hands from the lur'mog's reach, climbing down to stand back on the floor. "But he can sure go screw himself for all I care."

"Mmhm." Kafu replied as Shikiyoku strode with baleful steps back up the staircase and out of earshot. His eyes only flickered after her retreating figure once and he gave a little sigh. "Well, that was certainly more low-key than usual." He appeared to be speaking to himself, placing the glass in his hands down and picking up another. 3

Hiei had his eyes down on the bar while his hand toyed with the mug casually, his tongue rolling in his mouth as he assessed the slight change in taste compared to before with another large gulp. He _felt _calm, but his mind was anything but. It was stuck on the conversation he'd heard earlier, making his lips pull downwards slightly in the smallest hint of a scowl. He just…

For some reason, he couldn't let it go, Taka calling him cursed.

Another drink, and Shikiyoku was standing nearby, grumbling angrily under her breath. For a moment, he ignored her mumblings, but when she continued ranting about Taka, his eyes slid over to her calmly, as if he too had seen this more than once.

Though, his calm demeanor was only achieved because of the slight delay between his mind and the muscles in his face, which, a moment later, made his lips twitch only slightly upward before the expression returned to neutral. _Accursed_.

For the moment, he didn't exactly understand the amusement and odd amount of respect that grew within, causing him to take another drink.

_It's a little sweeter._

He eyed the barkeep suddenly, wondering if the drink was supposed to do that. The taste seemed to change subtly here and there, but enough that he himself could notice. Was it Kafu's doing?

He turned back to witness the last of Shikiyoku's moment before she turned and walked away, disappearing from sight up the stairs. He scoffed once and turned back to Kafu quietly, his now empty mug coming to rest on the counter.

"I don't need more," he informed quietly, deciding he should stop while he still could think clearly. His words about her rant being muted wasn't lost on him, but he didn't reply to them either. He wouldn't know, after all. "You do well in putting up with her… mood swings.." Hiei mused, his expression shifting only slightly to mildly amused. "Comes with the experience, I suppose?"

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at the pause Yusuke gave, a smirk on his features as if he paused only for her anticipation. And when he was moving, sliding out of his chair and quickly moving around her and through the arcade. She followed, at a slower and more leisurely pace, eyes staying trained on him this time.

"Y'know, when school lets out, this place is going to be cramped and loud." she said to him, more musing to herself however and trying to decide how long she would want to be in the building.

She wasn't in the mood for large crowds. _*****_

"Whyddya think I come around while school's _in _session?" Yusuke pointed out, making his way to another corner.

He stopped short of the machines he sought, putting one hand on his hip and gesturing to them.

They seemed simple enough, a box about waist height with what appeared to be a sort of round punching bag stuck on the end of a pole right about where the shoulder is.

"I'll let you guess why I had to stop using them." He waggled his eyebrows at her, grinning.

~!**!~

The tankard got swept away from Hiei, as did the one Shikiyoku left. Hiei's got placed out of sight, but Kafu held his hand palm up as Shikiyoku's came to hover over his awaiting hand.

A rather large amount of coinage tumbled out of the mug and Kafu assessed it with half-lidded eyes as the tankard went the same route as Hiei's.

_Hmph. She actually paid for all of it. Even the stuff earlier. The hybrid's too. _

His expression never changed as he lowered his hand to place the coins somewhere behind the counter.

"You might be surprised to know that most demons don't change all that much when they've consumed more alcohol than is wise for them." Kafu replied as the coins were put away and he wiped the portion of the counter that Shikiyoku had been drinking at. "The loud ones are still loud. The angry ones are still angry. Shikiyoku is…" How did he sum up such an apparition in one word? He shook his head, "Certainly a handful. You've got your work cut out for you, Champion." 3

Hiei made a sound akin to a scoff, shrugging his shoulders lightly as if he wasn't worried about the handful Shikiyoku posed to be. He eyed the money that had tumbled into Kafu's hand before it was placed out of his sight, easily noticing that all drinks had been paid for- even his own. He didn't move out of Kafu's way as he wiped down the counter, since it didn't seem that he was going to continue his way with the rag anyway.

"I'm sure I can deal." He paused, glancing to the two animals still sitting on the bartop. "I've seen a lot."

~!**!~

Akari followed until she was standing in front of a machine that, at first, seemed kind of pointless. But, as Yusuke swept a hand before it in a showy fashion and said he had stopped playing the game, she knew it had to do with punching, especially since there was a pad on the pole that resembled that of a training pad.

She smiled at him mischievously as she eyed him. "A punching game?" she turned back to the game before fishing into her pocket for change. "I guess it won't hurt, though I'm not sure it's going to matter. Your punches are worse than any other I've experienced."

As the game fired up with music that boomed with bass, as if preparing the player for the single punch they would get. She took a deep breath and moved into an offensive stance, readying her muscles and adjusting so that when she did swing her fist at it, she hit it squarely in the center and sent the pad flying backwards, hitting the screen with enough force to make the machine rock back and forth slightly.

It flashed the high score, showing it to be over a thousand, then flashed her score to be at 812.

"See what I mean?" she said, assuming the high score belonged to the detective. _*****_

Yusuke gave a laugh, "Well, you asked what else there was around here that I liked as much as the racing one!" He pointed to the high score, "That one isn't actually my high score though. I, uh," His hand went up to scratch at his face self-consciously, even as he showed his teeth with a sheepish smile, "I might have accidentally broken the one I had the high score on. I wanted to see if it'd go higher than just filling up with all nines."

~!**!~

Kafu finished cleaning Shikiyoku's spot and flipped the towel back around in his hand and went back to drying more glasses as he stood there in front of Hiei.

"Of course." Kafu readily agreed, "I can tell that you have and I'm sure she can tell as well. Did she seek you out specifically for the position? If you don't mind my asking." 3

Hiei raised a brow at the barkeep's curiousness, but otherwise didn't really react. At this point in time, he didn't much care. "Not quite the way you'd think," he replied with a shrug all his own. In truth, she hadn't actually _looked_ for a Champion.

She'd simply… _earned _one. At least, in her point of view, she did. "Circumstances called for it, I happened to be nearby," he found himself wondering why he was talking so cordially with the bartender. Normally, he wouldn't tell anyone much of anything they wished to know. He supposed it was because of the inviting air, though it hadn't ever made a difference in the past.

~!**!~

Akari smirked at Yusuke as he nervously admitted to wrecking a machine. She herself hadn't thought she'd be able to break it, but the fact that Yusuke, a human, had smashed one… well, she found it both amusing and annoying that she, a demon, wouldn't be able to hit him hard enough to make a difference.

Not that it mattered. They were, after all, on the same team. Plus, she didn't enjoy fighting him the first time, why would she do so again?

"Maybe next time you should think before doing things like that." she taunted, turning to move to another machine she'd eyed earlier. "My turn to choose." _*****_

"Hey," Yusuke protested her first comment, "My philosophy is to punch first and ask questions while punching." He grinned and followed after her, curious as to what she would pick.

~!**!~

"Ah." Kafu understood what Hiei meant more than Hiei probably thought he did. "I thought perhaps she sought a hybrid from the Koorime line specially. There aren't many demons with more raw power than the non-Koorime twin who comes from such a mating, as I'm sure you're well aware."

Both Ryou and the lur'mog had settled down together within arms reach of Hiei with the dragon curled up and the other creature nestled near Ryou's middle. Even though the lur'mog appeared to be asleep, Ryou's eyes were staring up the staircase from where his head lay the counter, swirling with the same worried blue as before. 3

Hiei wasn't much surprised by this demon's insight and easy following of the conversation. Quite frankly, he'd realized the demon must be much older than any he'd met in his lifetime and had seen just about anything the three worlds had to throw at him. So the fire demon didn't much react when he went on talking about the powers of Koorime and the children born from actual matings.

A scoff left his lips, more out of amusement than scorn. He was beginning to feel rather tired now… "'s not much of a big deal," he said slowly as he moved to rise from his chair, glancing at the two creatures on the countertop and touching both of them with his index finger only once before letting his feet touch the floor. "I used to loathe it, being her Champion." he admitted suddenly, a sneer on his face now as he glanced once more at Kafu. He didn't have to continue on to say that now he rather enjoyed the challenge, because the sneer on his face should have said it all for him before he turned and retreated up the stairs, deciding now was a great time for some sleep.

~!**!~

Akari lead the way through the arcade until they were standing almost in the center of the building, in front of a machine with two joysticks, six red buttons, and two yellow. The yellow buttons appeared to be for choosing single or multiplayer, while a red button said "start" and the others seemed to be for playing the game that she could now read as being labeled "Galaga". She had eyed it earlier and decided that it looked interesting enough.

"Galaga was so popular that even Demon World had heard of it, since a few demons had been able to slip by the Kekkai for a short while when I was younger. But since then, demons haven't been able to slip through worlds very much and I'm sure there are likely some places that are trying to come up with this game, even as we speak." She smiled as she put in a few coins. "Wanna play?" _*****_

Yusuke couldn't help but stare after Akari as she told her story, and even once she asked her question he didn't answer for just a second longer then, not exactly staring _at _her, but more at the fact that she was a demon, stirrings of things going on behind his strange gaze.

"You know...we're not all that different. Demons and humans. I don't know if I ever thought we were all that different, but the longer I've been doing this job, the more I've come to realize it." He stepped up beside her, intending to play the game as well.

~!**!~

Kafu's eyes left the mug he held as Hiei started to get up, watching the apparition interacting with the two creatures who appeared to have finally calmed down, but staying quiet even as Hiei began to walk off, considering the retreating form in a thoughtful manner.

"She still thinks you loathe it." He murmured down to the glass in his hands, "And if you don't figure out some way to show her she's wrong, there's no telling what she'll do." He raised the glass up to the light to check for water marks, not particularly caring if the fire demon picked up on his words, but voicing them to himself all the same.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku clomped up the staircase and tromped down the hallway, muttering angrily to herself the entire time.

"Nasty, stinky, smelly bird...always ruins everything...can't keep his mouth shut...could just kill him..."

Stopping in place, Shikiyoku blinked a few times before turning around to go back, having gotten three-fourths of the way down the hall without considering which room she was trying to get to.

"And that's _your _fault too!" She shook a fist angrily at the ceiling as she stalked back to the correct door. "You numbskull!"

She threw it open with as much gusto as she had the entrance to the tavern, and it slammed against the wall, swinging forward just a little but staying wide as she thudded her way through it.

The light shining in from the hallway made the room appear almost as clear as day in spite of its lackluster glory, though there would have probably been enough from the dirty window to do the same without being so invasive.

She practically ripped her crimson cloak off of her head and threw it against the dusy chair in the room, where it splattered like so much paint and then mostly fell off, only the edge managing to drape over the piece of furniture.

In her "rage," Shikiyoku's entire body shimmered with power, her scalp tingling as it released energy through scent into the air, but instead of it being a welcome feeling this time, it just made her feel much too hot for now and as she made her way to the bedside, her long-sleeved black shirt got pulled off and tossed in the general direction of her cloak.

The spaghetti-strapped tank top underneath nearly came off with it and she didn't bother adjusting it, blaming Taka for that too as she threw herself down on the bed and snatched both pillows to put under her head. She ended up, of course, with her head up on the right side of the bed and her feet slanted away and touching the wall near the end of the bed, in essence taking up the entire thing and grumbling wildly about Taka's heritage, parents, fighting-style and how everything in relation to him was terrible and needed to go die in a fire.

Somehow, in the middle of all of that, she actually drifted off to sleep, likely from all the alcohol more than anything, lying on her side and facing the door which she'd completely forgotten about and left open, snarling at Taka and blaming him for that without so much as trying to get up to close it even as her eyes refused to stay open. 3

Hiei paused only momentarily at the words he caught from Kafu, but recovered and continued on towards and up the stairs, making no indication otherwise that he had heard the barkeep. His mind simply didn't want to mull over the fact for now, as it was beginning to go numb with what felt like sleep deprivation.

As he moved up the stairs, he suddenly realized that he may not remember which door had been the one to their room. He supposed he could follow Shikiyoku's scent, but even now he couldn't find the trail, as if it had disappeared entirely with her.

So he meandered, taking his time to glance at each door on the second floor until he spied one wide open. He made his way to it very cautiously and peered inside, probably looking rather comical if anyone had been watching.

He spied Shikiyoku inside, on the bed, and immediately straightened his spine to enter the room, pulling the door closed behind him as he caught only the last vestiges of Shikiyoku's grumblings that seemed to die away and turn into breathing that indicated sleep.

He approached the bed with half-lidded eyes of sleepiness, taking in the way Shikiyoku took up the entirety of the bed. He stood over her with a slight frown, trying to decide how to go about this. After a moment, he decided he didn't care, and he merely slid his hands under her body and adjusted her so that she lay closer to the wall, adjusting her position until there was just enough room for him before he joined her, laying on his side and facing the door, his back against hers out of mere laziness.

And within minutes, he too was sleeping, snoring lightly because of the drink.

~!**!~

Akari blinked and turned to Yusuke, staring at him with a coin between her index finger and thumb, hovering in front of the coin slot. She listened, taken by surprise from his sudden admission.

After he was done, she continued to stare at him, her mind going over several things before she finally turned back to the machine and placed her coin into it and standing upright again, not looking at him.

"No, we aren't. The only difference is that you are prey to a stronger species, who is, for the most part, unorganized." She blinked slowly at the screen and gave a small sigh. "Maybe one day you'll visit Demon World and see first hand how alike the worlds really are." _*****_

"You know, you hear tales about times long ago when humans and demons interacted regularly." Yusuke kept talking as they played, his mind only half paying attention to the task at hand, "It makes me wonder if, at one point, instead of three worlds, there was only one, and something happened that made that one realm divide into three different ones."

~!**!~

Being moved stirred Shikiyoku enough to realize when someone else came into bed with her, but nothing else. It took her a minute to be able to shift around, but out of habit, her eyes refusing to open at first, she threw an arm over the body of...whoever, and drew herself up against their back, her mind lost in some dream or another of ages past as she slowly started to nuzzle her nose against the back of her bed-mate's neck in greeting.

Without honestly being aware of it, her lips replaced her nose three...four times against the skin she found there as she began to pull her eyelids apart slowly, the tavern room around her doing nothing for the time period her brain sleepily provided for her in the midst of the relaxation in her alcohol-drugged state.

The arm she had around the torso of them slid up over the front of their chest and to the shoulder, moving the white scarf in her way to the side so that she could plant kisses further up-

Shikiyoku's eyes widened and she froze in place as the realization dawned of just exactly _who _the owner of said scarf was. Even as she blinked several times laboredly, she bit her lip and stopped moving, wondering if it would be better just to stay still at that point or not. 3

Hiei's mind had been blissfully blank, his body sinking into the mattress and his arm supporting his head while the other simply had his hand resting on the elbow of his arm underneath his head. His hands felt warm, even to himself. Even in his sleep, he realized that his body felt warmer than usual.

But he didn't think about it long. His mind told him that there was something going on outside his dream state, and curiously, his eyes slid open for a moment. His skin felt weird here and there, at the back of his neck, and he could feel that his cloak had been shifted or, in the very least, his scarf.

He moved his head to glance backwards, though his eyes didn't appear to be open more than just a slit. He was still asleep in his mind, so he didn't really register… whatever had happened…

He slowly resettled and went back to sleep.

~!**!~

Akari nodded once, her eyes on the screen of the moving gaming avatars as her ship was captured. "I… honestly don't know." she finally replied, though the thought of one big world was a rather curious one. She went quiet again before releasing a small sigh.

"But, there were also times when demons hunted humans for sport. And sometimes, though it's rare, you hear about humans doing the same to demons. I think that's the main reason the worlds were split. Now, however, things are different. While there are still things like that going on, more and more demons, while intolerable of humans, wouldn't actually step out of line because they know of King Enma's rule being almost… indefinite. If Enma knew of what _I_ had done, simply with aiding Sensui, my head would be gone. Koenma wouldn't have had a say, I'm sure." _*****_

"You know," Yusuke said thoughtfully, "I haven't ever really gotten to meet the big guy. Koenma certainly makes it seem like he's a terror, but I guess he's just got to keep the welfare of three realms in mind. I would go crazy." He finally smiled again, "But I'm not cut out for that kind of work."

~!**!~

Holding her breath, Shikiyoku remained frozen for at least an entire minute before deciding she had done no harm and relaxing again.

She did, however, scoot closer, and lay her cheek on Hiei's head, his hair making for a soft pillow, her mouth almost touching his ear.

As she felt her body slipping away again, she smiled and mumbled, "You should find reasons to laugh more often, fire-prince_._" Her eyes slid closed again, her words barely whispering out her lips, "I think...it is my favorite sound."

~!**!~

_Shikiyoku was running, but her legs were giving out on her, her core beating wildly in her chest and her lungs burning as she kept heaving air into them. She wasn't even sure what she was running from, but it was behind her and quickly catching up. There was no one nearby, no one to save her, and she couldn't even save herself._

Shikiyoku shivered, having at some point during her sleep let go of Hiei and turned over to face the wall behind her.

_Glancing back, her veins froze at the sight of the giant wave of black demonic energy that threatened to overtake her._

"_Looks like her majesty is in a bad mood." A voiced echoed around in her head._

_Shikiyoku turned to see Taka standing in front of her, gorgeous brown wings coming out from behind his back and his eyes distant as he appeared to be staring off at the wave. She kept running, reaching out to him, but never getting there and she panicked, thinking that perhaps she wasn't moving anymore._

"_Taka! Taka, please!" She cried out._

"...please..." Shikiyoku mumbled into the wall, her body beginning to twitch as if about to take off at a run.

_He didn't appear to hear her, make any indication that she was even there._

_If she could just grab onto him, he could fly them away, they could find her Champion together. They'd gotten separated, and she couldn't feel him anymore. She'd woken up and he wasn't there, and she'd looked but she'd never found him._

_The image of Taka shimmered away like a mirage and Shikiyoku yelled out again._

"_No! Don't leave me! I don't want to be alone again!"_

_Images of lonely wanderings, forced to avoid all things, flashed briefly in her mind's eye._

"Don't...alone..." Shikiyoku shivered again, her body pulling into a small ball.

_The black wave of energy was getting closer no matter how fast Shikiyoku pushed her body and she tried to shake herself awake, hoping it was only a dream as dark tendrils of power started to circle around her limbs, pulling her backwards in order to engulf her._

~!**!~

In the back of her head, something began to pound incessantly and at first Shikiyoku found she was able to ignore it, but there were words happening too and she found she could understand them.

"...this...right now...whore!"

"Not...nice."

"...get her...lazy...up-"

"-and OPEN this door right NOW!"

Shikiyoku's eyes slid apart and she yawned sleepily, pulling away from Hiei and climbing out of the bed.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," She mumbled, still half-asleep, "Rude."

The pounding and name-calling continued until Shikiyoku stumbled over and opened the door.

Two pairs of eyes stared down at her as Shikiyoku reached up to rub one hand on her own.

"What." She asked bluntly.

The eyes stared for another second before the more timid pair turned to the other.

"S-see? I told you she was here!"

The first pair of eyes glowered down at Shikiyoku.

Shikiyoku returned the stare equally even as her core sank into her stomach in a rush of fear.

The two women at the door were twice her height and easily twice as muscular, giving off an Amazoness air, and even with the modest uniform they wore, weapons hanging at their sides and likely more out of sight, it was easy to see exactly how fit their bodies were.

The one that was fuming at her had long pink hair to her waist in a ponytail, and the one standing more sheepishly next to her had a shock of short yellow hair that seemed to stick an inch or two straight up off the top of her head, but was also slightly taller, if not more slender, than her companion.

"Why you GOOD-for-nothing little piece of sh-"

The blonde put a restraining hand lightly on the other's arm, silently reminding her that they were here for a specific reason.

The other visibly grimaced, but back down from where she had started to tower over Shikiyoku's smaller frame.

"It's good to see you too, Taikou." Shikiyoku stated cooly.

"Her majesty..." She obviously struggled to keep her temper, "Her majesty _requests _that you attend her at the ball today."

"She would be delighted if you would agree!" The blonde turned down to Shikiyoku with a smile.

"Rae? Rae's still alive?" Shikiyoku appeared stunned.

"That's _Lady_ Rae to you, shrimp." The pink-haired one bristled. "If not, _Queen_."

"She's not _my _queen." One of Shikiyoku's eyebrows quirked. "Last I looked, she's not queen of anywhere."

"I outta just-" Her arm came up as if to deck Shikiyoku, but the blonde stopped her.

"Taikou." She said with a little more force than previously.

Taikou grumbled, but lowered her fist.

"Yama." Shikiyoku nodded to the blonde, "I only just arrived. I'm not quite sure how Rae learned of my presence so quickly." She tried to keep the dry regret from her tone.

"I can't BELIEVE you would come into town and REFUSE to pay tribute to the Queen!" Taikou growled.

"She only just arrived, Taikou." Yama reassured her, knowing privately that it was doubtful Shikiyoku planned to do any such thing no matter how long she would be in the city. 3

Hiei didn't dream. He was fairly certain that he hadn't slept this well in _years_, even when he'd worn himself out from an intense fight with another. His entire body, albeit a little warmer than normal, was extremely relaxed and he hadn't moved even once since he'd fallen asleep.

And he hadn't planned to, not even when he was pulled from peaceful slumber to hear the loudest sound that seemed to echo in his mind twice as loud as it should be. A small shift in the bed later, and Hiei was rolling over, turning his back to the door even as he became aware of voices and the door being opened.

Only when he felt a slight change in his chest did his mind awaken enough to register the words being said. Only when he became aware of the quivering of the bond did he sit up and place his feet on the floor, sitting so that he could watch the doorway cautiously, easily forcing the sleep from his eyes, but not quite as easily from his mind.

But when one of the women moved to strike, Hiei was standing and moving across the small room, hands carefully at his sides so that he didn't appear too much of a threat. Not yet.

He stood a couple of feet behind Shikiyoku, expression blank as ruby eyes stared at the pair, one seemingly cordial while the other was only a little more than irate.

"Problem?" his calm voice rang out over the sudden silence.

~!**!~

Akari frowned, but didn't look at Yusuke. "It's a good thing if you haven't met Enma. Anyone who ever sees him either dies because of his rage, or becomes a part of Spirit World's staff. In case you haven't noticed, they both seem to equal one another." She was only mildly joking here.

"As for Koenma, it's expected for the son of the king to be treated with extremely high expectations and harsh reprimands should something go wrong. It's to ensure things don't go bad. Like… with Sensui." _*****_

"Yeah..." Yusuke tailed off, his eyes staring downwards, but his mind turning gloomy.

Suddenly he jumped back from the machine in front of them with a grin and a laugh.

"Hey! What am I doing? I was trying to lift your spirits and here I am bringing myself down and ruining the party! Now where were we?! What game should we play next?!" He marched off through the arcade after his hasty announcement, humming loudly to himself and looking for another arcade game they might be able to crash.

~!**!~

_He's awake._ A wash of thankfulness swam over Shikiyoku, but she refused to look back at him as she didn't know how much longer she could maintain her confidence. And she thought of her shirt and cloak. They needed to get out of there, sooner rather than later. Before these two gave up on their conversation and snatched her up right then and there.

Yama's eyes narrowed slightly at Hiei's words as she glanced over Shikiyoku's head and into the room.

"What is this? Another one of your _toys_, whore?" Taikou jeered.

"Lieutenant Taikou Kusara." Yama's back had straightened and even Taikou jumped a little at the title, "Need I remind you that our delegation here is to extend the invitation to the seductress and _not _incite her ire?"

The two women did not look at one another, Taikou scowling and Yama's expression equally as fierce.

It took Shikiyoku a moment to realize that they each had a dagger at the other's back, pressed against one another's clothing.

The air remained tense for another split second until both women relaxed their weapons away at the same time.

"Yes, _Captain._"

Yama's eyes flickered back to the present, at Hiei first, then down to Shikiyoku.

"I-I know she will be most upset to find that you have yet another...Champion."

"I don't know why." Shikiyoku was quick to respond, "I've never shown Rae favor of any kind."

"Perhaps that is why she continues to remain interested."

"She really needs to get over it. Isn't she happy with her mate? Gotten lots of children from it?"

"Her halls would be all the more grander should you deem her worthy of gracing them."

"So she can use me in furthering her House?"

Taikou's jaw clenched together.

"She's _obviously _not going to come willingly, Captain. I don't see the point in continuing this conversation."

"Besides, Rae knows that I'm looking different nowadays. Otherwise you wouldn't have recognized me in the first place. Not right off the bat." Shikiyoku leaned up against the doorframe lazily, crossing her arms together. "Has she taken that into account? She may not want me around anymore."

"I-I must confess that I am not sure how she will take your...vast change in appearance once she lays eyes on you, but, yes, she does know you've a more human form and no, it must not get in the way of her opinion terribly much otherwise we would not be here." Yama pointed out abashedly. "I mean, you _are _still doing the same sort of thing no matter what your looks, right?"

She appeared to be not sure, but Shikiyoku had her powers as muted as possible as soon as she recognized the pair at the door, so it was hard for Yama to tell.

"I certainly am still the same Shikiyoku." She allowed, tilting her head a little.

Yama looked a little shocked, "You _are _still doing courtesan work, aren't you?"

"I'm not really in the market for it, no."

"Once a whore, always a whore, _seductress_."

"Taikou!" Yama said sharply, "Be civil!"

Shikiyoku only appeared amused. "And what happens if I refuse to come with you?"

"There is half a legion of the High Guard who will _take _you there." A wicked grin finally crossed Taikou's face. "So you can either come peacefully or they can drag you off."

"_We don't have time for this." _Shikiyoku thought about halfway through the conversation, continuing as Yama and Taikou talked with her and hoping Hiei would catch it. "_I don't want to __**make **__time for this." _

There was no disguising the fear she had in accompanying these to back to their House. _Damn. _

"_The High Guard are some of the most powerful apparitions of the level. My powers do little to nothing to them unless under specific circumstances, and without my demonic form…_

"_We could be stuck in this city for decades if they manage to get us back to Rae. Not that I would __**mind **__being stuck in Demon World, but only on my own terms and not as a lackey under Rae's household." _3

Hiei's mind was fully awake now and he had no problems with listening intently to the women at the door, his core moving in time with the pulsing bond that had his muscles slowly tensing up out of reflex. His teeth momentarily clenched together before unclenching again at the name one of the demons continued to call Shikiyoku, an odd part of him growing a bit angry at the name calling, though at this exact moment, he didn't know why.

But he remained silent, his arms hanging at his sides tensely, hands balled into fists that slowly clenched and unclenched in synchronization with his jaw. And his own tension seemed to grow with the tension of the moment that seemed to create even more tension in the bond, and after a few more moments, Hiei's eyes were narrowed.

She was borderline panicking, it seemed. And the threat that was issued did nothing to help the situation, only creating Hiei's own personal sense of needing to get the hell out while they could.

_I hate cities._

Suddenly, his mind was being tugged at, almost as if someone were calling him. He turned inward, then let his mind follow whatever trail it was that had grabbed his attention.

"_I don't want to __**make **__time for this."_

Hiei returned to the present, having understood as soon as he'd zoned in on her thoughts what she felt of the situation. She was afraid, perhaps a little angry, but mostly the fear had him reacting, stepping forward to join Shikiyoku in the threshold of the doorway, meeting the gaze of the calmer of the two demons.

"As interesting as a gesture such as that sounds, we are, in fact, here on business and only passing through. We have no time to stop other than when necessities get in the way. You are interfering with business. It simply is not a possibility at the moment." He paused, turning to the more aggressive one. "Tell your _majesty_ that we, or rather Shikiyoku, would like to visit, but we have no time to stop and… what's the phrase? _Smell the roses. _Do understand that business comes before pleasure. _Always_."

He wasn't sure this would work, but he wouldn't dare send Shikiyoku into a place where it was obvious she would not be comfortable.

~!**!~

Akari turned to face Yusuke with a raised brow as she stepped backwards and away from the machine that now asked for more money in order to continue. "You were trying to cheer me up?" she asked, disbelief on her features. She'd been out of it enough to not _notice _this was an obvious attempt at such a thing?

_Smooth, Akari._

"Well, I can assure you, I don't need it now. I'm simply here because I quite like your company, despite your smart mouth." Her lips turned into a teasing smirk. "IT's likely the most amusing thing about you, detective." she called after him as she followed at a leisurely pace.

_Is he humming? _She thought to herself, raising her brows even more at the boy's back as she followed him. _That nervous, or simply that scatterbrained? _Either way, she found herself amused at him some more.

"You have a lovely voice," she commented teasingly. "Maybe you should play a karaoke game." _*****_

"Ah ha ha," Yusuke laughed, "If that's what you think we should do, I mean, I'd be happy to join you. But I'm not singing by myself! You'll have to do a round or two as well!"

~!**!~

Taikou drew herself up to her full height, "Perhaps you didn't understand, _Champion_. This proposition is also '_business.' _And the Queen _requires _Shikiyoku's presence at this ball. The whore does, in fact, _owe _this to us, unless she's forgotten about how she broke the terms of our last agreement." Here Taikou glared at the shorter demoness.

"Queen Rae was _quite _upset when you skipped town on her without so much as a by-your-leave." Yama added.

Shikiyoku nearly laughed in her amusement at Taikou and Yama's assumptions about the agreement between her and the Queen to which they were referring.

"_Hiei, how likely do you think our chances are of out-running the High Guard if we agree to travel with them to the manshion?"_

Shikiyoku was thinking perhaps if they simply let these two lead them out of doors, that she and Hiei could take off as soon as they saw daylight and leave this city behind.

"And surely she understands that there were...extenuating circumstances." Shikiyoku responded to the two in front of her in the meantime.

"No, I'm afraid she doesn't." Yama's eyes grew hard, "Because you didn't bother telling anyone what you were doing. Or why you left in such a hurry."

"My business is my own." Shikiyoku's voice took on an edge. "Despite what you seem to _assume,_ I was not under contractual obligation to your so-called _queen_." 3

Hiei had had more than enough. His patience was much less than lackluster, and that was in no small part due to his awakening. His stature shifted from tense to suddenly very, very loose, his weight shifting from his toes to his heels before resting in a natural stance of nonchalance.

It was a deadly moment for the other two if they didn't understand the reason for the transition in appearance. He was about ready to strike.

After another moment, his mind was again tugged at and his eyes, along with his mind, turned to Shikiyoku almost curiously. Truthfully, there was no way of knowing at this point if it were possible. He only knew the looks of the two before him, and simply gauging them, he didn't see much problem outrunning the women. The rest, however many there were, might pose as a problem. "_Unsure."_

He turned back to the duo and sneered, eyes flashing with impatience. He was almost tempted to utter the name that would have had the pair turning tail and running, but the idea of saying he was under Enma's thumb was not an appealing one.

"She will have to be disappointed once more. Your form of _business_ does not even come close to caliber with our current _business, _and her _requirement _will simply not be met. There is no changing that, no amount of threats or otherwise."

He gave way to a short pause before moving again, this time between Shikiyoku and the duo at the door. Might as well not give any chances. "If circumstances were different, perhaps it would be considered. However, you are being a nuisance and are hindering our current line of work."

In a sense…

This was their very last warning.

~!**!~

AKari gave her own dry laugh, then immediately sobered with a strong and definitive, "no." There was no way she would be singing. Even if she enjoyed such a thing, she knew no music from this world.

"You're the guru at the machines in this place, and all you can point to is a singing game? While your voice is, as I said, rather lovely," another laugh, "that won't do. Anything else you have in mind for me to try? Or are you out of ideas?" _*****_

Yusuke pivoted to face her and crossed his arms over his chest with a grin.

"Well, it isn't as if you're giving me much to work with here, woman!" He stuck his tongue out at her, "I don't know what you like, so how am I supposed to know what to steer you towards?" He gestured openly to the rest of the arcade, "It isn't like you couldn't just pick a game and sit down your own self, yah know!"

~!**!~

Both Taikou and Yama stared down at the much shorter demon who suddenly decided to impede their access to the she-demon of whom they had been sent to fetch.

Taikou's eyes narrowed into a glare as soon as he did so, Yama's expression revealing none of her inner thoughts at his intrusion.

Taikou scowled lips opened to speak, but Yama threw an arm in front of the Lieutenant, causing her mouth to snap shut.

For her part, Yama let the air remain silent with a pause as she met Hiei's eyes, assessing him, recognizing his stance, sensing his unspoken intentions, and immediately filing away every inch of information that she could glean about him in her single, miniscule glance. Her ability to form such quick opinions of an opponent is what had kept her alive and allowed her to rise to her position of Captain. She wasn't stupid. And she knew this fire demon was not stupid either. He was not a match for them in strength or energy, he was nowhere near their caliber of fighter; his power level was much too low for that. What did that leave him?

_Speed._

Now it was Yama's turn to narrow her eyes at him, a dangerous smile creeping up the corner of her lips only slightly as she ran her thoughts over those stationed outside, recalling each strength of each single member of the battalion.

Neither woman before him had moved, and even Shikiyoku stayed silent, watching.

"Run. If you like." Yama's voice barely rose above a whisper, but the room had fallen deathly quiet anyway. "Do you think we will not give chase?"

As if to make her point, she took a single step back, never looking away from him. 3

_Half a legion?_ Hiei wasn't sure why that had not slid past his consciousness before. During the moment of silence, the words echoed across his mind and he took quick inventory of the world outside this room, and found himself very displeased, very distraught, though he made no physical show of such emotions. The demons hadn't been lying.

And each and every one of them were of nigh-equal status almost to these two, the two who he now eyed much more carefully.

His mind seemed to have jolted into a much more awake, much more aware state. Perhaps he hadn't been as awake as he'd thought he had been. Now that he had taken the demoness's words and found them to be true, he was much more wary.

And his wariness only grew when she stepped aside.

_Too many unknowns._

He couldn't tell if he'd be able to outrun them. His eyes slid to Shikiyoku again, eyeing her with a neutral, very calculating expression. While she had been able to keep up, it certainly wouldn't be enough if the situation called for his absolute best speed. He wasn't sure how long she could endure a run, since most demons, especially those of S class, could go on for days without a stop.

He turned back to the pair in silence, taking very quick stock of what they did and did not know.

It was obvious they knew nothing of his telepathy. _Good. _It was also obvious that they didn't recognize him as the fire demon in which destroyed an entire stadium and devoured the dragon that now colored his arm with a dark tattoo. _Even better. _But, that also meant they didn't know he was a lackey of Spirit World. He'd keep it that way for as long as necessary. It could create much more trouble here, he knew.

_Or it could solve it._

No, he wouldn't try it.

Now, what did _he _know of _them_?

_S class. Definitely not worth trying. Speed? These two, not much. The others? Unknown. _He paused in thought and glanced at the various places weapons could be concealed. His own would mean nothing in a fight.

"_We have no other choice," _He said telepathically to Shikiyoku, but cut the communication short there, deciding to not give the others a chance to see such communication happening.

"Details of the _queen's business?" _He requested after a moment, never moving from his stance.

Overall, he'd only remained quiet for a few moments, as if having considered _only _running. He didn't want to give any information out if he could help it. "We'll need to inform our previous business partner, to explain the delay. That much is necessary, as I'm sure you understand."

~!**!~

Akari shrugged, pausing before she could bump into the boy. "I figured you'd show me games _you _liked." Of course, she said this simply so he'd continue on, thinking if she said _that_, he'd have a hayday towing her around.

Her mind had wandered again, and it was, again, a bit harder to stay concentrated on one thing or the other. _*****_

Yusuke pursed his lips out at her.

His plan at a distraction wasn't working very well.

...Now he was seriously curious. What had that fox done to drive her so very crazy?

"AH!" Yusuke exclaimed suddenly. "I know some place even better than this!" Yusuke grabbed Akari's wrist and started to pull her out of the arcade towards the street.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku could feel herself tense, even as Hiei's thought brushed over her mind, a tightening of her muscles settling around her ribcage.

Images of the palace faltered over her mind and she swallowed nervously, but did nothing more.

_If they take us there, we'll never be let free, no matter what she tells him._

Taikou's smile became more genuine, "Shikiyoku is to attend her majesty at the ball that is being thrown at the palace this evening. Naturally, you being her Champion would automatically afford you an invitation should you wish to join her." 3

Hiei raised a brow. _That's it?_ He didn't like it. Too simple. There was obviously more to it that he wasn't being told. However, again, he was reminded that they had little to no say in the matter until he could assess the situation much more.

He wasn't going to take unnecessary chances here. It simply was not worth the cost.

"We need time," he stated automatically. "To contact our most recent employer, which is not an easy feat here, as I'm sure you understand." A light sneer, and in the next second, his hand was around the door handle and the _whoosh _of the air from it slamming shut made the tips of his bangs move.

He had done this for a very, very specific reason: the wards.

He rounded on Shikiyoku.

"I will not make unnecessary moves against these two, for now. There are too many unknowns," he stated simply, tone low and voice filled with venom at the prospect of abiding by another's rule. "Do you trust my judgement?"

~!**!~

Akari's eyes wandered to the side for a moment before she knew what was going on, the machines she'd been eyeing moving out of her view as she rounded on the detective, looking down at the hand around her wrist and forcing herself not to react as she normally would have.

Her mind caught up and she realized he'd spoken.

"And where might that be?" she intoned as her feet met the asphalt of the sidewalk. He had done very well in grabbing her attention this time. _*****_

"You ever heard of a thing called 'laser tag?'" He asked simply, continuing to move down the block.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku blinked as Hiei turned to her, her natural reaction to lean back ever-so-slightly from his intensity.

She had intended to respond to his first statements, to shed some light on what he considered 'unknowns'-since she knew these two demons in particular quite well, and this level and its 'queen' to boot-but he did not ask for her advice, and instead presented her, and their pact, with a very poignant question that shattered any previous thoughts she might have mustered up.

Even though it was only at half capacity, the pact within her thrummed warmly and she met his gaze with an openness and evenness that only it could only afford between those bound by it.

"With my very life." The words spilled past her lips as if rehearsed, tumbling out of the hum within her in a plain, simplistic response. As if it were the most obvious answer in the world; as if there _was_ no other answer to his question. 3

Hiei stayed quiet for a moment, staring at Shikiyoku and assessing her expression after her answer, as if searching for any moment of hesitation after. But none came, and he nodded once. "Obviously, we cannot contact Spirit World, and doing so would be more trouble than it's worth. However, they do not recognize me, as most demons would have by now." He paused, suddenly amused by something Kurama had said once, about fortune.

_It seems to be on our side._

"I do not want any information on these demons," he stated bluntly, eyes glittering only slightly. If he knew anything more than he did at the moment, he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a calm composure, if he were to be enlightened of things that would otherwise cloud his judgement.

Good 'ol recon, is how he would consider this.

"I have ideas, but they aren't in full bloom." He stated once before turning his back to her, assessing the door and hearing nothing from the other side of it. Though, he didn't have to check to know the pair were still there, waiting. "You will simply have to keep in mind that trust."

He gave another moment of pause, deciding another few moments with the door shut would not do harm. After all, he was feigning contact with another demon by other means.

So he'd wait just a bit longer.

"If you have anything to say, now is the time to do so. Telepathy will be minimal."

~!**!~

A slender brow raised high enough to disappear into strawberry bangs. _Laser. Tag._

Never had she heard of the two words being put together.

"Is that supposed to impress me, detective?" _*****_

"Me?" Yusuke replied innocently, "Impress you?" He let out a whoosh of disapproving air, "Perish the thought."

He led them to the establishment he sought and strode inside without much of another thought.

There must have been some school field trip or another happening since there was a bit of a line of kids they were forced to step into, but Yusuke still had that same impish smile on his face as he let go of Akari's wrist to wait until they could get up to the counter.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's green eyes shimmered with power for an instant as she replied.

"Rae will most assuredly _regret_ bringing me under her roof again." Her expression was one full of mischief and chaos, but her teeth clenched together at even the thought of being captured and caged once more and the slightest hint of fear shadowed the place behind her eyes. 3

Hiei nodded once before reaching for the handle, not touching it until he finished with his next words:

"Prepare yourself."

With that, he moved so as to have appeared to have moved about the room, and when he opened the door, he was standing much further away from the threshold than before, red eyes calmly moving up to the pair he could now see again.

It was almost impossible to ignore the thrumming bond that continuously tried getting his attention with her emotions.

"We're limited on time." he said simply, nodding once to the calmer of the two to lead the way. He felt she was more dangerous than the other, less predictable. And he only imagined how he and Shikiyoku would be lead away from the building.

~!**!~

Akari huffed once through her nostrils at the boy and simply let him lead her along, eyeing the busy building ahead as they walked and hoping like mad that _that place _was not his destination. She wasn't in the mood to deal with so many-

Of course it was.

_Laser Tag, whatever it is, better be worth this. _

She took to standing beside the boy and sighing, crossing her arms when he released her wrist and glancing up at him with as much patience as she could muster. "Care to explain?" she asked, deciding she might as well at least _try _to understand what all the fuss was about. _*****_

"What, and spoil m-_your _fun?" He made it obvious the slip was meant to be caught as he winked at her, the line moving rapidly up to the desk so that it did not give him a chance to actually answer her question before he had to turn to speak to the man standing behind the counter who waited expectantly for the black-haired boy to speak.

"How about S, P, R, T...D-T-C?" Yusuke told the guy.

Turning to his monitor, the man nodded smartly and ran his hands over the keyboard.

"You'll be thirty-five."

"Seven letters." Yusuke said to Akari as he stepped to the side to let her speak, "It'll be your player name."

~!**!~

"They _will not _make this easy on us, Captain." Taikou growled.

Yama said nothing, eyeing the closed door in front of them.

One way or another, the seductress in the room beyond them _would _be coming back to Queen Rae's palace. Yama preferred it to be of their own accord. The Queen would not approve of damaged goods.

She was surprised then, when the door reopened the the pair appeared willing to be led away.

Yama spared no further words, turning to leave.

"Pull your hood up, whore." Taikou spat as she fell in step just behind the blonde captain, who led the group back down the stairs.

The tavern was devoid of anyone save Kafu, who appeared to be cleaning glasses behind the bar.

The bartender did not so much as look up as they trooped past him, but he missed nothing of their exit, and wheels began turning in his head as they walked outside.

Greeted by the brightness of day, there were more than a hundred demons milling about in front of the entrance to the Niiro Kaga, and as soon as the door opened, they took up a tight formation around it, allowing only enough room that the captain and her lieutenant were able to continue to walk forward.

Other demons appears by various means, and their numbers grew much larger until they filled the entire street, remaining close enough around the four in their midst that none of those with prying eyes could see the two they were escorting to the palace.

Their path was unhindered, even as more city-demons scrambled from the woodwork to watch the legion pass, wondering what on earth would have called such an army from the halls of the palace.

The march was not a slow one, but they did have to travel almost to the other side of the city, so the time it took was long, if unidentifiable.

There was no way to see through the multitude of bodies that surrounded them, but soon the ground beneath their feet changed from the red dirt of the ninth level to a smooth, sparkling-red surface, and overhead the red-tinged sky changed to that of a blue ceiling.

Shikiyoku contented herself during their trip by devising various schemes that she could implement while they were forced under Rae's roof.

She was surprised when she felt their direction change away from where she knew the main hall where the Queen and her prince would greet people, and towards the more intimate greeting quarters where she and Hiei would likely be imprisoned for the duration of their stay.

They were practically driven into a room, led by Taikou and Yama, the door remaining open, but the other demons behind them not entering, staying past the threshold of the open door.

The chamber they found themselves in was extravagantly decorated with tapestries on the walls and luscious rugs scattered over the tile-like floor. Most things were red, though there was a smattering of blue and gold and purple, things obviously important from other levels of Demon World. The room wasn't all that large, but there was a backless couch with pillows in the middle of it surrounding a low table.

Yama and Taikou turned.

"You will wait here until her majesty can be pulled away from her duties." Yama told them, slipped past the pair with Taikou to get to the door they had entered from. 3

Hiei had not been surprised to see the formation that had taken place for the trek to the palace, as he assumed they were being led. He did keep tabs on the bond, however, since so many demons would at least lessen the attention on himself specifically and he could afford to do as such.

Each time he was met with distress, and each time it added to his own a fraction, though he did his best not to show it as his eyes assessed each and every demon around himself and Shikiyoku.

As he had thought, it hadn't been worth the attempt.

There were even a couple he thought he might not be able to outrun, and that was a first for him.

By the time he was inside a new room, he had gathered as much information as necessary and had collected himself, resigned to appearing calm as he stood in the middle of the room he and Shikiyoku had been ushered into.

He watched the pair disappear before his eyes wandered the room, finding the couch that was obviously either to make them feel as if they could be comfortable here, or for the queen. He was not sure yet.

"Not as spacious as initially thought," he mumbled to himself, referring to the fact that most palaces he'd heard of were much larger than this one. His hands momentarily touched the cloth of his cloak, almost considering hiding them away in his pockets, but thinking better of it as he turned to look at the threshold of the room again.

It could be seen as a threat.

_Cities. I despise them. _he thought to himself for the umpteenth time since he'd awoken. If only they'd avoided them, then this wouldn't have happened.

No use in dwelling over it, he supposed.

"_Ideas?"_ he asked Shikiyoku telepathically, deciding he needed something to distract himself. Plus, his own were still missing bits and pieces. Input would help greatly, should she have any ideas that would add onto his own.

~!**!~

Akari paused at the counter, listening to the letters Yusuke sputtered out before stringing them together and turning a stare of disbelief onto him. _Really?_ her expression read. _That's what you go for?_ With his basic name, she'd understood what she was meant to do.

But, did she _have _to?

_Ridiculous._

She couldn't think of anything, especially since he'd given her _no _warning whatsoever. Another huff that turned into a long-suffering sigh blew through her nostrils.

"R, i, d, c, l, u, s," she said slowly, deciding to go with what she thought of this moment. _Might as well. __*****_

"Thirty-six." The guy at the desk told her.

Yusuke graced her with a shower of laughter at her expression and subsequent letter choices, waving her to join him on the other side of the room near a set of doors that opened as soon as the students behind them finished submitting their names.

The room filled quickly with the students and Yusuke and Akari, the door behind them shutting and leaving them all in the darkness of the black lights that made every inch of white glow unnaturally.

The moderator of their game launched into a schpeal at the front of their group that Yusuke had heard many times before and tuned out. He knew how to play the game. He knew what not to do. He felt anxious to get out into the game arena and start shooting at people. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	41. Episode 126 - Laser Tag, Getting Ready

**A/N: **Hello once again, Beloved Yu Yu Hakusho Fans!

The scene between Shikiyoku and Hiei that starts at the end of this chapter (though it is unfortunately split up between this chapter and the next for sake of length) is one of my favorites up to this point in the story. I hope you enjoy it as well!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke are still hanging out at the arcade,  
>but when they run out of things to do there,<br>Yusuke takes Akari to a laser tag facility.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei end up "kidnapped" from the Niiro Kaga  
>by a pair of demons who work for someone they call Queen Rae,<br>who is someone Shikiyoku knows from back when she lived in this city.

The two of them are escorted to the palace of the Queen,  
>and told to wait until she is free to come and greet them...<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>If we do not take any opportunity to escape that presents itself at the instant one appears, we may never get out of here." <em>

Yama and Taikou had left the room, the door closing behind them and leaving Hiei and Shikiyoku alone.

"This room is only one connected to many other chambers that make up this particular section of greeting quarters." Shikiyoku replied, feeling herself tempted by the smell of the brewing tea that was exquisitely placed on the table in front of the couch. Of course, there were four cups and saucers already in place. 3

Hiei continued to stand there, eyes roaming between Shikiyoku and various parts of the room, ignoring the tea altogether. A small headache touched his mind, though he ignored it too since he felt no reason to dwell on the effects of not only his stress, but his rude awakening as well. He merely took in the colors around him, not that they varied much in his eyes.

When Shikiyoku spoke up verbally, he nodded, both in response to her verbal words and in acknowledgement of her telepathic words. He'd already considered it. "_Easier said than done, as I'm sure you know."_

"Typical."

He wasn't sure what to think at this moment in time, so he decided to simply sit back and see what happened next. There wasn't much he could do anyway. "_We'll figure it out."_

He wasn't sure if that last line was directed to her, or himself.

~!**!~

She completely ignored Yusuke's reaction, only following the boy to a room that, much to her surprise, was darkened, though the strange lights made odd things glow, such as the white in her shoes and the nail polish of the girl across the room, or the white of the boy's shirt next to her.

It was so…

Hm. She couldn't think of a word to describe it.

After a few moments of observing, she realized the human was talking, explaining the game, and she quickly tuned in to what he was saying, catching the basics despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to figure out how these lights created the effects they did.

"Remember, no running, and no cursing."

Akari rolled her eyes. She could only imagine that was the most ignored rule out of all the ones she'd heard so far. Humans tended to use profane language more often in situations that were meant for amusement that didn't go their way.

Such as a losing team.

"You have ten seconds before the doors unlock," the man said as he programmed her vest to shine a very vivid shade of green that momentarily distracted her, her mouth opening at first with awe at the change before the mental image of green eyes closing made her mouth snap shut.

_Focus on the game, _she thought as a loud buzzer sounded and doors unlocked, and kids were running everywhere, despite the last rule that had been said.

And it didn't take long for her to become completely engrossed in aiming at other people's hearts and pulling the trigger, the sound of the lasers shooting across the room and shouting people drowning out all previous thoughts and leaving only room for her own shouts and laughs. _*****_

Completely lacking any of the stealth or finesse of either Kurama or Hiei, Yusuke charged into the fray with a shout and proceeded to shoot down as many opponents as possible, firing wildly with his gun, double tapping as often as his fingers would allow him to do so on the trigger.

He ducked and dodged, and managed to avoid getting hit for the most part, but only because he was constantly moving back and forth through the sea of bodies that were all also shouted and having a good time.

It wasn't until half-way through that particular game that he began to intentionally seek out and fire at Akari, attempting to slip out of sight as soon as he could hear the satisfying sound of her armor buzzing to indicate her momentary immortality from being fired upon in quick succession.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let out an audible sigh as she ignored the tea and sat down cross-legged in the middle of the room, a smile coming to rest on her mouth as she closed her eyes.

"_I wish you'd just burn the whole place down." _Images of the entire palace going up into flames twisted past her mind's eye, accompanied by no small amount of satisfaction at the thought.

Beginning to relax and release her tension, her panic, her fears, Shikiyoku tapped into her energy reserves and felt the usual shimmer settle over her skin, reaching up calmly to pull her hood back from her face and let her dark hair stream down about her shoulders.

Her energy began to slowly weave its way around the room, and she let it extend until each corner had been covered with the tendrils of power that slowly snaked about as if alive.

The next breath she took was a deeper one than the others, and all of her pent-up emotions slipped away as she settled into herself.

If she was going to have to talk to the so-called Queen, she was going to do so on her own terms. And in her own territory. 3

Hiei glanced only briefly over at Shikiyoku after her words that had been sent to him, fighting the sneer that made his lips twitch just a bit. He'd already thought of it, though he'd also deemed it too risky. Burning down a house without killing the stronger inhabitants was the easiest way to get oneself killed.

Or someone close to you killed first.

He turned his red eyes away again, looking up to the ceiling as if it held answers for him. He took in a deep breath before letting it release through his teeth, forcing his muscles to genuinely relax instead of forcing himself to appear calm.

It didn't help much.

Plenty of images passed by his mind's eye, some more gruesome than others, and some simply too good to even consider being true. For example, simply walking out of here did not seem like an option.

Nor did killing each and every person in this palace.

Both were simply out of the question.

Impossible.

His hands did finally slide into the pockets of his cloak, the familiar cloth helping him calm even more and to think a little more clearly. But for the most part, he would simply be waiting for whatever happened next. That would likely decide what his next step would be.

~!**!~

Akari, despite her initial reaction earlier to Yusuke tossing her into something new, found that she enjoyed this one. She moved around corners, between obstacles, fired her gun and was fired at, even laughed a little at a yelling match a pair of kids were having nearby.

She'd been doing well, in her opinion.

That is, until her armor began buzzing continuously, and she wasn't really able to get many shots out. It took a few minutes before she realized it was Yusuke firing at her, then ducking behind obstacles before repeating it, his aim true and his laser always hitting on the mark since she couldn't seem to get away from him.

Now she understood why there were so many kids yelling foul language at one another. This was frustrating!

Finally, she found a spot she could hide her upper body _just _right, where her armor was hidden behind a wall and she could fire from above the obstacle at the detective, her grin wide and white teeth shining oddly in the light as she finally was able to get her own hits on the boy.

This game was oddly very satisfying. _*****_

A red flashing light started blinking from somewhere above and the moderator called the players back into the room they started in, the rowdy crew hanging up their uniforms and heading about out into the lobby where they waited for the scores from the game to show up on the TV screen above them.

Yusuke didn't say anything to Akari as he walked over to stand next to her, the other kids being too loud for anything they said to be heard, but there was a fine sheen of sweat all across his skin and his usually, perfectly smoothed-down black hair was sticking up in places around his head.

~!**!~

From an unseen door behind a tapestry on the wall burst a tall, slender woman into the greeting quarters, her long, platinum blonde hair streaming behind her underneath an exquisite crown as she rustling across the room, holding a portion of her flowing blue and white multilayered dress up as she did so.

Her vibrant purple eyes were fixed on Shikiyoku and she fell to her knees next to the woman still sitting cross-legged on the floor to envelop her in an embrace.

"You came!" Her light voice exclaimed.

Shikiyoku did not bother to open her eyes, even when Queen Rae planted a kiss on her cheek, but her teeth clenched together momentarily in obvious irritation before she could let the emotion slide away, another pulse of her energy gently releasing into the room and beginning to weave, not only around the queen, but around the other newcomer who had entered behind her, and Hiei as well.

The second demon who entered the room remained much more stately than his female counterpart, his golden-brown hair falling in curls around his face, the majority of it gathered at the bottom of his neck with a simple blue bow, his slender figure in a regal suit whose colors mirrored those of the queen.

He regarded Hiei briefly, one eye pink, the other white, before his gaze shifted back to Shikiyoku. His nose flared, her scent having hit him as soon as he passed through the door, but he satisfied himself with sitting at the couch, leaning over with delicate, white-gloved hands to begin pouring the tea. 3

Hiei had, some time ago, receded into his inner thoughts and musings without having intentionally meaning to do so. So, when there was suddenly two more energies in the room, his entire body reacted. His shoulders stiffened and his hands left his pockets, his arms hanging at his sides while his hands formed fists. Momentarily, his gaze narrowed at the pair that entered the room and became comfortable with Shikiyoku.

He quickly recovered and his expression shifted to neutral once more, his muscles relaxed, and he merely stepped closer to the three, choosing to remain standing unless directed to do otherwise, which he fully expected.

In truth, he wasn't sure what to do or how to act. He'd never been in a situation like this one before.

But the idea of being obedient to someone else was not an appealing one.

He eyed the woman he assumed to be the queen, taking in her appearance quickly before turning to regard the second demon, eyeing this one a bit longer before turning back to the demoness that Shikiyoku had been most distressed over.

And he waited, watching with a calm gaze.

~!**!~

Akari had stopped when the loud sound had pierced the room and her weapon had ceased fire on its own, her smirk of amusement disappearing faster than it had arrived. In no time at all, she too was standing outside the laser tag room, arms crossed over her stomach and eyes staring up at a screen that popped up screen names and scores.

She glanced at Yusuke briefly when he appeared, raising a brow at his sweat and slight huffs of air. Had he really run around _that _much? Had she? She turned to take in the other kids around them, noting how each and every person had sweat gleaming on their foreheads and were huffing even just a little.

To them, she must have appeared as if she hadn't played at all.

The crowd began thinning out as the scores were posted, Akari's being one of the lowest, but not _the _lowest, surprisingly. She'd thought she'd done awful at the game, since it had been her first attempt.

"That was…" she paused as she turned to Yusuke, her lips forming into a grin despite her efforts to hide the gesture, "rather entertaining." _*****_

"I know." He replied, appearing smug. "It looks like this group is going to go in again. Shall we continue to crash their party?"

~!**!~

As Rae stood up, she grasped Shikiyoku's hand in her own and pulled her up to her feet as well.

The demon was at least twice as tall as Shikiyoku once they were both at a standing position, but the first still led the second to the couch and sat her down so that she would be inbetween the royalty. Rae reached for tea and handed Shikiyoku a set, which she took graciously, but proceeded not to drink.

"Seductress." The male demon intoned once she had a seat.

"Derrin."

"_Prince _Derrin, to you, my darling." Queen Rae insisted.

Shikiyoku turned her green gaze to Derrin to see his eyes looking down at her with amusement from where she sat inbetween them.

"Derrin." Shikiyoku repeated, an answering sparkle in his eyes though he did not speak.

Rae's thin eyebrow quirked, but she said nothing, only reaching for another cup and saucer for herself.

"What do you _want_, Rae?"

The queen obviously appeared irked that Shikiyoku referred to both her and her prince-mate by their first names only.

"You are to be my escort for the ball tonight." She lifted her cup to her lips.

"One is not enough?" Shikiyoku still did not drink, her eyes shimmering slightly as she glanced over at Derrin.

Derrin said nothing, remaining a silent observer.

"You do not truly wish me as 'escort.' I know you better. Am I simply to be your prize to show off?" Shikiyoku continued when she did not get an answer, turning back to Rae. "Or will I be a reinforcement of your power? I did not think your Household was ever in enough danger that you would _need _to use me in such a manner."

"That's enough." Queen Rae's eyes were narrowed, piercing violet glaring down at the small frame that Shikiyoku present. "You have a duty to perform and you will do it."

"And then I will leave."

Rae's features took on a fiercer beauty, her full lips lifting in a dangerous smile of sharp teeth that did not part farther to give an answer.

"There is still much preparation to be done and not many hours in which to do it." Derrin's calm voice cut through the sudden tension of the moment between the two demons, "Might I suggest you oversee the final touches, my queen?"

Rae said nothing, but her dress rustled again as she stood up, Derrin reaching to take her dishes from her.

For the first time since entering the room, Rae looked over at Hiei, her brilliant purple eyes revealing nothing of her intentions other than a sense of jealousy at his position.

"I _expect_ you'll want to be in attendance of your charge." Rae spoke as diplomatically as possible. She glanced back and forth between him and Shikiyoku. "I'm sure you can find something in your old rooms, darling." She reached over and tapped Shikiyoku on the nose. "But don't even think about leaving me again." She swept her dress up in her hands and left through the door Hiei and Shikiyoku entered from. 3

Hiei watched the scene, not reacting in any way to anything that was being said since, for the moment, it seemed his presence was unknown. Of course, he knew that wasn't actually true, but for a moment he was allowed to observe without being observed in return, and he took advantage of it for as long as he was allowed.

Until the woman rounded on him, her eyes flashing with an emotion he momentarily was surprised by before he raised a dark brow at her, that being his only reply to her. Why reply? She hadn't posed a question. His brow resettled into place, though it did twitch just slightly at her demand of Shikiyoku not leaving again, the implication making even Hiei cringe internally. Staying here would likely be hell, and he would probably be ignored.

Who knows how Shikiyoku felt about it.

He didn't even want to feel her emotions about it through the bond. Instead, he made a mental note to do just as she had said: make an escape as soon as he saw a fit opening to do as such.

And burn it down on his way out.

The thought made it very difficult to not suddenly scoff into the silence as the queen took her leave. He kept his lips firmly shut and the air built up for the scoff stuck in his chest, his breathing stopping momentarily in a show of restraint before he released it into a small sigh.

Better to feign boredom than blatant amusement at inner musings.

He almost considered saying something to Shikiyoku via his Jagan, but decided against it with a glance over at the remaining male.

And all he did was give a nod of acknowledgement.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow and her grin widened into a flashing smirk of deadly intent. "I have picked up the way of the game. Might as well continue," she replied honestly, letting her arms drop to her sides. "And don't think I'll be playing fair, detective. This game is a whole new level of play." _*****_

"Hmph!" Yusuke stuck his nose in the air, "Well, I suppose if you don't _cheat_, then this'll prove to be a most interesting round!"

They were once again led into the black-lit entrance chamber after the lecture to suit up, and set free into the arena, twenty seconds given to disperse throughout the hall.

~!**!~

Derrin tilted his head at Hiei, a faint smile across his lips.

"You are a source of consternation for her." Prince Derrin supplied, his two-colored gaze flickering towards the door Rae had left through. "She wished to be the next Champion for our seductress here."

"It doesn't work that way." Shikiyoku grumbled, finally lifting the cup to her lips to take a drink. "There's no _choosing _to have her as my Champion. It wouldn't work out like that."

Derrin said nothing, but even though his expression maintained its neutrality, there was no mistaking the amusement he had at the fact that Rae found Hiei's presence frustrating.

The prince gestured to the now-open spot on the couch next to Shikiyoku, crossing one leg over the other after reaching forward for a cup and saucer for himself.

"You are welcome to sit, Champion. Or stand. Make yourself comfortable as you see fit." 3

Hiei stared unblinkingly at the male, showing no reaction to his words of the queen or even making any indication that he had heard them. He almost thought that Shikiyoku felt more comfortable around this demon than the female, though from the small amount of interaction he'd seen, he could certainly see why. This one kept his distance, to a degree that is.

The fire demon made no motion to move from his spot either. While he was not happy just standing the way he was, stock still and all, he didn't feel obliged to sit either. When he considered it, wariness washed down his spine and made him stand even just a fraction taller.

So he remained where he was, turning red eyes onto Shikiyoku and finally speaking, pointing his words more towards her than in response to the other. "I have no plans of leaving. I have a duty and I will serve as long as I am necessary." _Whether she wants me to or not. _

~!**!~

Akari quickly dispersed away from any other person in the room, smirking to herself at the challenge that was presented to her: _watch for Yusuke, and all others. _She looked down at her shoes with a slight feeling of awe, contradicted with disdain that the white, despite the dirt that befuddled them, stood out. Her shirt, luckily, was just as dark as her jeans, making it just a bit easier to conceal herself- aside from the blue armor that flashed in the darkness as the beginning buzzer sounded.

It didn't take long for her to find the detective and open fire, striking his armor and rendering him momentarily 'dead'. She quickly moved to hide again, though restrained from using her full speed to do such. _*****_

Yusuke joyfully blasted at any and all he found, dodging nimbly out of the way from shots fired until a few minutes in he felt his armor buzzing at him and he quickly trotted off in the opposite direction, looking around eagerly for the enemy who had caught him in the few seconds he had of "freedom."

He soon became distracted by all the others around and thought nothing more of the single shot for the moment.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had turned back to Hiei when it appeared he would begin to speak, but when his crimson gaze trained upon her and he spoke back, she felt a strange constriction around her core and the half-pact within her mind settled into a steady thrum, echoing an assurance in her mind at this Champion's statement that she had not felt in ages.

Or perhaps...ever? That was...impossible. She had more than one Champion before. This...thrumming of protection was not tainted by ulterior motives and it felt...strange...pure.

Derrin did not miss the exchange, even sipping on his drink quietly and not quite privy to the entire conversation he knew was happening on a different level between the pair in the room.

His tea only had one last swallow in it and when he finished, he placed it back down on the table and started to rise.

"There are still many more preparations to be made, as I'm sure you understand, seductress." He said as he stood.

Shikiyoku nodded absently before pulling herself away from the sight of the fire demon before her to look up at Derrin's pink and white eyes.

As if it were a natural thing between them, Derrin bent over Shikiyoku and tipped her face towards his with a single, slender finger, planting a kiss on her lips that lasted perhaps a second or two longer than was necessary before he pulled away and rose to his full height.

"She's chosen a gown for you."

"My joy knows no bounds." Shikiyoku's eyebrow quirked at the thought of what exactly Rae wanted her to wear.

Derrin did not laugh, but the edges of his mouth twitched in his amusement as he turned away to follow the path his blonde queen had taken out the visible door. 3

Hiei stared for a few more moments before the sound of glass meeting the coffee table met his ears, and after blinking slowly, he turned to glance at the male demon, whose name he hadn't really cared enough to listen for. He met the odd gaze before the demon turned away, Hiei's own eyes shifting to the side and his jaw clenching momentarily before the demon moved to follow after the queen.

The moment he was gone, Hiei found himself glancing down at his cloak and sneering. He looked back up at Shikiyoku, sneer still touching his lips. "I suppose my attire will not change," he mused, though he wouldn't be surprised if he _was _forced to change.

Perhaps it was something the queen hadn't counted on at first, and had waited before making a decision.

His sneer was gone in the next second.

"_We'll be leaving as soon as an opportunity opens up. When the conditions are right." _

~!**!~

Akari strolled down the sidewalk beside the detective, arms stretched in the air as a breeze blew by, cooling her warm face exponentially as she gave another small laugh. Laser Tag, turns out, was a very tiring game, even for her. She had even actually broken out into a sweat after the third round, when things had gotten more intense.

"Laser tag will now be dubbed as my favorite. Thank you, Yusuke," she said to the boy, turning her shining hazel orbs onto him with a wide smile. "Not many things here make me feel obligated to spend my energy in such a way." Another pause. "I enjoyed it, likely more than I should have." _*****_

Yusuke had the jacket of his school uniform tossed carelessly over one shoulder, his hands jammed into the pockets of his pants as they walked along.

His smile still hadn't faded, and did in fact widen at Akari's admission to enjoying herself.

"I don't believe that it is possible to enjoy things more than one 'should.'" Yusuke pointed out. "If you're enjoying it guilt-free, then why complain?"

He let out a happy sigh, pleased to see that perhaps even if only for a little while, Akari's mind had been pleasantly distracted.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku also placed her cup and saucer on the table, her eyes straying after the slender form the prince cut as he left the room, taking a moment longer to stand and pull herself back to hear Hiei's words.

"I would not put it past Rae to have something in your exact size set out and waiting for us before we get over there. She has an uncanny knack in that respect, regardless of her feelings towards you." Shikiyoku started to walk towards the door herself, withdrawing her energy from the room as she went. 3

Hiei shrugged once noncommittally at Shikiyoku, as if he couldn't care less one way or the other. It would certainly be an inconvenience to have a suit, since he wasn't sure he'd be able to conceal his sword.

Not that the weapon would do anything.

He brushed away the thought and turned to stare after Shikiyoku as she passed. "And where are we going, exactly?"

Of course, he wouldn't let her roam by herself in a place so crowded with… threats…

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow, taking his words as a challenge and feeling her smile turn from joyful to sly. "I once met a demon who enjoyed alcohol so much he made his own." She gave a pause, to make it sound more innocent than it actually was. "The main ingredient was his daughter's blood and hair."

Okay, so maybe she was pulling his leg, though it wasn't something that would be unheard of in demon world, creatures doing harm to their kin for personal gain of any kind. It was more common.

"Also, to counter your words, Kamiya is a rather pointed example. He enjoyed medicine so much he used it against people, remember?" A smirk. "'Course," she gave a pause, suddenly realizing she knew nothing of how that had turned out. _I'll ask Koenma._

By now, she'd completely forgotten her train of thought. She simply continued onto another conversation, her eyes turning to the sun that was slowly making its way across the sky, knowing it had to be close to time for school to be out. "Anything you want to do before the after-school rush of students? If not, I think I'll go home and take Nabu for a run. He's been at the house all day." _*****_

"Nah." Yusuke intoned, deciding not to comment on her other subjects as he was sure she knew what his answer would be anyway, "I've got a few things to do myself anyway. But thanks for hanging out. It was pretty cool." He tossed her another grin and started to trot across the street in another direction.

~!**!~

Letting the path she cut speak for the question Hiei asked her, as Shikiyoku led the way out of the room, she fell silent.

Along either side of the hallway were stationed demons whom she assumed to be members of the High Guard, standing at attention.

She quietly moved to the left and began weaving her way through the halls, only having to pause once to think about a turn. The entire way, there were guardsmen stationed on either side, usually within thirty or forty feet of one another, and anything Shikiyoku wished to say to Hiei fell away each time she opened her mouth and then caught sight of another guard.

Their escape was not going to be an easy one.

Shikiyoku eventually led the way to a door that she opened and stepped inside, noting the two sentinels stationed on either side of the frame.

A sigh escaped her lips as she stepped inbetween them and into the room beyond.

This one was much larger, taller, and more lavishly decorated than the previous sitting room, though it appeared to serve the same purpose as the other.

Shikiyoku did not stop, instead moving across the smooth tile to another door at the back, stepping through it into a second room much like the one they just left, but with a more intimate feel, and then into a third door that opened up into what was obviously a bedroom with vanity and chair in one corner, doors that likely led to a large closet along the side of it, and an exquisitely huge bed with a dark, wine-colored canopy and black, likely Demon World's equivalent of satin, sheets.

As Shikiyoku had surmised, there lay on the bed two different sets of clothing. The bright pink pile of ruffles and ribbons she summarily ignored, but the outfit next to it did make her eyebrows raise.

The dark, loose attire was a very old, very traditional Demon World garb reserved for special occasions and most similarly resembled those outfits worn by warriors in times long past when demons and samurai often walked the same paths. Shikiyoku had no doubt the clothing would fit Hiei as if it were made for him. 3

Hiei had followed silently, eyes staying trained on Shikiyoku's back the entire trek around the palace, not allowing his eyes to leave her form as she lead the way to… wherever she decided she was going. His senses checked each and every demon lining the halls, and wasn't surprised to find each one close to, or maybe even surpassing the lower S ranking in power. And it set him on edge with each demon he passed.

Security was _very_ strict around these parts, it seemed. But after a few minutes, they were in a room and no other demon was within sights. He looked around the room before realizing Shikiyoku was still walking, and he too moved to the next room, moving until Shikiyoku gave a pause.

He followed her gaze to the outfits on the bed, and after a second, he realized the one to the right was meant for him.

His expression shifted almost instantly to one of disdain. _No._ That was his lone thought on the matter. He slid his gaze to Shikiyoku, giving her an obvious look of defiance.

"It's a suit meant for apes."

~!**!~

Akari smirked at Yusuke obviously ignoring her retorts, noting he didn't call her out on her first bluff. When he moved to jog away, she tossed a wave at him. "Maybe we'll do it again sometime," she called after him before turning and continuing on her own way, making it back to her own home before too long. For once, she wasn't greeted with a bouncing pup. Instead, she was greeted with silence and dust motes floating in the air of the living room.

After a few minutes, she sighed and began shifting her things around the room, moving her belongings about and reordering the mess she'd created with her school things. Once that was done, she simply turned and moved to plop down on the bed of roses.

Except, her body hit the mat instead, making a small cloud of dust puff into the air around the edges while her face sunk into the pillow. She released a sigh of content and, for the moment, reveled in the silence of the room.

Maybe a nap was in order. _*****_

~!**!~

The tension that had been building up across the back of Shikiyoku's shoulders suddenly fell away at Hiei's disdain and subsequent derisive comment about the attire Rae had placed out, and that tension bubbled up as a string of laughter out past her lips and off of her muscles.

"You," Shikiyoku heaved a breath, clutching at her stomach and squeezing her eyes together in her humor, "You are a delight, my dear fire demon."

Still chuckling, she closed the distance between her and the bed and wrinkled her nose at both outfits as she looked down at them. 3

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the sudden burst of laughter that filled the air, his crimson irises flashing in annoyance. He hadn't meant it to be _funny_. He opened his mouth to say something about her outburst, but Shikiyoku beat him to it, and his mouth closed only briefly until she was done speaking and had taken to staring down at the outfits, as he himself had.

"Glad to be of service," he grumbled sarcastically, turning his eyes the opposite direction.

After another moment, he released a sound similar to a scoff and turned back to her. "I am not wearing that."

~!**!~

Akari hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until she'd begun dreaming. At first, it was nothing, simply images of things that made no sense and meant nothing in particular. But after a while, she didn't know when, the dream shifted and she was again witnessing the moment in the gym. Though, after his weapon had hit her, she seemed stuck at that very moment, her mind concentrating on the pain that he'd caused and the confusion that had flooded her at the gesture. Shifting in her sleep made the wound actually sting, making the dream, or rather memory, more vivid than before.

He'd been trying to make a point. Her unconscious mind tried making sense of it, but instead she was stuck on the simple fact that he'd added another line across her torso, another memory that would be triggered each time she changed outfits.

Just like the rest.

Just like the other lines across her skin, just like the previous attacks that had hindered her movement for more than just a few weeks. Just like-

Akari shifted again, a hand batting at something outside the dream realm as a moment of pause ensued during a transition.

This time the darkness didn't clear. But, she was indeed dreaming again.

She was in a darkened room, the floor beneath her no longer cool, but sticky and uncomfortable. Her body stiff.

"_-this long. She's more resilient than the others."_

"_It's the possibility of getting away."_

"_There is none."_

"_She hasn't admitted that yet, moron. That's why she's our best captive yet. The only one from the first trial period."_

_She'd shut them out. She shifted, curling tighter around herself despite the stiff protests of her bones and the dried liquid in her hair and clothing, clothing that they'd supplied for her. The floor, once smooth, not pulled at her skin, creating an angry burning along her side even as she settled in for another attempt at sleep._

"_Ready for the last one?"_

"_Might as well. She's awake anyway. If Sakiyo returns and she still has an ear, he's gonna kill us."_

The dream had continued, though her mind desperately tried shutting it out. But after a while, she'd gone through what felt like an eternity of memories, ranging from that moment to the days after, to another moment where she'd wished for nothing more than to be left alone.

She suddenly jolted awake and was sitting up, sweat coating her skin and her breath nothing more than short, panicked huffs as her eyes looked around the room, searching for the faces that had been leaning down towards her for another round of testing, poking and prodding.

"N-Nabu?" she called, searching for the pup that normally pulled her from these dreams. The dog was nowhere in sight, and for the first time since the dog had appeared, she felt completely and utterly alone. The darkness of the room closed in around her, and she drew her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on her knees while her arms wrapped around her shins.

The silence was deafening, so when paws did make sound outside the house, it wasn't known to Akari at first.

Not until a wet nose ran across her arm.

"_Akari!"_

She jolted at the dog's bark, eyes turning to Nabu and staring with wide pupils, suddenly realizing there was a wetness on her cheeks.

"_You're gonna be okay." _She gave him no reply, only turning away and resting her chin on her knees again. "_You have to look at me, 'kari. It doesn't help, you know that." _She tried taking a deep breath, but it didn't work. It stopped in her throat, and more images passed by her mind. Her eyes squeezed shut and she tried putting up the mental walls again, but this only enabled more memories to pass, her breathing now short enough to almost be classified as nonexistent, and her body shook enough that she irrationally told herself she was only cold.

Paws were now on her shins, and Akari's eyes slid open to meet the wide brown eyes of Nabu, whose nose rubbed against hers. "_I'm back. I didn't mean to leave for so long. I'm sorry, but I'm here now." _Another pause as he sighed. "_You're not alone." _

For the first time, she realized how much older the dog was. His body was huskier, his eyes wiser and his pawls larger. He weighed more, and his coat was thicker. And in this moment, he didn't seem like a pup.

"_Try this. Make it bloom." _He dropped a small seed onto her shoe and sat on his haunches. "_I wanna see it bloom." _

With robotic movements, Akari's arm reached out and her fingers grasped the seen that Kurama had given her. She stared at it, but it didn't change. "_You're not trying hard enough." _She huffed and then took a deep breath, staring harder at the rose. It moved, forming a small sprout, but nothing more. "_Come on, you can do better than that."_

She hadn't realized it, but her breathing had slowed, her shaking had almost ceased, and slowly, images were fading away. After a few more minutes of staring, and much more prompting from the dog, the red flower was in full bloom, opening in her hand and releasing a fragrance throughout the room. "_See? Isn't it pretty?" _*****

~!**!~

Somewhere in the abyss of sleep, Kurama felt a stirring of energy that slowly pulled him from his dreamless rest, and his eyes slowly opened to look up at the ceiling of his bedroom.

It only took another second for him to identify what had rustled his core, and the answer actually surprised him.

The rose.

He had not even considered at the time that the gesture of the gift would be so much more than he had intended. For perhaps the first time in his life, there had been no ulterior motives in the giving, nor had all the outcomes been analysed. He felt positive he wasn't the first to find themselves slightly foolish in such a situation.

The silent hum of his demonic energy bubbled somewhere inside him, and he was vaguely aware-still half-asleep-that the rose had changed forms, from seed to bloom. And if he concentrated just a little bit more, he could even tell which direction the seed had been activated in, and a small smile passed over his lips as he drifted back into slumber.

~!**!~

"I'm not laughing _at _you." Shikiyoku huffed, "But rather your opinion of the outfit. I half-wished Rae had been here for your...apt description."

She reached forward and plucked at a portion of the ruffles on the dress.

"Though, you'd be able to more easily remain armed at the ball with an outfit such as that." Shikiyoku remarked absently, grasping at the pink fabric in both hands and giving a rough tug to pull it apart at the seams, letting out the most satisfying tearing noise as the pieces created a large hole in the gown up the side of it.

"Oh no." She said emotionlessly, tossing it back down on the bed in feigned disdain, "It's ripped. I can't possibly wear it now."

Shikiyoku flippantly turned away from the dress and stepped towards the closet doors. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku before turning away, deciding he didn't care much about her outburst or anything following. Though, he did find himself rather amused when Shikiyoku tore the dress. He hadn't considered sabotage. It certainly would do the trick now, wouldn't it?

He eyed the two outfits again before an even more amusing thought crossed his mind. His hand reached out and took both fabrics in his grasp, and a second later, a flame burst over the outfits, and his neutral expression was highlighted, the disdain in his irises reflected with the glow of the flames that licked at his hand.

After only a moment, the outfits were no longer in existence, and no sign of them was to be seen. That was the perk of his energy; he could burn anything, and if he so desired, leave no evidence.

"What outfits?"

~!**!~

Akari stared at the bloom, the red petals continuing to open up just a little more as she moved it around between her forefinger and her thumb. The color of the flower did trigger something in her mind, but Nabu's wet tongue on her cheek completely washed it away, and she was allowing the flower to return to seed form before she wrapped her arms around Nabu for a hug that made a small whine leave the not-so-small dog in her arms.

"_You're hurting me."_

She released him wordlessly and wiped his slobber from her face. He landed neatly on his feet and began pawing at her knees, silently asking to sit in her lap.

"_Show me again."_

She let her legs slide so that they were stretched out in front of her, the blanket falling the rest of the way from her waist as Nabu crawled to sit on her thighs. Her breath hitched again, this time from the remaining emotions from her memories and her restless sleep, and again Nabu's wet nose roamed her face, followed by his tongue.

"_Show me again, Akari. Now."_

"Demanding little creature."

"_Do it."_

She took a deep breath and willed the rose to change again, this time not needing his prompting o continue shifting the flower back and forth from one form to another.

And all the while, Nabu chattered her ear off, not giving her mind time to wander for longer than a second.

"_Oh! I know! Let's go to the park!"_

"Nabu, do you know what time it is?"

"_Do __**you**__? I've been alone all day! Now play with me!" __*****_

~!**!~

The hum of his energy never quite pulled Kurama from his sleep again, but instead, the feeling settled just below his core in a pleasant thrum that caused a smile to twitch at his lips even without being awake.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku felt the flare up of energy before she actually got the closet door open, and by the time she turned around with a frown at his question, Hiei stood as innocently as likely possible for the fiery soul, the dress and garb nowhere in sight.

The frown on her face deepened, her expression dark.

Had this been any other of her Champions, she would have promptly thrown her arms about their neck and kissed them soundly for being so ridiculously brilliant.

"You-" Shikiyoku began, eyes narrowing at him as she held back almost painfully her initial desire at Hiei's destruction of the clothing, "-have just earned my undying devotion. And if you _don't _burn as many things as possible like that while we're here, I'll consider it a slight upon my very person." 3

Hiei stood there, letting his hand fall to his side before he turned to look at Shikiyoku, meeting her dark expression with a neutral one, trying to read her thoughts without using his Jagan. For a moment, he thought he'd angered her, but her words glossed over any suspicion of such a thing, leaving him staring at her unblinkingly for a moment before his lip twitched briefly.

_I'll keep that in mind._

He made a gesture that said 'go back to what you were doing', choosing not to react to her words outwardly more than the simple twitch his lips had given before his expression again turned blank. "Find something worth my time." He paused. "And yours. Might as well." With that, he approached and stood behind her, peering into the open doors of the closet curiously.

_Might as well take whatever interests us._

~!**!~

Akari frowned and looked to the nearest boarded up window, already knowing it was dark out. By the silence of the outside world, it could very likely be after midnight. She looked to the dog, noticing again how much larger he was than when he'd first started following her around town. He didn't look much like a pup anymore.

The memory of falling asleep on the park bench with him that first day fled across her mind's eye, completely replacing any other image that had been trying to push to the forefront of her mind. She gave a sigh.

"_Please? I wanna play. We haven't played in a while."_

Another sigh, this time one that was resigned as she watched the rose shift back to seed form for the final time. "Alright, grab the toys you want and put them in the bag."

"_Yay!"_ he barked as he turned and bounced to the duffel bag across the room, peering inside before turning and bounding by her again to fetch.. whatever it was he wanted. All the while, she stretched and pushed herself to stand, her body reacting as if she'd been laying in a very odd position all day, cracking and popping painfully.

She wouldn't be sleeping again tonight. _*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stepped into the walk-in closet, various articles of clothing hanging about in the small, square room. With an unnatural fondness as Shikiyoku walked forward, she found her hand brushing against the fabrics at her shoulder, lost in memories briefly.

She pointed to a corner almost opposite them, "Anything you'd be interested in will be in that area." She turned to appraise Hiei's size briefly, "We're roughly the same size. I'm sure anything in here will fit you." 3

Hiei didn't follow Shikiyoku at first. He merely stood there, staring at the different cloths, the different outfits, the different fabrics and colors that stared back at him. After his slight hesitation that allowed him to take it all in, he did step inside, but even when Shikiyoku pointed him towards a corner of the closet, he didn't move right away.

He turned to eye her momentarily, noting her faraway gaze as her hands touched materials, her fingers brushing fabrics that appeared smooth to the touch. He took in the serene moment silently, watching her every move and memorizing each motion she made.

He shook himself out of it and swiftly moved to the corner that she'd indicated to. It didn't take long for him to see the transition, and for a moment, he stared at the varieties with an expression akin to disbelief. There were some outfits that were extremely expensive, he could tell, and some even appeared to be rather…. tight-fitting, even for her general size.

He turned red eyes to the area Shikiyoku was in for a brief moment before turning back to his selections. And after a few moments, his mind was made up. It was the only thing that he even considered, since it had a coat long enough to hide his weapon, should he decide to carry it.

As if he wouldn't.

He pulled on the black and white outfit, glancing at the layers of clothing and realizing it consisted not of two parts, but several. There was a black shirt that almost appeared to be attached to the black pants beneath, and a long sleeve black jacket over that had white stripes along the seams. There was also what appeared to be a harness-like fabric that hung over the shoulder, likely to keep the jacket in place.

Or was it a type of trench-coat?

He wasn't entirely sure, but it did serve as he felt fit. There were even gloves, though he saw no reason to wear them.

He pulled on the hanger that the outfit resided on, releasing it from the position it hung in and turning to leave the closet, not even pausing to show Shikiyoku, as he assumed she would either see it when he passed, or she'd just figure it out when she emerged as well with her own outfit. _*****_

Shikiyoku moved farther inward, still awash in memories of other times, other balls thrown by Rae, where the dancing and revelry had lasted for days without end as demonic stamina would allow, and she remembered spinning about the room in the arms of her second Champion in dresses tailor -made for her station in life.

Was _that _what Rae was trying to accomplish? Kidnapping her into an era long past and making it so that she did not _wish_ to leave? Shikiyoku would not have put it past the other demon. And she was certain Derrin was in on this little scheme as well.

When Shikiyoku reached the back wall, she stopped, eyes alighting on a dress she remembered commissioning personally of a tailor in the city, but never actually wearing.

Without further consideration, Shikiyoku slipped off her deep crimson cloak and began undressing, grabbing for the dress hanging in front of her and stepping into it, finding herself smirking and wondering if Hiei even knew how to work a zipper. 3

Hiei moved from the closet and swiftly changed outfits, surprised when it fit almost perfectly. He hadn't realized he and Shikiyoku were-

Wait, this was _her _outfit. Why hadn't he realized that before? _Why?_ Why would she need such an outfit? He shook the thought away and continued adjusting the harness-like object, and once he was done fiddling with it, he began moving about the room, testing its restrictions and limits of movement. For the most part, it posed no issues. So, he grabbed his sheathed sword and continued to strap it to his waist, letting the coat fall over it to test how well it veiled his weapon.

_Perfect_.

This was all he'd need. He looked up, satisfied for the most part as he glanced around the room.

"It isn't all ridiculous," he finally commented, wondering how long she'd be taking. _*****_

"My things usually aren't." Shikiyoku replied as she stepped out of the closet, holding the front of the dress up in one hand that clutched at the jacket which went with it while the other clutched a portion of the dress so that she would not trip on it while moving.

Before she could think to ask Hiei for help, her head tilted slightly to the side as she regarded his choice of clothing with a blank expression. She nodded once as if in approval, then spoke, turning so that her back faced him.

"This is your job." She said simply, the two sides of the back of her dress needing to be zipped together. She let go of the bottom part of the dress she held to gather her hair with those fingers and pull the long tresses over her shoulder and out of the way. 3

Hiei raised a brow as Shikiyoku emerged from the closet, the color choice one he appreciated and the dress being one he found he rather… admired. It seemed to suit her. After another moment, he recovered and watched her turn her back onto him, his eyes finding the bottom of the zipper and understanding rather quickly.

He closed the distance and, in a single motion, had the dress zipped up, and he took the step away to cross his arms over his chest, watching her for a moment before he released a breath through his nostrils, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

"This is going to be the longest stretch of time ever experienced."

And again, his mind whispered three simple words:

_I. Hate. Cities. __*****_

Shikiyoku said nothing, her feelings on the matter very much in tune with Hiei's, and instead simply slipped the jacket over her shoulders and let her hair fall back down behind her.

She paused for a second and looked down at herself, seeing the gem still around her neck. The one that would open the door back to Human World once this was all over.

It didn't match.

Shifting her arms around a bit, she let the smooth, dark cloth settle in just past her elbows as she moved back into the closet, silent save for the pleasant rustle of the fabric.

Slipping the necklace from around her neck, Shikiyoku tucked it away safely on her person, too cautious to leave it here, and deftly plucked the jewelry she had purchased for this very dress from a drawer, the crimson gems of the necklace nestling in the empty space of her skin around her collar bones.

In another moment, she had retrieved a strange looking device as she once more pulled her hair over her shoulder, weaving the strands into the thing and waiting a few seconds before untwisting it all, leaving the ends of her hair in a curl and within the next second, having it all pulled up to leave the back of her neck bare and placing two pins precisely within to keep it from falling.

_As if I'd forget how to look presentable. _She thought ruefully, stepping into a pair of flat slippers the same color as the dress as she also adorned herself with gems meant to dangle from her ears.

One such ear perked as she caught voices coming from the room beyond, and she felt glad of the timing, or she might become a bit stir-crazy with any wait.

She swept back into the bedroom, holding the dress up with both hands out of habit, and reaching for the closed door, pausing as she realized the voices were not of Rae or Derrin, or of anyone she recognized.

"-came calling again not too long ago."

"He's been asking for her help for _ages_. He's been more persistent of late, though."

"She's not going to help him."

"The fact that they're siblings doesn't even seem to phase her in the slightest. She turned him away just as she has all those other times. Says she might get concerned if the threat extends to the Ninth Level. Thinks that it's a poor choice having what's-his-face put on the masquerade and pretending to be-"

Shikiyoku went ahead and opened the door, stepping out to see two plain demons who were likely part of the lower caste in the Household abruptly fall silent at her entrance, eyes guarded.

"The queen has requested that we escort you to the ball." One of them said.

"Of course she has." Shikiyoku stepped all the way into the room and looked back to see if Hiei was ready. 3

Hiei had immediately become aware of the demons outside, and had turned to eye the door as soon as their energies grabbed his attention. He eyed the closed door for a few minutes until Shikiyoku passed and pulled it open, revealing two more demons he had yet to see.

Or maybe he had. He didn't know. There were simply too many people to keep up with. He'd try his best, however.

When she looked back at him, he raised a brow at her as if to say _I was waiting on you_, and his hands tested for pockets where his cloak normally held them, disappointed to know that they were not there. So he contented himself in letting his hands fall to his sides again and he moved to join her, staring unblinkingly at the pair of demons beyond the open doorway.

_Let's get this over with. _*****

The pair of demons led the other two through various paths of the extensive Household, silent the entire way.

As they went, Shikiyoku began to recognize the path they took, knowing that they were being led to, not the main entrance where other demons of the city would be allowed in, but instead to the grand doors that Rae and Derrin had likely already been presented in.

There was a low murmur of sound that had begun to waft in the air, though it surprisingly never seemed to grow any louder.

The two demons stopped in front of a regally dressed older demon who did not appear to notice them, instead looking beyond at Shikiyoku and Hiei.

"You're expected." He said simply, turning towards the magnificent doors.

The two demons scrambled to either handle and began pulling them back.

Shikiyoku stepped up so that when the doors came fully open, it would be a simple matter to step beyond into the Grand Hall.

As the doors slowly pulled towards them, the older demon just in front of her, Shikiyoku reached out and pulled Hiei next to her gently, arranging his arm bent at the elbow so that she could slide her hand underneath, between his side and arm and rest her fingers in the crook of his elbow.

Her posture shifted taller as the older demon opened his mouth to announce the arrival of the pair.

"Presenting the Venerated Seductress and her Esteemed Champion!"

The low murmur grew softer as Shikiyoku stepped forward, her hand at Hiei's elbow allowing her to bring him along with her, into the gigantic ballroom with its high ceiling and tiled floor.

The two of them were up a small set of stairs that placed them higher than the others for the moment, the room stretching out before them.

With a guarded gaze, Shikiyoku paused just shy of the staircase and let her eyes rove over the many demons spread out below, recognizing certain faces and trying not to heave an exasperated sigh at the entire situation.

Rae and Derrin were awaiting them at the bottom of the stairs and Shikiyoku moved down to them.

"The first dance is yours as always, seductress." Derrin murmured when they were close enough, gesturing to the middle of a completely cleared area meant for dancing, the other demons of the evening scattered around the edges of it.

Shikiyoku stiffened. She'd forgotten this part. Which meant Hiei knew nothing of leading her out there, and if she had to guess, knew nothing of _dancing_.

"I'm sure _your majesties _would prefer the first one all to themselves?" Shikiyoku smiled demurely. 3

Hiei followed, his mind roaming over the different energies he could feel throughout the area and feeling himself stiffen up even more at the sheer amount of people, not to mention the amount of _energy_ he could feel pulsating throughout the palace. It was almost as if the air itself held its own thrumming energy that moved with the patrons inside, and it took a great deal of concentration to force his body lax.

By the time the small group paused before a large pair of doors, he'd regained his calm demeanor enough to adjust accordingly when Shikiyoku tugged at him, his body moving almost instinctively to make it appear as if she'd only gestured for him to step up to her. It didn't take long for him to realize that he would need his Jagan, to read minds and figure out what was expected of him.

In the very least, he'd grace Shikiyoku with his mind's presence touching hers. He wouldn't dare try it on another. Perhaps he could pull it off in such a large gathering.

By the time the doors were open and he'd taken in the sheer numbers, he'd prepared himself for making telepathic contact. Even as his feet moved in synchronization with Shikiyoku, he mind was slowly reaching out.

He paused midway at the demon's words, turning an unblinking stare onto Derrin. He felt the pulse of panic in the bond, and that was when he turned to her, his mind swiftly reaching out to hers to grab her attention.

"_Concentrate." _That was all he said, already having figured they wouldn't be able to get out of it. _*****_

"We would never dare encroach upon your territory." Queen Rae's eyes glittered, as if she knew everyone within earshot understood the statement was false.

"_I __**hate **__politics." _Shikiyoku grumbled to herself, suddenly aware that her forethoughts did not only echo within her own mind, but within another's as well. She tried not to blink in surprise at the discovery, instead nodding her head in a manner that was not only benefitted by appearing to be for Rae, but was truly meant for Hiei.

It took no time at all for Shikiyoku to adjust to Hiei's presence, the feeling only slightly different than Champions previous as in this case it was Hiei's abilities that allowed them this boon and not the pact between them. She readily welcomed the warmth of his thoughts through the Jagan's power and relaxed into it, feeling a great deal of her previous anxiety lifting at the thought that they were here. Together.

The eyes of every single demon in the room were trained upon them, and a gentle rhythm of music started from somewhere unseen.

Shikiyoku began to step forward towards the center of the room with Hiei at her side. Words took too long to form in the short amount of time they had, and instead Shikiyoku sent the fire demon images of what he was meant in this case as Champion to do.

He was to lead her to the middle, take her into his arms as one did for dancing, and then they would begin in time with the music being played. Others would join them after a couple of minutes, first the 'queen' and 'prince,' but then whoever else wished, and their steps would weave patterns in and out and around each other, each couple's dance only a part of a larger dance that incorporated all those on the floor. 3

Hiei turned his eyes away as soon as he was sure Shikiyoku had noticed his mind's presence, his crimson orbs turning to the queen and carefully avoiding her gaze, so as to not make accidental contact. He busied his eyes with looking towards the open area of the room, as if eager to get it over with. When Shikiyoku began to move, his Jagan seemed to warn him of the movement her brain had decided on, and he moved with the same foot she did, mirroring her movements with a precision that he'd only been able to accomplish through his rather special ability.

Along the way, he received images, impressions, and took them in quickly despite the sudden distress he felt. One misstep could cost… who knows what.

Swiftly, that thought was pushed away and replaced with images that Shikiyoku had sent him, pausing in the middle of the cleared dance floor to turn to her and poise himself just as she'd shown him, eyes following his own motions to ensure they were as smooth as she'd asked of him, and once he had one of her hands in his and his other resting on her waist gently, his eyes moved to meet hers.

Waiting. He knew she would be able to take the first step, since he would know nothing of the first cue. So he concentrated, his Jagan picking through her mind for memories deftly, though not in such an obvious way as to distract her from her own thoughts.

And he would adjust accordingly. _*****_

* * *

><p><em>In case anyone cares: Hiei is wearing something like the outfit of Kirito from the first season of Sword Art Online.<em>

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	42. Episode 127 - Escaping a Royal Ball

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of FF!

This chapter is another one of those that has only Shikiyoku and Hiei in it.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Yusuke joyously played several rounds of Laser Tag  
>before going their separate ways.<p>

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei are forced to attend the ball put on by Queen Rae and Prince-Consort Derrin,  
>and the two must, according to tradition, be the first to dance.<p>

Initially, Shikiyoku is worried as she is certain Hiei has no court-life experience,  
>but after connecting their minds via the Jagan, he reassures her as they take to the floor,<br>letting her lead as he is capable of reacting almost instantaneously thanks to the Evil Eye...

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku found herself transported back to eons past when her "job" consisted of more than just the fulfillment of desires. She had been a teacher for those that wished to be in attendance of these revelries, and she suddenly found herself in the arms of one such student-if for different reasons than a true desire to be there-gazing intently into his blood-red eyes and feeling that the more she relaxed, the more easily he would be able to follow.<p>

She let the rhythm of the music flow by one more time as she set herself into the frame he provided, her left hand, the one he did not take, resting lightly over his right shoulder, and then she began to move, growing quickly accustomed to the strange feeling of the "follower" leading the "leader."

In this particular case though, not only could she provide him with physical cues such as shifting her weight where his hand was at her back, or lightly moving her left hand at his shoulder to indicate their next direction, but this crash-course in routine also took place on another, more direct level where the movements almost flowed from her to him through the link he had established.

The murmur that started up again around them was one Shikiyoku did not notice on a conscious level, concentrated as she was, but the murmur picked up nonetheless, an indication that so far their charade remained a success. 3

Hiei, despite how deep he'd delved into her memories for this particular bit, was easily able to move when cued to do so, his ruby irises staying trained on her emerald ones unblinkingly as he searched and searched until-

It took everything in his power not to mentally say something about his find, instead channeling his relief into moving the information from her brain to his, to transferring the motions she had learned of the lead position to his own body. He stalled a few moments longer, keeping up the charade until he was sure he'd found exactly what he needed, his mind retracting from her memories to assess her movements.

As soon as he was completely and utterly sure, a shine flashed into his eyes, a gleam of accomplishment as he suddenly shifted, though he kept it subtle to the eyes, and began moving, taking over her job of leading as if he'd just recalled old information he'd stored away for this precise moment.

He couldn't quite help the sneer that ghosted across his lips for a very split moment before his expression shifted neutral again, his mind quickly going back to the motions he was required to make as _he _began leading _her _around and around in time with the music. _*****_

Shikiyoku felt her stomach lurch when she was suddenly subjected to Hiei's lead, unable to do anything but follow him as they continued to dance around the room.

Gazing into his eyes as she was, the lurch stopped almost as soon as it started, seeing there a glitter of triumph and moments later almost a _smile _grace his lips. Her own mouth twitched with amusement when she realized what he'd done, and even though their position allowed for a certain amount of intimacy of conversation that dancing naturally gave, she instead spoke silently to him, still feeling his warmth within her head.

"_Clever demon." _She murmured into his mind appreciatively, relaxing into his arms and taking note out of the corner of her eyes that Rae and Derrin had joined them at some point, others having started to weave their way into the intricate steps. 3

Hiei didn't react at first to the words she sent him, only continuing to stare at her unblinkingly as if nothing had changed in the slightest. Though, for a mere second, he did glance about. Pretty soon after his gaze had wandered to the people beyond her head, his eyes returned to hers, the mirth shining in them brighter now that he'd confirmed that it seemed no one had noticed the transition, or if they had they didn't seem bothered by it.

This time, when his mind sifted through the information he'd taken from her, he found himself completely amused with something that seemed rather optional, something another dance partner had done with her in the past, though not in a gathering like this one, but as if in a lesson of sorts.

It was the same music, the same dance, so he hesitated none to pull her closer, making it so that his cheek almost touched hers, turning so that when he spoke, he was sure no other demon in the room could hear his words.

"One must be as clever as the person leading them, no?" As he spoke, he could feel his own breath moving across her skin, his eyes watching Rae and Derrin behind Shikiyoku before turning to her face, though he couldn't meet her gaze.

He wasn't sure why, but his triumph left him feeling rather… lighthearted for once. And for the moment, with his hand on the small of her back and the hand that held hers against his own chest with the closeness, he was feeling rather daring. "I've learned from the best." _*****_

~!**!~

"Your majesty, you're _supposed _to be following, not _leading._" Prince Derrin murmured goodnaturedly into his queen's ear, catching her eyes as they continued to hold Shikiyoku's form in sight.

Queen Rae sniffed derisively at him before flickering her gaze back to the seductress and her champion.

Derrin felt Rae once more turn their bodies so that she could continue watching the other two and he heaved a long-suffering sigh as he let her do so.

"I'm really not sure why I'm here at all." He joked with her quietly.

Rae turned her brilliant purple eyes back to Derrin and he felt her stance soften in his frame.

"I don't want to lose her again." She admitted to his white and pink heterochromatic eyes.

"I know, my queen." He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I wish the same thing."

All of a sudden, Rae stiffened again and Derrin could only imagine the reason why.

He lifted the hand that held hers above their heads and gave her a spin that set her gorgeous gown twirling about her as she turned in his grasp obligingly, affording him a moment to spot what had made the queen's stomach tighten.

Derrin smiled, and when Rae came back into his grasp, he did not let her take the lead again, forcing her back to the ones she wanted to watch.

She made a slight noise of protest, but Derrin simply gazed into her eyes until she gave in and let him actually do his job.

~!**!~

Since Shikiyoku had for the first time that night truly relaxed into Hiei's lead, it was nothing for him to pull her close, though she could not help her eyes widening at the movement as she became pressed up against him. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered where exactly he'd picked up _that _move, but initially she simply felt her body flush at his closeness and his words, silently scolding herself for the act that was so unlike her.

"I think," Shikiyoku breathed just as quietly as Hiei had taken to speaking with her, "At least in this case, your cleverness far surpasses my own, flame-boy." 3

Hiei, now simply letting his feet move as he had memorized, turned so that his lips were no longer near her ear, his eyes turning to survey the room again, noting the last vestiges of a glance in his and Shikiyoku's direction before the 'royal' pair were out of sight. He couldn't help the twitch of his lips that formed a sneer, which only grew at Shikiyoku's breathed admittance.

He turned his head again so that his lips let his breath wash across her ear again, eyes still wandering the room. "Adaptation is a requirement in this world. You simply present more of a challenge to adapt to."

This time, when he was done speaking, he pulled away just enough to return to their first poise, his eyes meeting hers again and completely ignoring the coloring of her cheeks, unsure really what to think of it anyway. He allowed a small moment of silence so that she understood how much he meant his words of her being a challenge.

After a few moments, he realized that she was _the _largest challenge he'd ever had to face, as she kept him constantly on his toes, always doing something that threw him off guard.

Such as getting them captured for a _dance_, of all things.

"Bored yet?" _*****_

Shikiyoku blinked up at Hiei for a moment, the silence growing between them as she felt unsure of how to take his words.

Coming from anyone else, being referred to as a 'challenge' would have been almost insulting, as if she were lots of trouble. Too much trouble.

It didn't help that she could still feel his breath as it moved over her ear when he'd spoken with her just now. As if she hadn't already found his words entirely too cryptic.

Was it...approval? behind his gaze as they continued looking into one another's eyes. Shikiyoku supposed perhaps 'approval' wasn't something Hiei often felt, and the thought that perhaps he 'approved' of her in his own way sent her mind reeling again.

He hated her, right? For 'capturing' him with the pact? For 'tricking' him into it? Wouldn't he run as fast as possible as soon as she figured out how to break it short of getting herself killed?

"I don't think there's ever a dull moment with you, Hiei Jaganshi." Shikiyoku admitted once he spoke up again. "So, bored? No. Wishing the entire palace would burn down around our ears? Yes. Most definitely, yes." 3

Hiei watched the female in his embrace as the silence between them stretched on, noting the flickers behind the brilliant color in her irises. He waited however, wondering what she would settle for as her thoughts visibly turned in her mind's eye.

And after a few moments of silence, his eyes wandered again, deciding to give her time to think, though he wasn't sure what all there was for her to consider. He simply turned to memorizing faces in the crowd, taking stock of the demons inside and how many were-

There was a familiar form in the distance, on the very edges of the dancing group that disappeared behind a taller demon, and for a moment, Hiei almost paused. Somehow, though, his feet continued moving, and his hands suddenly moved without his conscious prompting, calmly gesturing Shikiyoku into a gentle twirl that helped him move further through the crowd now, not at first realizing she'd spoken up again as a metaphorical light bulb popped into his mind.

_There_.

He'd seen the same demon again, and this time he was able to confirm that it was indeed the demon from the pub. Though, he did look much more sober, and less of a mess. He even looked highly jovial, as if he hadn't had more than a few drinks in his entire life.

Or maybe that was just in stark contrast of how Hiei had previously seen Uryo.

By the time Shikiyoku was back in Hiei's arms, he was pulling her close again his joking demeanor gone and his expression carefully blank to give no thoughts away to prying eyes. Only now did he realize Shikiyoku had spoken.

"That can be arranged," he said in an even tone that betrayed nothing more than boredom, though his mind was methodically thinking over several different things.

He'd have to plan this out carefully, should it go wrong.

He swiftly shifted back into a facade that mirrored his earlier mood, easily slipping into an act since he noted a few eyes on himself. His expression turned to one of mischief, a smirk on his face as his lips turned to Shikiyoku's ear again. "The guests are interesting." he hinted, eyes shifting from the form he'd seen and back to Shikiyoku's cheek as he quickly shifted the conversation. Or so it would seem. "How many dances are there that you know of?" _*****_

Even if she had not been looking so directly into Hiei's face, Shikiyoku would have felt the change in his demeanor in the very way he held her, noting appreciatively that he also slipped just as easily back into his previous mood.

_He might actually make a good member of court with a little coaching._

Shikiyoku's mind raced, knowing he meant to tell her more than what he said.

"Rae is not particular about who shows for these events, should they be of high standing and clean up well." Shikiyoku replied congenially, starting to smile, "And I know _all _the dances. Though if you mean for tonight, they are neverending. We can stop and start as much as we please, but the music will keep going until the ball is finished." 3

Hiei nodded once, eyes glancing around again and, just as before, noting eyes on himself, some meeting his gaze before he turned back to Shikiyoku, taking a step away from her and making her spin again, this time a little slower. "_Uryo." _he sent to her carefully, hoping she would see him in the elongated turn he allowed her before he pulled her back again, his act never faltering even as his mind continued churning over and over the possibilities.

He knew what he'd do first, but it meant keeping an eye out for the demon to walk away from his partner. So, for the moment and while he was very aware of keen eyes, he turned his gaze onto his own dance partner, keeping her close as they moved through tighter spaces due only to his own direction through the bodies that moved around him.

It was almost as if others were afraid to get close enough to touch them, as if they were special, in their own way.

As his gaze stayed on Shikiyoku, he realized that to everyone else, _she _was the special one. _She _was like royalty, simply because the queen had keen interest in her. He was a simple obstacle, a prop in the way. A dangerous prop to anyone other than these patrons.

This time, when his lips twitched, he had to keep the sneer from forming, instead making sure that it remained a simple smirk of amusement. Again, he found an odd emotion moving through him, thrumming through the bond almost, that was alien to him. It was almost what he'd consider…

Awe.

"You intrigue me," he gave a small pause at the sudden admission his lips had given without his permission,. He opened his mouth to continue, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement of a form he'd began keeping tabs on. Movement unlike the previous, and without looking towards Uryo, Hiei began directing Shikiyoku through the crowd using borrowed memories until they were at the very edge of the dancers, able to break away without fighting the flow of the song. _*****_

Before Shikiyoku could even have a moment to let her brain finish processing Hiei's words, a pair of demons who had stepped back to let them slip off the dance floor came up to them again.

"Seductress." The male bowed his head slightly after making eye contact with her, turning to greet Hiei as well with a similar bow, "Champion. It has been ages since we have seen you two grace these halls with your presence. Might I say that you have made her re-entrance a spectacular one." He said the last bit to Hiei, the female demon at his side nodding her agreement at the both of them.

"My thanks for your kind words." Shikiyoku responded, slipping her hand back into the crook of Hiei's arm and inclining her head slightly as the other pair moved away.

Shikiyoku dropped her voice as low as it would go, "Whatever you're wanting to do, it needs to be done quickly. That sort of conversation is going to keep happening to us more often the longer we are not out on the floor." 3

Hiei had paused at the pair that stood in his way, his arm moving just in time for Shikiyoku to slide her hand beneath his elbow as if she'd done so a hundred times. Perhaps it was another part of the memory he'd taken for reference, but hadn't focused on. Or perhaps it was simply because his Jagan was still in contact with her.

He nodded once at the pair in appreciation before the dancers left again, leaving the path clear for a moment. Even as Shikiyoku spoke, he was leading the way to Uryo, eyes trained on the male as he approached.

When within the appropriate distance, Hiei lent out a hand to shake, testing the waters carefully. "Uryo, am I correct?" Of course, he had memorized the name, but this was merely by way of getting the male's attention in a way he felt suitable for the occasion. Might as well look the part as well. _*****_

The approach of the Champion and Shikiyoku did not go unnoticed by those Uryo stood with, but neither did they appear to find it unnatural for Hiei to wish to associate with the black-haired demon among them.

Uryo took Hiei's hand, "Correct indeed, Champion."

There was a chirp from around Uryo's shoulders and the black dragon Ryou lifted his head from where he had it laying down, whirling a 'fire-brother' greeting into Hiei's mind, but appearing to make no movement otherwise, eyes swirling red as he stared at Shikiyoku. 3

Hiei shook Uryo's hand briefly before releasing, his hand falling back to his side almost naturally and completely out of habit. For a millisecond, he wasn't sure what to do, unsure of how to go about this, but knowing it needed to be done. "We haven't officially met, though I understand you are familiar with my Dependent." He gestured to Shikiyoku, his expression calm as he assessed the situation. _*****_

While Uryo's expression did not change, more than a couple of the demons in the circle they had entered found their eyebrows raising at the Champion's term for Shikiyoku. And even Shikiyoku herself had a hard time not coughing awkwardly. Hiei was...certainly going to leave an impression.

Uryo looked to Shikiyoku, the both of them knowing they had only first met at the Niiro Kaga the previous night, but Uryo held his hand out, palm up, to her, and she placed her hand in his.

"A pleasure, Shikiyoku. As always." He bent down and lightly brushed his lips across the top of her hand. "If your Champion would allow it, I would be honored to dance with you." He did not let go of her hand, gazing meaningfully into her eyes, but waiting to see what the fire demon would say. 3

Hiei reacted none to the looks he received, not surprised at all. He knew his word choice was different than most, but… he had his reasons for everything. Normally. He turned and glanced behind himself for a mere second, and when he turned around again, he wasn't surprised to see Uryo's form of greeting; he'd learned to expect anything and everything when it came down to it.

At the request, Hiei eyed the demon for a moment before deciding it was exactly what he needed. And, he added, what Shikiyoku needed. Another opportunity wouldn't come so easily.

After the millisecond's pause, Hiei turned to Shikiyoku and nodded once as if to say he would be watching carefully before turning to Uryo. "If she does not mind, then I certainly wouldn't mind a break from the crowds."

"_Test the waters," _he said briefly to Shikiyoku in a calm manner, as if he had already expected her to understand. "_He might be the one chance we get tonight."_ *****

"I would be delighted, Uryo." Shikiyoku immediately piped up, releasing Hiei's arm as Uryo stepped forward and wove her hand around his arm, leading her off to the dance floor.

The demon cut a striking figure in his traditional garb, forest green in color with his sword hanging openly by his side. He did not appear to be hindered by it, however, as he easily swept Shikiyoku out onto the floor with a single spin before falling in step with the other dancers.

His height meant Shikiyoku had to crane her neck up to look into his face, but the difference did not seem to bother him, and his frame stayed firm as he lead her around the floor.

When they finally were set into a groove with the other dancers, Uryo looked down into Shikiyoku's eyes, his red irises gleaming.

"Your Champion is no fool."

Shikiyoku could smell the alcohol from his breath, but it seemed much less pungent than it had been the first time she'd encountered him.

"I would pick no fool for a Champion." Came her riposte.

"Fair enough." Uryo allowed, his eyes drawn above her head as if he searched for someone.

Even though she had only seen him briefly, his apparent soberness seemed out of place, his eyes moving rapidly about the room, and their steps almost in double time from the music that moved about them.

"What is your game, Uryo?"

"You know, I'm partial to what the humans call 'chess.'"

Shikiyoku felt that his answer couldn't have been more appropriate to their situation.

"Some don't understand when exactly to move the pieces." Shikiyoku commented carefully.

Uryo glanced back down at her.

"Others don't understand how intricately a knight must move in order to protect a queen." His searching gaze lifted again and his eyes brightened as he found what he was looking for. "Tell your Champion to wait for my signal. He won't miss it." His expression turned mischievous.

"_Hiei...come cut in." _Shikiyoku sent to him.

"I only came here tonight for a bit of _fun_. It's the first time I've ever shown up to one of Rae's ballroom parties."

Something about the look in his eyes made Shikiyoku realize that her and Hiei's escape had been the only reason Uryo came at all. She had made a powerful ally without realizing it or truly understanding why.

Uryo bent down and planted a gentle kiss on Shikiyoku's cheek.

"You smell quite lovely." He pulled back to smile at her, his crimson eyes glittering, "What with that aura of energy and all. It's no wonder why many demons are looking jealously at us right now."

Uryo lifted a hand and pulled away from her to set her to a spin, releasing her completely.

Shikiyoku found it strange as she realized that none of Uryo's words held any sense of suggestiveness or desire in them.

This was a powerful ally indeed. 3

Hiei had watched the pair go, though his eyes were not able to stay trained on them as a demon or two approached, complementing their entrance and Shikiyoku's reappearance, commenting on how it was nice to have her return. He nodded graciously, as he figured was expected of him, then watched as the last demon turned to leave him.

He turned to the dance floor in time for Shikiyoku to call for him telepathically, though he didn't get far before another demon, a female, was standing before him.

"My, what a lovely dance, don't you think so? Your entrance was quite beautiful. How many years did it take for you to master this one?" She batted her long lashes at him and waved the fan in front of her face, as if thinking it were a coy thing to do.

Hiei answered her despite his feeling of being rushed, his expression that of patience. "Not as long as I'm sure you're thinking." he replied honestly, eyes flickering to the dance floor again in time to catch the beginnings of a twirl. It was now or never, he realized. If he didn't cut in, it was likely someone else would.

"Oh, he's modest as well! Perhaps you could accompany me soon, Champion?"

Hiei saw the demon near Shikiyoku, and before he could even make way for her, the male had her hand and was bowing, obviously asking for a dance. The fire demon felt his eye twitch, but his sight was lost on her as the crowd between himself and Shikiyoku thickened.

"Champion?"

He hadn't realized that he hadn't answered the woman. He turned to her, at first intending to turn her down, but another look at the crowd had him realizing he wouldn't get through alone. "I am available," he said, keeping the wariness from his tone with ease as he held out a hand.

Delighted, the woman eagerly set her clawed hand into his offered one, and with a few simple steps, they were maneuvering through the crowd, Hiei using his Jagan to track down Shikiyoku and easily guiding the demoness whichever way he so desired. "I'm Heidi," the demoness introduced with a bash of her lashes, and Hiei turned to meet her dark blue irises calmly. He did not offer his own name in response. It wasn't necessary. "You know, you're quite the rarity around these parts. A fire demon willingly staying in one place? Why?"

Hiei turned his eyes to the side, locking on Shikiyoku quickly. "Business is business, and if it calls for it, then staying in one place means very little to me." he replied casually, until he was almost running into Shikiyoku.

At this point, he spun his own dance partner and slid his free hand towards Shikiyoku, in an offer to take her hand while simultaneously offering his former partner to the male Shikiyoku had been stuck with.

"Apologies for the lateness. I was caught for a moment." _*****_

"Hmph. Remind me to dock it from your pay." Shikiyoku replied loftily, her eyes reflecting none of the irritation her voice suggested as she settled back into his arms. 3

Hiei settled into the familiar rhythm of the song, making a point to move away from the disappointed pair of demons he'd swapped. His eyes met Shikiyoku's. "Hn. Perhaps you should pay me a bit better. I might feel obligated to do more." _*****_

"And perhaps _you _should decide _how _exactly I'm supposed to be paying you." Shikiyoku shot back with the smallest hint of a grin twitching at her lips. 3

"Start with no more cities." He replied swiftly, his expression neutral, aside from the twitch at one corner of his lips. "We'll go from there." He gave way to a pause before his eyes wandered to find Uryo, who wasn't in immediate sight. "_Well?" __*****_

"But the next one is my _favorite_." Shikiyoku teased with a bit of a pout. "_He came here for __**us**__. He's got something planned."_ 3

"Favorite or not, no." he replied just as quickly, his tone stern and gaze hard as he met her emerald one. But her next reply lightened the air around him just as quickly, and a sense of relief washed over him. It was much easier to have another for distractions, rather than himself creating the distraction and hoping Shikiyoku got away first. "_Good." _was all he said in response before falling silent again, figuring there would be a signal of some kind.

Hiei felt the subtle change in tempo of the music, and quickly settled back so Shikiyoku could lead for the beginnings of the new dance while he sifted for information again. _*****_

Shikiyoku felt Hiei drop back into following her, and she absently led him for a moment, using the control to turn them around so that she could search for Uryo, but as soon as she spotted him, the dance required another turn and her back was to the demon. She frowned, but wondered what the demon could be up to.

~!**!~

"Your majesty, if I may be so bold." Uryo bowed to Rae and held out a hand.

Derrin let go of his queen's hands, taking her face in his and kissing her soundly before relinquishing her to Uryo.

Uryo took the turn with the rest of the company of dancers and slid the two of them back into the groove with practiced ease.

~!**!~

With the next turn, Shikiyoku could see Uryo now dancing with Rae, and watched as Derrin spotted her and began to approach.

"It has been too long, Shikiyoku." Derrin bowed to her once he reached she and Hiei. Shikiyoku stopped moving as he continued with, "Would you grace me once more with a dance?"

Shikiyoku knew that regardless of Hiei's feelings, which she had no clue of in one direction or the other, slighting the host of the evening would be a poor move. 3

Hiei sifted. And sifted. And sifted.

But his shuffling for the necessary information was cut short when he felt Shikiyoku pull to a stop, and immediately his eyes turned to Derrin, though Hiei acted as if he had known the male to have been there all along. He eyed the bowing male and, without so much as a pause despite his reluctance towards doing so, he released his remaining hold on Shikiyoku, aside from her hand, to which he offered to Derrin calmly by way of showing approval.

Not like he had much of a choice.

"I will be," Hiei paused as the female from before reappeared at his side, batting the same long lashes at him, "nearby," he finished before offering his hand to the same demoness. Hos Jagan shifted once more through Shikiyoku's mind, this time much quicker, and as soon as he found what he needed and stored it away, letting his body absorb it for him, he was being pulled to another section of the floor.

He resisted the urge to look back at Shikiyoku. _*****_

Shikiyoku found a great deal of comfort in Derrin's frame as he easily carried them amongst the other dancers. This was a demon with whom she had many times before danced, and she knew him better than any other demon in the room.

"I have this distinct memory of you being much taller, seductress." Derrin quipped as they flowed along their path.

"And I have the same sort of feeling in regards to you being shorter, Derrin." Shikiyoku replied with ease, matching the glitter of amusement in the Prince's eyes.

In spite of that fact, or perhaps because of it, Shikiyoku meticulously began releasing more of her energy, bit by bit, so slowly as to not come under notice. She wanted some answers. And Derrin had provided her with the perfect opportunity to get some.

She did not speak up at first, letting the shimmer of power steadily settle over her eyes, and feeling her scalp tingle with energy.

"I have missed your scent." Derrin finally said once they had been around the floor once.

Shikiyoku took his words to be her sign.

"I have missed your dancing."

Derrin smiled softly at her.

"Is that all you have missed?"

"Of you? Of course." Her expression was coquettish.

Derrin let out a long-suffering sigh as if they'd had this conversation many times together in the past.

"What does Rae want with me, Derrin?"

A single eyebrow rose as he regarded her.

"The same thing she always wants from you?"

"Does she really feel her Household is in so much danger of being overthrown that my presence is necessary?"

"Things have changed a great deal since you left." Derrin said simply.

"I hate politics." Shikiyoku commented.

"Which is why you're so good at them."

As more of her energy silently invaded the area around them, Shikiyoku made sure to keep as much eye contact with Derrin as the demon would allow.

"What does she want with me?" She asked again, taking no notice of the fact that Derrin actually held her closer than before.

"Many things." Derrin replied crytically again, leaning his head down to her.

"Is she going to let me leave after the ball?"

"No." He shook his head slightly. "She has made arrangements that you should never leave again."

"Typical." Shikiyoku grumbled. "Why, though. That's what I want to know. What makes this time so different that she would send half a legion of her High Guard to fetch me?"

"It's her brother, he-" Derrin trailed off, appearing to take another deep breath of the air.

Shikiyoku felt this time his arms twitch as he held her, but she remained unconcerned, pushing him further.

"Rae has a brother?"

"You know him, he-" Another pause and Shikiyoku was pulled closer for another few steps. "You know him quite well."

"You're of no help, Derrin."

"Am I supposed to be?"

She did not answer for a moment.

"You know who he is." Derrin chided. "You've known since forever."

Shikiyoku frowned. 3

Hiei had been pulled much further away than he'd liked, but it didn't matter, because this dance quite literally had him around the entire floor, moving round and round like a machine. And all the while Heidi batted her lashes at him, made small talk of nothing of interest, and did a very fine job of forcing herself to be the lead.

He didn't know how to handle her.

Normally, he would have simply killed her by now.

"Don't you think so?"

Hiei turned his eyes down to meet her gaze again, raising a brow as if interested.

And she continued on just as if he had answered her. "I mean, _my _family, you can't tell we're all related because of how many fathers my mother has been with." She paused. "Your family must be a dangerous one, considering your level of power. Yours is higher than my own. She's lucky to have you, you know."

Hiei nodded once with as much patience as he could muster, no longer able to see Shikiyoku again. A moment of silence passed. He was thankful for it as he spun her again, crimson eyes searching for a reprieve and finding none.

"Oh, but him passing through caused so much chaos. Otento really does have a knack for causing trouble." She gave a sigh. "Do you enjoy making trouble? You have to, considering your line of work, I assume."

Hiei finally turned his eyes down to Heidi's and met her gaze and kept it, sneering. "Trouble? Do I enjoy it?" He paused, resisting the urge to scoff. "It finds me. Whether I enjoy it or not means no-"

His words stopped altogether. His pupils grew large and he stopped mid spin, hand releasing Heidi's, who turned to him with a look of alarm, as if she thought he had run away from her. "Champion?"

"Repeat what you said." he said in a low tone, which she didn't seem to catch as she only smiled nervously at him. It was obvious his sudden tension was not lost on her. "What you just said. Repeat it. Now."

A nervous laugh. "I asked if trouble was in your-"

"No. Before that. The name. Repeat it."

Her smile was gone now, and she blinked at the intensity behind his demanding glare. "Otento?"

He immediately turned to look for Shikiyoku, not finding her immediately thanks to the continuously moving crowd. They needed to leave. _Now. __*****_

When Derrin felt a tap on his shoulder, he paused mid-step, but did not turn from Shikiyoku.

"I must get my dances in while I can, prince."

Shikiyoku realized it was Uryo attempting to cut in, and she also realized it wasn't likely that Derrin would give her up so easily, but she slowly lowered her arms anyway, aware of the fact that Derrin's two different colored eyes did not leave her face.

"You had your dance, Uryo." Derrin murmured.

"And I shall have it again, boy." Uryo's voice took on just enough of an edge that Derrin looked up and appeared to resign himself to the inevitable.

Without warning, Derrin swept Shikiyoku into his arms and kissed her, leaving Uryo standing in front of them having to resist rolling his eyes.

When the kiss lasted longer than was prudent, Uryo put a hand on either shoulder of the pair in front of him.

"That's quite enough of that, thank you." He gently peeled Derrin away and turned Shikiyoku to face him, taking her off before Derrin could do anything else in the moment.

"Spoilsport." Shikiyoku stuck her tongue impetuously out at Uryo as they danced away.

The dance changed to yet another, though this was closer in tempo to the slower waltz of the very first one, and Uryo made the adjustment masterfully.

"You didn't _really _wish to bed the queen's prince-consort, did you?" He raised an eyebrow at her and the mass of energy he could see wafting around her.

Shikiyoku just narrowed her eyes at him in turn.

Uryo moved on, "Tell your Champion to cut in again. Everything is in place. When things start heating up, head down that hallway." Uryo let his eyes lift to indicate an area that he then spun Shikiyoku around to see. "I'll clear your path."

Shikiyoku hadn't spotted Hiei and she reached out to where she still felt him connected to her.

"_Hiei?" _3

Hiei, after a moment of fruitless searching, turned back to the nervous demoness. "When did he pass through last?"

"Um, a week ago?" she replied with a flighty wave of her hand. "But it's just one demon, what does it-"

"Is he to return?"

"He passes through every so often. I think he's supposed to come back through sometime this week or the next?"

The information was ended more like a question, but Hiei didn't want to chance any more than that. Suddenly, he was leaning forward, calm demeanor shattered and replaced with an intense glare. "Your information, how credible is it?"

"Well, the barkeep across town-"

With that, the fire demon was moving away from her, making sure to reach out with his Jagan and erase the conversation from the demoness' mind altogether, momentarily breaking contact with Shikiyoku before reinstating it again, in time to not only see her, but to approach in a flash, just as her call echoed through his mind. His calm demeanor had returned, though it was more dutiful than before, and he nodded once at Uryo before offering his hand again to Shikiyoku.

It was a good thing Uryo was assisting. Had Hiei learned of Otento's passing through and not been able to get out, it likely would have been ugly.

Then again, they were not out yet.

"I'm cutting in." he said tartly, though in a way that did not disrespect the larger demon. _*****_

Uryo noticed the change, but said nothing of it.

"Of course you are, Champion." He slid Shikiyoku easily back into Hiei's awaiting stance before moving off and disappearing.

Shikiyoku looked after the other demon for a moment longer before turning back to this second set of crimson eyes and frowning at him and his tenseness, hardly noticing that her energy had picked up on that fact and had started to weave around him in a subconscious attempt to relax whatever had stirred Hiei's ire.

"Hiei?" She inquired quietly, seeing the far off look in his eyes. 3

Hiei, despite having cut in and taken Shikiyoku into his own hands, had retreated inward, to concentrate on his Jagan and search not only the room, but the entire palace for the threat that could very well be nearby, if the demon had decided to show early. He saw no sign of the blonde-haired, purple-eyed demon male, but again, he knew that meant next to nothing.

Shikiyoku's voice pierced his concentration and he returned to the present, returned to the room of dancing demons, and returned to the gaze that had met his as soon as he'd taken over.

And after a moment's silence, he felt his body relax, almost as if it were an instinct around her. Causing distress for her as well would do no good.

"For now, it's unimportant," he replied, tone low out of precaution as his eyes left her gaze briefly, only to trail right back. He suddenly decided he wouldn't tell her. Not here, anyway. Not in front of so many watching eyes. His expression shifted to that of a genuine calm, and his spine straightened as if he suddenly had a job to do: to appear as he had before.

But still, the overwhelming need to leave as quickly as possible lingered, just behind the calm, and while it wasn't shown, it didn't diminish either, no matter whatever outside force was working at calming his nerves.

_Pick it up, Uryo. __*****_

Shikiyoku made a mental note to ask Hiei about it later, because before she could open her mouth to question him again, a loud shriek pierced the air and the music came to a sudden halt, all the dancers dropping their partners and starting to back away from an area of the floor.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Shikiyoku paused for a second to look the direction from which the cry came.

It was the queen and the prince who were the center of attention, and Derrin was backing up, wide-eyed, away from Rae, whose beautiful blue gown had caught fire and was rapidly burning from the bottom up as the flames hungrily consumed her dress and left no ashes behind.

Shikiyoku now let her hands fall from where she and Hiei had still been poised to dance, maintaining a hold on the one he held as she did so. She slowly began backing away much like the others, fighting the urge to turn and run full-tilt as it would likely draw attention. Her motives were more precise than the other patrons in the room as she meant to get closer to the hall Uryo had indicated.

As the entire company watched, Rae's purple eyes were flecked with tears of pain, her long, white-blonde hair getting caught up in the demonic fire, but she maintain her composure after her first initial outburst, and seemed to gather herself as the dress shortened near her knees.

With little warning, a black pulse of energy radiated outwards from her body, concealing herself from view, and as it expanded briefly the entire Grand Hall fell within the shadow of it.

That was the moment Shikiyoku turned and burst out of the room, taking the moment of darkness as cover to make their escape into the hallway she hoped Uryo had cleared, keeping a hold of Hiei's hand so that they would not lose each other in the opportunity.

They burst out from the line of power that was just now starting to recede, and Shikiyoku kept moving down the hallway.

She didn't dare pause to look back, though her eyes took in the fallen members of the High Guard that lined the pair's path with bodies.

Raising her gaze, Shikiyoku could not see what exactly had the guard further down falling seemingly without reason off his feet, and it was only when Uryo suddenly came to a stop several paces beyond said guard, at a fork in the hall, that she realized she literally was unable to track his movements as he took out the guards before they likely knew he was there.

Uryo moved to step down the right hallway and before his foot had touched the ground, he blinked out of sight again, leaving Shikiyoku with eyebrows raised.

"_He drinks to slow himself down." _She suddenly realized as she and Hiei kept running down the long hallway. _That _was why he hadn't smelled quite so potent tonight, and it explained what she considered the 'ticks' of his body, like his eyes moving too fast and his steps almost double-time to the music when they danced.

And even as this realization dawned, she also suddenly understood that this was not his highest speed, for his breath _had _still smelled of drink.

"_A powerful ally indeed." _3

Hiei had paused and turned just as Shikiyoku had, his eyes taking in the sight of the queen among the crowd and the flames that licked at her dress. The energy from them was not unlike his own, and he could feel the energy moving, pulsating, as if it _were _his own. Though, he knew for certain that it was not his power.

He took this as the first, more subtle cue, and as he realized the crowds were moving, Hiei too began to move, not needing the prompting from Shikiyoku. He stayed a little away from her, however, to shield view of her from Derrin, should the prince or queen decide to look over.

But in the next second, darkness overwhelmed him. He reacted a second after Shikiyoku, turning and following after her while his Jagan quickly confirmed that there was no obstacle in their way.

In fact, when his Jagan assessed the hall, he had to blink, and when he was actually in the hallway, he was blinking again. There was a blur, though a very discreet one that even he had trouble catching, were it not for his Jagan, but before he could utilize his third eye to witness what was actually happening, Uryo paused at the end of the hallway, answering his question before turning and again disappearing.

The amount of respect that welled up for the demon was more than he'd ever felt towards another- aside his partner in previous crimes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized the same thing Shikiyoku had, came to the same conclusion that Uryo was much faster than this, and his drinking slowed him down.

It explained much about the demon.

"_Indeed," _Hiei replied before he took the lead, switching so that _he_ held _her _wrist as he picked up his speed, testing how fast she herself could go.

If she could keep up, he'd run a full speed. If she couldn't, he'd simply carry her. _*****_

Shikiyoku's ears were trained on the commotion behind them, unsure if their escape was truly going to be this 'easy.' As soon as Rae or Derrin realized she was no longer with them, they would give chase. Whether within the next second or the next minute remained as of yet to be seen, for Shikiyoku heard no sound of pursuit from behind them.

She felt Hiei's grip on her change and he started to speed up.

An out of place smile fluttered across her lips and for a second, Hiei's image became interposed with a blurry image of her second Champion, and all she could remember was him turning to give a roguish smile back to her, but then Hiei's speed picked up again, passed what any other she knew-save Uryo-could accomplish, and the image shattered, leaving her smiling at the back of Hiei's head.

Sensing that Hiei would keep pushing as fast as she could go, Shikiyoku knew her dexterity of movement in the gown would only go so far.

Without hesitation, Shikiyoku reached for a portion of the fabric at her waist and ripped it, continuing to tug until the skirt of the dress was completely torn from the upper part, revealing the fact that she had wisely kept on the black pants of her previous outfit.

She did not release the skirt from her clutching hand, knowing that dropping it would give away her escape, but wishing it would burn away or something.

The jewels around her throat and dangling from her ears glowed and Shikiyoku's fingers reflexively dropped the skirt as it started to grow warmer in her grasp, disappearing in a burst of fire behind them. 3

Hiei didn't look back at Shikiyoku when he heard a ripping sound. He merely understood that she was making it easier for herself to keep up, and with that, his speed increased even further, his eyes on the falling guards ahead as Uryo continued making a path.

He'd have to remember to repay the demon sometime, if he ever had the chance to do so.

Perhaps Koenma would lend a helping hand once they returned.

Again, Uryo paused at another fork in the hall, just long enough for Hiei to see which direction he was going before he took off again. By this time, Hiei could feel his feet moving as if they weren't even touching the ground, his speed almost being entirely utilized, and still the guards continued to fall more than just a few meters ahead of himself and Shikiyoku.

He could feel Shikiyoku's body resisting, his top speed much greater than her own, and he slowed for a mere millisecond, tugged at her arm, and pulled Shikiyoku's small frame into his arms, one arm under her knees and the other under her back as he glanced at her briefly, flashing a smirk, before his eyes turned forward and his feet moved with his ultimate speed again.

So far, so good, it seemed. *****

Shikiyoku did not resist when Hiei picked her up, but the slightest hint of a growl rumbled silently in her chest as she quickly pulled off the jacket she wore and then reached up to wrap her arms about his neck, narrowing her eyes playfully at his smirk before huffing a breath of disdain and sticking her nose in the air.

Uryo paused again, feeling out the area and having to resist just blasting a hole through the palace to make the exit that much simpler. He gritted his teeth a little, feeling his body begin to complain at being still, but waiting half a second longer so that he was sure the pair behind him could still follow.

He should have had more to drink, he thought ruefully. He was having to painstakingly hold his speed back or else risk moving so fast that he _did _manage to walk through the walls by accident. And leave the two behind him without a path to boot.

Luckily, it did not take much longer to get outside, the morning of the ninth level dawning around them.

Allowing himself this one moment, Uryo nearly teleported himself to the gate in the blink of an eye, two miles from the exit of the palace. The path was a straight one, and he came to a stop about a mile out of the city limits, starting to bounce slightly from one foot back to the other as he waited as patiently as he could for Hiei and Shikiyoku to join him. 3

Hiei followed, his feet moving until he was outside. The morning sun made him blink once as he glanced around, Uryo nowhere in sight, but after that brief hesitation, he was moving again, his Jagan feeding him the information he'd needed in the split second he'd paused.

As he ran, he became more aware of happenings around him. While there weren't many demons out, most of them turned to look in his direction, eyes wide as if unsure of what had just moved by them. And, even as he passed a few more buildings, he began feeling as if he needed to move faster. As if he were now being pursued.

He didn't check. He merely pushed his legs to move faster, leaning forwards and ducking his head so that he minimized wind resistance and was able to speed up even more. A frown set over his lips as he pulled to a halt in front of Uryo, not yet letting Shikiyoku down onto her own feet, in case whoever was now pursuing him were able to catch up.

"What next?" _*****_

Uryo's eyes never stopped moving about, even when Hiei came to a stop, and instead of answer the question as he opened his mouth, his eyes alighted on the gems Shikiyoku wore.

"Fire rubies?" He exclaimed a tad too excitedly, "Where did you get them? She probably has them tracked, you know."

When Uryo held out his hand, Shikiyoku removed the necklace and earrings and placed them in his palm.

The jewelry started to glow in his hand and Shikiyoku raised an eyebrow.

"You know, of course," She started, "That they're completely resistant to-"

The flames that had started to lick about the red gems burst in intensity, then a second time, and then disappeared.

Uryo wiggled his fingers.

"Everything melts eventually." He stared down at his fingers. "Just have to get it hot enough!"

In the next blink, Uryo stood where Hiei and Shikiyoku had been, and had pulled Hiei into the place where Uryo had stood before that blink.

A ringing sound tore through the relative silence of the area around them and when Shikiyoku came to realize that they had been moved, she saw Uryo had his sword out and had come to clash with a very put-out Rae, her dress shriveled to her thighs, her hair singed and a wild look in her purple eyes.

Her fists were tight, and over one hand were three blade-like claws which were now stuck around Uryo's sword, her other fist as if in the start of an uppercut held in his other hand.

"You probably want to leave now." Uryo told Hiei calmly.

"He's not taking her!"

"You're not stopping him."

A growl broke past Rae's lips and she pulled back, twisting her the clawed hand in an attempt to disarm Uryo. He deftly snapped his hand to the left and pulled the sword out from below the claws, changing his hold on the weapon so that he could bring it around and back between two of the claws, jerking Rae closer as he saw her shift her weight to get at the other two.

He calmly turned his head from Rae to regard the pair next to him.

"You'll probably have to wait another few centuries before she forgets this. I wouldn't suggest coming back in the meantime." 3

Hiei had been moved, he knew. He had seen nothing more than a very brief change in the space where Uryo had been standing, and then before he knew it, he himself was standing in the very place the larger demon had been, watching the clashing of blades that was enough to create a flying spark. He adjusted his hold on Shikiyoku so that it was a much firmer grasp, shifting her so that she was closer to his body, already planning on making a break for it.

Except…

He caught the glint in Rae's purple eyes, the maniacal, crazy gleam of a panicked demon losing its prey that had continuously slipped her grasp.

And the glare made his entire body freeze. He knew Uryo had prompted him to leave. He knew that He should have been long gone by now. But the glare, the stance of the female was too familiar, and in his mind, her face was replaced with another.

His jaw set and the reaction within him was proving to be the most difficult urge to control, likely in his entire lifetime. His hands flexed in his hold of Shikiyoku, his stance shifted as he resisted grabbing his blade and simply beheading the woman. The kin of Otento, who quite obviously shared more than just her looks with the despised male.

_End the problem. Now, before it becomes worse, _one part of his brain whispered.

_Go. _the other shouted.

His jaw clenched even tighter, the muscles in his cheeks standing out and adding to the narrowing of his eyes to create a very deadly expression, though the gleam of contemplation in his eyes was even brighter.

Was it worth it?

_Fight._

_Run. Let Uryo handle it._

His mind was at war.

"I wouldn't suggest coming back in the meantime," Uryo finished, bringing Hiei forth from his inner debate, his inner emotions that left him completely and utterly still. Instincts battled wits. Emotions fought strategy. But he couldn't bring his eyes away from the feral queen, who he now could only really see as Otento. How had he not noticed before?

A snarl rumbled in his chest, and surprisingly even to him, his body turned to go the opposite way than his instincts were driving him.

Whatever had caused him to move, he wouldn't ever know. _*****_

Shikiyoku seemed utterly unsurprised by Rae's outburst, though she felt Hiei tensing underneath her and refused to let his concern interpose on her calm.

Instead, as the fire demon silently fought a battle Shikiyoku felt aware of on some level or another, she took a breath and let the energy that had been floating around her since she danced with Derrin release into the space around her and Hiei, weaving silently in the air with each deep breath she took, curling around her Champion.

She is not a threat. She can do us no harm.

Shikiyoku knew also that killing off the leader of the highest and largest household in the ninth level would create aftereffects that Hiei had absolutely no awareness of.

When Hiei turned to go with a growl, Shikiyoku said nothing, did nothing, but sit there in his arms.

Rae attempted to pursue them, but was stopped each time before she started by Uryo, who calmly drove her back towards the city step by step.

Realizing she'd been beaten, Rae gnashed her teeth and leapt back from Uryo, pulling her hands back and then jamming them forward, releasing a giant, black orb of energy that shot off towards the backs of Hiei and Shikiyoku.

Uryo felt his core skip a beat, and he slowly turned his head to follow the blast as it whipped past his shoulder, completely unable to sense the energy, even though his eyes told him it was there.

Rae stood looking smug, staring after the retreating pair.

"Shit." Uryo breathed through clenched teeth as he turned.

Uryo sheathed his sword, feeling the entire world slowing around him as he dashed off after the orb, having no way to warn the others and knowing they would not be able to sense or hear it coming.

Maybe he shouldn't have drank as much as he had.

Uryo ducked his head farther and felt his skin begin to buzz with his speed, molecules protesting. He gritted his teeth as he caught up to the orb, but could not at his current rate pass it.

The sudden sobriety of the life or death moment flushed more alcohol from his system and he slowly started to overtake the blast, but wondered if it was too late, seeing the escaping pair approaching much too fast for his liking.

Feeling as if his skin might start peeling back from his muscles at any moment, Uryo lengthened his stride and finally inched past the gigantic orb.

With two quick steps, he had caught up to Hiei and turned so that his shoulder shoved against the fire demon, pushing Hiei forward, twisting around and bringing up his hands to take the full force of the blast.

The energy slammed him against Hiei's back, sending the fire demon dashing forward much faster than before even as Uryo started to dig his feet into the ground to slow the orb's progression.

Clenching his jaw, Uryo felt Hiei against his back and shifted his hands so that only his right was between them and the orb consuming them, and within the next second, he had brought his left hand up with his sword and as he unsheathed the weapon, slashed the blast away from them, coming to a sudden halt as its pressure left, and then dashing forward again as he saw that Rae had not been content with just the one ball of power.

Two more had followed in quick succession once she realized what Uryo meant to do, and the demon dashed back towards her, slashing through the energy and sending it hurtling through the air as he ran in the opposite direction of Hiei and Shikiyoku to intercept the other blasts. 3

Hiei hadn't gotten too far before the hairs on the back of his neck arose, telling him of a pursuer, just before another body rammed into his, sending his feet almost scrambling to adjust to this new speed that he'd never accomplished before now. Instinctively, he ducked his head and made his body almost smaller, his back against the other's telling him that he hadn't been pursued, but helped.

He didn't look back to see whatever it was that had caused Uryo's presence so near. He simply continue to adjust to this new, odd feeling that washed over him with the new speed that was almost hindered by his outfit, the coat catching the air around his hips and billowing out, almost catching on Uryo before the demon broke away from his back. Surprisingly, the fire demon continued on at this speed, his feet having adjusted accordingly and his instincts now taking over, instincts telling him to get a move on before the situation became too sticky.

He glanced back now, silently thanking Uryo for the help before turning forward again, narrowed eyes and keen gaze watching everything pass by him as nothing more than a constant blur of movement as he passed by. _*****_

Shikiyoku felt the change in speed, felt Hiei falter to adjust before picking up his stride again, and she did glance up to spy Uryo's back against Hiei's, the older demon between them and certain death, his long black hair whipping wildly against the pressure of the orb whose color she knew belonged to Rae.

And in the next instant, Uryo was gone again, the orb sent hurtling upwards into the sky.

The black color reminded Shikiyoku of something as she let her eyes follow the path of the orb for a second before turning back to duck her head against Hiei's neck and her body heaved slightly in a withheld bark of laughter as she remembered something Rae had said about Otento long ago.

_Little brother always __**was **__a pain in the ass. _3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	43. Episode 128 - Around the City and Dreams

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Ningen!

We pick back up with Akari here in this chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Hiei and Shikiyoku managed to escape Queen Rae's Royal Ball with the help of Uryo.  
>When she came chasing after them with a vengeance,<br>Uryo once again stepped in, sending Hiei speeding off faster than ever before.  
>Before being sent away, Hiei realized what Shikiyoku knew all along but had forgotten:<br>Queen Rae is Otento's older sister...

* * *

><p>Hiei continued moving as his feet seemed to memorize the speed, keeping in consistent even as the sounds of fighting died away in the distance and he was met with forestry. At first, the tree line was thin and creatures were few and far between. A moment later, he was weaving through the trees almost expertly, as if he did indeed know the area, his Jagan helping in reaction times despite the unfamiliar, almost uncontrollable speed the fire demon was experiencing.<p>

And he continued on silently, his inner emotions calming with the distance between himself and Shikiyoku, and the fight. He remained guarded, but no longer did he feel the need to turn around and join Uryo in fight. He realized now just how brash such a decision would have been, and the consequences of such an action.

All because he'd made the connection of family.

He'd need to sit down sometime and discipline himself for his lack of control over his emotions. If the same thing were to happen when Otento was actually around…

He couldn't afford that.

His mind receded from Shikiyoku's as he delved into his own thoughts, his expression revealing nothing of the internal mental strike he was having on himself. He wouldn't allow a slip up like that again.

He wouldn't allow himself to place her in danger like that. _*****_

"You know," Shikiyoku murmured, having felt the warmth of Hiei's mind leaving hers and having a fairly accurate guess as to why, "The best way to exact revenge on Otento is to keep him from getting what he wants." 3

Hiei momentarily paused in his thoughts and turned his eyes down, briefly considering Shikiyoku before his eyes turned forward again, expression blank. Several thoughts popped up at her words, so for the moment, he didn't respond.

_Revenge isn't exactly what I had in mind. _

At least, it wouldn't be a very _normal _type of revenge. Most demons would deliver what had been dealt, with maximized pain and excruciatingly drawn-out time. And while it was an appealing thought…

"I'd rather see his blood color the grass." _*****_

"Isn't that much too easy though?" Shikiyoku countered, "You let him die and then Spirit World gets to have all the fun. Why not make his existence as miserable as possible?" 3

Hiei didn't respond. He didn't voice that he wasn't sure how he'd get his hands on Otento without her getting into trouble, without placing her into trouble himself. He didn't admit that the idea of Otento even having the brief chance to get near her, when Hiei would be out searching for ways to get to the male, made his core churn. Sure, once Hiei had Otento in his grasp and he was certain Shikiyoku was out of the way, he'd have nine kinds of fun.

The only problem was getting to that point, when Otento is surrounded by other demons just as capable as he was. It was also likely that there would be more demons, thanks to the fact that there was a pseudo Youko against them.

He didn't admit that he didn't like the odds. Even with Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara's help, there were still too many variables, too many unknowns that left Hiei stressed and-

"The threat will be eliminated. How it is executed shouldn't matter." _*****_

"It matters to me." Shikiyoku grumbled quietly into his neck. A sudden thought hit her and her eyes flashed, "If I don't get to watch him die, I'll be very put-out with you." 3

A sneer formed on Hiei's lips, and again ruby eyes turned down to emerald ones, this time holding the gaze. "Why would I keep you from your own personal revenge as well?" Of course he had planned that Shikiyoku watch the death of Otento. She couldn't attack him herself, so he'd already decided she would get her revenge by watching, smirking down at the dying demon who had tried so hard to make her his.

It would be her own revenge to disallow him her services.

His eyes turned up to the path ahead again, his expression now back to its calm demeanor. He'd figure _something _out, that was for sure. _*****_

"I dunno." Shikiyoku mumbled again, feeling uncomfortable under his fiery look and wondering if she would ever feel like she knew the fire demon well at all.

It felt wrong to kill something premeditatively, but Shikiyoku brushed aside the feeling by assuring herself that Otento was meant to have been dead long ago. Before even Youko's time.

His days were numbered. 3

Hiei had fallen silent and stayed that way for what had to be several hours as he ran, making turns as directed so that they would head in the direction of Shikiyoku said the city was in. Of course, he had no intention of going _through _the town. He simply wanted to keep on course as much as possible.

So, when the city walls came into view, Hiei made a very distinct point to move North of them, re-entering forestry and deep brush to the left of the city, though keeping the wall within a respectable distance so that he knew he would be going the right direction without having to use his Jagan.

And it was at this point he realized he was beginning to feel a little worn out. Maybe not enough to call for a pause, or even to slow, but a part of him felt tired of the running, as if he needed to slow down and go at a more comfortable pace than the one Uryo had set him into.

~!**!~

"_You know, for a kid, you're alright."_

_Akari looked to her right, heavy lids pulling open again to look at the demon that sat beside her. The room was dimly lit, allowing her to see his bright eyes and almost-white tinted hair that… was flecked with darker hues of the grey her vision naturally was. It wasn't hard to guess what was in those locks. She could smell it easily enough. _

"_You've lasted longer than even the toughest demons."_

_A dry, choking bark of laughter escaped Akari, making another tear fall from the pain of a broken rib or two. "It's only been a week. I haven't tried everything yet."_

"_You young ones are too filled with hope. You need to learn when it's time to quit."_

"_Say that to a family searching for their now dead child," she retorted seriously, her whispered words weaker than the rest of her it seemed. She didnt dare mention the male's mate. "They're just humans. They can't keep an army of demons locked away forever."_

_The room fell into silence again, save for the shuffling of the stocky male as he scooted closer, his darker-hued trousers hugging him as he moved. She watched him, not moving despite the fact that she didn't enjoy being close to anyone, much less another, much stronger demon._

"_I have an idea. Think you're up for it?"_

_She smirked. "Always. My last escape buddy flaked out."_

_His smirk disappeared. "They were wise, likely. From what I've seen just these past two weeks, there's a lot we don't yet know about."_

"_Still, just humans." She shifted, a hand immediately moving to rest over her diaphragm. "Does it involve minimal movement?"_

"_Not quite."_

"_Good." She glanced over at the male she'd been stuck with for days, the shine of mischief in her eyes countered with a look of caution from the other. "Lay it on me."_

~!**!~

_It was painful. She was already sweating, and all she'd done was pull herself to stand, and helped lift a chair. She stood opposite Kyu, eyes glancing up at the shattered camera that had been placed to monitor them. "On three," he whispered, and before he even began counting, he shoved the large, metal chair, with her assistance of course, through the large one-way looking mirror, shattering it. _

_He moved quickly, with the dexterity of a warrior and the silence of a thief, hopping over the broken windowpane and into the room where tons of electronic equipment were seen, grabbing a human and just as quickly as he could, silencing any sound with a crack, snapping the man's neck._

_The only security fell to the ground and he motioned for her to follow, even grabbing her by the upper part of her arms and hefting her over, despite his own physical hindrances._

"_Now the prison, right?"_

"_Not for you, sweetheart." he grumbled as he pushed the only door open, peering out into a brightly-lit hallway. "You're going home. You know where the open gateway is, right?"_

"_You're not going alone." she grumbled at him, reaching forward and grabbing his shirt collar. "I have someone there too, y'know."_

"_You're terrible at lying."_

_Okay, so she just didn't want to go it alone. So what? "You have to let me help. I'm not leaving without you, because you deserve freedom as much as I do, and you won't get it if you go down there alone."_

"_Neither of us-"_

_An alarm began sounding and lights began flashing along the walls in the hall and inside the room they were standing in._

_They hadn't even left the security room yet! How had they figured it out? Kyu quickly shut the metal door, locking it from the inside. "It's alright. This happens once a week. We aren't the ones they're after."_

"_What?"_

"_The prisoners downstairs. Once a week, they go crazy enough to riot. All at once. It's normal. And, now it's an inconvenience."_

_A few minutes passed as they stood there, listening to troops of feet run by. Groups of people, yelling of orders and even sounds of…_

_Something loud. Something dangerous, she knew. What was that? It was almost like canons, but.._

"_They're called guns. Demon world doesn't have them, because our energy is stronger, when utilized. These things fire little round chunks of metal that pierce the skin quicker than anything else, if you aren't careful."_

"_Guns?" The word was unfamiliar, but it sent a chill down her spine anyway. She wasn't a quick demon to begin with, and her injuries and sluggishness was no help. "Then you're definitely not going down there, Kyu. Come on, I know you're a warrior, and you look out for the people, but-"_

"_I'm not leaving them to die, Akari. Not on my list of things to do before __**I **__die." _

"_You can always come back with help."_

_The handle on the door suddenly moved, shaking madly before a fist was pounding on the metal. "Shorin, we have a situation! We need the two in there, now!"_

"_How much energy do you have, sweetheart?"_

"_Enough," she lied, taking a deep breath as the pounding fist continued, accompanied with more shouting. "Just a few outside, right?"_

"_Not.. exactly."_

_She glanced at the door and heaved a determined breath of air, her chest puffing out despite her broken ribs, her reopening wound across her collarbone. A smile came to her face despite the drugs she felt in her system, the sluggish pounding of her core telling her that she definitely wouldn't be running much. If she went out there, it'd be kill or be killed._

_She'd never killed before._

"_Be ready," before another word could be uttered, the door was pushed open and Kyu was crouched in front of Akari, pushing her back against the large equipment in the room._

"_What are you doing? I'm fighting!"_

"_Warn the others!" A human yelled, and whistles began blowing._

"_No, you're surviving."_

_He looked back at her, and Akari was quick to move him out of reach of the guard who swung a weapon that sizzled, officially placing herself in the midst of the humans. Shocking equipment was pressed to her skin, almost everywhere it felt like, and it jarred her, making her snarl and pull at the pair of hands holding her shoulders. _

_something wet and sticky hit her face here and there as Kyu swooped into the crowd of five or so, an arm wrapping around her waist as he hefted her from the ground, taking on a full sprint through the hallways. "You're. Going. Home."_

_She couldn't even respond. _

_But, before she knew it, several things had happened at once, and she was on the ground, blocking attacks and searching for Kyu, who was shouting at her from… somewhere. _

"_Get up! GO! Fight!"_

_Her body moved out of instinct, kicking feet out from under nearby humans before she was up and moving away, turning to look over her shoulder as she ran the direction he'd directed her. She caught a bright gaze, saw the last vestiges of a smile and even a few words, before Kyu was out of her sight._

In her sleep, Akari shifted uncomfortably, rolling over and giving a loud huff of discomfort. Nabu awoke and looked towards his best friend, watching her with a tilt of his head. Was it happening again? He wasn't sure.

_Akari rounded another corner, trying not to look back to a scene that she'd already known of. He'd told her to go._

_And she hadn't been able to help him._

_She rounded another corner, running smack into another body. She fell, her mouth releasing a cry as broken ribs were jostled some more, and her rear hit the tile floor harder than she had thought possible._

_In the next second, she was up and pinned to a wall, cheek pressing against the brick painfully and an arm twisted, wrist on the verge of snapping, as her arm was held at a very dangerous position up her spine. Words were shouted in her ear, but yellow dots were dancing across her vision._

A small sound of protest whispered past Akari's lips, barely audible.

_Another second later, her head was slammed into the dark brick, much harder this time, and she felt a sticky wetness immediately form and fall down her cheek. "Just who I needed."_

_Her vision was completely clouded, one eye swollen and the other taken over with light at each painful movement or gesture the man who held her made. He peeled her from the wall and hastily, roughly, shoved her in the direction she was intended to go. She didn't protest much, but earned a stab to her hip, a needle injecting… something._

_And her skin was on fire. _

Another whimper. Nabu moved, getting closer to Akari's face and sniffing at her cheek, running his nose along her skin. "Akari, wake up."

_Her will to fight was, at this moment, nonexistent. He directed her past many rooms, down several flights of stairs, until she was positively worn out from tears and pain, at which point she was tossed into a room very similar to the previous, aside from the fact that there was no lighting whatsoever._

"_Good news, 253," an intercom came on, crackling overhead. "You've been promoted."_

"..not 253," she grumbled in her sleep, expression twitching. Nabu licked at her face, earning a bat of the hand and her rolling over, turning her back onto him. It's 'kari."

Nabu frowned, his dark eyebrows pulling down over his eyes. This was new. She'd never spoken in her sleep before.

"_You're now under special surveillance, a special guest here. You get a room all to yourself." The intercom crackled out, and for a moment, Akari thought she'd be granted a moment of peace._

_But another sound… a… sizzling? No.. _

_Her eyes reopened, or rather, one eye opened, and immediately the stinging began. The smell finally hit her, and she began coughing. _Outside of her dream world, her coughs echoed those of her past self, small at first, before growing louder and more forceful. _The gas was awful, whatever it was. She retched even, moving herself so that she was on her hands and knees, short hair tickling her nose. _

_Then she was being talked to, this time by a familiar demon._

_Or at least, that's what the thick fumes made her think._

Akari curled into a tighter form, her knees to her stomach, not quite forming a ball. as the dream continued on, she continuously shifted about, mumbling, "leave me alone."

Of course, in that room, when the gasses had subsided, she had begun wishing that they hadn't. _*****_

~!**!~

Youko took a deep breath of the night air, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand and gazing ruefully up at the full moon with golden eyes.

He wasn't sure when exactly the cycle of his change had synced up with the lunar cycle of Human World, but the thought did nothing to lessen his current mood.

Each time the change occurred, it lasted longer and longer, and this time the shift had started so early, Kurama had locked himself in his room just after dinner with his family.

And Youko felt nothing of the change reversing any time soon.

He kept walking down the block, knowing that any humans nearby would be unable to see his true form unless they had high enough senses for it, so he let himself remain unconcerned at the thought of being seen.

~!**!~

"Hiei," Shikiyoku piped up, "The city is over _there_."

By the time the pair passed the city gates, the daylight had given way to dusk and night was fast approaching. 3

Hiei continued moving, not looking down at Shikiyoku as she spoke up, pointing out what he'd already deduced. "No," was his lone reply, his feet never slowing as he continued on. After a little while more of running, Hiei became much more aware of the feeling in his core of being simply…

Tired.

But his mind and body were fine, so what was going on?

His feet slowed without him realizing it, settling back into a pace he'd used often in his life, just under his top speed. He almost considered pausing, but decided stopping wasn't an option, so he continued on.

~!**!~

"_Akari?" _Nabu whimpered quietly, nose brushing her cheek again and his tongue rolling over her nose. "_You have to get up now. You're dreaming again." _

She didn't so much as even move this time, and her breathing hitched for a second.

_She sat in the corner of the room, back against the corner and knees up to her chest, arms encircling her shins and chin resting on her knees. Her darkened irises were trained forward, staring at what she knew to be an illusion of some kind, but she couldn't block it out. It wasn't an illusion made from energy._

"_You're looking pathetic, sweetheart."_

"_You're dead, Kyu. Go away."_

"_You know you don't want to be alone. I mean, you do deserve to talk to me, after you left me to die like that."_

_She swallowed hard and turned her face away from him, her short curls bouncing around her face despite the general disgustingness of it all. "You told me to run."_

"_No, that's just what you told yourself." She didn't reply, to which earned her a loud laugh from the nonexistent demon. "See, even you know it. You're just too chicken shit to admit it to my face. Sweetheart, you're doomed, you're going to die, and-"_

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

Akari abruptly turned in her sleep, her voice suddenly booming throughout the silence of the house, making Nabu cringe with ears pressed atop his head. "_I know you need sleep, but I'm not going to leave you alone. Wake up, now, Akari!"_

She shifted, growling as she curled into a ball tight enough that he couldn't see her face when he hopped over her to sit in front of her. Nabu hadn't ever had this much trouble before.

_Kyu's laughter rang even louder. "That's not possible, sweetheart. You see, there's much you have to learn, about the world and the place you're stuck in. And I'm here to give each and every lesson. The first lesson: You're already alone. Your parents have stopped searching. Your supposed mate-"_

"_That was arranged, and you know it!"_

"_-doesn't give two shits about you. He just wanted the money. These people here? You're their toy." He paused, her tears grabbing his attention. A snort blew through his nostrils. "Those'll get you nowhere."_

"Just leave," she grumbled, loud enough that even though her mouth was against her arm, Nabu could make out Akari's words clearly. He realized he wouldn't be able to shake her from this one. It was a whole new caliber, and his small body just wasn't enough, as proven when he jumped on her.

She didn't react to his pouncing along her shoulder.

Nor his loud bark.

Nor his snarl.

Nothing.

And he didn't know what to do, so Nabu sat there with ears flat and eyes watching, even as she again yelled for him to leave. _*****_

~!**!~

Attempting to clear one's mind with the evening breeze did not prove possible when one's ears picked up most sounds within half a mile.

Youko's ears twitched, his nose doing the same, and he felt strange about the one voice he had inadvertently caught onto, his steps following the noise.

Female. Young. Possibly in some sort of trouble.

But why did he care?

In any case, his steps did not slow. Perhaps he simply desired to silence whatever interrupted his midnight reverie.

As he came closer, his nose picked up on a scent he knew well, and it was at that point he broke into a trot.

His ears did not often mislead him, and they did not do so here, allowing him to weave his way through the next several blocks without having to change direction.

When he arrived, not at a scene, but instead a rundown house, his interest piqued further and without hesitation he went inside, his ears twisting a little as more noises accosted him after crossing the threshold.

It only took seconds for him to locate the red-haired girl, and to assess that her dreams were haunting her, and for a moment, he only stood there, taking in her restless sleep.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku felt her teeth clench together at the stubbornness of the tone Hiei used on her.

"The reason there are cities is because the forests outside them are wrought with danger, flame-boy." Shikiyoku tried to sound as patient as possible, "You go through them so that you don't get caught by one of the traps of the living woods." 3

Hiei resisted the urge to scoff at Shikiyoku. He wielded _flames_. In a _forest_.

And creatures could be taken down with even the dumbest of strategies.

So, he ignored Shikiyoku and continued on anyway, expression blank as if her words hadn't been heard. He ran, the trees around him looking more like trees now that he was moving at a speed that allowed him to make sense of the shapes with anything other than his Jagan.

His Jagan, then, slid closed underneath the ribbon that had, somehow, withstood its power and stayed in place, hiding it from the world as his two eyes roved the quiet area.

Too quiet.

He wasn't surprised when he burst into a clearing and another creature burst from the opposite side, rearing its lion-like head, the snakes that served as a mane hissing loudly in response to the roar the creature let out.

It charged, and Hiei sighed, taking in the taloned toes and the scaled body. This wasn't a normal creature, but it didn't phase him much either. He simply shifted Shikiyoku into the embrace of only his left arm, pulling to a stop so when he fired his singular fireball-like attack, it wouldn't veer off course.

The creature paused, maw open as its black eyes glinted at the attack thrown at it.

The attack that it promptly caught from the air and consumed.

Then fired right back at him.

Hiei moved, quickly releasing Shikiyoku and bursting forward, sword drawn, slashing through the larger fireball and sending the flames scattering about in the air.

He would have continued, if the smell of smoke hadn't caught his attention. And it was as he looked down at the burning hem of his coat and pants that he realized his cloak had been left behind.

~!**!~

Nabu crouched at Akari's midsection, paws digging at the blanket beneath her and nose buried between her elbows and her stomach. "_Akari, listen to me. I'm right here. Wake up, wake up!" _He paused when he heard something move, a creaking of wood, and his head shot up to look over Akari's waist and up at-

"_Flowers!" _Nabu immediately sat up and trotted to the male standing at the door, promptly sitting on his rump at Youko's feet with ears laying down. "_She won't wake up. Can you help?"_

He didn't even look back at Akari as she continued mumbling, carrying on a conversation with… whoever it was she was talking to.

~!**!~

"_I mean, I could go on for hours, but you seem to still be giving me the silent treatment, sweetheart. It's rather dull. At least look at me, so I know it's getting into that small brain of yours."_

"_253, your meal." the intercom suddenly crackled, but Akari didn't move. She merely kept her eyes buried in her arms, laying stretched out on the tile floor on her stomach. "253," the intercom repeated._

"_Shut up," she grumbled._

"_Aw, she actually spoke!" Kyu sang out, reaching a hand out and patting her back. "It's a start!"_

"_253, you are to report-"_

"_If you don't eat, they'll make you eat."_

"_I said, shut up."_

"_You think you're cute, sweetheart, but-"_

"_You have ten seconds, 253."_

"_-you're just-"_

"_ten,"_

_A very loud snarl sounded throughout the room, silencing both the intercom and the ghostly figure that was crouching over her. "Enough! I've had it!" She moved to sit up, darkened irises from lack of sleep and irrational emotions looking to the door. "Shut up, all of you! I'm not eating your drug-ridden food, I'm not answering to a number, and I'm not-"_

_The door opened and two men entered the room, wielding what looked to be sticks with handles, something she recognized even from demon world. She stood to meet their advances, fists ready to fight and a constant snarl leaving her lips. This was the second time this week that they'd felt the need to detain her. "You're going to sit down, and you're going to eat." the larger of the two demanded, batan at the ready for strike. "And you're going to quiet down, settle in-"_

_A sneer broke across her lips. "Too. Damn. Bad." she snarled out, moving across the room and simply throwing the pair to the ground. She would have continued on, if one hadn't grabbed her ankle and made her fall, earning a yelp of surprise. So she hadn't thought through her rebellion very well… _*****

~!**!~

Youko's eyes shifted from the female tossing and talking in her sleep to Nabu as the dog plopped down at his feet.

The fox squatted down and regarded the creature thoughtfully as it spoke to him.

"If you were unable to wake her," Youko commented, "It is unlikely I will be able to." His eyes turned to regard Akari's face more thoroughly. "And I think sleep is in fact what she needs now."

Without rising, Youko leaned forward and crawled the last few feet towards Akari's body, bending over her as his long silver hair began dropping over one shoulder.

He analyzed her face, seeing the dark circles there and realizing by both that and the dog's concern that these dreams, or perhaps nightmares, had been visiting her often of late. His tail twitched thoughtfully.

Youko sat back on his heels. It wasn't as if he carried remedies around for this sort of thing directly, but perhaps there was a mixture he could come up with to help Akari escape her terrors.

Withdrawing two or three roots and seeds from their hiding places, Youko let out a brief, cold scoff at his desire to help this female.

_You're to blame for this irrational behavior, Red. _He growled softly at his counterpart as he took the ingredients in his hand and mashed them together to form a sort of paste that he continued to knead in his palm.

It did not take much longer for the paste to take on a strange, almost crystallized form.

_Demonic smelling salts. Hmph. _Youko let out an irritated sigh as he leaned over Akari again and waved the crystal-like object briefly under her nose, gently rubbing his thumb alongside it so that it would release its scent into the air.

Knowing the effects would take a moment, Youko made himself comfortable, laying on his side and holding his head up with his free hand, the elbow planted below on the bed with his silver hair streaming out over that arm as he waited patiently while moving the 'salt' back and forth with his other hand just underneath her nose.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stepped back a little once Hiei set her down, her expression flickering between satisfaction and irritation. The first at having her words vindicated, the second at suddenly finding herself cast aside like so much dead weight.

She wasn't exactly sure what had made Hiei stop instead of running past, perhaps he needed to burn off some steam, but seeing as how he apparently wished to handle the situation himself without asking for her assistance, she stood there, jacket of her dress in one hand with the other hand resting on her waist, the top of the dress now like a corset that revealed a part of her stomach before her pants took up at her hips.

Shikiyoku missed her cloak.

And by the smell of burning fabric, she would have bet anything Hiei missed his. She had to resist turning around right then and there to go get their things.

_And that was one of my favorite outfits too. _She regarded the burnt hems singed around Hiei's ankles with a tinge of sadness. 3

Hiei quickly grabbed hold of the coat he wore and shook it violently enough that the flames extinguished themselves, and his red eyes turned up to the creature with irritation. How was he supposed to _replace_ such a thing he'd left behind? Also, this wasn't even his outfit to burn!

His ire became even more potent when the creature opened up its jaw to roar again, even releasing another attack.

_So it can mimic._

He moved out of the way, deciding the less of this outfit that burned, the better he'd be. He charged, sword in tow, and simply struck the creature at its side, listening to the gleeful sound of the scaled skin ripping apart.

It roared and whirled, spinning a spiked tail at him that he easily dodged, deciding he wasn't as interested in this fight than he had initially been. So, he simply beheaded it before turning to Shikiyoku again, katana sheathed in a second's notice and, even though he was facing Shikiyoku, he wasn't looking at her.

Instead, he was looking at the burnt fabric with disdain.

"Let's move on."

~!**!~

Nabu trotted around Akari as well, moving until he was standing near her head, watching Flowers assess the situation despite his words. He felt slightly disappointed that the male wouldn't help wake her, but felt certain that he had something better.

Like he said, she needed sleep. Maybe he knew how to get rid of the dreams.

"_They used to happen rarely. But, they're common now. Worse each time," _he informed Youko, wondering if the demon's response to him earlier had been to his words or a simple inference.

_Akari landed with practiced ease, catching herself with her hands as if she were readying to do push-ups, having conditioned herself for this moment in hopes of actually getting away. She rolled, but was pulled right back to where she'd been, her nails raking across the tile floor painfully as her stomach was dragged across as well. When she stopped moving, she rolled over and kicked at.._

_The air._

_Another snarl as her arm moved to block the blow only the shadow had warned her about, covering her forehead and directing the baton to her elbow, where the wooden weapon hit and made her arm tingle, going numb from the force. _

_She would have made a grab for it were it not for the second baton that struck down, hitting her stomach and making her wheeze out a breath in response. _

_She took a deep breath, and a new smell just touched her nose. The scene seemed to pause for a moment as she looked around for the source, but in the next second, she was covering her face again, kicking out and fighting her way to her feet with one hand holding a baton, another throwing the human aside as if he were nothing but a toy. _

_Alarms and whistles began blowing somewhere outside the locked room, but the sounds were almost…_

_faded away._

_She took another deep breath, and she found herself staring at the human who had been charging, frozen in time. The lights had paused mid-flash, and everything seemed to stop._

"_What is that?"_

_She looked around the room, the smell stronger it seemed the longer she dwelled on it. And when she wandered the room, she found she could open the door and leave._

_And the moment she did, the scene was gone, leaving her in a dark room filled with nothing whatsoever. Another deep breath that turned into a sigh of relief. She didn't have to deal with it anymore. She could simply sleep…_

_Except this darkness was not one of sleep, but as if she'd just entered a room with no windows, no light, nothing. Just a dark, empty room. And a small noise, unidentifiable, could be heard. Along with another person's breathing._

Akari felt herself actually rising from sleep, though she was completely unaware of her surroundings._*****_

Youko felt the stirring of the demon next to him, but this time it held a more restfulness than her movements from before.

To assure himself that these dreams would plague her no longer that night, Youko made no move to stop, though he did lower his arm just enough to let it rest gently on her own arm while he still let the smell of the salts invade her senses.

~!**!~

"You mean into the city?" Shikiyoku wanted to know, already sensing his answer to the negatory before he made it. "I completely agree." She took a step as if to head back in the direction of the gates anyway. 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku, his brows drawing over his eyes and giving a look of complete irritation that was now actually meant for her. _Persistent woman. _He scoffed once. "Hn. Going back makes the trip longer. We're halfway around."

When she moved as if to go anyway, he simply stood there, contemplating his options. He _could _just swoop her up and continue on, but quite frankly, he didn't feel as if the struggle would be worth causing. "No cities. Period."

~!**!~

Akari shifted just a little, pausing at the feel of another's hand on her arm. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, and she had to blink once before her vision cleared to reveal the silver-haired demon look-alike. _Twice he's helped out. No, three times. _

Her eyes slid closed again and she offered a small smile as her body completely relaxed now, all tension leaving her as she fell back into the darkness of blissful sleep. _*****_

Youko felt the release of Akari back into slumber, being unresponsive to the small smile with which she graced him as her eyes closed again.

He turned the salt over and over in his fingers, letting the night wear on around him and listening to the steady breathing of the demon sleeping next to him.

Feeling a tug at his core just as the sun was about to rise past the horizon, Youko took a moment longer to glance down at Akari's face, reaching over to move a bit of hair that had settled over her lips back behind her ear.

Slipping gracefully to his feet, Youko considered the salt in his hand thoughtfully.

As he left the house, he placed the object on a shelf close to the ground where Nabu would be able to retrieve it if necessary.

~!**!~

"Going back and then through the city is _much _safer than trekking forward. We know this way is generally safe," She gestured abstractly in the direction they came from, "And I can assure you _that _way," She motioned the direction he wished to go, "No matter what your speed, is not." 3

Hiei's brows drew closer together and he shifted his weight impatiently, refraining from making a begrudging sound. "Yes, because the last two cities worked out perfectly well," he countered, gesturing in the direction of the town they'd left Uryo behind in. "I rather enjoyed the _legion of demons_. and the _townsfolk_."

~!**!~

Akari's sleep after her brief awakening to greet the demon she assumed was Foko had been very relaxing, and much needed. Dreamless, peaceful. It was such a deep sleep that she hadn't moved an inch since her eyes had closed.

But still, when the sun rose enough to create streams of light through the boarded up windows, her mind was rising to consciousness and her eyes were sliding open, her internal alarm clock going off and forcing her awake.

She contemplated going back to sleep, but her eyes caught sight of the school uniform that was laid out on a desk, and she realized she'd been gone for quite some time. The work _had _to be piling up by now.

The sound of exasperation turned to a yawn as she stretched and rolled over. _It'll still be there tomorrow…_

Internally, she hit herself. That was the reason she hadn't gone already. She heaved another sigh of exasperation and simply… got up. She'd simply have to deal with it, and sleep when she got back. _*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku glared across the way at Hiei, her jaw tightening as she remained silent to consider him.

"You know what? Fine." Shikiyoku tromped across the clearing in the direction Hiei wished to go, "We'll do it your way." She brushed past him without pausing, diving into the treeline, "Just don't expect me to _not _say 'I told you so.'" 3

Hiei felt no small amount of satisfaction that she finally relented, going the way he desired so as to avoid the ire-inducing cities. He completely ignored her last words, turning to follow after her, though keeping a short distance away from her simply out of precaution. Of what, he didn't know.

He was just glad they didn't have to deal with moronic demons this go-round.

~!**!~

Akari had gotten changed quickly, her hands rubbing at her face as she stood by the desk with her bag and belongings atop it necessary for school. _SChool work…. _Again, she was tempted to simply stay here and go back to sleep.

Instead, she willed herself to stuff the last book in the bag and heft it over her shoulder, turning and stepping over Nabu, who was stirring as she made her way out the door. "_You're going to school?"_

"Yeah. Don't worry about it Nabu. I'll be back before too long."

"_But you didn't sleep enough."_

"I'll be fine. Go back to sleep," she said to him before closing the door behind herself with a click of finality, turning and making the begrudging trek to school, rubbing at her face almost constantly. When she arrived at the campus, she was met with loud chatter within the hallways and inside the classrooms. Loud chatter that almost hurt her head as she walked into the open classroom, not looking around at the students just yet. _*****_

Kurama sat quietly in his seat, staring blankly down at the pages of the book in front of him, absently turning the page every so often to maintain the charade that he was actually reading the thing, though the truth was his eyes saw nothing of it.

In truth, he had withdrawn deep into his own thoughts, getting impressions of the night before and Youko's excursions under the full moon.

~!**!~

This was _not _going to be an easy trek. Shikiyoku sighed disgruntledly. It had been a long time since she'd journeyed into this neck of the woods, and for good reason. Cuz it sucked.

She heard a sputtering, popping noise coming from an indiscernible direction until it passed underneath her feet, and she kept moving forward calmly as a spout of fire shot up out of the ground behind her, flaming for a few seconds before disappearing, then shooting up again closer to her.

The back and forth of Shikiyoku continuing to walk without pause and the spout firing up just at the place she left happened for several more steps before the noise died away, as did the flame.

Other spouts started to pop from different directions, lighting the area as they shot up into the air intermittently, seeming to have no rhyme or reason to them, but moving in a direction for a time by disappearing into the ground and then reappearing a little farther along. 3

Hiei followed along, his eyes on Shikiyoku's back calmly as his steps followed hers almost perfectly. And as he walked, there was an odd stirring within him, followed by a sound he didn't quite understand, and completed with a burst of fire that had him sidestepping rather quickly, frowning when the hem of the coat caught fire for the second time. He beat it out swiftly before continuing along, this time warily, each step careful as he watched flames spout from the ground in a steady stream before disappearing and seemingly appearing elsewhere.

He admired the formation, his eyes seeing the flames as if they were doing a dance all their own around him. Each sprout was part of another, and there were a couple that even seemed to shoot simultaneously, as if one and the same.

He paused in front of one that spat flames up at him, rolling up the sleeve of his right hand and waving his hand through the flames. It turned from the normal shade of orange to an angry red, as if reacting to something else, but it did not retreat from him. He toyed with the flame, using his energy to entrap some of the fire and holding it in his hand. He rolled it around and around his fingers, like a child would with a ball as he continued walking.

He hadn't been paying attention to anything but the fire, so when the creature underneath his feet stirred, he paid it no mind and continued walking. That is, until a loud shriek made even the leaves of the trees shake, and Hiei was being lifted into the air.

When he looked down at the creature, he realized he was standing on the snout of a creature that looked rather like a dragon, but was not actually such a thing. Before he had much more thought, he braced his knees as the creature tossed its head, and in a movement faster than he'd been expecting, he was enclosed in darkness and covered in a wet substance that caused him to slip.

_Being eaten by a creature: check._

~!**!~

Akari strolled into the room after a brief hesitation, her eyes finding her homeroom teacher at his desk, red pen in hand and eyes occasionally looking up, obviously beginning roll call early, without actually calling for the students.

"Akari…" the man uttered her name and looked up, pen paused as his eyes scanned the room. She was quick to approach while she had the chance, taking to standing in front of his desk and blocking his view. "Ah! There you are! You've missed quite a few lessons, Hanase."

She nodded once, expression genuinely apologetic despite her begrudging emotions of being present. "Yes sir, I apologize."

"Don't apologize. You'll just catch up, like everyone else. Though, you may be subjected to after school tutoring too, for the hours you need to make up." He paused and looked up to meet her gaze finally, his brows furrowing slightly. "We're going over something new today, so you've come in at the best possible time." He paused, eyeing her for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

She raised a brow. He simply assumed she'd been sick? "I've had better days, sir," she replied honestly, but gave a shrug. "Part of life, hm?" she finished as she turned to leave him to his roll call, finding that her normal seat had been taken and the only open one was-

_Of course._

She heaved a sigh and moved through the room, taking the seat in front of Kurama without so much as looking at the redhead. She couldn't bring herself to do so, when the memory of their last encounter was flooding her mind suddenly. _*****_

Kurama's ears perked at the mention of her name, and upon hearing her speak, he did glance up a little, just enough to see that she had in fact come to class today. He took note of her consternation as she slid into the seat in front of him, and did not, as a result, say anything.

~!**!~

At the rumbling of the ground, Shikiyoku dodged forward and whipped around in time to see the giant fire worm snap its jaws shut around Hiei, then turn down to her.

Immediately, Shikiyoku's energy flared up in the darkness of the night, her green eyes shimmering as she frowned at the beast.

"That's my Champion you've decided to snack on. And if you know what's good for you, you'll cough him up." Shikiyoku told it.

The fire worm lowered its large, strange snout towards her, pressing it against the front of her in a hard nudge that nearly knocked her off her feet before she could raise a hand up to rest against it and push it away as flames shot up out of its nostrils.

"Open up." She ordered, batting it firmly with her palm between the spurts of flame.

The maw began to open, but before Shikiyoku could peer down to see what had happened to Hiei, another worm shot out of the ground next to her, jaws apart and snatching her within them, closing her in darkness as it dove back deep under the forest floor once more. 3

Hiei slid along the tongue of the creature and down to the back of its mouth, then promptly down the throat. He growled to himself, his feet and a single hand trying to get a hold on the sides of the slippery walls of the throat, but having no luck.

And he did not want to find out how potent the stomach acid was.

A hand quickly unsheathed his katana, and a brief moment later, he speared his sword into the creature's throat. Almost immediately, he stopped moving, the sword as an anchor working out just as planned, despite how the walls contracted with the screeching the creature was now releasing.

He looked up, and found that he could just make out a little light from the outside world. He hadn't fallen as far as he thought he had.

Hiei reached up with his second hand to hold onto the hilt of his katana as his body moved with the thrashing of the creature, knowing this was going to be a difficult feat if he decided to-

_Fool. _he called himself, scoffing at his own ridiculous stupidity. Why try to slice away from the inside, when he could just _burn _it from the inside out?

With that thought, he produced just about as much flame as he could muster, and allowed it to move as it pleased through the creature's body.

It would only be a matter of time now.

~!**!~

Akari leaned an elbow onto the desk and rested her chin in her hand, causing her long curls to fall over her right shoulder as she leaned into her lazy poise. She let her eyes slide close and tried to push away the emotions that had stirred, the confusion and the embarrassment, among a few others she had yet to explore. It was even harder to push away the warmth she felt creeping up her neck, finding herself glad that her hair would hide this from the male behind her, whose green eyes could be watching her at this very moment.

Smirking.

_Asshole._

She shifted in her chair so that her ankles were crossed beneath the seat, eyes sliding open again as the brown-haired girl in front of her turned around, regarding her with a welcoming smile. "Good to see you back. Gym class has been boring without your…. moments."

Akari raised a brow. _Right. Dodgeball and stuff. _She shrugged once at the girl, who smiled knowingly. After all, not many kids got away with throwing a ball into another's face. It just so happened that the gym teacher hadn't been paying attention, and half the class hadn't liked the girl anyway.

"You playing today? Volleyball."

"Not sure," she replied honestly with another shrug, her eyes turning to the side as she considered at least _greeting _Kurama.

And again, she was met with the tingling of her lips, the strain of her abdomen as she shifted, and the mental image of him leaning _much _too close into her space, and promptly shot the idea down.

_Asshole. _*****

Something...something about...Akari?

Kurama tried not to wince down at his book, frustrated with his counterpart and whatever memories they were not sharing at the moment. There were moments like this when he could not readily recall things the fox had been through, and the changes during the full moon only appeared to make things worse.

~!**!~

"You're **not **swallowing me." Shikiyoku announced, seated on the tongue of the worm as she was.

Cross-legged, arms folded over her chest, she could practically feel the veins in her forehead pulsing with irritation as her eyebrow quirked in time with it.

She could feel the rapid movement of the beast as it burrowed around.

A spout of flame, then two, shot up from its belly to exit through its nostrils, singing part of the hair that had fallen from Shikiyoku's formerly formal do. Not so much anymore.

"And you can stop _that _nonsense right now." She growled, reaching up to pinch out a flame that danced at the end of a twist of her hair.

There was no point in ordering it to open its mouth at the moment, since she would simply be pushed down by the soil it would be forced to consume, and so instead she started radiating her energy outward in defiant pulses, fully intending to take control of the thing once enough power permeated its senses. 3

Hiei watched the flames move about through the throat, then down and away from himself, a lick of fire even going up the back of the throat. He felt the night air being sucked in desperately by the creature, and sneered as he sent more fire up.

After a while, he decided it simply wasn't enough, and completely engulfed himself in flames. They swirled angrily in the small space, moving at his will and simply hugging the sides of the throat. The walls contracted, momentarily leaving Hiei in a space much smaller than comfortable, and in the next moment, a stench met his nose and he was looking down.

He wrinkled his nose, and after taking a deep breath in, relinquished his katana from the creature's throat, allowing the creature to quite literally spit him up, along with other chunky objects and a stench to rival almost anything, even Human World.

He sat on the ground, covered in bile and utterly disgusted. _One way to get it done. _He wiped his eyes clear and turned to glare at the creature that burrowed into the ground. When it was out of his sight, the fire demon moved to stand, looking down at himself with an expression filled with disgust.

At least Shikiyoku wasn't here to-

_Shikiyoku wasn't here. _

Hiei's mind jolted, just like the rest of his body, and the fire demon spun around on the spot, searching for any sign of her. None. He turned inwards for the bond, only to find it was pulsating angrily within his mind, almost like a headache. He quickly accessed his third eye and followed the connection, making mental contact after a few moments. "_Where are you?"_

~!**!~

"Well, if you do play, I'm a team captain, and would enjoy showing you how to play, since I know where you come from, there weren't many sports." Akari nodded at the girl in front of her, thankful for the distraction from her inner musings and briefly recalling her own made-up story of where she'd transferred from.

"I'll keep it in mind."

"Okay class, listen up. Listen!" The teacher clapped his hands twice, making the room go silent quickly thereafter. "Today, we're starting a new unit on herbs and their effects in medicine. I have a project for you-" the class erupted into talk as students turned to one another, "-BUT, your partners are pre-decided by yours truly. No groaning, mister Castillo!" A kid in the back immediately hushed, and several kids laughed, even Akari giving a small smile.

Maybe this was what she needed.

"They will be groups of two, since Toriko is still out sick." He gave a pause to consult the paper in his hands. "Now, the groups are as follows…"

Akari didn't really listen as the biology teacher went on naming pairs of students. Her eyes wandered to the window and around the room in thought, hoping she'd be stuck with someone who wasn't a problem and wouldn't-

"Akari and Shuichi. That's it."

Akari's ears twitched at her name, but her expression and mood immediately soured. It took everything in her power not to slink down in her chair, and it took even more control to recompose herself before the teacher met her gaze. "This project is simple. You're going to come up with a home remedy. For anything. No drug usage, okay? Don't get me fired. That's the only rule." He looked down at his watch. "You have today to decide on what you're going to go for, and tomorrow you will be working on creating your remedy. You'll make three different forms of whatever it is you decide to go for, just in case. We'll present them to the class on Friday, understand?" There was a pause. "Okay, get started." _*****_

At the mention of Toriko, Kurama's thoughts strayed again as his eyes moved to the seat she normally took before taking a sort of faraway expression.

Koenma had been quiet on the subject, so Kurama knew something had to be up, as not only was the girl gone, but so too had Hiei disappeared along with her. Any comfort Kurama took from both of them missing remained solely in the fact that they were together, and hopefully able to keep one another out of trouble…

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's jaw clenched together again as a thick drop of saliva fell from the roof the worm's mouth and enveloped her bare shoulder in its strange stickiness.

Not that it would have done her much good, but the jostle from being snatched had caused the jacket from the gown to go tumbling down the throat of the beast.

The she-demon wanted nothing more than the hot springs of the valley to bathe in at that moment, not to mention a nice change of clo-

"_Where are you?"_

The question echoed in her mind as she continued radiating power outwards.

"_Take a guess." _Shikiyoku replied archly. 3

Hiei stood in the middle of the small clearing, eyes roving until he received an answer, and it made it much easier to locate her, as if a radar suddenly popped up and he was able to move to the exact spot she was supposed to be. Except…

His eyes went downwards and he frowned at the soil. He didn't know just how far down she was, but he was sure that simply attempting to-

The ground moved. Not where he was standing, but nearby, and Hiei was turning to see several of the same creature rearing up from the ground, each one spouting flames from its nostrils at different times. The sound that filled the air made his brows furrow over his eyes.

_Oh. That's where it comes from._

He glanced down at the soil in which he stood, realizing that if Shikiyoku had time to be mad, she wasn't in danger at the moment. He unsheathed his katana as four of the worms looked down at him simultaneously, the flames from their nostrils dark and angry.

"_It might be a minute," _he sent before the creatures lunged at him, moving just fast enough that at his top speed, Hiei was keeping up with equal speed, running along their bodies and thinking of different ways to end this quickly.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes watched the teacher settle into his desk before they turned to the girl in front of her, who again turned around to her briefly with a smile. "Lucky, you get the smart one. I get the slacker."

Akari sighed, "Good luck."

Of course, she figured the groups were picked that way, where the smartest in the room were paired with kids who needed a nudge of help. In Akari's case, she assumed it was because she was behind.

After a moment, she turned around in her seat, leaning her right elbow on Kurama's desk and resting her chin in her hand again, crossing her left leg over her right knee calmly. "Alright, mister herbals, you decide." she said, not looking at the redhead, instead her eyes remaining facing the way her body was, staring at the opposite wall in an almost bored fashion. _Let's get this over with. __*****_

Kurama stared blankly at Akari's profile for a moment, his brain going back and replaying every word spoken since he became lost in his thoughts of Toriko and Hiei.

He thought of several 'home remedies' that he would like to create, namely one that would let he and his counterpart merge together, but instead of answering her, he lifted a hand up to cover his mouth and stifle a yawn.

There had been no sleep for him last night.

"You have no ideas of your own?" He asked lightly.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let out a low growl that resonated in the mouth chamber where she sat.

A pass of hot air fluttered over Shikiyoku's skin, as if the worm resisted allowing more flames to shoot out of its nostrils as she had asked it do to.

She could feel her energy brushing up against the sides of the beast and extending outwards.

Eye contact was going to be a no-go here.

Standing up carefully, to avoid getting pitched down the black hole of a throat, Shikiyoku reluctantly put her hand against the edges of the teeth to her right and started walking along the tongue to the front of the fire worm's mouth.

"Up." She ordered simply, the word echoing around her.

The worm began to shift, its tongue arching to prevent her from falling backwards.

On the outside world, the fire worm burst from the soil into a stand much like a cobra, and when it opened its mouth at another command from Shikiyoku, she easily hopped out and landed on the forest floor.

The worm immediately lowered most of its body back into the earth, but nudged at her again with its snout at which she growled angrily, another pulse of her energy radiating into the air.

At her reappearance, three of the nearest fire worms also pulled their heads from the ground and started making strange gurgling noises as they surrounded her, butting at her with the tips of their noses.

"Stop it!" Shikiyoku snarled, a wave of irritated energy bursting out from her again and only further encouraging the worms, who knocked her off of her feet. As she sat cross-legged on the ground with her arms woven together over her chest, they began sniffing at her, blowing her hair this way and that with the warm breath from their noses.

"Are you quite finished?" She growled again, glaring at one of them.

It snorted an arc of flame at her, promptly setting the remains of a red slipper aflame.

Shikiyoku let out a huff of an exasperated sigh and dug the foot into the dirt to put it out.

"Go away." She mumbled with less force than before.

The fire worm whom she had made contact with opened its mouth and started to hang its tongue out towards her.

Shikiyoku scrambled backwards, hurriedly stammering as she did so, but finding that she ran into the body of another worm, "Don't even think abou-"

It licked her, then pulled back with an excited expression.

Shikiyoku couldn't help the shiver that erupted down her entire body as she tried not to gag.

"You're. Absolutely. Disgusting." Shikiyoku felt another pulse of energy leaving her as she desperately wished these creatures would go away.

The fire worm simply snorted another burst of flame in her direction, and Shikiyoku didn't even bother putting out the fire as it caught her pants at the ankle. 3

* * *

><p><em>The noises of the fire worms as they move under the ground, that is the spurts of flame they breathe, are a direct reference to the flamey spurts that are in the Fire Swamp within the movie The Princess Bride.<em>

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	44. Episode 129 - Rescued, Sleeping Aide

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Readers!

To the next episode!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari continues being plagued by dreams-or rather nightmares-of her past.  
>Nabu and the true Youko assist her, though Akari believes it was the false Youko helping.<p>

Akari and Kurama are assigned to work on a project together in class,  
>but the both of them are having trouble staying awake.<p>

~!**!~

Hiei and Shikiyoku skirt around the edge of the next city at Hiei's demand,  
>finding themselves in the territory of fire worms, dragon-like creatures with no limbs.<br>After escaping being nearly swallowed by said creatures, Hiei discovers Shikiyoku had been swallowed as well,  
>and he attempts to track her via Jagan before being surrounded by more of the beasts...<p>

* * *

><p>Hiei moved, his feet easily staying along the worm's body as the other three spat flames at him and even tried whacking him from the air with their tails. Odd, he thought, but other than that he merely wanted <em>away<em>. He wanted to go bathe and rid himself of the stench that clung to him now, of the sticky disgustingness that, if he thought about too long, would likely make him physically ill.

"Enough!" He growled, turning and facing the nearest one with a flame all his own in his hand. The fire worm stared at his flame for a moment before pulling away, standing like a snake to regard him curiously. Then it released a sound of what he assumed to be curiosity, a puff of smoke leaving its nostrils in a slender stream.

Hiei took this chance to glance about, and found that Shikiyoku had appeared above ground now. Surrounded.

He'd had enough.

He turned and swiftly ran, hopping to the ground and dashing through the large bodies, making a quick grab at Shikiyoku as he passed by her, not even caring that she'd have to deal with his stench and the stickiness of his bile-covered skin.

He opened his mouth to speak as his feet left the ground, taking him across the body of another fire worm.

But this time, the tail came from nowhere, up from the ground it seemed, and out of precaution, Hiei released Shikiyoku, allowing her to fall out of harm's way while he himself was quite literally thrown across the clearing and into a large tree's branches.

Where, for a moment, he remained tangled, eyes shut from complete anger and slight pain from the brute contact.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged. "We could always come up with something fake. Say, play doctor and create something that would _make wounds heal faster_." She actually smirked at the thought of standing in front of a class and presenting something that literally did nothing, pouring a solution over a new cut and letting the class see how a demon's skin easily healed from something as small and insignificant as a cut.

They'd likely think _Shuichi _was a doctor.

Or a magician.

Another huff of a laugh.

_That would certainly be worth doing. _

Or course, she was only kidding. _*****_

"Neither of us particularly _need _a home remedy like that." Kurama pointed out, holding back another yawn, "And I don't think Human World is quite ready for the secret to be revealed in the first place."

Of course he wasn't going to fake something like that.

"Now, a fast bruise reducer would be less...life changing."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku twisted easily in the air, and the head of a fire worm dashed just underneath her, catching her fall so that she landed feet first on the top of its snout as it passed below and kept moving.

Another fire worm was pulling itself up out of the ground in front of the tree she had watched Hiei ricochet into, and with a burst of anger at the entire situation, Shikiyoku felt her energy gather into her hand and she tossed it violently in the direction of that particular creature as her own fire worm approached and reared up next to it in a sudden halt.

The fire worm she had hit nuzzled at her and she batted it away with a hard smack as she almost lost her footing because of its 'affections', turning to where Hiei landed and extending a hand as her energy continued to weave into the air around her, the fire worm on which she stood lowering to Hiei's level. 3

Hiei stayed how he had landed, his arms- bare and now scraped and bleeding here and there- hanging on several different limbs, his backside sitting almost in a chair-like position, his legs sprawled and tangled in the red leaves. Disgruntled, he didn't move, deciding he'd gather himself before untangling himself from the branches and leaves and-

A creature crawled along his shoulder, moving across his back by his neck until it rested on his left hand, staring at him with wide brown eyes as its fur ruffled in the wind. _Fur. _He was reminded dully of a squirrel, though this creature had much more fur and no tail, and its coloring was that of a lemon. Perhaps a little darker.

By the time Shikiyoku had shown up, he had heaved a sigh and resigned to allowing the creature to sit there, not taking her hand at first and instead staring at her unblinkingly.

The creature chattered at him with a high-pitched tone, making him turn to look at it as it puffed its cheeks out and resumed scurrying about his body, little feet trailing across his bare skin in a way that reminded him of the lur'mog.

He scoffed, his body tensed from the odd sensation, only relaxing when the creature was gone, out of sight. Chattering loudly, but not in sight.

Finally, he disentangled himself and reached to accept the hand offered to him, saying not a thing about the situation.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged. He hadn't really gone along with her fun, and it almost seemed irritating. Maybe it was just because she was tired, and couldn't quite get over the-

"It was a joke. A musing meant for my own entertainment." she grumbled, turning her eyes even further away from him so that her hair acted as a curtain to hide her face from him while her left hand wiped at her mouth absentmindedly.

She went quiet again, resisting the urge to heave a loud, dramatic sigh. Maybe she _should _have stayed home. Listened to Nabu and got some more rest. She'd been sleeping so well and-

_Foko._

She sat up straighter without thinking about it, suddenly remembering the appearance of the demon the night before. _Don't forget to hunt him down later, Akari. Thank him for… whatever he'd done. That's twice he's helped with events that were caused by- _

_No pointing fingers. _

She huffed at her own scolding. "Sleep remedy," she finally said, deciding she might as well go with something that would be useful for _her_ as well. "Everyone needs it from time to time." _*****_

"I...I apologize." Kurama said after her grumble, "The last few days have been...trying to say the least and I did not mean to come across as unpleasant."

He placed his elbows on his desk and interlaced his fingers to create a platform that he then rested his chin into, watching Akari but still not really seeing her. Or anything.

When she mentioned a sleep remedy, his ears perked up.

That idea was quite doable. And useful, Kurama thought ruefully.

"I think that is a most excellent idea."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku pulled Hiei up onto the fire worm with her, stepping back as she did so to give him enough room to join her.

She held his hand for a moment longer, lips pursed as she stared at him.

"Let's..._**never **_speak of this encounter to _anyone_." Shikiyoku declared, taking in how much worse for the wear the fire demon was and knowing that she likely looked just as bad herself. 3

Hiei moved and joined Shikiyoku on the snout of the fire worm, looking down briefly at the creature to ensure it wouldn't throw him as well. He looked up, meeting Shikiyoku's gaze squarely and nodding once at her words. He didn't need to be told twice on this one.

He took in the way her hair stood up in places, the way she still had saliva on her outfit or even in her hair. She looked as disgruntled as he felt, and after a moment, he looked down at himself, realizing he'd lost the shirt _and _the jacket, both of which he'd actually enjoyed. It had been an outfit he hadn't minded.

Now all that was left was his sheath, and a pair of pants that were both singed at the hem _and _weighed down by the bile he could still feel weighing his hair down as well. His eyes slid shut in a show of regaining any form of patience and calming himself.

It didn't do much good.

This time, he didn't speak up about continuing on. He simply moved on, cautious now of any other attacks likely being thrown as he simply continued moving in the direction they'd been heading before these.. these _creatures_ had appeared.

Maybe they'd find a river or something.

~!**!~

Akari held back a snort. The last few days had been _trying_? _Understatement, fox. You have no idea. _The urge to simply leave was now almost completely unable to be ignored, and again she shifted her weight to further ensure she didn't simply get up and do whatever her instincts pleased. Her eyelids slid closed as she remembered the night before, waking up to see Foko after her dreaming. It hadn't started out with those dreams.

For the past three days, none of her dreams had started out with those. Instead, they each started the same way: in the gym in Spirit World, hitting a punching bag. Each dream had transitioned from the scar he'd given her to a memory of another scar.

And each time, Nabu had awoken her. Or, almost every time.

Suddenly, she swivelled around in the chair and simply laid her head down on Kurama's desk, finding that she didn't have the energy to play the game of _don't look_. She took a deep breath that transitioned into a yawn, pushing away each and every thought that crept to the forefront of her mind that had nothing to do with catching up on school work.

"Sleep remedy it is, fox." she grumbled into the desk, her forehead moving just a little until it was much more comfortable on the crook of her arm. "You're the one with the herbs, though." _*****_

"I'm fairly certain my 'herbs' aren't exactly a 'home remedy.'" With Akari not looking, Kurama actually let himself yawn behind his hand this time. "But it shouldn't be too much work to see what's laying around that might do the trick. I'll come up with a list or something tomorrow."

~!**!~

After the fire worm dropped them down and Shikiyoku returned them to their habitat, she fell in step behind Hiei, staying a good two or three feet away as she felt more than a little self-conscious about how terrible she smelled at the moment.

_Maybe it was a good thing we left our cloaks behind_, Shikiyoku mused as she stared at Hiei's bare back. If they had brought them, there would be little salvaging them, what with how completely covered in stickiness Shikiyoku felt at the moment. On the other hand, how in the nine levels had Hiei managed to utterly _destroy _his clothing? It wasn't as if the fabric didn't have any resil-

Shikiyoku felt the ground underneath her shifting and she managed to take two more steps, her mouth opening to warn Hiei, before her words died away as the forest floor buckled underneath them right when she got a hand on his shoulder and managed one hard shove to try and get him beyond the edge of the trap.

She had no time to check and see if he avoided the trap entirely, head snapping downwards and her core racing once as she saw what awaited her at the bottom.

There was nothing she could do. Nothing to grab onto. Nothing but to fall right into the spike pit, a drop of at least thirty feet that only gave her enough time to angle her body so that nothing would impale her torso or go up through her foot.

Just as she felt the sharpened tips pierce through a knee, her mind erupted in a pain so indescribable that it only registered as a soft buzz, her brain unable to comprehend the pain in any other way. At the feel of a second spike bursting out of one arm from her own weight at the exact same time, her body dragging her down the wooden beams which impaled her, to the floor of the pit, Shikiyoku blacked out, not a single sound having left her lips. 3

Hiei hadn't been prepared. When Shikiyoku's hand was on his shoulder, he turned to look at her briefly, only to end up shoved away, stumbling to keep his balance and to stay on his feet. He recovered, registering the sound of dirt falling and something… sickening… crunching. Breaking? He wasn't sure, but by the time he realized Shikiyoku had fallen down a _hole_, of all things, he moved to peer inside.

Or tried to.

His foot pressed down on something that didn't belong to the soil, and not only did something trigger a metal trap that snapped around his ankle, but a pulley was also triggered, and in the next second, he was hanging upside down painfully, blood falling along his shin as his arms scrambled, a hand grabbing onto his katana as sounds of feet rapidly approaching caught his attention.

With his eyes on the mechanism holding him up and pulling at the skin of his ankle, he didn't quite see the hole Shikiyoku had fallen into. He pulled himself up using his stomach and with careful hands inspected the metal mechanism that had all but broken his ankle.

He hissed in pain when he tried pulling it open, receiving nothing. Not surprised, Hiei used his Katana to cut the line that held him suspended in the air, turning as he fell so that he would land on his good foot and-

His eyes caught sight of the hole, and what awaited down inside the pit. His core lurched at the sight he'd just glimpsed before Shikiyoku had fallen out of his sight.

_Bandits. Hunters. _It was a dangerous combination, and when Hiei landed, he was quickly working at the thing latched onto his ankle, knowing he wouldn't be able to move around much with it cutting into his bones.

"We've caught something!"

Hiei snarled, fully angry and, quite honestly, panicked now. He hadn't _ever _considered something like this. Creatures he could handle, but a gang of demons? Whose energy he couldn't locate?

The odds weren't looking good.

~!**!~

Akari grunted in approval of his words, but otherwise chose to ignore the redhead despite the fact that she was leaning on his desk, resting her head upon it as if it were her own. She gave another yawn, not even trying to suppress it. It wasn't like anyone was watching her or anythin-

"Why is it the pretty ones?" she heard whispered somewhere across the room.

"It's always the dumb ones too, who skip school and end up being tutored by the best ones. It's sickening."

Akari sighed, not caring for the petty conversation, but not able to block it out either.

"I mean, Shuichi deserves to at least have a partner who _cares_. Just _look_, she's taking a nap."

Akari slowly sat up, expression blank as she looked across the room at the two who had been speaking in hushed tones. She met their gazes squarely, earning wide-eyed stares of shock before they turned around again. She wasn't in the mood. _*****_

"What they fail to notice is that I'm actually taking a nap myself." Kurama murmured, his eyes closed at this point and his hair just shadowing his face on either side of where he still sat with his chin rested onto his interlaced fingers.

~!**!~

Stalking out from the treeline, a small demon with a mop of brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail crept to the edge of the spiked pit and stared down into it, a softly glowing spear in one hand.

Were this demon in Human World, it would likely be mistaken for a four or five year old child, though the two red marks across either cheek would have certainly given anyone pause for thought.

Others of the bandits started emerging from the undergrowth, warily eyeing Hiei, but making no move against him. There were maybe ten of them. Enough that when they were all in sight, they had formed a loose circle around the fire demon.

They muttered quietly to themselves about how 'this wasn't exactly what they had in mind.' 3

Hiei had paused when the first demon had appeared, his red eyes cautiously turning up to see more demons flooding into the area, and before he could even consider moving, he was surrounded and a single demon was peering into the pit Shikiyoku had fallen into. His expression shifted from guarded to dangerous as he heard the whispers and noted that the demon still stayed near the pit.

The fire demon's hands continued fiddling with the trap that was enclosed around his ankle, though slowly, hoping none of the demons would notice until he was striking. Still, he could sense none of their energies, so his Jagan peeled open once more, this time actually burning away the ribbon of fabric that concealed it so that it was not hindered in any way, shape, or form.

And the energy that pulsated around him from the eye seemed to make him feel even more on edge. Finally, the trap fell from around his ankle, and Hiei was standing again, his weight on his good foot carefully as he assessed the situation.

For the moment, the area was almost silent. And he wasn't sure how to go about this.

He'd kill them all if he had to, but he would have to be quick.

_Shikiyoku…_

~!**!~

Akari gave a huff and rested her head down again. "You're the _pretty _and _smart _one. Makes no difference, you do no wrong in their eyes," she replied tartly, eyes sliding closed again as she got comfortable. "Common even in Demon World, no?" she finished with a dry laugh.

Of course a trait such as jealousy was everywhere. Humans simply expressed it a little differently. _Not that they have much to be jealous over. _It wasn't her fault they were paired together. _*****_

"I cannot deny that I sometimes wish humans would be more inclined to simply brawl over their differences. Rather, I wish the _female _ones would do so instead of this petty wordplay they find so amusing. Yusuke and Kuwabara punched themselves into friendship after all."

~!**!~

"You." The child-like demon demanded of Hiei, pointing at the fire demon with the spear and turning to regard him. "Who is she? What is her name?" There was no denying the avid interest this demon had in knowing the answer. 3

Hiei glared at the demon that addressed him, his eyes narrowing even further at what was demanded of him. The information was not something he was going to give up, since trouble was easy to find around here. "She is in my company, and thus none of your concern," he responded tartly, shifting his hold on his katana, just in case. "Her name means nothing to you, and who she is is none of your concern."

~!**!~

Akari's eyes slid open, staring at the desk underneath her arm. "What?" she asked, moving her head so that she rested her cheek on her arm and was looking up at the redhead. "Yusuke and Kuwabara were not _originally _friends?" The idea of it was so… odd. But, it also kind of made sense, in its own way. They bickered like enemies at some points. _*****_

Kurama smiled, his eyes still closed.

"Kuwabara claimed to be the baddest kid at school, though everyone knew Yusuke in truth held the title. The former would challenge the other at any passing moment, and Yusuke would proceed to kick the metaphorical stuffing out of Kuwabara in almost every situation."

~!**!~

The entire attitude of the demons surrounding Hiei tensed, most of them sliding their eyes over to see what exactly the reaction of the brown-haired demon would be to the impudent fire demon they gathered around.

The demon stared at Hiei unblinkingly, face unreadable. A couple of seconds ticked by, and the gaze shifted to the impaled body in the pit.

"Either she is who I think she is, which you can confirm, and I save her, or she bleeds to death in this pit. Unless _you_ have some plan of extracting her from a thirty foot hole without further damaging the pierced limbs." The demon's voice did not change timbre, dryly stating facts and taking in the damaged she-demon before shrugging and looking back up at Hiei, "It makes no difference to me." 3

Hiei didn't like it. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, either not telling the demons and ending up fighting, wasting time, or giving the necessary information and risking just about the same thing. He didn't trust words easily, but he didn't quite have a choice. The demon was right, getting her out himself would be difficult, to say the least.

He ground his teeth together for a moment.

"Shikiyoku." he said finally, eyes flashing. "If you already knew, why bother asking?" He shifted his weight, slowly adding more of it onto his injured ankle to test its ability to hold him. It wasn't very steady, even with a small amount of pressure.

He'd have to plan carefully if something were to go awry.

~!**!~

"Hm," Akari hummed out, interested. She remembered first actually seeing the pair together in the tunnel, and how desperate Yusuke had been-

No, before that. He'd pursued the truck. On a bicycle, no less. And he'd done well in keeping up. She suddenly laughed and turned away, turning to her own seat and again resting her head down. _Some friendship they've got there. _

After a moment, she was thinking about Yusuke, and the gaming trip he'd lead her on. _Interesting moron, that boy is. Not as dumb as he makes people believe. _

Her eyes slid closed, and Akari could feel the edges of sleep threatening her mind, but she didn't resist. Not at first, at least. When she'd gotten close enough to sleep to dream, her head shot up and she was sitting upright, back leaning heavily against her chair and eyes pointed forward.

_Not going there. Not here. __*****_

Kurama's eyes lazily slid open at the abrupt movement of the demon across from him, but he remained quiet, taking to simply analyzing her face.

_Sleep remedy, hm? What is plaguing you so that you need- _Kurama's thoughts faded off and his stomach sank.

Surely not.

He couldn't have-

Kurama's eyes closed and his ribcage heaved in a giant sigh that he did not release audibly.

Shit.

~!**!~

"Because I did not know for certain, Champion." The brown-haired demon replied patiently. "The last time I saw her, we were both barely children and she looked much, much different than this."

The demon grasped the spear in both hands, orange eyes sliding closed and head tilting downward just slightly. One hand came off the spear shaft and waved over the pit, the slightest shimmer of blueish power sparkling in the air.

Shikiyoku's broken body came into view a few painstakingly slow second later, rising straight up out of the pit and coming to hover just in front of the smaller demon, who now looked at her with open eyes, reaching and removing the cloak around its shoulders with a silent flutter to lay it over her still-bleeding body.

"As you saved me, so I save you." The demon intoned near a reverent whisper. "A life for a life."

The demon turned to look over at Hiei, already having noted the injury he sustained, but not wishing to sacrifice his dignity by having one of the others in the clearing assist him, the demon simply nodded to him that he could follow, then caught the eyes of the others, and turned to walk back into the treeline with Shikiyoku's unconscious form floating safely above the ground alongside its path.

Without word, the other demons fell in step behind the smaller one, forming a V shape that was intended to have Hiei walking in the middle of as they forged their path back through the forest. 3

Hiei let his katana hang at his side as Shikiyoku came into view, the tip of his sword just touching the ground as he eyed the bleeding female who had, again, somehow ended up in trouble. And this time, her words of going into the city echoed into his mind, making his orbs turn from the brilliant ruby color they normally were to a darkened, deep red as he turned inward.

He'd caused it.

There was simply no other way he would, or rather _could _look at it.

When the demon turned to go then, Hiei placed every ounce of his weight on his injured foot, and without even a beat's hesitation at the pain that shot up even to his knee, he followed after. He didn't allow a limp, he didn't allow himself to even _appear _harmed, his sword being sheathed so it could not be used for assisting his own movements.

He simply followed, eyes on Shikiyoku the whole time.

~!**!~

Akari sat stock still for a moment before releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her body relaxing just a little as she slid down in her chair, her eyes never even blinking. _As soon as the bell rings, I'm leaving_, she told herself, deciding that Nabu had been right about her catching up on sleep.

And sitting here did nothing to help her. Watching the clock would do no good, and closing her eyes was now considered dangerous to her. So she shifted and moved to the front of the room, deciding she would gather her work while there was time to do so.

"So, what are your ideas, miss Hanase? Did you two agree on something? I'd hope so, since you're both back there chatting and napping."

"We've already decided. It's just getting there that's going to be worked on."

"Good, good. I suppose you're here for your work?" She gave a silent nod, to which he replied to with a gentle smile. "I have no doubt that you'll catch up. Once you've set your mind to it, you can do anything. I've witnessed it first hand in you."

She didn't reply, only watched as his busy hands gathered papers from various folders. After a few moments, the papers were handed to her and she was glancing down at the variety of work. He'd even seen to gathering work from the rest of her classes too, it seemed. "If I run into any issues, I'll find you," she said briefly, earning a nod and another gentle smile. "Thank you," she said before turning and walking back to the seat that had been deemed as hers for the day, now left with nothing to do other than look over the papers. _Still better than sleeping. __*****_

No wonder her attitude towards him had been...cold. He had done nothing to alleviate the problem at all, only made it worse.

He certainly hadn't factored in _that _particular nuance. He'd been slipping as of late. And mostly where _she _was concerned.

Kurama felt a bit of purpose settle into this 'home remedy' assignment. It must not only induce sleep, but a dreamless sleep.

His lips quirked a little in a smile. He already had a concoction in mind.

~!**!~

The little band wove their way through the undergrowth with a practiced ease, eventually coming upon a clearing that bustled with the quiet activity of their small tribe.

Their tents appeared to be made of the skin of the fire worms, as well as many of their clothes to boot.

With no pause to greet the other tribesmen, the brown-haired demon swiftly moved across camp to a tent set slightly apart from the others.

The demons who had been part of the hunting party dispersed as soon as they reached the clearing, and Hiei was paid little to no attention by anyone.

A slender demon got up and started to walk to intercept the demon with the glowing spear, but the latter held up a hand to stop the intrusion.

"I shall see to this personally."

"But Shubou-"

"Personally." Came the more stern reply from the shorter demon, who had not stopped walking briskly for the tent, Shikiyoku's form still floating along. "Let none interrupt."

The glowing spear got jammed into the ground just outside the tent entrance, and Shubou held back the flap to allow the body to get inside before following directly after.

There were rugs of various creatures' pelts from the ninth level spread everywhere along the floor, though at the back of the tent, several were piled together to create a bed, and it was to this point that Shikiyoku's body floated, the cloak slipping off and fluttering down beneath where the injured portions would come to rest, before gently lowering to the ground.

All the while she came to rest, Shubou remained busy gathering small pots and bandages, a basin of water and rags. This was obviously a medicinal-related tent, as there were various herbs hanging from the ceiling and casting a comforting smell over the entire room.

Shubou wasted no time in ripping off the already useless pant-leg of the injured knee on her right leg up to nearly the end of Shikiyoku's thigh, using a swift, but gentle touch to remove the fabric without so much as disturbing her.

The wound beneath was horrifying, a gaping hole that could have likely been looked through to the other side, with muscle and sinew obvious, and even a white portion out in the open that could be nothing other than bone.

Shubou did not appear bothered by the blood and gore, quickly stopping the blood-flow first.

As Shubou worked first here at her knee, the hands that opened the various pots and reached for the various rags to dip them in water and clean the wound sent the same purple sparkles through the air that had been present before when Shikiyoku first came up from the pit.

Movements fast, Shubou dressed the wound, wrapping extra bandages around it as the hole was likely to bleed through on both sides and not just one.

Knee done, the brown-haired demon moved the things littered about across Shikiyoku's body with measured precision and then transplanted over to that side, some of the items that had not been picked up initially floating to join the rest when Shubou could not be bothered to gather them all at once.

These items remained suspended in the air about Shubou almost as if forgotten, though each one was used as the orange eyes never left their work.

The condition over here was much the same, a stake having impaled entirely through Shikiyoku's left forearm, revealing all the bits that were meant to remain under skin.

This wound was more delicate to work with, as it appeared the arm had almost been completely severed off by the bottom width of the stake nearly exceeding the arm's own width.

It posed no greater of a problem for Shubou, who worked just as deftly here as with the knee, though the purple sparks flew about in greater earnest as fingertips passed over jars and rags and the water basin.

In the middle of dressing the wound, having just finished applying a salve to the entire outside edge of the arm on both sides of the wound, Shubou reached overhead and plucked a small, dry leaf from an herb just within arm's length.

Quickly powdering between two fingers, Shubou let the majority of the leaf balance on top of the thumb handling it, stretching up to smear the powder across Shikiyoku's upper lip before turning back and finishing wrapping bandages around her arm.

The powder was obviously meant as a waking agent, made apparent by the grimace of lines that formed as Shikiyoku's eyebrows pulled together in a frown.

Once the bandages were in place, Shubou began quietly gathering the filthy rags and water basin, the jars and such lifting to return to their places.

Still kneeling on her other side, Shubou looked up at her as Shikiyoku's lips parted with a single, quiet word.

"...Hiei?"

Shubou glanced at the fire demon and started to stand up with the dirty rags and basin.

"I'll see to it you are not disturbed." Shubou murmured quietly, stepping around Shikiyoku's body and leaving out the tent flap without another word.

"Hiei?" Shikiyoku asked again, voice just as weak as the first call, her eyes starting to open and her uninjured right arm coming up off the bed beneath her as if searching for him, her brow furrowed together with worry. 3

Hiei had followed the smaller demon into the tent that he'd disappeared into, and with a simple look around, decided that he'd simply help himself to a bandage or two. While the smaller demon, whose name he'd forgotten for the moment, began work on Shikiyoku, Hiei grabbed a few of the bandages that flew by and took to addressing his ankle, just enough to stop the bleeding.

Nothing more was necessary, or deserved, he felt.

The only reason he was cleaning up? So Shikiyoku wouldn't stress over it when she awoke.

As he tied the cloth, perhaps a little tighter than necessary, he listened to the rustling of the objects being plucked from the air and then used on Shikiyoku, who, for the moment, he couldn't bring himself to look up at.

After a few more minutes of silence, Hiei had regained control over himself and his expression was blank, eyes now watching everything that was going on. Even as his name was called into the air and the shorter demon passed by, Hiei didn't move, aside from turning his head to watch the other leave.

His name was called again.

This time, he responded by moving across the tent and over to where she lay, standing over her and looking down at her with a blank expression, waiting for whatever she had to say, if anything.

He himself, however, had nothing to say.

~!**!~

Akari placed her paperwork down and spread out each paper before her, letting her eyes rove over each subject curiously. There were a few that she saw that she'd be able to work on at that very moment, if she so decided, but quite frankly, work simply did not appeal to her. Nothing appealed to her but a silent room with no other patrons inside.

That would be nice right about now.

Akari shifted in her seat so that her elbow was on her desk and she rested her cheek in her hand, eyes still pointed down at the work spread out in front of her. Mentally, she was working on one of the math sheets, but physically, she was literally staring down with half-lidded eyes, as if she didn't see it at all.

She stared down at the paperwork for what felt like an eternity, the buzz of talking students drowned out and replaced with the sound of the wall clock ticking loudly, her impatience and desire to leave making it thrum in her ears. Deciding she was simply too bored sitting there, staring, she grabbed a pen.

As she reached down to her bag, she paused for a yawn, her eyes closing for a moment with the force of it. When her eyes reopened, she wasn't in the classroom anymore. The sun was shining down on the dark green blades of grass that moved with the pleasant breeze, and her bag was sitting on the ground, the contents scattered as if she'd dropped it. She gave a sigh and crouched down, retrieving each paper, each book that had scattered and placed them inside again, as if the transition hadn't really been noticed, though she was entirely aware of the shift.

_I tried not to sleep, dammit. At least it's a peaceful one, this time around._

Once everything was gathered, she heaved a deep, exasperated, worn-out sounding sigh and stood upright, bag in her right hand and eyes turning to look about. She was in the park, surrounded by yelling, laughing children playing games such as tag or hide-and-seek.

_Even in dreams, there's no silence. __*****_

Kurama didn't usually doze off in class, but when he realized somewhere in his consciousness that he was very nearly asleep, he slowly pulled himself back away from dreamland and reopened his eyes.

He stared at the back of Akari's head, a bit of a smile lifting part of his lips when he saw the deep breaths expanding her ribcage.

Lifting a hand to his forehead, Kurama wasn't surprised by the slight fever he found there, and he sighed, putting away the textbook he had been staring at and grabbing his school briefcase to talk to the front of the room.

The teacher looked up as he approached.

"I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well. I seem to have a slight fever. If it isn't too much trouble, I think I'll be checking myself out of school for the rest of the day."

"No trouble at all, Minamino! Please, go home and get some rest." The teacher smiled up at him.

"Probably from having to work with that lazy girl." One of the other female students whispered just a little too loudly.

Kurama made as if he didn't hear, simply nodding his thanks and moving to go out the door, making his way down the hall to leave the building.

Once outside, he took a breath of the fresher air and slung his bag over one shoulder, easing his free hand into his pocket and continuing down the sidewalk to home.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku knew Hiei was there on some level or another, but could not see him at first, and that induced a moment of panic and recalling of the drop into the spiked pit.

Did he fall too? Did he get hurt?

She had no answer for the first, as her memories faded from the time her body started hitting the sharpened stakes, and all of this combined led her sitting up very quickly.

Several things happened at once.

Her eyes opened first, and she saw but did not comprehend the tent around her, the last image her mind produced being one of the forest overhead. Secondly, sitting up meant that she moved her hands to help raise her. Of course, only one arm responded to her desire, and she found she could not feel the other. This was not entirely true. As soon as she sat up, a disembodied wave of pain scattered across the arm she could not move; her left arm hung limply from her shoulder.

None of these things particularly mattered to her, the pain getting beaten down by the thought that Hiei could likely be nearby and worse off than she. Namely because he had not answered.

Turning to the right, a flush of relief filled her mind when she recognized that Hiei stood next to her, though her gaze did not go higher than his ankles. Her eyes zeroed in on the bandage he wore about one ankle, and dismissing her concern about him not answering, she spoke up again.

"You're hurt!" The exclamation wasn't a particularly brilliant one, more of a statement-of-obvious that welled up from beyond her pain and concern.

As if there would be something around to help, Shikiyoku's head turned back to the rest of the room, still dazed and not seeing it yet, but looking nonetheless. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku sit up and quickly discover that one of her arms was just a little better off than useless. He could tell that she at least felt pain, but to him, it wasn't something he saw on _the bright side_, as it were. He watched her eyes move until they locked on his ankles, and her exclamation meant little to nothing to him at this point.

"Stop moving around." He wasn't sure what his tone sounded like to her, but in his own ears, Hiei sounded as if he were scolding a child. Impatiently scolding someone who'd listened to nothing he'd told them. "It's a ridiculous cut that means nothing."

~!**!~

Akari's eyes watched the scene unblinkingly, eyes following the many children that were running, screaming, chasing one another around a jungle gym and a set of swings, weaving through children in the seats that swung back and forth.

She turned to peer behind herself, looking for the dog that was normally with her when she ventured to these parts, but knew that he wasn't there. He would have been barking like mad by now if he had come with her.

So she turned around and decided to follow the dirt path into the shade of the tree line, knowing there was a specific spot that would be clear of any other people, as it always was. It had been deemed as her favorite spot, merely because once she was settled in, she was guaranteed a few hours of peace, unless a dog wandered her way or Kurama happened to be passing by.

He did that more often than she thought coincidental.

As she wandered, bag in hand and the wind rustling her school uniform, she listened to the fading sounds of yelling children, and her ears zoned in on the sound of birds singing. Their songs were so calming that she was able to ignore any unpleasant sounds of the daytime.

She reached her small clearing and looked up to the tallest branches of the largest tree in the immediate area, smiling with familiarity before she continued, pausing at the base of the tree and looking around again to ensure no one else would wander by. When she was satisfied, she made herself comfortable in the cool grass, laying so that the leaves shaded her from the threat of the sun's rays, the wind blowing by moving her hair gently and helping her relax fully.

Before long, she was actually laying in the grass, reclined against the tree and the warmth of the sun's rays was on her legs. She'd kicked her shoes off and turned to lay on her side, her head propped up on her arm.

_This is it. This is what I needed._

She gave a deep, contented sigh that ended in an equally contented smile on her lips, her eyes sliding closed. Sleep wasn't anywhere near welcoming her, but her body was simply so relaxed that it didn't matter. She would feel completely rested in a few hours anyway.

She lay there for a while, listening to the rustling leaves and the whistling breeze, the birdsong having stopped some time ago. She might have actually fallen asleep, were it not for the sound of a breaking twig nearby. She shifted, ignoring the sound as she knew of the creatures that roamed in the bushes, harmless as they were.

But a few minutes later, unease set in as the sound persisted, loud enough that it certainly couldn't have been a rabbit, or anything else of the sort. She rolled to her back and sat up, blinking her eyes against the rays of the setting sun drearily. She rubbed at them to clear her vision before moving to stand, slipping her shoes on and patting herself down as her ears locked onto what she now recognized as footsteps leaving the area.

_I'd been watched. _

She moved to follow the sound, her ears keeping her on track for a few yards until her nose caught several scents that didn't belong. At least, not here, where no other human had been in a while.

Sweat was the first scent, making her wrinkle her nose.

Blood was the next scent, and she didn't really dwell on anything else after that, instead turning and moving at a trot towards the source of the bloodloss. From the potency of the scent, she could tell it was not a small amount of blood, and the person who had come to harm would be lucky to be alive at this point.

That thought sent her into a run at a speed that would have made her a little less than a blur to anyone passing by. And she ran, and ran, and ran, all the while the scent seeming to fill the air, making it harder and harder to breathe.

She pulled to a stop just short of a clearing, pausing to ensure no attack were to come should she advance. When she was sure she would not be ambushed, she parted the leaves of the bush she'd been ducking behind and moved forward, eyes searching for-

Her irises locked on a body that hung from a rope that was tied around the wrists of a male, who dangled with head bowed and red hair moving with the wind that was no longer a peaceful breeze. Her breath hitched in her throat, and when she tried to move forward, she found that her feet wouldn't move.

After a few seconds, she finally moved, feet carrying her forward until she was not only standing in front of Kurama, but her hands had hold of his face by the cheeks, and she was moving his head back and forth, inspecting each and every cut on his cheeks and simultaneously searching for any sign of life.

"Kurama, you need to look at me now. Come on, you can't be the one in trouble." she grumbled, her hands moving to let his head fall again to the rope above, using her energy to create a knife that would cut the restraints. "You are _not _allowed to die, fox."

She caught him by the torso, following the falling of his body until she was sitting on the ground, head leaning over his chest, listening to the sound of any sign of breathing.

None.

Her stomach dropped and her core twisted. Her eyes were suddenly stinging and her vision blurry as she placed her hands over his heart, taking to doing CPR as she'd learned as a child. "_You're _supposed to be the one who can't be killed, you asshole." she growled out, though it wasn't much more than a mumble that almost didn't leave her mouth. "_You're _the strongest, and _you _are never taken by surprise. _You _think of _everything_. _You _protect-"

Her words cut off with a hitch as she squeezed her eyes closed and sat back, hands simply taking to resting over his chest, her head bowing to let the tears fall to the ground.

He wasn't supposed to leave. He was supposed to be here, smirking at her and challenging her and making sure _she _stayed out of trouble.

She took a deep breath, hearing the sounds of people chattering. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the classroom, students moving about, gathering her things. The girl in front of her was staring at her with a look of sympathy, a sad smile on her lips. "Maybe you should go home." the girl commented in a low voice. "You look like you need the rest…"

Akari blinked and wiped at her wet eyes, confused for a moment. Hadn't she just been…?

She turned in her seat to Kurama, mouth opening, but when she saw his empty chair, her eyes widened and her breathing stopped. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she felt as if she would throw up at any given moment, her body going cold. _He can't be dead._

She was abruptly standing, and the sound of the bell ringing in the room was lost to her as her hands quickly gathered everything at her desk and stuffed her papers in her bag, turning and moving for the door at a run before another thought even crossed her mind. _*****_

~!**!~

Kurama found that instead of towards home, his feet had taken him to the block that Toriko's house stood on.

Since the demon had disappeared, Kurama would drop by to make sure Maneshi stayed fed, which seemed to be a pleasing arrangement for the black cat.

Getting up to the door, Kurama fished first in one pocket, then the other, to get out the house key he'd pilfered from the first time he'd picked the lock and let himself in since Toriko left.

He was not immediately greeted by the animal, though Kurama thought perhaps that might be related to the early hour of his visit.

He guessed perhaps the cat was napping, and as he slipped off his shoes and placed his bag down, leaving the door open to allow some circulation of air into the home. He quietly padded over the carpet to the couch nearby, leaning over it to see the pet far away in dreams, laying on his back with his paws twitching ever so slightly.

Unable to help himself, Kurama reached over the back of the couch where he had taken to leaning and rustled at the soft fur of Maneshi's exposed stomach.

Immediately the cat curled in on his hand, blue and brown heterochromatic eyes flashing open as he snapped his body around the intrusion, digging his back claws into Kurama's wrist. Maneshi chomped down on the nearest of Kurama's fingers, glaring up at the fox with wild eyes as he grasped onto the digit with his front paws.

"Interrupt something pleasant, did I?" Kurama raised an eyebrow as he tried to remove his hand only to have the fangs further pierce his skin.

He sighed, feeling that tiny trickles of blood had started slowly weaving down the inside of his wrist.

"Could I have my hand back now, please?"

Maneshi glared at him for a moment longer, then very meticulously released his jaw from around Kurama's finger and allowed the redhead to pull away.

"Well, now I have to take care of this first, so your meal will have to wait."

Maneshi huffed at Kurama, but did not move as the other slowly wandered over to the kitchen sink, pulling back his sleeve and running his hand under the water to start washing away the blood.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku sat staring blankly at Hiei's ankle for reasons she could not rightly understand. The pact within her was agitated, holding her attention, warning her in her bleary state of their possible danger. Of _his _capacity being lessened by the injury. Of the danger for her in him being less able to protect her.

A continuous pulsing reverberated through the portion of the pact she could feel in her mind, one that kept her attention-what there was of it-focused on the ankle in question, compelling her to...do..._something_, though she couldn't rightly at the moment accurate translate _what_.

"Why didn't you answer me?" She mumbled, head hanging a little as if she had not the strength to hold it up. "I need you..."

_-to be whole. To be in fit condition. You are both vulnerable._

...

Shikiyoku's left arm did not respond when she tried to lift it up to her face, and so came the right hand to cover her forehead as she frowned. 3

Hiei didn't respond to Shikiyoku. Didn't even blink at her. He simply stared, as if her question were not worth answering. After a silent moment, his eyes shifted to look at the tent wall, where a small hole allowed light to filter through from the dying rays of the evening sun.

His face twitched around his nose and lips, almost creating an expression of ire, though it would have been aimed at himself and the situation he'd placed them in. He'd gotten her into trouble that would have been avoided had he just, simply, listened to her request, no matter how much he despised it.

He couldn't bring himself to respond. Why? Because he couldn't bring himself to even look at her, much less speak without faltering in his facade.

~!**!~

Akari ran through the hallways, avoiding contact with the few humans who had filed in her way with ease as her eyes searched for any sign of anything that would prove her wrong. Her chest felt heavy and her core was thrumming with energy while she resisted the urge to be sick.

She burst through the doors that lead to the courtyard, ignoring the teachers behind her who shouted at her to stop. Her feet carried her to the sidewalk of the town, turning to move in the direction of the park, her mind showing her the image that she was afraid to confirm.

As she ran down the sidewalk, hair whipping behind her as she moved, her nose caught the smell of blood.

And the scent of roses to accompany it.

Her eyes began to sting again as she picked up her pace, moving until she was standing outside a house, the scent stronger now.

Her irrational mind didn't comprehend the fact that the scent was too weak to mean anything more than a small cut.

She simply moved into the house, not even slipping out of her shoes as she burst into the living area, huffing, wiping at her tears before looking around.

It was then she realized that there was no way it was true. Why? One, the setting was different.

Two, she was tired, meaning she must have fallen asleep.

Meaning she'd been dreaming.

Before another full minute passed, Akari was turning and leaving the house at a trot, now angry at herself. _*****_

Even if Kurama hadn't heard the tromping feet over the sound of the water from the faucet, the tell-tale scent of rosemary would have caught his attention on its own.

Calmly switching off the water and grabbing for the towel he'd placed next to the sink, Kurama walked out of the kitchen as he wiped his hand off just in time to see the back of Akari hurrying out of the front door he'd left open.

His lips parted and he took a breath, at first intending to call out to her retreating form, but thought better of it and said nothing, letting out the air in a quiet sigh.

He'd start on the sleeping-aide that night.

~!**!~

"Will you at least-"

_Take his injury away._

"-sit down." Shikiyoku reached over and gave two light tugs at the burnt hem of the pants Hiei wore.

Her mind went blank, and Shikiyoku's hand slid down Hiei's leg to the bandages without her complete consent.

As her fingers rested above the place where Hiei's skin had been torn, her fingertips began to grow colder, and her own ankle started to heat up. 3

Hiei continued to stare at the tent wall on his right, not moving despite Shikiyoku's request. Maybe it was a demand, he didn't know nor care. He simply was not-

Her hand on his ankle made his eyes snap over to her, sending a glare down at the female, though he didn't step away for fear of toppling her and creating more problems. "What do you think you're doing?" He growled out, her cold fingers causing goosebumps on his skin despite his tolerance for the cold.

~!**!~

_Stupid. Of course he's not dead. _she growled at herself mentally, arm dropping to her side as she proceeded to trot down the sidewalk, not daring look back. What had she been _thinking_, letting herself fall asleep in class? What in the three worlds had her dreaming about _him _anyway? Other than the normal dreams as of late, that is.

And what on _Earth…_

Had caused the thoughts that had crossed during the dream? She didn't _need _protecting. She didn't _need _him to be there. He was simply _there _when it convenienced them both, and he was simply _there_ at random moments. It meant _nothing_.

She sighed as her footsteps slowed to a walk, continuing to the park, as she had been originally heading. She'd lay in the sun for a while. She needed to relax and do _nothing_, as she had intended yesterday.

She was going to _do _and _think _nothing at all, if she could help it.

And in her current state, she found it wasn't a difficult thing to accomplish. _*****_

~!**!~

"You understand then."

"Of course, Youko. We completely agree."

"Our settlement will come later-" Foko paused, turning as he picked up a smell he knew quite well to see a familiar face dashing out from the campus gates nearby with a hunted look in her eyes.

"I'm sure it will not be a problem." The other demon finished, taking little notice of Foko's pause.

Foko nodded briskly once, "We'll be in touch."

The two parted ways, Foko following after the quickly disappearing form of Akari.

He feared no human here, as they would simply see him as a slender, silver haired young man, his ears and tail only visible to demons or those with a high enough awareness to make sense of them, and so it was that he walked with confidence in Akari's path, following her scent until he caught the last of her diving into a house, at which point he stopped and leaned against the opposite side of a tree casually, wondering at the expression she wore, but seeing nothing chasing after her.

_Tilting at windmills? _He thought to himself, using the human expression he'd heard.

When she exited the house no worse for the wear, Foko waited until she was out of sight before slipping off the tree trunk and taking to slowly wandering after the rosemary trail she left in the air.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes glazed over, but when she heard Hiei's question, her mouth dropped open.

No sound came out, as if she'd forgotten how to speak, and she stared blankly down at his ankle.

A strange heat-wave started to rise from the same ankle of Shikiyoku's that Hiei's injury was on, not quite energy, but something similar, and her fingers continued to drop in temperature.

Her body kept shifting as if to raise her other arm to join the first, and Shikiyoku would have begun removing the bandages had that arm obeyed her commands. 3

Hiei felt the restraint on his emotions become lost to him, his anger boiling enough that his energy began leaking into the air around him, swirling in angry tendrils that resembled smoke, almost creating a shadow over his person. He could feel what she was trying to do, and oddly, he found that he couldn't move, despite the fact that he wanted to move away.

His leg simply wouldn't move. It was like dead weight, almost.

He shifted his weight to his other foot and pulled away, though not going very far due to whatever bound him to that spot.

He snarled, now completely enraged that she'd heal him when she was the one who had been harmed because of _his _decision.

"Remove your hand before I remove it for you."

~!**!~

Before long, Akari was in the park and in the very spot she'd deemed her own, looking to the sky overhead and watching clouds roll by for a few moments before she moved towards the familiar tree, whose branches swaying with the cool wind that blew by. She sauntered forward until close to the tree, at which point she unceremoniously dropped her school bag and dropped to her knees, then proceeded to lower herself to lay in the grass on her back.

With the sun angled the way it was in the sky, there was no problem making sure the rays hit her face. She crossed her ankles, linked her hands beneath her head, and proceeded to stare at the waving limbs of the tree above her, refusing to let her eyes slide closed.

And she was going to continue to refuse herself sleep from this point on. _*****_

Foko approached the dog-demon from an open position, making his presence well-known before he even got close.

"Might I join you, inu?"

~!**!~

The rapid shift of Hiei's power shocked Shikiyoku's attention away from the pact, finding that she had somehow become so very focused on its pulsations that she lost herself in the midst of it.

Shaking her head slightly as if that would more fully clear her mind, Shikiyoku meant to pull her hand away from him.

_What am I doing?_

She blinked, realizing that her hand would not leave his ankle and a panic set in for the lack of response of her own limb.

Fingers growing more icy and stiff, Shikiyoku's lips parted a little as her core felt like it caught in her throat.

Shikiyoku snapped her head up to look at Hiei, a wild and unsettled look in her eyes.

"H-Hiei, I _can't_." 3

The fire demon growled again, this time more loudly. "What do you mean, _you can't_?" He glared down at her, his weight shifting again. He knew what she was trying to do. Why play like she didn't _understand _her own prowess?

He shifted his weight again, this time so he could crouch down to her level and begin prying at her fingers. trying to pull them away from his skin.

And he found that her fingers would not budge in any way, shape, or form. Another growl, this one under his breath as he tried harder to peel her hand away. "You're not healing me."

~!**!~

Akari heard footsteps and was aware of a presence before too long, and for a second, she considered moving into defensive mode. But, she saw no point to it. Her senses were delayed anyway, it wouldn't do much good.

Even if it were someone who was attacking.

It wasn't hard to guess the person who had approached, even before he spoke. "Out during the day now, hm?" she asked him, tone light as if she'd been expecting him to appear. "Do whatever you like, I suppose. I have no reason to turn you down, Foko." _*****_

"That is a most wonderful bit of information to hear, inu." Foko declared, starting to walk towards Akari again, and dropping to the ground next to her, laying down on the grass with his hands behind his head, tail and hair spread out beneath him.

"So, what's troubling you this time, if I may inquire. Anything I can kill for you?"

~!**!~

The very instant Hiei mentioned healing, Shikiyoku's eyes widened as she watched him try to remove her hand.

There had been a time...some time in the distant past of which she only had a vague recollection of a former Champion injured, a vague remembrance of a compulsion from the pact, one that led to...well...

"...it...it's not healing." She admitted, "It's...it's a mirror effect."

She could feel the heat radiating off of her ankle more clearly now, knowing now that the pact was attempting to remove the hindrance upon her Champion's ability to fight and place it upon her own body. 3

Hiei halted in all attempts to peel her fingers away, his glare harsh as she spoke up, informing him of what she was _actually _doing. Defeated, he realized he couldn't escape it. If it was possible, this fact made his anger rise as he simply sat on the ground, eyes smoldering as he stared at her expectantly.

He didn't deserve to have his pain taken away. She did.

And he couldn't do that.

But she could do that for him.

"Fool."

~!**!~

Akari didn't answer Foko, only staring overhead with blank eyes. She took a deep breath and slid her gaze over to him, analyzing his face for a moment before releasing a sigh. "I don't feel like talking about it," she admitted, turning her eyes again to the sky. "Thank you, though."

She took a deep breath to sigh again, but instead yawned. Loudly. "What's got you wandering around?" _*****_

"Nothing for me to kill for you then? What a sad existence I must lead today." Foko's eyes stayed closed as he enjoyed the sunshine warming his body.

"Only business." He replied lightly. "And what of you? What has you leaving, what is it, school? In such a rush? Did you miss the bark of the tree behind you mayhaps?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had no answer for Hiei, subjected to keeping in contact with him for as long as the pact required.

The strange pulsations drew her attention back to the pact within her, though she did not become mesmerized again. She did not remember this pulsing from the time before, and so it was that when her hand started to thaw-at which she immediately pulled away from him-she felt herself unsurprised to find that the injury had not transferred.

A shudder passed over her as the heat on her skin started to dissipate, leaving behind a clear ankle where it normally would not have.

Shikiyoku felt her jaw clench together as she clutched her hand up to her chest, and in her anger felt the beginnings of tears start to well up at the corners of her eyes.

The invisible voice within her struck up its chorus again, resounding words inside the plane of her mind to remind her of something she had nearly forgotten...

_Useless. Utterly useless. _

_You really __**are **__a fool. _3

Hiei remained seated, even after Shikiyoku had pulled away. He looked down at his ankle and found that his wound had not disappeared as he had expected, but that her attempt had failed. His expression turned blank suddenly as he forced himself to at least _appear _under control.

Finally, he moved to his feet, ignoring the chill that had remained over his ankle as he turned to head towards the tent flaps.

~!**!~

Akari almost smiled at his words. "Nothing to kill today." she said casually, suddenly rolling over to her side so that she was facing the fox, but her eyes were watching the area beyond his head. She'd caught the sounds of smaller creatures, and as per natural instinct, had felt the need to watch it as it moved, the rabbit now under her keen watch.

"School was irritating and I had something I needed to… check on." she replied, her eyes never leaving the bunny that was chewing on whatever was in its grasp. "I'd smelled blood, and it's part of my…. job to ensure it isn't something worrisome." _*****_

Foko opened a single eye to half-lid until he realized she had only turned towards him, closing the eye again and listening to her words.

He found it amusing that they referred to their work as "business" and "job" when they both knew what it meant for the other, and the implications that they were likely not on the same side in this soon-to-be war Foko was attempting to stir up.

"Does your job only require you to sniff out blood, then? That seems like a dreadfully boring way to go about things."

~!**!~

"Hiei, my injuries are _not _your fault." Shikiyoku's tone pierced through the silence between them, her timbre grim as she admitted the next part with no small amount of anger aimed at herself, her bile-covered hair shadowing either side of her face where a single furious tear rolled down her cheek, "I saw the damn trap and thought you had already activated it. When I went to push you out of the way, I'm the one who sprung it instead. If I had just let you keep walking and avoided it in the first place, I wouldn't have-" She swallowed, teeth clenching together as she held back a tide of anger that manifested as another tear rolling down her cheek. "But I did spring it. Because I'm stupid."

It wasn't as if she had not come across things like this before. This was her territory. Her home! And in a moment where she might have assisted, might have rectified at least a portion of her mistake by removing his blemish...even that comfort was denied her.

_Useless._

Her teeth gritted together for a moment.

"Just thought you ought to know."

She dropped back down onto the pile of fur, wishing desperately that he would just come back and watch over her while she healed, but guessing that it wasn't likely.

"If you're going to go kill things, kill lots of them. For me too." She finished, staring balefully up at the tent ceiling. 3

Hiei paused only briefly as Shikiyoku spoke, but her words did nothing to calm the anger he felt at himself. _You're wrong, you fool. _he thought before his footsteps resumed, the flap of the tent rustling back into place behind him as Shikiyoku's last words ended.

He planned on killing many, many beings.

"_If I return and she's been disturbed," _Hiei began telepathically to the entire populace around him, "_There will be no mercy for you. Understand that." _With that, the fire demon moved around the tent and walked around to the back, continuing past it and moving into the tree line, sword in hand in a flash and anger forming actual flames around his weapon now.

~!**!~

Akari's mind was entirely blank as her eyes followed the hopping rabbit as it moved, little cheeks moving with whatever it was chewing up. She adjusted so that her elbow was propped in the grass, her hand holding up her head calmly, her hair falling over that shoulder, moving with the wind that continued to blow by without pause.

"Mmm… not as boring as you'd imagine. I've killed several entities in the past few days. An Aswang was the latest. I hadn't thought they existed anymore, but it had appeared. Wasn't much of a challenge, except my close combat isn't as fast as an Aswang's is. There was also an entire group of demons who had taken over a warehouse. Those morons were fun to toy with. Especially the larger ones." She paused, flashing her eyes to him momentarily before returning to watching the rabbit keenly, smirk of amusement on her face at her next words that were entirely sarcastic. "I enjoyed being tossed about." _*****_

Foko opened his eyes just enough that he could watch her movements out of them, and when she stopped speaking, he took the moment to comment.

"I think the real question is, what's a girl like you doing using her nose to sniff out blood for somebody else?"3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	45. Episode 130 - Conversations

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!

So, you may or may not have noticed the fact that Shubou is referred to as an 'it' rather than a 'he' or 'she.' This is intentional as Shubou is in fact a genderless demon. As far as looks and mindset goes, Shubou looks/identifies more as a male, but is not actually male or female. No reproductive organs! Nothing there! In case I was being too vague. Tee hee.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Kurama decide their project is going to involve a sleeping aide,  
>and once Kurama discovers that he has a bit of a fever,<br>he excuses himself from the classroom.

Kurama blames himself for Akari's refusal to sleep,  
>believing that the scar and subsequent kiss he gave her<br>has brought her nightmares to bear.

Later, Akari meets up with Foko in the park and the two strike up a conversation,  
>Akari still attempting not to fall asleep for fear of her dreams.<p>

~!**!~

After escaping the fire worms, Shikiyoku and Hiei continue on their way.  
>Thinking Hiei triggered a pit-trap, Shikiyoku pushes him forward<br>and into a bear-like trap, falling into the pit herself instead and impaling an arm and a leg.

As Hiei is hanging from a tree with a trap around his ankle,  
>they are rescued by Shubou, a demon whose life Shikiyoku apparently saved some time in the past,<br>and who is the leader of the nearest tribe who set the traps.

After Shubou dresses Shikiyoku's wounds, Shikiyoku's internal pact with Hiei activates  
>and forces her to attempt to 'mirror' the injury from his ankle onto hers,<br>but given that she only has half of the pact (Toriko has the other half)  
>it doesn't actually work.<p>

Thinking he deserves the injury for failing to protect her,  
>Hiei storms off in a brooding hissy-fit to go burn stuff,<br>threatening the entire encampment something happen to Shikiyoku in the meantime...

* * *

><p>Once Hiei was out of sight, Shubou scuttled back in the tent, stumbling to a halt.<p>

"Woman. What are you doing."

Shikiyoku had in that time, gotten up to stand on one leg, holding her useless arm with her good hand and wincing in pain.

She looked up to see Shubou with hands on waist, glaring at her.

"I knew you would try moving around. And your Champion just threatened my entire tribe with death should you be disturbed. You lay back down right this instant or I might as well kill you myself and give that fire demon _actual _reason to destroy us all."

Shikiyoku and Shubou glared at one another, but the she-demon felt her strength fading and she started to lower herself back down.

As soon as Shubou had seen her start to do so, it moved to help, gently handling her back to the fur bed.

"He would probably _thank _you for offing me." Shikiyoku noted as she shifted around just a little to get more comfortable.

Shubou paused in the middle of adjusting a portion of the furs under her, staring at her face for a moment as she took to staring at the ceiling.

"What makes you say that?" Shubou wanted to know, going back to adjusting again.

"Does he _look _like the type who enjoys being stuck with me?" _Useless idiot that I am._

Shubou didn't answer.

"He believes he was tricked into the pact. Killing me would free him from it." Shikiyoku shrugged her good shoulder, "Hence the 'thanks.'" 3

Hiei moved as far from the tribal area as he so dared, mind forced blank as he paused in a new clearing, looking around for the creatures that his senses told him were nearby. He immediately shot a stream of fire around the circle of the clearing, stirring up the creatures with ease and causing many, many various forms of threats to emerge, some from overhead, some from the trees, some from the ground, some from seemingly nowhere in particular.

And with that, he was hacking away, beheading creatures here and there, beheading them everywhere.

~!**!~

Akari sighed. "It was either that, or my life. Not much of a fair trade, hm?" she answered, the rabbit now bouncing out of view, leaving her eyes to wander and meet the cool amber of the other. She eyed him for a moment before rolling onto her back again, hands linked together on her stomach, eyes shutting for a few moments.

"For some reason, I was granted a life that should have ended long ago. It's a wonder why I'm still even an entity." _*****_

"Well, there's obviously _some _reason why you're still walking. Some might call it luck. Perhaps others, 'fate.' If you had been meant to die, you would have already done it. Spirit World is not yet ready for you. I would say, not yet _worthy_ of you."

~!**!~

A moment of silence grew between the two demons before Shikiyoku could shake herself of her darkened thoughts.

"...thank you."

"A life for a life." Shubou replied simply.

"I had no idea where I was when I first woke up."

"Well, you've never been here before."

"True enough."

A sleepy chirp brought both demons' attentions to Shikiyoku's torso, and much to her surprise, the tiny lur'mog came crawling out from the top of the remains of her dress to stand far enough away that Shikiyoku could see it if she bent her head down all the way.

Her expression turned amused, "So _that's _where you've been nestled this whole time. I won't even ask."

The lur'mog started to clean his face with his paws, tail curling around his feet as he remained oblivious to Shikiyoku's speech.

"Hey," Shikiyoku reached over and poked the lur'mog in the side.

He looked up when she did not remove her finger, gently bracing himself against her touch with one sharply clawed hand, his eyes big and round.

"Go see how he's doing, huh? He's...upset."

The lur'mog chattered once at her, then turned and disappeared.

~!**!~

The speed of the tiny creature brought him to Hiei just as the fire demon set the clearing aflame, and the lur'mog shot through the fires with glee after watching them settle in, dashing up a tree and then across the empty air until he landed safely in Hiei's hair, popping back into sight as he stopped moving and clapping his paws together excitedly as he watched all the things die and all the other things burn. 3

Hiei had felt the change in pressure on his head, but for some reason, he paid it no mind, as if it were not a threat. He merely continued on destroying creature after creature with his sword and fire that he conjured over and over, to keep the animals stirring.

After a while, it was as if there were no other creatures in the clearing. Or if there were, they were smart enough to stay hidden or leave without being detected.

He stood there, darkened eyes searching for any sign of life within his immediate sights.

Instead, his hand reached up to grab whatever it was that hand landed in his hair, hand moving just as fast as it could manage.

~!**!~

Akari slid her eyes open and over at Foko again, blinking slowly at him once with a small frown. "My death wasn't exactly a surprise, not even to me." She paused, blinking at him once more with his last words finally registering. A sarcastic smile formed on her lips and she again turned to the skies above. "How… _kind _of you to enunciate," she mumbled, though she, for once, meant it. It was almost as if he was trying to make her feel better, without actually directing the conversation away. "Your words are rather flattering, might I say." _*****_

"You might. But let me assure you that when I start to flatter you and not just speak truth, you will know it. But my flattery will never meant to be taken as untruth either." He opened his eyes again to look at her meaningfully, a smile dancing across his features but never quite settling on his lips.

~!**!~

The lur'mog had taken to bobbing his head back and forth as if in a dance as Hiei tore through the helpless creatures, and when the fire demon reached to grab a hold of him he simply let it happen and relaxed into his grasp, wondering if perhaps he should have run and seen if Hiei could catch him.

As it were, when Hiei lowered the creature, the lur'mog's eyes were big and round at the thought that he could have made it into a game, disappointed briefly that he hadn't.

His scaly tail wrapped gently around the wrist nearby, just in case the demon decided to try and chunk him away, and after a second of that disappointing thought of a game that wouldn't be played, the lur'mog perked up again and lifted one tiny paw from where both clutched at Hiei's hand. 3

Hiei lowered the creature he'd grasped until it was held in front of his face, his eyes assessing the lur'mog that he hadn't remembered to be nearby. He raised a brow at it, momentarily considering tossing it to the side and continuing on his tirade.

But the memory of tickling the creature had him pausing, staring. He finally released a large breath, closing his eyes and reopening them in time to catch what almost looked like a wave from the creature.

"Curious little thing," he grumbled, sheathing his sword and lowering his hand level with his chest, opening his hand and leveling it to create a platform, though making sure it was on its back so he could reach forward with his opposite hand and rub at the lur'mog's stomach with his nail. This would now be his greeting to the creature, he decided.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes and smiled a small, tired smile at Foko's words, taking them as a joke despite the smile that flashing in his eyes. Deciding to play along, she responded with, "I'll be looking forward to it."

She hadn't dreamed that he would be serious.

After another pause, she let her eyes slide closed, her mind no longer blank enough to allow sleep. "You're an interesting character, y'know that?" _*****_

"Interesting? I find myself a rather simple demon. Unlike you." He paused, "Now that _was _meant as flattery." The grin that had been dancing about before finally did land on his lips.

~!**!~

The lur'mog remained wide-eyed as Hiei started to move him, tilting his head to the side with questioning right up until the moment that Hiei touched it with his other hand, immediately earning chortles from his throat as he began to wriggle around on his back, all four limbs pointed to the sky.

His tail unraveled from the one wrist and snaked about the other that was prodding at him, his eyes now squeezed together in his laughter. 3

There was an odd sort of release inside Hiei at the sound of the lur'mog's laughter. Though he didn't chortle, or even smile at the creature, he did feel an odd sense of fondness for the small thing, fondness that made it difficult to be angry at the moment, even at himself.

He was simply disappointed in himself at this point.

He'd already fought the anger away.

He continued scratching at the lighter scales of the creature's soft underbelly, red eyes slowly lightening to their normal ruby color. "How long do you plan on sticking around?"

~!**!~

Akari smiled again. Perhaps he was rather… simple. Straightforward was perhaps a better word for it, but in a sense, his simplicity made it almost too easy to ease into his presence, to relax and simply enjoy the moment.

When he was done speaking, she was taking a deep breath and smiling at him a little wider. "If it means anything to you whatsoever, your _simple _presence is definitely an enjoyable one. As for your flattery," she paused, thinking for a moment before she simply smiled at him, unable to come up with anything to retort with. She was simply that brain dead, it seemed. _*****_

Foko chuckled, "I will take your silence to assume that if you did not wish to be flattered, you would make it rather clear to those that would flatter you."

Foko heaved a sigh, "I do not wish to fight you, inu." He remarked wistfully, thinking of the coming war.

~!**!~

What was there to say?

Nothing comprehensible for the lur'mog, at least. His tiny body started rocking back and forth, limbs kicking in the air occasionally when Hiei would hit a certain nerve.

His tiny chirrings filled the area surprisingly well, the noises he made ranging from deeper chuckles of breath to rapid-fire near-clicking noises, his body heaving desperately for air as he helplessly wiggled in Hiei's grasp. 3

Hiei watched the writhing of the small animal for a few moments more before his finger paused, withdrawing about a millimeter away from the scales to allow the lur'mog to breathe. He watched the small animal with an almost soft gaze, wondering if it would be wise to return to the campsite or not.

He didn't enjoy trusting others with the safety of Shikiyoku, but at the same time, he didn't think returning would help his own attack on himself.

It didn't help that she'd put him before herself, when it was clearly his job to do that for her.

"Foolish."

And for the first time, he wasn't sure who was the real fool.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged at his first words, again taking them as joking. Until his next words were uttered. She eyed him, expression turning somber now, as she continued on the same thought he'd obviously been on for a while. "Honestly, I don't see a reason to." She heaved a sigh. "There doesn't have to be a fight, y'know. If I've learned anything in my life, it's that you have a choice in almost everything you do." _*****_

"When the time comes, there will be reason enough." Foko sounded wise, "We are on opposing sides, are our ideals not dictated by those who are the head of each of our causes?"

~!**!~

The lur'mog's laughter died down quickly when Hiei pulled away, and he lost no time in righting himself, reaching over and gently patting at Hiei's finger, a solemn expression in his eyes.

Without other ceremony, the lur'mog hopped down to the forest floor, stared up at Hiei and thumped his tail twice against the ground before disappearing, reappearing a few feet away-in the direction of the tribe's camp-and hopping up and down, doing the same disappearing act, going a bit farther, and staring back at Hiei again. 3

Hiei had been fully intending to continue his little game, but he was disappointed to see the lur'mog disappear, feet literally making no trace across his skin as it moved, though he did just make out sound as it scurried across the grass that was, he just noticed, burned and dead. Blackened.

_Fitting_, he thought, thinking the black went very well with the red.

He turned his eyes onto the lur'mog again, staring at it blankly. "I do not wish to return yet," he responded blandly.

~!**!~

Akari sighed. Of course he was right. When it came down to it, a person was controlled by a higher power. That too was something she'd learned in her life. "For some reason, I don't see your cause being too awful, considering the way you, the leader, are. It just doesn't seem… fitting. But, you aren't going to share, are you?" _*****_

"Of course not, inu. I wouldn't jeopardize my motives any more than you would yours. It's quite frankly terrible enough that I'm..._fraternizing _with you." The word was said languidly with no malicious intent behind it at all, instead almost teasing.

~!**!~

The lur'mog paused when Hiei spoke, head tilting again and a puff of air escaping his lungs as he considered the other.

She may not have told him as much, but the lur'mog knew what She needed, and it wasn't only physical heal-

The lur'mog perked up, the spines across his back standing at attention as he glanced this way and that, assessing the area he stood in, and then taking off, disappearing completely out of sight without further ado. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the creature that huffed at him, then proceeded to look around, head moving fast enough that were it not for his Jaga, Hiei likely wouldn't have even noticed the change. And then it was gone, leaving Hiei standing there, confused and almost curious as his eyes began looking around slowly, searching for the dark body that had disappeared.

"I'm in no mood for games, small one."

~!**!~

Akari shrugged. "I have no motives, though your statement would be valid if I did. I'm simply doing whatever will grant me another day of life." she paused, not sure if she wanted to ignore his teasing or not. She moved, suddenly sitting up and stretching, an arm over her head and the other behind her head to grasp at her elbow.

"Well, I guess there won't be much of a problem if this.. _flirting with the enemy_ thing doesn't get too far, now hm?" her tone was light, a smirk forming on her lips as she glanced at him briefly.

She wasn't sure if she quite believed her own words. _*****_

Foko lifted an eyebrow and glanced over at Akari as if to say 'Oh?' before he spoke up.

"What makes you say that? Did you have something more in mind already?"

~!**!~

The lur'mog reappeared on Hiei's shoulder with a blackened leaf from the burned forest floor beneath them, clutching at it and chattering excitedly before disappearing again.

He reappeared a few seconds later, this time hopping back and forth from foot to foot, holding a leaf that looked remarkably like the one he just had, except that it was...green again. Alive. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised when the small animal appeared on his shoulder, his red eyes turning to see what the lur'mog held for him.

"Lur'mog," he grumbled, his tone reflecting his earlier statement when the small being disappeared again without explanation.

When the creature appeared again, this time with a leaf not charred by Hiei's fire, he simply stared, retrieving the lea after a moment and turning it over, but seeing nothing particularly significant.

From his inspection of the whole leaf with a keen gaze before turning back to the creature on his shoulder, Hiei felt as though he got the gist of what the lur'mog was trying to tell him.

"She'll heal fine." he replied, turning his eyes towards the direction of the camp again.

After a moment, he huffed indignantly and decided he would go back.

The lur'mog was a very convincing creature, he told himself.

~!**!~

Akari smiled almost coyly at Foko. "Your simplicity is an addicting trait." she paused, then let her arms fall, though holding up a finger as if to keep him from speaking, "Or, rather, it's your straightforwardness and calm demeanor. That, coupled with your slight taunting makes your presence an enjoyable one. I've been there before; it's something I've been sucked into." _*****_

"Flattery will get you _everywhere_, inu." Foko turned on his side to face her, golden eyes bright and reflecting the smile he had for her.

~!**!~

The lur'mog looked first at one paw, then the other, then dropped them to the front of his body, then appeared thoughtful.

After hearing Hiei talking about 'healing,' the creature shuffled over carefully across his shoulder to his bare neck and cooed as he closed his eyes and rubbed his scaly head right against the lobe of Hiei's ear. 3

The fire demon slowly walked in the opposite direction of the charred clearing. His eyes turned to the lur'mog for a moment, a hand moving so that he tapped the creature's head with his index finger as he walked. He was rather fascinated by this one, the only creature that seemed able to attach to an entity and was completely harmless.

"Curious creature," he repeated for the second time today.

His hand fell to his side again as he walked, reentering the camp grounds silently, eyes wandering around and searching for signs of any demon who'd been waiting his return anxiously, looking for any sign of anyone deciding to test Hiei's earlier threat.

~!**!~

Akari laughed and leaned back, her weight on her hands that were flat on the grass behind her. "I've learned a few things here and there." _*****_

"I have no doubts about that." Foko remarked, gazing across the grass at her. He paused a moment before talking again.

"How _did _you come to have that delightful feral inu come around? I've never seen a more amiable creature." He made the question seem as if it had been something he'd pondered for a while.

~!**!~

Shubou stepped out of the tent, thankful to spy Hiei just returning and walking directly up to him.

"She is asking for you again, Champion." Shubou made a brief glance around at the tribe, most of whom were readying for the night. "We have guards posted throughout the time of darkness to keep anything at bay that might wish to intrude upon the encampment. And you are welcome to stay in there with her." Shubou gave a slight head-tilt to indicate the medical tent. 3

Hiei roamed up to the tent, pausing only when the shorter demon halted in front of him, having come forth from inside the tent, something he found he didn't mind for the moment. After all, this _was _this demon's land. He might as well respect the authority.

He nodded once at Shubou, showing he had heard and understood. He had almost continued moving before the demon spoke about staying overnight. He stared unblinkingly at the shorter for a moment before actually opening his mouth for a verbal response. "Thanks," was all he said, though he did nod his head respectively at the other before stepping around him and continuing on, pausing outside the tent. "If you hunt for game, going Southeast will be useless." As soon as he was done informing the demon, he moved the flap of the tent and stepping into the darkened fortress, eyes adjusting easily.

~!**!~

AKari's brows raised and she turned an unblinking gaze at Foko. "You mean Nabu?" she asked, her tired mind wanting to ensure she understood his question fully. "Well, you know pups. They get attached, and then they're loyal for life." She smiled fondly before shrugging again. "I was sitting here one day, taking a nap, and when I woke up, he was sitting in front of me, tail wagging." Okay, so no one knew of this. So what? "When I got up to wander about, he simply followed. No matter how many times I shooed him or growled at him, he didn't leave. Of course, I lost my patience at one point, but you can see what good that did," she finished with a smile. _*****_

"Well, it sounds as if he was looking for someone special. And that he found them." Foko mused. "You know, foxes seem to avoid me whenever possible."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took the quick reentry to indicate that Shubou had not immediately seen the demon, the camp was small after all, and didn't bother looking up.

"He...isn't back?" She felt like she needed to confirm it, unable to keep the disappointment from her tone. 3

Hiei raised a brow at the voice that floated through the air, filled with heavy disappointment. He stared ahead into the darkness for a moment, blinking slowly, completely forgetting the creature at his shoulders as he considered the atmosphere in the air.

"Who?" he finally asked, though he knew she'd been waiting on him.

~!**!~

Akari's lip twitched even more. "Well, aren't foxes normally lone creatures?" she asked, watching him carefully. "If you ever wanna see a creature turn tail and run as soon as it smells you, I'll let you see a cat of this world when I pass by one day," she mused. "_That's _likely the funniest thing I've seen in a while." _*****_

"Yes, but you'd think I'd at least get a _vixen _to come around, right?" He sounded as if the lack of such a thing was a source of consternation. He chuckled when she mentioned cats retreating from her presence.

~!**!~

"Champion?" Shikiyoku shifted her head from where she still lay on the furs, seeing Hiei's form silhouetted against the small bit of light that intruded through the tent flaps. There was no mistaking the relief she felt at hearing his voice, at knowing that he was nearby once more. 3

Hiei's brow resettled at her confirmation, the relief tangible in the air leaving him standing there, despite the step he'd been about to make. He didn't move forward for the moment, only standing by the tent flaps and eyeing the dark shadow where Shikiyoku was laying.

"Go to sleep."

~!**!~

Akari's laugh was probably louder than necessary, her head tossing back for a moment before she recovered with a deep breath. "Why stuck on vixens?" she asked suddenly, amused probably more than rational. "I mean, there are felines, bats, elementals…" She gave another laugh. "Or are you transfixed?" _*****_

Foko seemed mildly surprised at her question.

"Well, I _am _a kitsune, am I not? Why _aren't _the foxes flocking to me? I think _that's _the real issue here." He made a small sniff of derision.

~!**!~

"Not without you." Shikiyoku declared stubbornly, starting to rise up again with her good arm, deciding that if he were close enough, she would simply pull him down to her. 3

Hiei huffed at her impatiently. "I'm here, what more do you want?" he grumbled, moving just a little closer, not much aware of her intentions, though he did hear her shuffling. "Settle yourself and rest. I won't go anywhere."

~!**!~

Akari shrugged. "I'm not a fox demon. I don't know how you guys think. You're all definitely more sly and cunning than dog demons, that's for sure." she replied simply, in a roundabout way saying that she wouldn't have a single clue about the subject. "I'm sure one'll come around sometime." _*****_

Foko sighed, "I suppose I'll just have to content myself with being dreadfully lonely until then. A resident fox would surely lift the mood of the hideout. Everyone's been in such dire straights lately."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stopped, mid-way between sitting up, and let herself slowly lower back down again.

When she spoke up next, her voice was quiet.

"...promise?" 3

"If you insist, yes." Hiei answered calmly, moving to sit near her despite his reluctance to do so a moment ago. He wasn't yet ready for sleep, so when he sat on the floor, back to the female, he reached up for the lur'mog, intending to entertain himself once more.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes. "You'll deal, I'm sure. As will the others. Everyone deals with it." _*****_

"Yes, but we shouldn't _have _to." Foko frowned. "No one should _have _to if they do not _wish _to."

~!**!~

"I do." Shikiyoku replied a bit stubbornly, feeling him draw near and letting the last bit of tension withdraw from her body, closing her eyes. 3

Hiei grasped the lur'mog, turning it over in his hand again so that he could resume what he had been doing earlier, his index finger lightly brushing its scales on its now exposed belly.

"Then sleep," he grumbled at Shikiyoku finally, not even glancing at her shadowy form this time.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged again. "Not my problem," she taunted, her smile turning sly and mischievous. _*****_

"You are absolutely no help whatsoever, inu. I hope you realize that." Foko replied loftily.

~!**!~

Hiei had toyed with the lur'mog for about ten minutes before he had decided to get some rest as well, since he knew that he couldn't have anything keeping him from thinking straight now that they were too deep into the forestry to turn around and go back. It hadn't been exactly a dreamless sleep, but it had been rest enough that when he awoke, he felt as if he'd slept longer than necessary.

And with that thought, he'd decided to get up and wander about the camp, scoping out the area and simply satisfying his curiosity over the size of the tribe. As he wandered, he realized it was a much larger group than he'd first assumed.

He passed by a few demons who were sitting around a fire, meat held over the flames that were dying out with the fierce wind that was blowing by, whipping at tents, trees, anything it could while throwing dirt around.

He considered giving aid, but when he noted that the stares were anything but welcoming to the newcomer, he decided against it. _No use in helping_.

He had continued on, wandering, observing as the sky finally lightened with the new day.

~!**!~

Another shrug. A coy smile. "I'm not supposed to be helpful, Foko. Plus, it isn't fun. Why solve the problem when I enjoy the effects of it?" _*****_

Foko gave another sigh, "How endearing. Never thinking much past the next moment, your kind. It makes your lives seem more thrill-by-thrill. I suppose I envy you that."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku woke in a cold sweat to an empty tent and the brightening of the day.

Perhaps...not completely empty, she found as she shifted her head and spied the tiny red-scaled body of the lur'mog curled where she remembered Hiei being the night before.

She watched him for a second, curled up holding his tail as he was, eyes closed and breathing deeply, before shifting her arm around until she could nudge a finger inbetween his paws.

The creature murmured something sleepily, opened his eyes half-mast, and latched onto her finger as a replacement for the tail he let go of, rubbing the side of his head against her skin.

For some reason, the being felt cool to her touch, and Shikiyoku realized she had a fever, suddenly recalling the strange dreams from the night before.

Her limbs felt no better as she lifted the creature to rest him on her chest.

He let go of her when he felt his bottom contact with the dress, sitting on his rump and yawning mightily.

Shikiyoku gently began stroking his scales and the lur'mog started what could only be called 'purring,' his eyes almost closed as he sat and let her do as she wished, bringing her finger around in small circles all over his skin.

The tent flap got pushed back and Shikiyoku tried not to let her disappointment show when it was only Shubou, carrying a plate of what smelled like cooked meat in one hand.

Her stomach grumbled loudly in response to the scent, sending the lur'mog's eyes wide from the vibration he could feel even that far away.

Shubou did not seem surprised to see the lur'mog companion with Shikiyoku, moving across the rugs to set the plate down briefly, gently help Shikiyoku sit up, and then get seated behind her back sideways, holding her up with a shoulder that she promptly leaned against gratefully as Shubou moved the plate within arms reach for both of them. They started removing the long slices of meat from the plate without further ceremony.

When Shubou spied the lur'mog eyeing the tray, there was no hesitation in the demon reaching into a pocket with a free hand, and casting something within it out into the tent.

The lur'mog's eyes widened briefly as tiny flashes of things started blinking in and out of existence about the tent floor, and he promptly started to chase the prey around the room, when catching one sitting down onto the floor to tear noisily into it. 3

Hiei continued to wander the campgrounds, eyeing each demon he passed, the looks given to him ranging from smiling, greeting faces of children and a few females to stares of ire from a few others. He wasn't surprised.

Though when he was suddenly standing in what seemed to be the center of the camp, where a group of demons were communing, he paused to look curiously after them, wondering of the gathering.

Before he even had a chance to listen in, one of the demons looked up and shot over to meet Hiei's watchful gaze. He considered Hiei for a moment before holding up his weapon- a bow- and waved him over.

Hiei hesitated, but the demon called to him anyway. "We're leaving for a hunt. You're welcome to join. Kubou is staying behind."

The fire demon considered the offer as several other demons in the group turned to him, expressions blank. It was obvious that this group welcomed whoever their leader welcomed. _Loyalty_. That was his lone impression of the group.

And after a moment's thought, he realized he wouldn't mind killing a few creatures. He'd learn a few things about this level as well. So, without further ado, he closed the distance between himself and the group, who each smirked as if accomplishing an impossible task.

"Good! We'll split up into our normal groups, except the Champion will be with my group," the bow wielder informed. "We'll reconvene in two hours. If you catch game, just head back and prepare it. We have lots to do today."

With that, the group dispersed, and Hiei was moving with two other demons, not even looking back the way he'd come.

~!**!~

Akari turned to Foko, shifting the way she sat so that her legs were crossed beneath her, now leaning towards him as she turned to face him with her body as well. "Is that so? Envying the fact that my kind is almost _entirely _incapable of thinking ahead? It's a trait most hate about us, since it gets us killed quicker than most. What has you so interested with it?" _*****_

Foko let out a good-natured scoff.

"Most demons hate it because they realize that they themselves are the same way, if not on quite the same level. It's what I find wonderful about you, though. Even as we're sitting here, I can just imagine that you're taking in every detail as if it might be your last. Living for this very moment you've been given at the time you've been given it." As he spoke, Foko reached up to move a portion of her strawberry-blonde hair behind one ear where it had come loose, following the strand down the side of her neck easily as he tangled his fingers in it, resting his elbow gently on her knee and continuing to play with it.

"I, on the other hand," He sighed again as if the admission were almost embarrassing, watching his fingers weaving slowly in her hair, "Have too many things moving through my mind, and can't just content myself to think solely about being here. With you."

~!**!~

"How are things in the city?" Shikiyoku asked wistfully, leaning even more heavily into Shubou's smaller frame as if the question weighed her down.

Shuou glanced over at her, never quite taking full attention away from the cooked meat at hand.

"Some things have changed completely since you left." Full cheeks made the words sound a little muffled, "Others have remained exactly the same. It is our way."

Shikiyoku nodded, tearing into more meat.

"Why are you going back to The Palace?" Shubou asked suddenly, staring at the piece of meat just taken from the tray.

She did not answer at first.

"I thought you were banished. Compelled to never return to those lands. Can't you _not _get back there?"

"We'll see." Shikiyoku replied dryly.

"It's for your own safety, you know." Shubou started again, mouth full of meat this time. "The royalty that took over have grown quite strong over the years."

"We are our own weakness." Shikiyoku said as if reciting the line, staring down at the bit of meat she held, "We are our own strength."

"Fair enough. I wouldn't know." Shubou swallowed. 3

Hiei followed the demon who had gestured for him to come along, eyes on the bow he carried. "The name's Hideki." The fire demon eyed the taller, lankier male who had spoken, who had turned his grey eyes back to him with an expression that said he expected Hiei to introduce himself as well. "How'd you come across the seductress, Champion?"

Hiei blinked once as they walked through the camp, towards the area Hiei had come from the day before, when Shikiyoku had been carried back after-

"Accidents happen," he replied casually.

"Indeed they do."

The demon on Hiei's right chuckled, "It doesn't seem like you consider it much of an accident anymore. She's got you wrapped up nicely around her finger, I'd say."

Hiei didn't retort.

"Okahito," the first warned, turning his cool gaze onto the other. Nothing else was said, and Hiei scoffed once, as if he'd known what had been traversed between the two. _Don't stir the fire demon's ire._

"It's my job to appear as such," Hiei finally responded, overtaking the others' steps and passing them casually.

A moment of silence passed as they left the last vestiges of the camp, all casual conversation now unnecessary as the two other demons slipped into hunting and tracking mode, Hiei merely looking about, hands in his pockets as his Jagan locked on different types of creatures nearby.

~!**!~

Akari didn't move when Foko reached towards her, though her eyes did follow the motion his hand made as it neared her face. Her shoulders stiffened, her spine straightening as if preparing for something she'd need to halt, but as Foko continued talking, her eyes moved from his extended arm and to his face again, finding that though he was toying with her hair, it was gentle and held no sense of danger.

Her expression became a curious one, a small smile forming on her face as she tilted her head to show her curiosity. Of course, she didn't ask of his thoughts, figuring it was a conversation that was forbidden for the both of them. Her eyes moved to his ears, watching one twitch as a sound somewhere in the distance caught its attention, and then dismissed it, his expression never changing, as if he hadn't even noticed his own movements.

She found herself reaching up and rubbing at her head, where she wished, not for the first and definitely not the last time, that her own ears were present.

"I can't deny your words," she began, hand falling to her lap again as she closed her eyes in a small sigh meant to stifle a yawn. "I'm taking in about as much as my mind will allow, some of it without even meaning to do so." She gave way to another pause. Her eyes slid open slowly again, taking in the shine that the sun threw through his hair and across his face. "However, I won't say that I enjoy it all the time. For instance, if an attacker were to approach, you'd learn of their presence much before I would, because of my one track mind. You've witnessed it first-hand, if you recall our last rendezvous." She took another deep breath in.

"I guess we'll simply be stuck, envying the other." _*****_

Foko shrugged slightly, lowering his hand back across his stomach.

"Alpha blood is rare indeed among the inu. And trust me when I say you would not _want _to be as aware of your surroundings as they. They spend much of their life haunted by thoughts of things that are likely to never happen, unless they are lucky enough to be born into a pack or form one of their own."

~!**!~

"Is there anything you can tell me about the inhabitants there? I was sent after a demon in particular-"

"They keep to themselves." Shubou interrupted, "But are very much in absolute control of the Ninth Level, which they exert upon the rest of us when they feel as if their powers have been ignored or forgotten for too long."

"Then this is the very same group who-"

"Killed your entire...clan? Yes. No one has been able to overthrow them in all this time."

Shikiyoku fell to eating again, remembering how desperate her mother had been that she escape. But why? A demon with powers over pleasure and desires had absolutely nothing to fear-save for the usual 'get near another demon and use up your power' shtick-except for another of their own kind, or their counterpart, pain. And there weren't any of the latter left as far as anyone knew, and none of the former were discontented with the ruling class at the time.

Not that any of them were left alive to complain now. 3

Hiei came to a standstill after a few more steps, his Jagan catching the movement of a creature towards himself and the others underneath him. A creature he had already encountered, and decided he loathed. His eyes pointed down as a small stream of fire suddenly sprouted from the ground.

The other pair of demons turned to face Hiei, eyes seeing the fire, their expressions unchanging.

"It's useless, aside from its skin." one of the demons mumbled just loud enough for Hiei to hear. "No use in stirring the creatures just yet."

Hiei stared ahead at Hideki, considering him for a moment before deciding he might as well play along. He continue walking, ignoring the moving creature beneath him as he walked, and eventually, it _did_ leave him be. He walked on for a while, considering each creature in the area curiously, until he decided he was bored with it and letting his Jagan close, return to slumber as it were.

They walked around, Hideki's nose testing the air here and there while the other simply branched away, breaking away from the group of three and creating a group of two. Soon after, a loud screech echoed on the howling wind and Hideki released a scoff.

"Always the first."

Hiei raised a brow and chose to ignore the musing from the demon, his nose picking up on the unique smell of the creature that had been killed several yards away. And with that, he knew what to search for.

Sword in hand now, Hiei's nose lead him too away from Hideki, who turned to watch the fire demon's disappearing frame with a smirk. He'd been wondering when the demon would branch away.

~!**!~

Akari blinked at Foko's words, then proceeded to rifle through memories of her childhood, searching for anything that he'd spoken of. She remembered her mother, bustling about when Akari had gotten herself dirty with her friends, scurrying for clean clothes and scolding her for leaving their hut. She hadn't had a father nearby, he'd simply left when she was born, something she never cared about.

But she didn't remember an _alpha_, per se. If there had been one over her small family, she hadn't seen one.

"I suppose it makes sense," Akari said finally, eyes returning to the present. "It's not an unbelieveable trait, as us dog demons don't forget easily." She turned her eyes away, looking up and over the demon who was laying in the grass. Again, she found a rabbit, likely the same rabbit from before, munching on grass and weeds. It turned its head to look at her, aware of her watchful eyes. "I know I'm not cut out to be a leader of any kind. I can hardly lead myself," she finished, a half smile creating a light air about her words. _*****_

"If everyone in the three worlds was a leader, nothing would ever get done." Foko replied wisely, his tone just as lofty as Akari's, just his eyes serious as he watched the clouds overhead pass by.

~!**!~

The lur'mog had since managed to capture each and every bit of prey released by Shubou, and now sat on his rump, belly slightly distended, and giving a small burp that made his entire body jolt in place.

While the other two talked, he wandered over to watch as Shubou finished eating and helped Shikiyoku lay back down again.

The two reminisced about their first encounter, a brief one just after Shikiyoku had been banished in which she rescued the other from some such danger or another, and Shubou went on to talk about how it had eventually formed its own tribe that they were among now.

During this conversation, Shubou moved down to tend to Shikiyoku's wounds, delicately unwrapping the bandages that had become soaked with blood and reapplying salve to the gaping wound.

Shubou did not allow the thoughts that ran over its mind to pass over and become expressed outwardly, but the edges of the wound were rotting slightly, and the jar that floated from somewhere else in the room to be used was of a different kind for a different problem that appeared to be arising here.

The wound got rewrapped carefully, this time in bandages that had been soaked in a poultice at an earlier point, and then Shubou moved to do the same with Shikiyoku's other arm. 3

Hiei had wandered, following his sense of smell for a while until the trail seemed to simply _end_. In the middle of a clearing. It didn't point to the ground, nor the air. It didn't branch left or right. It simply _ended_. A dead trail. A frown touched his lips as he looked about, wondering how the trail could have only _ended_, abruptly leaving him just standing there, slightly confused and more than a little wary.

He turned to look to the branches overhead, considering the fact that perhaps something could have swooped down and simply taken the creature in its mouth, which could actually give this same effect, but… not quite as absolute.

Plus, there wasn't another scent fresh enough to have possibly done such a thing.

Hiei moved away from the area, turning and hopping into the nearest tree to look on from above, should the creature come back.

It was also possibly that it had turned around and followed its own trail before breaking away, and he simply hadn't noticed or cared.

"Hiei," a voice whispered, and the fire demon's spine straightened.

_That voice…_

"Hiei?"

The fire demon immediately moved, slipping from his current branch and down to the next, looking up at the place where Shikiyoku _should_ have been, but was not. He had known it wasn't actually her, because there was simply no possibility of her reaching him in her current state.

Still, no source was spotted.

"Hiei, it's your fault, you know."

The fire demon's teeth gnashed together briefly, flexing the muscles in his jaw before releasing them, his teeth apart again and expression blank. Neutral.

"If you had just _listened_ to me! I nearly _died!" _

_Mind reader?_

"You nearly had me _killed!"_

_No. Memory mimic. Emotion taster possibly. _

"_You _should have fallen, not me!"

Hiei's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened, shifting to ready for a strike. He didn't even have to call out to the creature to keep it speaking.

"I mean, you _are_ the cursed child! It should have been _you_, because you weren't supposed to live anyway! The cursed children are-"

Hiei moved, sword glittering in the early morning sun's rays as it flew through the air, slicing at the creature that screamed.

In her voice.

He held his sword through the large, meaty, odd looking creature that stared at him, maw open as it continued to screech in Shikiyoku's voice, until it was cut off by gurgling, and then silenced entirely.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged, leaning forward so that her hands rested on her ankles of her crossed legs. "If everyone were a leader, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't exist," she mused nonchalantly. "Simple as that. Now, _you_, on the other hand, would likely just be another demon. One of the same faces in the same crowd." She paused, considering the thought. "How odd that would be." _*****_

"How absolutely boring life would be were everyone like me." Foko breathed. "Though much more aesthetically pleasing, I should say."

~!**!~

The lur'mog smacked his lips together as he continued watching Shubou work on the other injury, cleaning his face with his paws.

Their conversation eventually died down into companionable silence, Shikiyoku unable to respond to any pain in either limb while Shubou worked as she could not feel anything happening with the appendages.

Waddling over to the new bandage on her knee, the red-scaled creature gave a sniff and recoiled a bit with the new, rotten smell that his extremely sensitive nose could pick up.

He chattered at the knee, then looked up at Shubou, who paused in wrapping the arm to lock gazes with the lur'mog briefly, not saying anything and returning to work.

The lur'mog clicked and chirred again, brightening as if remembering something and disappearing from his place.

"Can you understand him?" Shikiyoku wanted to know, not missing the moment that passed inbetween Shubou and the beast.

"No." Shubou replied simply, having merely inferred what the being tried to speak about.

The lur'mog reappeared, next to Shubou's thigh, and the demon paused, holding Shikiyoku's arm in one hand, to take a blackened leaf from the creature with the other.

"Seems your Champion had a bit of a temper-tantrum." Shubou commented, turning the leaf over and back.

The lur'mog chittered and hopped up and down from one foot to the other, holding out his paws.

Shubou lifted his eyebrows, but passed the leaf back.

Holding it close to his tiny body, the creature turned and disappeared again, leaving Shubou to go back to his work.

Shubou got interrupted only a few seconds later when the lur'mog reappeared, doing the same jig as before and holding a green leaf of the same species as the first over his head, chattering again.

Obliging the small being, Shubou plucked the leaf again, turned it over and over.

"Is it always this strange?" Shubou asked as he handed the leaf back.

"Yes?" Shikiyoku replied, giving a little bit of a laugh.

The lur'mog sat into himself for a second, staring at the leaf and then up at Shubou, then back to the leaf and huffing a bit. 3

Hiei stared passively at the creature that now fell away from his katana and down to the soil below, breaking many twigs as it fell. How a creature as large as a boar had gotten up the tree, he'd never understand.

However, he did understand that it had been able to veil itself, hence the disappearance of its scent. He stared down at the fallen creature, the shouts it had voiced still ringing in his head. His ears rang and his head hurt, but he ignored it easily as he dropped to the ground, approaching the creature and moving to grab it before it was grabbed by another hand at its hoofed foot. Hiei's red eyes turned up to spy Hideki, who was staring at him with a withdrawn expression.

"Good work, Champion. Not many are prepared for its type of warfare."

"Mimicking a voice is not warfare. It's cowardice." The fire demon continued moving, this time back towards the camp.

Hideki stared after the fire demon, frowning for another moment before sighing and hefting the hundred-pound furball from the ground and tossing it over his shoulder with practiced ease. _That's not a normal mimic, fool. _

~!**!~

Akari stayed quiet, choosing not to reply to Foko's words now as her attention became stuck on the small creature that was staring at her, huffing, beginning to panic. It was something she enjoyed creating in the small animals of this earth, where they knew danger and ran instead of fought.

Of course, she never gave chase. That was Nabu's game.

It disappeared and Akari watched the area it had moved from for another moment before shifting her weight and moving to lay down once more, moving her hair so that it fanned out above her head rather than stayed pinned under her skull. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and let her eyes watch the leaves overhead that were filtering sunlight, making them appear much greener than they had been a few days ago.

It was so peaceful.. She could almost…

_No. No sleep. Not anymore. __*****_

Foko felt the shift in the demon next to him, both physically and mentally.

"I do not think you would ask for it, and it is not my place to know, but I would help in whatever way I could." He said calmly, eyes never leaving the sky, "Regardless of the problem."

~!**!~

When Shikiyoku reached across her body to take a hold on the leaf that was wrapped against the lur'mog's belly, the lur'mog made rapid noises of protest, refusing to let go and getting lifted through the air to Shikiyoku's chest, where she put him down via the leaf he still clutched.

"What's with you, hm?" She ran a finger along the spines of his back, which relaxed down from where they had stood up at her attempt to steal the leaf, his body hunching over slightly and his eyes glazing over at her attentions.

Shubou let Shikiyoku's arm drop and took a sniff of the air.

"There is only an hour more of light today." Shubou commented, "And the night will be at its longest. If the hunt goes well, we will celebrate." Glancing down at her injuries, Shubou let out a small puff of air that resembled a sigh, "If you wished to join, we could arrange for it."

"I appreciate the invitation, but I would just as soon stay right where I am."

Shubou nodded, unsurprised by her answer.

"The tent will muffle the noise, and it is in the farthest corner from where the bonfire will be, so you should remain relatively undisturbed." Shubou stood up, gathering the remains of the bloody bandages and turning to go. 3

Hiei meandered from the forestry, sword hidden away in its sheath and hands now in his pockets casually, aware that Hideki was following after with his kill over the other's shoulder. The fire demon didn't mind nor care. It saved him the trouble of carrying such useless weight around.

"You know, Champion," Hideki spoke up again, tone even, "if you cared half as much as you pretended you didn't, you'd return to the tent and stay there." The fire demon didn't respond, didn't even make that he heard the words from the demon. "The seductress is nothing without her Champion."

Still, he didn't respond as he walked, and silence ensued again as they neared the campgrounds, met by two other demons carrying two different creatures each on their backs or by a rope that dragged the creatures along. "Hideki! They're moving more than normal!"

"That's because of a disturbance, I'm sure."

Hiei almost considered telling them that he'd scorched a part of their forest. However, he decided it would be more amusing for them to find out themselves.

"It makes for a good feast! Great timing, too!"

"Shubou will be glad."

Hiei broke away from the group as they continued chattering, not seeming to take notice of his change in direction, towards the tent again.

All of which Hideki took note of with a small, knowing smirk.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes remained closed, feeling the sun on her face even as Foko spoke up. It seemed his presence was enough to keep her mind awake and aware enough to ward off the unwanted sleep, and some part of her appreciated that, while another was wary of the fact. It was either a good sign, or a bad sign that his presence was enough to keep her aware.

"It's just sleep and the lack thereof." she answered after a moment, telling the partial truth. "Nothing I can't handle on my own." _*****_

"I figured as much." Foko admitted, "I've been haunted by nightmares too many times not to recognize the signs. My condolences for your predicament. I hope you can find your own cure soon enough."

~!**!~

Shubou climbed back out of the tent to see some of the returning demons from the hunt, Hiei at the lead.

Eyes alighting on the creature Hideki had thrown over his shoulders, Shubou's eyebrows lifted slightly, even more so once the demon gestured with a grin at the fire demon whose path was about to cross with the leader.

Shubou lifted his gaze to Hiei as they walked past one another, headed in opposite directions.

"Good work." Shubou praised simply, no sense of sarcasm or hyperbole there, just a sincere compliment a leader would give to a job well done, and kept going to join the others who returned. 3

Hiei paused only briefly when passing Shubou, red eyes turning to the smaller demon to eye him for a moment in search of anything contradicting his praise. And he found none, so he nodded his head once and turned to continue on, moving the rest of the way through the camp and to the tent he knew Shikiyoku to be in.

He paused outside the tent flaps, hand poised to grasp the fabric but paused in the air, Hideki's words echoing in his mind completely counteracted with the creature's mimicking of Shikiyoku's voice, the words it had yelled at him.

"_It's your fault!"_

He stared at the tent flap for a moment, hesitating.

"_If you care half as much as you pretend not you don't, you go back."_

The demon moved the flap and entered the tent silently, moving across the small room without pause and simply sitting himself on the floor near Shikiyoku's bed of pelt, not saying a word but simply staring.

~!**!~

It was the middle of the day, and she was unable to sit still. Akari was afraid that if she did, she'd go to sleep, all of which she'd managed to avoid since the night before last. She'd laid around in silence with Foko for a few hours yesterday, and quite frankly, she almost wished she could do the same again today. Except, sitting still was no option.

Hence the reason she was _not _in school at the moment. She would have gone to her normal spot, but today it seemed was the perfect day for picnic goers, and her spot had been taken over with families of humans. Loud, laughing humans.

So she'd been scoping out the other parks today, seeing if any other ones struck her fancy.

The first one she'd visited had been specifically for children, with jungle gyms and swings and such. It was quiet, as kids were in school, or most of them were, though there wasn't any place she had seen as appealing.

The second had reeked. Of what, she wasn't sure, but she'd left as soon as she'd entered the park gates.

This one seemed… peaceful. Calm. It smelled of canines and humans, but none were in sight. _Obviously a dog park_. She almost smiled at the irony of the fact that she found this park worth looking into. _A dog park, of all things._

She wandered inside the gates, realizing it was much larger than she had initially assumed. It was pleasantly quiet, even of birdsong and other creatures and-

Wait.

Her eyes moved around the area as her slow, tired mind processed… something. But what, she wasn't sure yet. She heaved a sigh and a yawn before continuing on from the pause she hadn't realized she'd made in her trek, and it didn't take her long to find a secluded area _much _like the area in the other park she enjoyed.

_Maybe it wouldn't hurt to lay down for a while…_

_No sleep, though. None._

She slowly moved forward until she was at the base of a tree that was of a decent size, turning so that her back was placed against it, readying to slide down the bark.

Something didn't feel right.

Akari again paused, eyes surveying the area, until a form came out of the shadows on her right and moved across the clearing, heading to her left as if he didn't even see her. Had it not been for the horns atop his head, she wouldn't have thought twice about his presence.

"Hey!" She called, pushing away from the bark of the tree. He paused, turning to look at her with catlike eyes and sharp, pointed teeth shown in a smile. "Where are you going now, hm?"

"Nowhere in particular."

His voice was low, gravely.

"Then come here, have a chat," she demanded, moving across the clearing.

"Ah, but I do have to jet, and you're in no shape to stop me."

She stared at him evenly as she closed the space between them, and when he turned to continue on, she moved to block his way. "You don't belong here."

"Neither do you."

She sighed impatiently.

"Ah, low on patience already? You've gone at least 24 without it, hm?" _*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	46. Episode 131 - Healing and Hallucination

**A/N: **Hello once again, Lovers of Yu Yu Hakusho!

Onwards!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Foko continued distracting Akari from sleep via conversation.

The next day, Akari goes back to the park, still trying to avoid slumber,  
>and runs into another demon while there.<p>

~!**!~

Shikiyoku spends her time resting in the medicinal tent,  
>and the next day Hiei goes on a hunting expedition with members of Shubou's tribe.<p>

They bring back a good haul, which means the eating will be good at the celebration that night,  
>and Hiei returns to the medical tent to Shikiyoku and the lur'mog,<br>the latter of whom has on several occasions attempted to communicate something or other  
>via a big show of leaves, doing so once again upon Hiei's return...<p>

* * *

><p>When the lur'mog noticed that Hiei sat down, he started chattering excitedly again, lifting up the leaf for Hiei to look at and leaving Shikiyoku blinking questioningly at his actions.<p>

"Do you have any idea what he's going on about?" Shikiyoku asked curiously, started to pet gently at the creature again. He started intermittently relaxing, eyes going half-lidded and making purring noises, before appearing to remember the 'urgency' of the leaf and raising his body tall again to make a couple of chortles at Hiei and lift the leaf. 3

Hiei got comfortable easily, legs stretched out in front of himself, leaning his back against a shelf that was placed here for medical means he supposed. One leg moved so that it was bent at the knee, where his right elbow rested lazily to let his wrist dangle over his knee.

At Shikiyoku's question, Hiei finally turned to notice the lur'mog's chattering and its gestures, eyeing the creature for a moment in thought. He had assumed something earlier before, but without being one hundred percent sure, he didn't act on it.

"Not really." He responded honestly, watching the creature with a blank expression. "I don't speak creature."

~!**!~

Akari stared at the demon's face, memorizing the color of his neon yellow eyes, the shape of his twisting, pointed horns at the side of his head, his pointed ears, his white hair. She didn't answer his question. She didn't feel it was an actual question, rather a rhetorical statement.

He picked up on her observations and sneered, proceeding to turn and leave. "If you ever decide to hold a real conversation, love, come find me."

She reacted a second after he'd taken his steps, reaching out and taking hold of his arm and spinning him around to face her, expression daring him to challenge her.

And he did. His eyes narrowed, his pupils going smaller and much more pointed, like an angry snake's would, and he bared his pointed teeth. All three rows of them. "Release me."

Akari's energy began to move about as she smelled his breath, reeking of human flesh and blood. It was her job, after all, to clean up the messes.

But her energy didn't get far before it snapped back to her core, a reaction to the strike that was aimed at her, dagger in hand, just grazing her cheek due to the slight delay in reaction from his movements. He was no longer joking or jovial, but feral, angry. She'd imposed, and he wasn't one to beat around the bush.

She realized this as she backed away, the blade just gliding across the skin of her stomach and causing it to sting, then burn as it raked across her almost completely healed wound from Kurama. She blinked and hopped further away, only to have the ground beneath her shift, move with a thunderous, earthquake-like sound.

And in the next moment, she was in the air, avoiding to larger rocks by hopping up and landing on the two, avoiding being crushed between them almost as if she were wide awake. Her senses were on high alert, or so it seemed, and she was dropping to the ground.

Or, maybe the ground was rising to her.

Her eyes widened as a large section of the soil moved, and then shot up at a pace she couldn't avoid, slamming into her body and sending her soaring through the air, and into another section of rock that had appeared from, quite literally it seemed, nowhere.

She hit the soil this time on her stomach, and was moving away from the demon who charged at her, sneering as she scrambled to stand. _Trees. Higher ground._

She blocked the arm that held the knife before jumping away, and again, she found herself rocketing into the air on a platform, this time another section shooting from behind her. She turned in time for it to strike her stomach, sending her, again, soaring through the air and into a tree.

She hit the bark at one of the highest branches, then proceeded to tumble from branch to branch, until a branch large enough to hold her caught her body, leaving her arms and legs dangling over the sides and her chin on the bark.

She hadn't had any time to discern anything that had happened. All she knew was that, one, the ground moved now and two, she was in a tree. _Too high_ into the tree. Three, she tasted blood and felt it dripping down her chin and over the branch. Four, she _hurt_.

She took a deep breath and moved herself so that she straddled the branch, both hands keeping herself balanced while she attempted to move her feet up so she could stand on the branch.

She hadn't even seen the rock that soared, throwing her from the tree and a few feet from its base, making her skid and roll across the ground.

"You know, before you challenge someone, you should make sure you can win first, love." the demon growled, his foot coming into view in front of her face. Next, his knee was in her eyesight as he crouched down, a hand touching her head, and after a moment's hesitation, petting her hair. "You picked the wrong day to fight me," he whispered, hand grabbing her hair and pulling, earning a grunt as he stood and forced her to do so as well.

She growled, her energy now pulsating around her with the close quarters, reaching out and slithering around him in the form of dark ribbons. "Too bad," she began in a tired whisper, "you didn't give me a chance to play along."

Her shadows moved, going through the demon now in shadowy forms that almost resembled sharp icicles, causing his skin to drain of color and a look of pain to strike his face, wincing. He coughed, the continuous strike on his core making blood fall from his lips as well.

And he reacted as she'd figured he would: Using whatever power he had to make a platform below her, and throw her away from him again and into another formation of rock he'd created. And again, he was throwing her into the tallest tree, and knocking her from it, then throwing her again with a snarl as she landed on the ground again.

When she didn't move again immediately, a voice echoed in her mind. _You're not giving up already, are you sweetheat? _Akari didn't respond, knowing the voice was nothing more than her imagination. _Come now, you're better than that. I didn't die for nothing, you know. _

She took a deep breath and let her eyes slide closed, spitting out the blood she tasted even more now as his feet approached again, his hand once more grabbing hold of her hair and lifting her. "I've had enough of you, love." _*****_

"Kaido, our meeting was scheduled for twenty minutes ago." Foko's voice cut across the air to where the demon held Akari up. "Is _this _what you have wasted my time with doing?"

The silver-haired kitsune stood still well within a hundred feet of the scene now, arms crossed, the air blowing his tail and hair with the wind.

His pose seemed relaxed enough, but his eyes were cold, golden pinpricks of light, narrowed at the demon across the way.

~!**!~

The lur'mog stopped in mid-purr abruptly and turned to glare at Hiei, clawed paws grasping tightly at the leaf as he snapped his mouth shut impetuously and let out a high-pitched growl, a sound that had Shikiyoku withdrawing her hand back from the beast just a touch as a precautionary and raising her eyebrows at it.

She hadn't heard him make such a noise before.

The growl faded just as quickly as it had started and the lur'mog tromped off of Shikiyoku's chest, throwing the leaf defiantly upon Hiei's leg with an angrily flourish, and plopping down onto the rugs.

He looked first at one arm, then the other, reaching over and beginning to scratch vigorously at his left forearm with the claws of his right paw. 3

Hiei paused, raising a brow at the lur'mog's tantrum with an almost amused glint in his eye before he recovered and decided to elaborate. "I only speak to my dragon." he said slowly, glancing at Shikiyoku for a moment. "It's the only creature I can communicate with."

He went quiet again, shifting his weight so that his spine didn't dig into the wooden shelves he was leaning against. His eyes slid closed, more to help himself relax than to intend sleep.

~!**!~

Akari felt the pause of the demon lifting her up, and, now on her knees, Akari slid open a single eye in a wince from the pain of being held by the hair, something that was beginning to make her energy swirl angrily, her core move with self preservation. She had yet to see the cause of his pause.

"Yoko," the demon greeted, tone one of surprise. "I was on my way, you see, but as I'm sure you can see, I ran into a problem. A persistent little pest-"

"_Sweetheart, now's your chance."_

Akari's eye glanced to the left, noting the demon that stood there with a brief moment of surprise. If it weren't for the pain throbbing in her chest and her lungs, she would have gasped in surprise.

"_What are you waiting for?!"_ He looked extremely out of place, lacking in color as he was.

Akari turned her glare up to the demon was was holding her, and her hand moved, grabbing at his wrist.

"-I was working on getting rid of. A lackey of higher powers, to be sure." He adjusted his hold, pulling her up further and onto her feet. "Just another moment wouldn't hurt, hm?"

Akari growled, mind still not registering the newcomer as she made a grab for the demon's wrist, whose eyes shot to her. He released her hair, sending her flying via platform again, for the fourth time landing amongst the tree branches, this time falling from the top and all the way back to the ground, nothing breaking her fall. _*****_

"So, it has taken you _twenty _minutes to get this far with her?" Foko began walking in Kaido's direction, "_Twenty _minutes that you've kept me waiting? For this _nonsense_?" Foko scoffed derisively, smelling now the scent of the humans Kaido had likely feasted on and what had _actually _forced Foko to wait.

"You will waste no one's time ever again." Foko waved a hand in Kaido's direction, the ground underneath him erupting with plantlife that not only came up around him, but also burst through his feet and all the way up his entire body, enveloping the demon in a gorgeously vibrant coffin, and then pulling back down into the earth, leaving no trace of the body behind save for a smattering of blood on the grass.

Moving quickly now, Foko broke into a trot to close the distance between himself and Akari, dropping to his knees and pulling her into his lap, turning her up so that she faced him and moving her hair from her face solemnly.

~!**!~

Night had fallen outside, and still the lur'mog sat, fastidiously clawing at his other arm, occasionally lifting it up to examine it, and then going back to work.

He had by this time, gotten beyond the first layer of scales to the second, working on delving past that to his actual skin, but both Shikiyoku and Hiei had fallen asleep by this time and he glanced up at the both of them impatiently.

Throwing aside his clawing attempts, the lur'mog took to gnawing on the arm, chewing through the last layer much faster than the claw-work he had been doing, and finally piercing his own dark pink skin with a fang.

Huffing slightly, the lur'mog took a single claw and dragged it down the length of his forearm, one eye blinking and then the other in the moment of pain, until dark purple blood began to lift from the wound.

He only gave a small peep of discomfort at the sensation before dashing to Hiei's shoulder, putting his uninjured paw on the fire demon's ear and nudging gently at his face, making soft thrumming noises in his throat, cautiously opening his mouth and delicately taking the skin of Hiei's ear in his teeth and moving it back and forth without piercing it. 3

Hiei stretched languidly in his sleep, moving only his arms and legs, stretching his back until it popped, at which point he shifted back down into his comfortable resting position and took a deep breath in his dreamless sleep. He was comfortable again when something bothered him, something pulling at his attention.

He shifted his head, a hand batting the air near his face as if swatting a fly. Again, something disturbed his sleep, and finally, he awoke just enough to slide an eye open.

And the sensation of something biting at his ear had him moving rapidly, a hand shooting to whatever was disturbing his sleep. Though he sensed no danger, the sensation that had been induced was not a welcome one, so when he looked to the lur'mog, he made a sound of impatience.

"You're thinning your lifespan."

~!**!~

Akari heaved a deep breath when she was able to breath again, her head ringing with the pain that berated her entire being. She hadn't been thrown around like that ever, not even when Yusuke had taken an attempt at her life.

Okay, maybe that wasn't true. But as tired as she was, it sure did feel that way.

"_You missed your only chance, sweetheart. Someone else has ended it for you."_

She glanced over at the feet of Kyu, who unceremoniously dropped to the ground, laying on his stomach beside her with a smirk of amusement. "_It's been a while, hm? You've grown, though I can't say you're any smarter."_

She heaved a great sigh and made to push herself up, only for a pair of hands to suddenly be handling her. Panic made her react and reach out, taking hold of one of the wrists with a grip that would have broken a human's bones.

She looked up at a familiar face now, and the relief flooded her enough that her body stayed entirely still with the transition. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so she closed it again and let her eyes slide to stare up at the heavens. _I hate this._

"_Hm. New lover?"_ With Kyu standing over Foko now, it reminded her that she'd once been colorblind, before Doctor had fixed that. The difference between the illusion of the black, white, and gray-hued demon and the Kitsune leaning over her was… strange, to say the least. _*****_

"Try not to move, inu." Foko breathed, starting to gently check her bones for breakage and meanwhile watching her expression for any discomfort he might find.

~!**!~

Seeing that he had Hiei's attention for the moment, the lur'mog hopped down to the fire demon's thigh and held his injured limb up, making for certain Hiei saw it bleeding.

He disappeared into the night at a dash, and did not reappear for several minutes.

When he returned, to the same thigh he had been on, the lur'mog hopped up and down, bouncing from one foot to the other and showing that the arm was no longer bleeding, the scales grown back over the wound and the skin appearing like new. 3

Hiei stared at the limb that the lur'mog presented to him, an unamused stare piercing the air where the creature had been a moment before, now gone. He waited, knowing there was a point to this, knowing there was something it wished to get across.

When it reappeared, hopping about and presenting a healing wound, he stared as patiently as he could muster, not happy with being wakened.

"Get to the point," he grumbled, still not amused and not even close to understanding due to his fogginess.

~!**!~

"_Definitely a lover."_

Akari sighed as her hand dropped from Foko's wrist, landing on the grass with a thud as she'd had no energy to slow the motion. _I'm tired, and this hurts. _Another sigh and she realized Foko was poking and prodding, his hands methodically searching for places that-

She winced.

Places like _that_. "That hurts," she grumbled, eyes moving down to her throbbing ribcage. She hadn't thought anything had broken.. Maybe her tolerance for pain was higher than she'd thought.

Or maybe it was dulled.

"_How about this?" _Akari winced again as Kyu prodded a forming bruise on her shoulder, then sighed at her. "_You're just like you used to be, Akari. The only difference is now you've got someone watching over you for me. Maybe you'll be smarter this time when the time comes to decide how to help them when they need it. Maybe you won't run off."_

Another sigh, this time exasperated. "You come in at the most convenient of times, you know that?" she grumbled, the comment aimed at both demons, Kyu for keeping her mind wandering and Foko for… well, everything. _*****_

"Consider that convenience my gift to you." Foko replied half-seriously.

He produced a leaf from somewhere that he held out at Akari's lips in a gesture that indicated she was to eat it.

"To help with the pain, inu." He explained, going back to searching the rest of her for injury, movements methodical and his eyes deep in concentration.

~!**!~

The lur'mog made a sound that had he been human or demon would have equated to a huff of exasperation.

He turned and stomped over to the leaf he had discarded earlier, waving it at Hiei again once he picked it up, and then hopped to Shikiyoku's bandaged knee, placing the paw that did not hold the leaf on it, staring at the wrap, then at the leaf and his formerly injured paw, which glistened as if wet, then up to Hiei.

He disappeared again and was at the door of the tent, hopping up and down, chittering excitedly, then reappeared at Hiei's singed pant-leg and started to pull at it towards the tent flaps, losing grip and plopping down on his rear, but just as quickly chortling again and standing back up to continue tugging as hard as he could manage, the leaf in his grasp and waving about as he did so. 3

Hiei watched the creature pull at his pant leg, gesturing to follow before again waving the leaf. He gave an expression that matched the sound the lur'mog had made a moment ago before he climbed to his feet silently, looking back at Shikiyoku once as he turned, waving the lur'mog forward in a gesture of "go, I'm coming."

He thought over the gestures, blinking at the creature. He assumed that the leaf was to act as a medicine, but what threw him off was the fact that the lur'mog continuously turned and left, as if something else was important to the matter.

"I'm coming," he grumbled finally, steps following the lur'mog as he'd said he would.

~!**!~

"_Oh, that one's bruising bad too, 'kari. A knot on the knee sucks, you'll find out. Does it hurt?" _Akari glared up at Kyu as he moved to stand over her, leaning over so that his face was seen just beyond Foko's. Now he was being an annoyance, prodding at her the way he was. "_What, you were the one who said no sleep." _The black and white image of Kyu was almost cartoon-like.

Akari took the leaf between her teeth that Foko offered, her eyes turning to watch his focused gaze as he continued poking and prodding gently, methodically. But, really, she just hurt. Everywhere. There was no discerning one pain from the other, so occasionally she'd wince from her own breathing, and occasionally she'd wince from his prodding of a bruising area or something similar.

"Thank you," she mumbled around the leaf just before swallowing it.

"_No problem, sweetheart."_

It took everything in her power not to groan at Kyu. _Not you, jerk._

"_Don't be cold. I'm helping too, and I have to say, this demon is transfixed. You sure you want to get mixed up in it?"_

_None of your business. __*****_

"Nothing broken." Foko decided in the end, "Though he did a number on your ribs. Would you like to sit up?" His eyes glanced at a tree nearby as he considered just picking her up and moving her over there, but he turned his golden eyes back down to her face, patiently awaiting her response, though his gaze gave away nothing of his current thoughts.

~!**!~

The lur'mog led the way much like he had tried to lead Hiei back to camp the first time. Once out of the tent flaps, he immediately went for the forest, heading in a direction that neither led back to the city they had passed, nor forward where they were meant to go, and it did not take them towards the burnt clearing Hiei had left earlier.

He would stop and go, keeping just within sight of the fire demon, but bouncing on his feet each time he had to stop moving, as if his body almost couldn't stand to be still for any amount of time.

Their path remained unhindered by denizens of the forest, though the night sounds around them made enough ruckus that even the loud revelry of the feast back at the tribe's camp was quickly drowned out.

All at once, he reached a break in the trees some forty or fifty miles later that opened up to a small clearing where a pond of water sat silently, surrounded by the dark red trees that overhung it with their roof of branches, creating a private, serene area. Any of the noises of the night came nowhere near this point, as obvious by the fact that they were so far away that they almost couldn't be heard.

It gave the pond a mystic feel, and the lur'mog chattered excitedly at the water's edge, the distance from one side to the other perhaps half, if not less that, of the hot springs in the blackened mountains of Shikiyoku's 'home,' and looking to be only as deep as three or four feet. A small spring at the back fed the pond, its flow just trickling enough to be heard on the other side.

The waters reflected the trees that hung quietly overhead, the leaves whispering in a small breeze that picked up, and the lur'mog turned, rushing up to the ankle Hiei had wrapped earlier and giving it a strange little hug, wrapping both his front paws and his tail around it, staring back at the water, and getting all excited again. 3

Hiei had followed as he'd promised, through the trees and through the forestry until he was standing in an open little area where a pond stood, its calm surface undisturbed by anything. The area was quiet, peaceful, as if sacred ground.

It clicked then, and as the lur'mog tugged and pulled at Hiei's ankle, the fire demon reached down to peel him from the injured ankle, then continue walking forward, standing at the water's edge and staring down at the calm, dark surface.

"_This_ heals?" he inquired incredulously, having never heard of such a thing. His eyes turned to the lur'mog, setting the creature down on the ground again, taking to simply crouching by the water's edge now to inspect it further, curious.

~!**!~

Akari breathed out in relief, ignoring the bark of a laugh from the demon looking on overhead. At Foko's question, she merely shifted her weight and began slowly pushing herself up to sit, right arm on the ground to push up with, the other stretched ahead as if to grab something to pull with.

Which turned into Kyu pulling her arm calmly until she was sitting up, head bowed as she gritted her teeth, her ribs causing more pain now that she was aware of the tenderness. "_You'll be fine, sweetheart. Just some rest will do and-"_

Akari huffed harshly at the male, shutting him up quickly before she leaned forward some more, intending to stand. "You know, you've helped a lot as of late," Akari began, speaking to Foko without looking at him, "and I have no idea how to repay you." _*****_

Foko stayed where he was knelt next to her as Akari rose, golden gaze becoming thoughtful as he shifted until he sat down fully, legs bent at the knees towards him with one raised that he rested a single arm over, watching her closely to make sure she did not fall.

"Well, I could be brazen and admit to wishing for a kiss," Foko's face broke out into a smile, "But I would be remiss in not simply stating that your presence is payment enough, inu."

~!**!~

Once Hiei spoke, the lur'mog hopped back and forth again where the fire demon had put him down, paws clasping together.

Intending to further prove the statement, the lur'mog disappeared, dashing off faster than it had before in its life, and reappeared twenty or thirty seconds later with a blackened leaf from the burnt grove.

Delicately prancing forward, the lur'mog dipped the leaf into the water until the plant was completely submerged, and chattered as the blackened portions appeared to molt away into ashes in the water, leaving behind a pristine green leaf which the lur'mog took out and waved around, also miming placing the formerly injured limb he had in and out of the water as well.

The "ashes" of the leaf polluted the clear water for a while, but eventually seemed to disappear, perhaps cleansed by the pond. 3

Hiei inspected the waters now with a calm demeanor, previous irritation at being lead around and awoken in the middle of the night dissipated by the prospect of healing waters. He reached out, curious about touching the water, but decided against it as the lur'mog appeared with a burned leaf in its claws, dipping it in the water.

Before his very eyes, he saw a dead plant given life, and his eyes widened. He was more than just a little surprised. He was completely astonished, turning wide eyes to the lur'mog, before they narrowed slightly. "And you waited _this long_ to tell me?"

With that, he was up and moving towards the campgrounds again, not sparing another glance back.

~!**!~

Akari paused in her efforts to stand when her knee shook just a little, and for the time being, she gave up and simply let herself plop down into the grass again, facing Foko as she crossed her legs loosely underneath herself, eyeing him as she heard his response.

"_Heh, you should simply appease his desire now, get it over with. Fox demons are-"_

"Surely my measly presence isn't _that _amusing to you?" she grumbled, eyes turned down to her hands, not even considering the first. "I mean, come on, you just _killed_, and all I'm doing is sitting here."

"_Just give him what he wants, moron." __*****_

Foko leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky, his silver hair falling around his shoulders.

One of his ears twitched at a passing sound some mile or two away, but the other was trained on Akari, listening to her.

"What is it that makes you say such things?" Foko wanted to know, "Who told you your presence was measly? Because they were lying. And likely had a measly presence themselves."

~!**!~

The lur'mog huffed after Hiei, waving the leaf around at his retreating form and doing a little show of appearing to hand the leaf to someone, then running over and dipping it in the water, and then handing it over again, turning and chattering a bit angrily at the now-gone fire demon.

It wasn't as if he hadn't tried at _all_.

The lur'mog huffed again and turned to disappear, knowing that things would be well here, his eyes wide and ready for a night-time hunt. 3

Hiei moved from the area, neither walking nor running, but moving at a brisk pace that was almost a jog, but not quick enough to do more than make his hair wave with his movements. After a few minutes, he was entering the campgrounds again, red eyes dead set on the tent he knew Shikiyoku to be on.

And when he moved inside the tent, he wasn't very quiet about it, intentionally wishing to wake her, so she wouldn't assume she was being attacked when he picked her up.

And pick her up he did. Without even a pause, he scooped her up into his arms, being extremely mindful of her wounds as he did so, and turned to leave the tent again.

~!**!~

Akari didn't respond to Foko in any way, shape, or form. She simply watched him for a moment before she sighed, figuring she wouldn't get any answer other than the one he'd already given her. She wasn't happy with it, but it would have to do for now.

He wouldn't be giving her any other ideas, after all.

"_You didn't answer him, sweetheart."_

Akari took a deep breath, still not answering the fox demon. Instead, she grumbled another _thank you_ in his direction. _*****_

Foko raised an eyebrow in her direction, but said nothing for a moment.

"Introduce me to your pack-mate some day." He supplied, laying down on the grass with a slight poof, his hair fanning out behind his head as he put his hands up to support his neck. "We've never officially met to my knowledge."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku did in fact stir when Hiei entered the tent, but even once she knew she was moving, she still was half-asleep in his arms.

She had enough sense of mind to raise her moveable arm and place it about his neck, though the effort came almost automatically as soon as she was lifted up.

The jostling did not bother her either, though she still had no feeling in either injured limb.

When her eyes managed to open just enough to see Hiei's face, her head dropped forward against his cheek and her eyes came shut again.

"Hiei...?..." She didn't manage to get the question of 'where are you taking me' out of her mouth in any sensible fashion, though her mind was thinking it, and as she relaxed into his grip, she knew it didn't much matter anyway. 3

Hiei was moving slower this time, forcing his steps calm and bounceless, unlike his earlier pace towards the tent had been. He used Shikiyoku's feet to brush the tent flap to the side before he continued on, moving through the camp again and towards the area the lur'mog had lead him minutes before.

He glanced down at Shikiyoku as she mumbled his name sleepily. He didn't blink at her, simply staring for a moment before turning forward again, saying nothing as he moved through the trees of the forest, back towards the pond at a brisk, but calm pace until he was in the clearing again, staring at the calm waters of the pond.

He slowed now, his pace nothing more than a saunter as he approached the water's edge, crouching again and trying to decide how to go about this.

After another beat's hesitation, he was sitting down, sitting Shikiyoku down as well and moving her until her leg was dangling in the water, supporting her weight with an arm around her waist.

~!**!~

Akari blinked at Foko before giving a small smile. She considered standing, to telling him he could meet Nabu at that very moment if he so desired, but as she sucked in a deep breath to say those words, her entire body rang with pain and stopped all thought.

"Nabu would appreciate that," she said instead, releasing her breath slowly.

"_How are you still conscious?" _Kyu suddenly asked, moving so he sat beside her, much like he had when they'd first met, his knees to his chest and cheek resting atop them, amused eyes watching her. "_You've ignored sleep __**and **__been tossed around more than just a little. Don't you think you've had enough?"_

"Mm-m." Akari hummed in a negatory, smiling a soft smile as she tried pushing herself to stand again, now actually determined to move, to stand, to walk around. _*****_

Foko did not miss the noise she made, ear flickering in her direction, but before he could comment, he watched her begin to rise and turned over on his side towards her to watch with a guarded expression.

"Still running from your dreams, inu?" He wanted to know, offering her no help as she tried to get up.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku hissed, a sound of surprise, her eyes flying open when the water hit her leg.

In a sleepy daze, all she could feel was the icy-cold water that enveloped her leg, and she clutched at Hiei's arm with her good hand.

"What's...what are you...Hiei?" Her jaw clenched together, teeth slamming shut as her eyes blinked, trying to make sense of the darkness around her, but unable to move her leg out of the water, trying instead to scoot back out of it. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised when Shikiyoku suddenly was making an attempt at a retreat, and he made certain to cross his right leg behind her, his knee preventing her from scooting far enough out that her leg left the water. But he had yet to get her knee within the pond, so he proceeded to scoot forward, directing her forward as well.

"Don't struggle," he said calmly, eyes on her knee as he directed it into the water, watching as it became submerged finally and he firmly planted his hand on her thigh to keep her from withdrawing the leg. "It'll heal it. Just sit still, or else I'll completely submerge you myself."

~!**!~

Akari struggled for a moment to even lean forward, knee to her sore chest and a hand on the ground between that knee and the knee that was on the ground, readying to push herself up when Foko spoke up, making her pause and look towards him.

"Well, I'm not exactly _running._ I can't run in this state, now can I?" She turned away to concentrate on standing up again, taking a deep breath and pushing against the ground until she was actually standing, albeit not quite steady.

"_You're pushing it, sweetheart."_

Akari responded with the same negatory hum, quieter this time as she planted her hands on her hips and turned to Foko. "You wanted to meet Nabu, so we're going to meet Nabu." _*****_

"Inu, you're obviously injured." Foko pointed out, not moving yet, "I think you can fulfill my desires during a time when you aren't about to fall over. Kaido wasn't exactly a wussy fighter when he set his mind to something."

~!**!~

The lower her leg got into the water, the more Shikiyoku fought against him, a panic settling over her core despite whatever reassurances Hiei gave her, of which all she heard were the words 'completely submerged.'

Sleepy mind starting now to clear, she realized that if she fell into this water, she would not be able to swim to save herself with two completely useless limbs.

When he clamped his hand down on her thigh, she grasped his arm even tighter.

"Hiei, wait-" Her core stumbled a beat as she thought he was going to shove her in, clutching at the arm she had in her hand.

The usual tingling sensation that accompanied what her body considered a life-or-death situation erupted all at once along her skin, her energy beginning to buzz around her.

Despite the fact that the knee was completely submerged, the water had not penetrated the layers of bandages as of yet, and thus no healing had actually started, Shikiyoku simply left thinking that she was about to be shoved into water whose depths she did not know, with two appendages that would handicap her ability to swim greatly. 3

Hiei kept her leg still, his own body now going still as he waited, watching for any changes in the water and only just realizing he'd forgotten about the bandages. Oh well, they'd be soaked through soon anyway. However, as panic obviously began to set in for Shikiyoku, he released a sound of impatience at her and moved his other arm to pry at her fingers.

"You're not going to fall," he said slowly, at first not feeling the effects of the energy. But after another beat, her energy seemed to envelop him, and he was sitting much calmer, much more relaxed than before, his voice turning more silky, as if trying to convince her to let him get what he desired of her. "Just sit here. It's healing water, Shikiyoku." He took in another deep breath, nostrils filling with her scent due to the very close proximity between the two. "Just sit here. You'll see."

~!**!~

Akari stood, hands balled into fists and planted on her hips as she stared at Foko, smile making her lips lopsided as she waited, only for him to counter her words by reminding her of what she was already aware of.

"Yes, I'm injured, but it's just bruises. You said so yourself, nothing's broken." she countered, ignoring the resigned sigh from Kyu, who had moved to stand in front of her, blocking her view.

To which she responded with by leaning around him to look Foko in the eyes again. Which lead to her simply toppling over and into the dirt with a sigh.

"_What did I tell you? You pushed too far, moron." _There was a pause from the male, who blew air from his nostrils, sending his almost-white bangs fluttering above his eyebrows before his gaze was on her again. "_For your own good, don't get up again." _

And of course, Akari ignored him and made to stand again anyways.

"_Why don't you stop her, you damn fox?" __*****_

"Inuuu," Foko practically whined at her, ending the word with a sigh, "You're making me hurt just watching you." He had by this point turned completely over on his stomach, legs up in the air behind him and his chin resting on a hand. "Besides, if _you _get up and leave, that means _I _have to get up and leave and the grass is so comfortable." He mumbled the last word as he turned his face to the side and laid it across his hand, resting on the warm grass. "Why won't you just lay down with me?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku froze in place, still clutching at Hiei's arm, and blinked rapidly into the darkness around her, giving one last squeeze of her eyes and forcing herself awake, the air alive with her panicking energy.

A shiver ran up her body from the chill of the water, and she still felt off balance with how close to the edge of the pond she was, her dead leg giving her a strange sense of her weight, when the only portion she could feel was the bit that was about to slip in completely.

Something strange _was _happening with her knee, though she stiffened as she felt the water reach it, wondering if she'd ever be able to bend it again.

"How do you know?" She asked quickly, trying one last time to scoot back, leaning as far away as she could manage from the surface. 3

Hiei momentarily sat still, his eyes watching her bandaged knee before he remembered the other bandage, to which he slowly reached over, this time with both hands and methodically unwrapping the bandages, his left, uninjured leg wrapping about her waist to keep her from falling, as she still seemed to fear.

His hands moved quickly, removing the bandages before he paused at Shikiyoku's question. He looked towards her face with a calm expression. "The lur'mog showed me," he answered truthfully, turning back to unwrapping the bandages. "It healed his own bleeding arm first, before he showed me whatever it was that caused his injury to heal."

~!**!~

Akari paused, crouching again like she had the first time, her eyes moving to Foko with a small sound at his words that was an odd cross between disappointment and relief. She wasn't sure what to do, since she'd been so eager to get up and go see Nabu. Then again, Foko didn't want to get up and leave.

She thought for a moment before she simply resigned to his request and lowered herself to lay in front of him, miming the way he lay for a moment before her ribs protested, causing her to roll onto her back. "You're no fun."

"_It's about time you listened. Still as moronic as ever."_

Akari continued to ignore Kyu's commentary, looking to the sky and extending her arms above her head, effectively stretching out her body that protested in almost every single way possible. "You're right, the grass _is _comfortable." _*****_

"Of course I'm right." Foko ignored the 'fun' comment, "I wouldn't _lie _to you about that." Foko raised his head for a second to glance over at her, thankful to see that she seemed resigned to not leaving.

"I only wish to meet Nabu once you are well. Though...is there a particular reason why he is not with you now?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku couldn't help but look down at her arm as Hiei unwrapped it, and she felt her stomach lurch when the _hole _appeared, able to see straight through her forearm as the rotting skin on the opposite side fell open.

She shivered again, though because of the image or the water, she could not tell.

And the smell was terrible, the flesh and muscle not healing properly for whatever reason, and a portion of the bone shifting out of place without the bandages to hold it straight. 3

Hiei didn't even flinch at the wound he'd unwrapped, at least not outwardly. Inwardly, his core dropped and his stomach churned. His eyes turned to the water, watching it begin to change colors as the bandages were beginning to become soaked through.

He considered the depth of the water for a moment before assessing that it wouldn't be much of a threat, and he turned his eyes to Shikiyoku again. "To speed up this process…" he paused, thinking over what he was going to request for a moment. "Do you still trust me?" he suddenly asked, half afraid to know her response after yesterday.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged, her hands playing with her own hair as she lay there, staying stretched out on the grass. "I left this morning before dawn, when he was still sleeping." She thought back to how bored she'd been inside that house, how she'd wanted to get out and wander around. She'd considered journeying into Mushiori City again, to visit the place where Sensui had lived for a while, but had decided against it. Why, she wasn't sure even now.

"He might come along in a while, if he notices my school stuff is still at home."

"_Your small talk is getting boring." _*****

"Even more reason to stay then!" Foko exclaimed pleasantly, genuine smile on his face. "Surely your injuries will not take too long to heal. Perhaps we could get up and run about then...? If you wished?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku tore her shimmering eyes away from the wound to look at Hiei when he spoke, curiously regarding him when he faded off, and then suddenly surprised by his question, her face becoming kind and gentle at what she felt to be his apprehensiveness at what her answer might be.

"Dearest Champion…" She shifted her weight and pulled her good arm across her body in a gesture that she would not normally have made, placing her hand up to Hiei's cheek to cup it in her palm, eyes shining.

"There will be a time when you go along with a decision _I_ make, and you will be hurt, and I will almost kill myself with guilt because of it, much as I think you have _this_ time." She searched his eyes to see if she was correct.

"But you did what you thought was _right_, what you thought was _best_. How could I _not _place my trust in you for even just that reason alone?"

She finally smiled softly at him, "You have my trust, now and for always. There is no need to ask after it. Unless it makes you feel better to hear me say so."

She chuckled once gently, "And in that case, ask it as many times as you desire my answer. It will never change, though. That I swear to you. For as long as you are protecting me." 3

Hiei stared at Shikiyoku as she answered him, his eyes never leaving her face as she moved her hand to just touch his cheek, a gesture he wasn't sure how to respond to, so he did not. He simply sat there, eyeing her as she continued on in her reply that had his core feeling calmer, the bond in his mind ringing, thrumming with the sincerity behind her words.

By the time she'd finished speaking, he'd almost forgotten why he'd asked. However, when he looked away, his eyes caught the waters and his memory quickly restoring to the reason he'd asked her. Feeling more confident now, he took a deep breath.

At least he could take away her pain now, much like she'd attempted to do for him earlier that day.

Except… more successful.

He hoped.

Without further ceremony, the fire demon was moving, scooting around her before deciding he'd show her that the water wasn't deep enough to worry about before pulling her in. Almost as soon as his ankle hit the water, a chill ran up his spine, but he ignored it for a moment as he lowered himself fully into the water, then turned to face Shikiyoku, arms extended to her in a show of "you're coming in too."

~!**!~

Akari moved her head so that she was craning her neck back to look at Foko, hands still playing with her hair that was fanned out above her head. She smiled at him, feeling even the slightest changes in her body already beginning. "Have anything in mind?" she asked him, since her only idea was of Nabu.

She almost considered showing him video games, but…

Yusuke could be there.

The thought suddenly had her frowning, realizing the detective could have skipped, just as she had, and if he were to see her with Foko…

She'd be dead before she could explain.

"_Just now occurring to you, sweetheart?"_

Akari gave a small huff that ended in an almost inaudible growl at Kyu.

"_You're slower than before." __*****_

"Well, I may have meant 'run' in the literal sense of the word." Foko's ear flicked to the side once and he lifted himself up on his stomach to look at her. "What was the human term for it again?" He appeared thoughtful, reaching out with a single hand and extending his first finger to place it gently on her forehead. "You're 'it.'"

~!**!~

While Shikiyoku did not hesitate to shift around and place her good hand on Hiei's shoulder, it was obvious that her entire body stiffened as she attempted to steel herself for what she already knew to be water so cold she would never voluntarily plunge into it.

Getting clean for once would be nice though. She could still feel the layer of muck and bile on her skin, and didn't particularly _want_ to know what condition her hair was in. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku shuffle about for a bit before he glanced behind her, noting absently that the lur'mog was nowhere to be seen. The fire demon turned to Shikiyoku again, moving forward and grabbing her around the waist and hefting her into the water, lowering her, but keeping a hold on her good arm to keep her standing in the water that came up to his chest.

He shifted his weight, feeling the water soaking through his own bandages that he'd tied around his ankle. He hadn't really intended to heal his own wounds, but he simply felt that doing it this way was less trouble.

"Make sure your elbow is in the water too." he instructed, the skin where the water touched feeling much better as the grime on his body was slowly being washed away.

~!**!~

Akari's brow raised at Foko's word. Was he, in a roundabout way, asking to _play? _The thought made her lips curl into a wide smile, a small sound escaping her lips that she tried to stifle with a hand. The fox demon, bringing up _tag_, of all games. She wasn't sure which emotion was stronger: surprise or delight.

"You mean _Tag_?" she asked aloud, tone completely filled with amusement. "You, of all people, want to _play_?" She released another laugh, but she quickly clamped her lips together to end the sound, not wanting to seem like she was laughing _at _him.

"How can one be so…" she searched for the words in her mind. "How can you go from fierce to…" She thought some more before craning her neck to see him again, "_adorable?" __*****_

Foko pouted royally at her, "Where does it say that _leaders_ aren't allowed to have any _fun_?"

He tossed his head, clearing hair from his face that stubbornly fell back to shade his eyes anyway as he set his yellow eyes upon her.

"And I believe that would be what is all considered part of my...charm." He finished, grinning wickedly.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku shivered violently at the chill that almost matched the buzzing of sensation that her skin still held, her gleaming eyes closing tightly as she fought an urge to jump out of the water.

Her arm had floated uselessly along the surface next to her without her direct attention, but at Hiei's reminding her of it, she struggled a moment before wrenching her shoulder down, biting her lip at the pain.

She could at least feel _that_.

And for that matter, her knee besides, which she carefully attempted to bend.

"_Too soon." _Her closed eyes squeezed tighter and the hand at Hiei's bare shoulder clenched down on it just a little.

Trying to pull her attention to something else, Shikiyoku opened her eyes, and turned the shimmering gaze over to her submerged arm.

In the darkness, she couldn't quite tell if anything was happening yet, but slowly became aware of being able to _feel _the water passing through the hole. Which was disconcerting to say the least.

Anywhere that Hiei had been injured or cut started to clear up, but left a sort of pollution behind in the water, a darker color than the rest of the liquid. And it was easy to see the same process begin at Shikiyoku's arm, though much slower, as it appeared the water itself turned thicker and started to move away from the injury after it had been used up for healing. 3

Hiei stood in the water, making sure he was close enough that Shikiyoku could lean on him if need be, not once moving as if to pull from her reach. In fact, he did shift his weight so that he seemed closer than before.

His eyes turned down to the water now, watching as it turned dark, moving away whatever it was cleaning from their wounds as if caught in a current. Curious, he watched the trail, seeing where it would lead to, and found that, eventually it died off. Dissipated. Disappeared.

He was utterly fascinated, to say the least. Never before had he heard of waters such as this, that purified wounds and even healed them to the most pristine condition as possible. He wondered if it would leave a scar where Shikiyoku's arm had been pierced, or if it would simply smooth over as if nothing had happened.

He supposed he'd find out, as his own wound could likely scar over as well.

He suddenly scoffed.

A wound from a trap similar to a bear trap in Human world. He surely wouldn't be explaining that one to anyone else any time soon.

~!**!~

Akari was smiling over at Foko, eyes sparkling with mirth as if she were a child. "I agree. Your charm is rather…" she paused again, searching for the word intended here, but coming up short and settling for, "charming."

"_Smooth."_

"You're making it hard to pretend I don't like you," she commented, knowing that if the conversation turned to this particular demon sometime in the near future, it would be highly unlikely she would be able to participate without giving herself away. "You're going to get me killed." Of course, she was only _half _joking. _*****_

Foko just kept grinning at her fumbles.

"And why in the three worlds do you think if I had stopped Kaido that I would let anyone _else_ kill you, hm?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let her good foot rest on the bottom of the pond. Or at least her toe, since she did not wish to get any further in the water than necessary.

Which would be a problem if she actually wanted to get her hair clean.

By this time, her whole body had set to shivering, and when she drew closer to Hiei, the eternal furnace, for warmth, she was envious of both sides of his heritage which likely contributed to how calmly he stood there with her.

"L-lucky hybrid." She stammered at him with a grin, her teeth beginning to chatter, trying to warm her.

On the bright side, the water around her knee was almost completely darkened with her injury, and she was actually starting to feel itchy there, an old, reliable, tell-tale sign of healing. 3

Hiei hadn't been paying much attention to the person in front of him at that very moment, his eyes continuously following the trail of the ickiness in the water. So, when Shikiyoku spoke up, her teeth chattering a little, he turned his eyes up to her with a look of confusion for a moment, before his eyes lit up with amusement that didn't go any further than his gaze.

He thought for a moment, considering the different ways he could keep her warm, but likely not disturb the water, in case it altered its process of healing.

Or maybe heat would speed it up?

He didn't want to chance it, so he raised a hand from the water, facing the palm to the sky and causing water to drip from his fingers and back down to the pond's surface.

After a moment, a small ball of fire formed in his palm, tossing a warm glow around the area and lighting the small clearing. Rolling over and over itself, it slowly grew until it was large enough that, should Shikiyoku decide to place her hands in front of it, its warmth would radiate down her arms too.

For a moment, he stared down at his own creation before his hand extended towards Shikiyoku, his fingers sliding from underneath it to allow it to simply hang in the air between them. He watched as it tossed a warm glow around her features, lighting her green eyes and making them shine brighter than even the fire in the darkness of the night.

~!**!~

Akari stared at Foko for a moment before sighing once, smile fading from a wide grin to a small smile of appreciation. "Killing a business partner must set you back a bit, hm?" she asked in a soft tone, part of her that she wasn't exactly in tune with at the moment thankful for the setback that would delay whatever fight that was brewing, even if just a little longer.

She went quiet suddenly, ignoring the soft humming of Kyu as he took to sitting next to her, legs crossed and a clawed finger gently tapping at her forehead, as if to gain her attention.

She released a long-suffering sigh and let her eyes close for a few moments. "Killing a business partner for someone who's supposed to be an enemy is dangerous, isn't it?" _*****_

"First of all," Foko held up a finger between them, speaking in a very factual manner "A demon who is stupid enough to waste my time like that deserves to pay for that time with interest. Secondly," Another finger joined the first, "I don't see anyone around here complaining about the death. Except you." He winked. "And neither do I think anyone here will go around telling people it happened."

Foko considered Akari for a moment longer, head tilting slightly.

"Have you considered telling him to go away? Or her." He shrugged, as if the gender of the hallucination he knew from experience she was having-he'd guessed it very early on-did not matter. "It occasionally worked for me, when I was feeling particularly bothered by them."

~!**!~

When she saw what he was doing, Shikiyoku closed her eyes again and briefly turned away, letting them adjust to the change in light before blinking, squinting, and leaning back normally as she had been floating.

Her body relaxed a little, though the shivers did not completely vanish, and she sat basking in the warmth the fire shared, flexing her toes in the water and finally able to move her knee without pain.

She hesitated reaching down to itch at it though, unsure if the lack of pain meant the wound had completely closed yet or not.

Blinking sleepily, Shikiyoku, in spite of the cold, felt her head dip slightly once and she jolted herself awake because of it, glancing over at her arm as a distraction, but finding that she blinked at it without making sense of the thing and sighed, trying to not let her eyes close again. 3

Hiei stared at Shikiyoku for a few more moments before turning his eyes to his own flame again, watching as it continued to roll, the flames moving as if stuck within a container that wouldn't allow the fire free. Of course, sparks flew here and there, rising into the air and floating away almost lazily on the now calm wind, but other than that, it gave the illusion of being suspended and trapped in some sort of encasing for simple viewing matters.

And he found himself enjoying the sight more since he hadn't stopped to appreciate the element in a long while.

Years, he realized suddenly. He'd simply been using his flame for attack, for destruction when he saw fit, unlike when he was younger, when he would toy with the power during times of boredom or sleepless nights.

Had it been that long?

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Foko's first words, each point a valid one she realized. How could she have forgotten that _he _was the leader of whatever side he was on, and not another ruling over _him_? _Hmm… maybe I should get some sleep tonight._

"_But the dreams, remember sweetheart?"_

Akari's eyes widened as she registered Foko's question, and then simple explanation of his own dealings with sleep-deprivation induced hallucinations. She rolled over onto her stomach so she could look him in the eye now, searching his face as if that would give her the answer as to how he'd figured it out. In her mind, she'd done well in ignoring Kyu enough to keep his presence discreet.

She sighed after a moment, eyes sliding closed again. "He'll leave eventually." she grumbled, not looking at him now. She felt there was something else she wanted to say, but it wouldn't traverse from the back of her mind to the forefront and then to her tongue, so she was left laying there, cheek on the grass and eyes closed.

"_Like I'd leave so early. We haven't caught up yet." __*****_

Foko remained silent at her word, opening his mouth to speak again, but quietly letting it come closed as he watched her.

He wanted to reach out to her again, to run his fingers through her hair, but something held his hand in place. And so he simply sat there.

_How long… _He mused to himself, _How long will you continue to see me as just a fox demon? You realize that I'm not, right? That I'm only putting on this masquerade? This __façade__? ...what would you think of me, I wonder, if you could see me as I truly am...?_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	47. Episode 132 - Demons at Play

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of this FanFiction Realm!

The scenes between Foko/Akari and Shikiyoku/Hiei are ones CM and I really enjoyed writing, so I hope you enjoy reading them! The chapter is a little bit shorter than usual, but I start rambling about the tribe's celebration next in our RP, so if I hadn't stopped here this chapter would have been super long, tee hee.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Foko interrupts Akari's encounter with the demon Kaido,  
>a demon with whom Foko was supposed to be meeting,<br>and subsequently kills Kaido for making Foko wait.

Akari is still hallucinating due to her lack of sleep,  
>but wanting to stave off the nightmares,<br>she uses Foko's presence as a distraction from her tiredness.

Foko seems nonplussed at his role as distraction,  
>and embraces this role by offering to play tag with her.<p>

~!**!~

As night fell on the Ninth Level, the lur'mog finally gets his point across to Hiei:  
>there is a healing pond of water nearby.<p>

Hiei immediately returns to camp and retrieves Shikiyoku, and as she is not fully awake,  
>she panics as it feels like he is attempting to shove her into the water.<p>

A moment passes between them where Hiei asks if she trusts him-  
>"Of course."-after which he climbs into the water himself and turns to lift her down after him.<br>The water is freezing, so Hiei provides a bit of light and warmth in the form of a ball of fire,  
>and Shikiyoku takes to watching her arm in an attempt not to slip back asleep while floating with him...<p>

* * *

><p>Finding the limb was no better distraction from her tiredness, Shikiyoku realized she'd started staring at Hiei, his own gaze trained on the fireball he created.<p>

As she had many times before, she took in the curve of his cheek, the bone structure of his face, gazing over and appreciating the aesthetics of his features that she could see, his wine-colored eyes, his dark hair, his muscular shoulders. Even the Jagan, which was at the moment mostly closed, seemed to be as much a part of his complete form as the shape of his lips were to his face.

And she had to admit, just as the times before, that she'd fallen in with a rather attractive demon. And this and her previous thoughts were stirring her core more than was likely wise, her scalp tingling and her eyes glinting with power.

"Beautiful," She breathed out in a whisper, quickly flickering her glance over to the fireball when she realized she had accidentally expressed her internal feelings out loud, "Isn't it?" 3

Hiei tried to think back to the last time he'd simply sat around and done nothing but… _admire_. Off the top of his head, nothing came to mind, so he delved deeper into his own thoughts for a few moments, thinking back to before he'd met Kurama, before he'd trekked between the worlds and ended up in the Human World.

_There_, he thought as a memory surfaced. He'd been planning everything, before even considering finding Youko Kurama, of all demons, and he'd taken a break from… whatever he'd been doing before then. He'd let a stream of his energy move about, creating a light show in front of him as it danced and twirled, putting on a show in the night that only he could see.

Hiei released his hold on the memory and came back to the present in time to hear Shikiyoku's words, not even noticing the very slight pause between them. He nodded once before turning and moving away, deeper into the pond until he was almost neck-deep in, at which point he simply decided to move below the surface and rid himself of the rest of the disgusting grime and bile that had built up over the past two days.

~!**!~

Akari lay there, eyes closed and cheek on the cool grass, momentarily forgetting the reason she hadn't been up and around in the first place as she sighed in content. The park, even though it was not her favorite, was extremely peaceful and it was hard to convince herself to peel her eyes open again.

She looked over at Foko again, watching him quietly, noting the expression he wore. _What's on your mind now? _She continued to eye him quietly, as if she'd be able to read his mind if she simply stared long enough and tried hard enough.

Suddenly, she was up and moving, and the fact that her body didn't protest made it easier for her mind to forget that she'd actually been hurt. She reached down, patted his head between his ears with the palm of her head, smiled mischievously and then turned to run.

"Now _you're _it." she called over her shoulder before simply taking off.

Might as well, right? _*****_

Foko's ears flattened outwards a bit, away from where she touched him, and the curiosity in his eyes shone brightly as she ran, up until she spoke.

"Ha!" Foko was on his feet in the next instant, and in the one following dashed off after her, his expression bright, his ears standing straight up at attention as he began to chase her, for the moment keeping a single step behind as he followed.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku winced a little when Hiei moved away, both at having to remove her hand and put her other toe down in the water-her knee seemed stiff to her sensibilities-and also, as a result, having to be lower down in the water.

Regardless of the fact that her face felt warmer, a shiver spanned the rest of her body, and she let her toes flex up and down on the pond floor, which bounced her in place a little, glancing over as she did so to _feel _her arm begin to itch, which truly delighted her and gave her a smile.

...which turned mischievous in the next second as she whipped her head back over to where Hiei had disappeared under the water-_Lucky hybrid_-and she lifted her useable arm up and pulled it close to her side with every intention of splashing water at him as soon as he'd be able to feel it.

She dropped her grin, taking on a face of nonchalance that she would hold if he actually turned around to look at her when she did so. 3

Hiei lingered beneath the surface of the water for a moment, his feet flat at the bottom of the pond, but knees bent to allow every inch of his body, making sure every inch of his hair _specifically_, was underneath as well. His movement made the water seem to sway, moving through his hair as it soaked his head entirely, flowing through each lock of hair despite how thick his hair was.

He waited another brief moment, eyes closed as he wiped at his face with both hands and then ran his fingers through his gently-swaying hair. His fingers broke the water's surface with the motion, causing ripples around his hair as he decided to follow the motion of his hands and resurface again, feeling as if the grime had simply dissipated in the water.

When his face was above the surface, he blew air out of his mouth, sending droplets of the water spewing in front of himself as his eyes opened and he turned to face Shikiyoku. "You should do the-"

Water hit his face, easily entering his opened mouth and making him flinch in slight surprise, eyes closing instinctively and head craning back just a little from the experience of being splashed, something he'd only experienced when he fell from the cliff he'd been tossed over as a child.

He stood there, eyes still closed and lips now closed around the water he'd caught in his mouth, to which he slowly spit out. And for the moment, his only reaction was the look of irritation on his face.

~!**!~

The sound of Foko's steps gaining on her was not lost on Akari, and quite frankly, she wondered why he hadn't closed the distance, as she was completely and utterly sure he could do so in a flash if he so desired. With a wide grin, she glanced back over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out before whipping her head around again and avoiding the bench she'd been careening towards by, as the humans said it, _the hair of her chinny chin chin._

Maybe that wasn't right.

Oh well.

Her strides lengthened at the concept of a purser, and the fact that he could catch up at any second. It made her mind more aware, made it easier to look ahead and plan a route, should she require it.

"_You're too slow, sweetheart!" _Kyu yelled after her, all to which she ignored and changed directions, abruptly deciding that maybe, if she continued to move in zig-zags, he wouldn't be able to keep up. _*****_

While he may not have _been _an actual fox demon, Foko understood well having been in this body for long that the chase was just as, if not more exciting, than the capture.

And so for the next few strides, he simply stayed right behind her, his silver hair streaming in the air behind him as his feet lightly touched the ground with hardly a sound of his pursuit.

When she took to zig-zagging, he anticipated her next turn and took two steps and was in front of her as she changed directions, feet planted and hands on his hips, waiting to see if she would be able to course-correct in time or if she would simply run into him, and he grinned down at her.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had meant to keep a straight face, but at the look of consternation-irritation, really-that Hiei wore when the water hit him, a giggle bubbled up from her lungs and made it part way past her lips before she had time to put a couple of fingers to her mouth and continue the quiet laughter behind them.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she doubted anyone had the _audacity _to ever splash water at the great and powerful fire demon that was Hiei. And considering his childhood, she also doubted he even knew what she meant by it. A fact which, when remembered, made her pull her lips into her mouth and bite down on them so she didn't snicker again.

And it was _that _thought which made her splash him again as he sat there, that is: assuming he didn't have a playful bone in his body and would probably just tell her to stop it without understanding the gesture.

Granted..._she _had an advantage that other demons of his childhood had _not_.

He wouldn't _actually _kill her for it.

...maybe. 3

Hiei kept his eyes shut as water dripped down over the eyelids and proceeded to run down his cheeks. He moved as if to wipe it away, but paused when he heard the beginnings of a laugh from Shikiyoku, who seemed to clamp down on the sound just as soon as it was made. His eyes opened now to glare at her, only to snap closed again when she repeated the action.

And again, he blew air from between his lips and scattered the water droplets that hung from his lips. Never before had another demon acted like this with him, and his calculating mind simply couldn't figure out the meaning behind it or the reason it had been necessary.

His eyes opened again, his glare darker this time despite the flames between them that lightened his face.

"What exactly… drives you to do such… moronic things?" he finally voiced, tone just as heavy as his glare. Any other demon would have been killed on the spot.

~!**!~

Akari glanced back, seeing Foko behind her and giving another smirk of amusement. However, when she turned forward again, he was _in front _of her, feet planted and hands on his hips, expression smug. Her mouth opened to form a small 'o' shape in surprise, and with a single step, she was spinning away, changing direction before she ran head-first into the demon and instead moving as if her life depended on not being caught.

As she pivoted on a single foot to allow her spinning escape, she actually brushed his shoulder with her arm that had flung out to aid in keeping her balanced before it dropped to her side again to help propel her forward and away from the male, hoping she'd adjusted quick enough to avoid being captured. _*****_

Foko just grinned and let her go.

"You're _much _too fast for me, inu." He called, chasing after her again, "What_ever _am I to do?"

In counter to his words, Foko appeared in front of her again after several more strides, and did not give her a chance to turn, putting out his hand and gently prodding his finger against her forehead.

"Tag."

He stood there looking triumphant.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku bit her lips again before answering, knowing that he really _didn't _have the capacity for the gesture now and debating whether or not to actually explain it.

"You, flame-boy." She answered curtly, going on before he could answer by putting her good hand up to her collarbone and assuming an expression of loftiness, her eyes closed and nose turned upwards primly in the light of the fireball next to her, "In my never-ending quest to educate you on the many ways in which demon and human alike might have a bit of 'fun.'" She went on after a second as if a thought occurring to her, "And fun that doesn't involve hacking one's way through a mass of enemies because we _all _know how much fun that is for you." The sentence came out quickly as it was information they both knew to be true. "Fun we can _both _participate in." She added, still in a very professor-like mode. 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku as she spoke, nose in the air as if teaching him something she thought he should already know. His expression of irritation didn't falter, not even when she brought up his idea of fun. Instead, he shifted his weight and began moving closer, wading through the pond slowly, silently despite the motion of the water.

"_Your _idea of fun is equivalent to an attack," he stated, though, in truth, he was having a few internal issues. "_Your _idea of fun, as just displayed, is _not _amusing to me, woman."

He moved even closer, until he was standing in front of her threateningly, orb of fire suddenly going out as he relinquished her source of heat. And he stood there for a moment, cold eyes watching her carefully. "_Your _idea of fun is vastly different than mine."

And in the next moment, water was flying upwards, the dragon that was normally nothing more than a tattoo on his arm roaring up from the waters, willed to life in a split second for only one purpose:

...to rain water down on her.

~!**!~

Akari heard his words, but she found them as nothing more than his personal joke, to which she actually felt amusement stem from. He was playing this game the way she would expect any demon to. He was enjoying the chase, toying with her as most demons likely would have.

So when he appeared in front of her again, she wasn't surprised this time. But, she didn't have time to skid to a stop either, no matter how hard she dug her feet into the ground.

Though, her momentum slowed just enough that when she _did _run into the demon, they didn't simply topple over. _*****_

Foko had already planted his feet firmly into the ground, and Akari smacking into him was a little like a fly hitting a mountainside.

His eyes sparkled with amusement, grin much less wide than previously, if only because he fought desperately against laughing aloud.

He took her by the shoulders, lifted her just enough that he could move her, and set her back on her feet in front of him before putting a hand back on his hip, finally grinning at her again.

"You're 'it.'"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku kept her half-pious pose until Hiei continued moving and was going to be standing in front of her, and at his voice drawing nearer, her hand fell, her lips struggling against the smile that wanted to form on her mouth as she stared him down with equal passion to his own, if on the complete opposite spectrum than the one he appeared to be accessing.

She parted her lips with a single brow raising to make some high and mighty observation about having to discover and establish for oneself the difference between an 'attack' and 'play,' when the darkness flame shot up out of the water, casting its brilliant dark-purple energy in a gorgeous reflection on the pond.

To which, of course, Shikiyoku appeared to remain unimpressed-if not a trifle confused at what exactly drove Hiei to releasing it-but _did _follow its path upwards with both eyebrows rising and mouth still open with the intent to speak, but instead getting her entire face showered with the water that the dragon had displaced, making her eyelids blink rapidly as she squinted to clear the liquid from her eyes, a mischievous smile starting to form on her face. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku as the dragon reared from the water, creating steam as some of the water evaporated with the contact, but also creating a shower that fell down around them noisily. As soon as she looked away, Hiei silently moved, ducking beneath the water until every inch of his spiky hair was underneath the surface.

He paused for another moment before his eyes opened beneath the water, taking a short moment to assess her knee before continuing on with what he wanted to do anyway.

He reached out and grabbed the ankle of her left foot, his other hand grabbing behind the thigh of her right leg and pulling her feet from the ground beneath, ensuring she dipped beneath the water in front of him.

~!**!~

Akari moved to step away, not sure how he'd react to being run into, but wasn't surprised when Foko actually guided her a step away from him. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and looked up at him with raised brows, her own hands planting on her hips and a small pout making her bottom lip jut out slightly.

"It's no fun if you just stand here, silly." she complained before her expression shifted to a smile. "But, I won't be able to keep up, so this game is one-sided."

"_Hey, you're using your noggin." __*****_

Foko's expression shifted as if he hadn't even considered the fact that he was supposed to move again after tagging her.

"And _you _should have tagged me just now." Foko pointed out, grinning and hopping back out of arm's reach. "And if you don't believe yourself to be faster than me, doesn't that just mean you have to win some _other _way?" He pivoted on one foot and looked over his shoulder at her, shaking both his rear and his tail at her tauntingly, letting his tongue stick slightly out from between his lips at her.

~!**!~

Luckily for Shikiyoku, she had just taken a breath to speak when she suddenly found herself jerked downwards, the water enveloping her entire head as she went under. Unfortunately, most of that breath was blasted out of her mouth in the initial bubbles of her descent in her surprise.

The first thing she found when she got her bearings as quickly as possible was seeing Hiei's eyes gleaming crimson in the water, the next was that her entire body gave one final shudder as the liquid closed overhead and her eyes slammed shut at the prickling feeling that briefly stabbed at her scalp. Her teeth may have gritted together at the sensation, but there was no mistaking the amusement at Hiei dunking her.

She shook her head slightly as she felt her hair begin to fan out behind her, begrudgingly thankful that Hiei got the whole process of torture over and done with all at once.

That didn't mean she didn't go ahead and stick her tongue out at him impishly after reopening her eyes. 3

Hiei felt the beginnings of a sneer form on his lips as Shikiyoku came crashing down into the water before him, expression one he knew well. He floated in front of her, eyes sparking with amusement as she stuck her tongue out at him, her own eyes showing amusement at his antics.

So, maybe he hadn't ever associated falling below the surface of water to be fun.

However, the process of _pulling _one under the water, for no reason other than to get back at her for the splashing… _that _he enjoyed. And her reaction made it just that much more amusing.

His hands moved in the water to keep him floating below the surface, but after a moment, he sneered again and moved to resurface, knowing that Shikiyoku would be able to do the same once she planted her foot and pushed upwards.

~!**!~

Akari could have whacked her own head for her blunder. She had simply thought he was _letting _her tag him back. No, he simply _hadn't known_. The idea made her laugh suddenly. "You suggested a game you didn't know how to play entirely?!" She yelled at him with another laugh.

And when he was taking off, her laugh was gone and she realized that he was right. She'd have to find _other _means of tagging the demon back. So, for the moment, she let him move away, watching him thoughtfully as the gears in her mind began turning.

Or rather, they were trying to.

As she stood there, she raised her hand to stifle a yawn, the lack of movement making her aware of her tiredness again despite the distraction Foko posed.

"_You're losing."_

"Shut up," she finally responded to the demon before moving away from him and running after the demon who'd continued the game. _*****_

Foko took off after the moment of butt-waggling, heading for a portion of the park which had strange shapes coming out of the ground. Eyeing one in particular, he dove straight into the tube and shuffled on his hands and knees until he was half-way through it.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stayed under the water for a moment longer, shifting her fingers through her hair as the grim got out of it, unsure of when or where the two bobby pins from the previous hair-do had gone and not particularly wasting any time other than observing it thinking about them.

Flexing the hand of her almost completely restored arm, she glanced up at Hiei and half-wanted to take the same move and turn it on him, but being ever the entrepreneur, lazily rose up of the water in front of him instead.

"Hiei…" Shikiyoku dropped her voice low when she spoke his name, letting her tongue caress the two syllables out of her mouth, a slight smile on her lips, and her attitude much different than before as her energy started to move sensuously through the empty space between them and her eyes gleamed a bright emerald-green in the darkness. 3

As Hiei resurfaced, his eyes reopened and he looked up to see his dragon still swirling around and around in the air, moving in circles above the pond and above his head. The glow that emitted from it was one he revelled in for a moment longer before he recalled it, his eyes following its every move as it made one last circle before making a rapid descent, moving first so that it rested its chin on his outstretched hand, palm holding the dragon up before it continued on, swirling around and around his arm before turning around and swirling back up to his wrist, returning as a simple tattoo and going back to where it had been resting its eyes.

He looked up now to see Shikiyoku standing in the water, her lips moving to form his name almost lazily, or that's how he saw it anyway. His smirk reappeared on his lips, but died away after a moment and taking to simply lingering in his gaze.

And he didn't respond other than a look of expectation, waiting on her to continue with whatever she'd been about to say.

~!**!~

Akari ran after Foko through the park, though he had a decent lead on her. Her strides were long and her arms swung to help propel her forward, head ducked just enough that she wouldn't lose sight of the fox demon who changed directions, as she had expected him to.

But where he headed, and where he ended up…

Akari came to a stop about ten feet away from the tunnel, staring at the opening where he'd almost disappeared, the end of his tail and his feet visible from where she stood. And then she dropped to her knees in the grass, hand holding her stomach and head bowed. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter that she was trying with all her might to hide, but as it became harder to breathe, her laughter began to ring throughout the air around her, first quietly before slowly rising in volume, dying away again when she couldn't breathe anymore.

_A demon, diving into a dog's play tube!_

The thought and the image in her mind made her topple over in the grass, landing on her right shoulder and simply laying, curled into a small ball as she gasped frantically for air, crying tears of laughter that streamed down her cheeks. _*****_

Foko stopped in place and blinked.

_You'd think I would remember by now that I'm just a __**little **__bit bigger than my actual form._

Hearing the frantic laughter on the grass pulled Foko from his brief inward moment as he grinned and he continued crawling on all fours out the other side of the plastic tube, turning, and staying in that position all the way over to Akari, his silver-hair falling down either side of his face as he crawled up to her, eyes bright, ears at attention and fixated upon her sound.

When it appeared she might stop, Foko simply started prodding at the side of her ribs that had not been injured, curious to see if this inu might be ticklish.

~!**!~

As soon as Shikiyoku had Hiei in her eyes' grasp, she let another gentle pulse of power wash over him and moved closer, her lips slightly apart as if any moment she could speak.

Underneath the water, she flexed the hand of her mostly healed arm, testing its strength, and then brought both hands up to rest them on Hiei's shoulders near his neck, fingers almost absently moving back and forth over his bare skin.

"Hi-ei..." She said again, making the separation more pronounced, drawing herself up close to him without breaking eye contact, "...tell me something..." She paused for a moment before finishing, eyebrows raising slightly. 3

Hiei retained eye contact with Shikiyoku calmly, not even an inkling of her energy pulsing around him known by him. So, after a few moments, he was completely locked on her, his gaze no longer holding his amusement, but calm, patiently waiting as she moved closer, her hands now on his bare shoulders. His eyes remained on hers, transfixed.

At her pronunciation of his name, he felt as if she were making him wait on purpose, and the thought almost had him becoming impatient. He raised a brow curiously at her, completely and utterly aware of her touch.

When she continued, but did not continue enough to be of benefit for either of them, his brow raised further. His lips parted only slightly, as if preparing to ask her what she wished to know, but words never really forming on his tongue.

After a moment, his lips did actually part enough to release his prompting question, "What do you wish to know?"

~!**!~

Akari's laughter died down for a moment, her chest expanding and contracting with her rapid attempt at regaining her breath. Her eyes were still closed, her breaths more than just a little audible as she forced her laughter to stay in her throat, not allowing herself to continue laughing.

She was so concentrated that she hadn't been aware of the approaching demon until he was prodding her, poking her ribs to which she quickly jerked away from, eyes shooting open to stare at Foko, lips twitching but clamped firmly closed as she wriggled away from him. _*****_

Foko's teeth were showing. Because he was smiling so hard at Akari's mild attempts at escape.

Without any other warning, he grabbed her by the shoulders again and pulled her towards himself while at the same time shifting over so that he was sitting down, getting her into his lap and beginning to prod at her again, a portion of his hair falling against her face.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku brought her nose so close to Hiei's that the two almost touched before she went on.

"Are you having _fun_ yet?" Her grin turned wicked and in a flash, one hand slid up his neck to the top of his head and shoved down forcefully, the other still at his shoulder and taking the moment of distraction she'd provided for herself to dunk him completely under the water, beginning to laugh merrily as she pushed him slightly further down before starting to let go. 3

Hiei opened his mouth to speak, to respond to her question, but he hadn't had time to even suck in a breath before his head was underwater, held down by a hand atop his head, completely breaking the spell she'd had over him. His lips quickly closed, as did his eyes once he realized he was underwater, easily keeping from swallowing the liquid despite the abrupt surprise.

His eyes opened and his head moved so he could look up at Shikiyoku from beneath the water's surface, taking a moment to think as her hand lifted from his hair.

And he decided to be as cruel as was possible in the situation.

He let out the breath he'd been holding, creating bubbles in the water as he let his entire body relax, going slack. And, with the aide of his Jagan, he began pulling his energy inside himself, concealing his presence very slowly until, after a minute or two, it was as if he had no energy at all.

And at that precise moment, he stopped all movement and let his eyes close, creating a calm mask as he simply floated just beneath the water's surface.

~!**!~

"N-no! Nononononono!" Akari began protesting as she was pulled closer to Foko, a laugh leaving her as soon as his fingers began prodding again at her ribs. "S-stop it!" she stuttered out between bubbles of laughter, the more he prodded the more sensitive she seemed to be to this sensation of tickling.

A flashback to when she was younger had her batting at his arms, tears rolling down her face again as she attempted shifting to keep him from the area around her hips where she used to be most ticklish. "I-I can't breathe!" she stuttered out again, her words ending with more laughter as she struggled to get away, batting at him now with both hands. _*****_

Foko finally released her after continuing for a moment more, pleasant laughter falling out of his mouth as he watched her wiggle slightly in his lap.

He leaned back on his hands and tilted his head slightly to regard her with a grin, crossing his legs at the ankles and looking down at her.

~!**!~

Laughing the entire way to the bank of the pond, Shikiyoku had herself pulled halfway out of the water before she even bothered to look back, mirth falling away into just a grin as she easily lifted up the rest of the way with her newly healed arm.

When she finally turned back to fire another comment about the lesson being over, hands on her hips, Shikiyoku realized that the water had grown very still and her hands slowly dropped to her sides, no signs of any bubbles that would indicate life beneath the surface.

For a second, her core hitched and she frantically turned inward to the bond she held in her mind.

The pact hummed at her attention, and she knew without a doubt that Hiei was not dead. Or dying, for that matter. She had been through three-Shikiyoku closed her eyes at the reminder-three times of feeling the pact sever, and while each one had been as unique as the death or powerlessness that caused it, it would be untrue to say that they had not rocked her to her very soul.

But...he didn't resurface.

That water wasn't _that _deep.

Did she choke the air out of him?

She couldn't remember. She didn't think so.

Shikiyoku's breath caught in her throat.

She _was _only handling half of a pact.

That thought send her core racing again.

Perhaps if he died she wouldn't _feel _it like the others.

Her arm absently flex again, as if testing its strength without her direct awareness.

Then she dove back in.

The entire time she swam back in Hiei's direction, she paid close attention to the half-pact between them.

Surely if he were dying it would alert her. It would have to for her survival. And she didn't think something like that would be split somehow.

That's what led her to getting down to where Hiei had sunk slightly to the bottom from the lack of breath in his lungs and pausing for a moment, slyly letting a portion of her former panic continue ringing against the bond between them.

_Is it a __**game**_ _you're playing with me, flame-boy? _The thought both amused and surprised her.

_Then we shall see exactly how long you're willing to __**play **__it._

Keeping herself swimming just in front of him, Shikiyoku brought up a single hand and teased the back of her fingers across Hiei's collarbone, drawing back and then reaching forward with both hands-and a sadistic grin-and lightly brushing the tips of her fingers intermittently all the way down his chest to his stomach. 3

Hiei had to fight to keep from moving any of his muscles, which occasionally twitched in protest of being so still in the water, where he could receive no oxygen whatsoever. But he managed it as if he'd done this hundreds of times, arms floating out by his sides to both make the illusion look more realistic and to keep himself submerged. It was something he'd learned when he was younger and having to get away from a demon who'd been a little tougher than he'd anticipated.

He was about ready to resurface when he felt the change in the water indicating that Shikiyoku was moving nearby, getting closer. His eyes remained closed, so he didn't see what she was about to do until she was actually touching him.

For a moment, he didn't react, though the sensation was enough to make his fingers twitch as he fought the urge to move. After another beat, his eyelids shot open and he was reaching out, grabbing Shikiyoku's wrist and pulling her towards himself, energy billowing around himself as his mind reached out to touch hers.

"_To answer your question, I am indeed having fun. Are you still having fun?"_

~!**!~

Akari's arms fell to her sides when Foko released her from his sadistic form of torture. She gasped for air, eyes opening to shoot a half-hearted glare in his direction, completely contradicted by the small smile on her lips.

"You're-" she took another deep breath, "A jerk." she finished, though she didn't mean it in the slightest as she lay there, watching him.

And then she reached up with the hand closest to him, miming his earlier motion and lightly touching his forehead with her index finger, her smile growing. "You're it," she whispered before laughing again and letting her eyes close. _*****_

Foko narrowed his eyes playfully at her as she declared him 'it,' but made no move at that moment to tag her back, until she closed her eyes and a frown passed over his features. He poked her side a couple more times.

"None of that now. Or you'll be tickled again."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku didn't appear surprised to find that Hiei _had _been playing a game with her, though a tiny portion of her mind expressed relief at discovering it to be true and certain.

She let him pull her closer, and then came farther than he'd likely intended before answer his question until her body rested up against his under the water, laying her face into the crook of his neck and closing her eyes as she felt the warmth radiating off his bare skin.

Responding through the contact she still felt via the Jagan, she answered him after that moment.

"_Of course. And I don't think I've ever had quite this much fun all at once, Champion. ...thank you." _She let her appreciation flood the place where their minds were connected. 3

Hiei had released her wrist, but it didn't seem to stop Shikiyoku from simply floating closer, almost forming a hug. He didn't move away, simply floating there as he felt the bond begin to thrum almost happily in his mind, as if this contact were something that should have happened long ago. His eyes looked to her from the corners, watching the way her hair moved about in the water as she gave her reply.

Despite the burning of his lungs that were screaming for air, he stayed a little longer, sneer disappearing from his expression as he watched Shikiyoku, a little surprised by the gentle appreciation in her words when he'd just _played dead_.

After another moment, his lungs protested enough that his head throbbed, and then began to ache. He grabbed at Shikiyoku's arms and pulled her up with him, his head breaking the surface and his mouth immediately opening to gasp for the oxygen his lungs craved.

"Avoiding the city was worth it, now wasn't it?" he suddenly voiced, expression blank but gaze shining with the smugness that didn't show anywhere else.

~!**!~

Akari's entire body twitched at the contact, another small huff of a laugh leaver her at Foko's prodding, her eyes sliding open in preparation for another attack. But he calmly sat back again, and his words made her stick out her tongue at him. "I wasn't sleeping, just relaxing for a bit!"

She gave a beat of pause before huffing again. "And that's a form of torture I hope to never experience again." _*****_

"What, relaxing? I can remedy that for you." Foko replied with ease, moving his hand as if to start tickling her again.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku tried not to smile, but her lips kept twitching as she narrowed her eyes playfully at her Champion, hands resting softly on his shoulders where they had moved when he started to pull her up with him.

She finally made a big show of sighing and tossing her gaze up towards the overhanging trees, "I _suppose _here is where _you _get to say 'I told you so.'" 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, following her gaze for a moment before turning back to her with a brief sneer before he was pulling away and moving towards the edge of the waters, not glancing back at her as he moved away.

"As if I'd say such a petty thing."

He pulled himself up from the waters and then pushed himself up to stand, wiping the water from his face and then running his hand over his chest to do the same, the feeling of the water dripping down his skin an unpleasant one.

~!**!~

"Nononono!" Akari quickly replied, a hand reaching up and grabbing his wrist to still its descent and forcing him to lower it again. "No more, please." she practically begged, shifting her weight to angle her torso further from him as if to highlight her point. _*****_

"But I thought relaxation was _torturous _for you?" Foko grinned briefly increased pressure on the wrist she held as if to fight her resistance against his advances.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku watched Hiei move away from her, and now that her body had adjusted to the temperature of the water, she felt anxious about leaving.

While she hadn't directly paid attention to it at the time, the air had made her body shiver desperately when she'd gotten out earlier.

Ironic.

Stalling for a moment, Shikiyoku lifted her forearm out of the water, flexing her fingers for the third time and watching with interest the tendons pull and move as she did so.

She leaned closer to her skin, unsurprised to see that the healing had left a scar down the length of her arm, as long as the hole itself had been, where the skin had pulled together to close. And on both sides of it too.

Curious, she briefly glanced down to her knee, but it was still beneath the surface of the pond, and the darkness did not allow her sight to penetrate far enough to make it out.

She wondered if there was a scar there.

Resigning herself to the chill she was likely to get, Shikiyoku made her way back to the edge of the pond and slowly, reluctantly, started to pull herself out of the water, shiver beginning as soon as her shoulders left it. 3

Hiei stood with his back to the pond still, his hands wiping away droplets when he felt them until he was bored with it and simply decided to use his energy. Might as well use his resources, right? His eyes slid closed, trying to ignore the droplets that fell from his hair and down his face some more as his energy began to swell within himself, his core pulsating with heat energy as his skin began to continuously warm up.

After a moment, steam seemed to be rising from his body as the water evaporated, and his hair began to stand on end as it normally did, the water from his locks also evaporating little by little.

He turned around to face Shikiyoku as his energy died away, eyeing her as he realized he didn't feel the cool of the air, or rather, he wasn't bothered by it. He noticed goose bumps forming on her skin as soon as she was pulling herself from the water, and he considered her for a moment.

He wasn't one for contact, really. He'd been just a bit uncomfortable a moment ago when she'd leaned her head on him, and a little more so when her hands had planted on his shoulders. He saw it as unnecessary and useless, most of the time.

But he couldn't exactly extend his warmth to her like a simple heater. It would require a flame.

So he turned his back onto her again as if about to walk away, but paused mid thought and turned back to her again, and he began flexing his energy around himself again, testing its ability to move around himself as simple warmth.

He found that, while he couldn't simply direct it to her, he could expand it, make almost a bubble-like area of warmth around himself that radiated through the air. She'd only need to walk nearby to feel its effects. So he approached her, his bubble of warmth moving with him as he took to standing near her.

"They're having a bonfire."

~!**!~

She gave a small laugh, "No, no, tickling is torture! You're going to _actually _kill me if you keep it up!" she exaggerated, meeting his resistance with equal force. "Can we just have a moment of staying here?" she suddenly requested, small smile coloring her features with fondness. "Please? Your lap is very comfortable." _*****_

"Of course, inu." Foko replied with equal good-humor and a gentle smile, pulling his arm away to prop himself up again.

He gazed at her for a moment longer before lifting his eyes back up to the clouds, letting the peace settle across the park as between them.

~!**!~

By the time Shikiyoku got all the way out of the pond, she had her arms wrapped around herself while the air hit the droplets of water and her soaked hair.

She knew immediately when Hiei stepped closer what he was doing and she gave him a grateful look, standing in place and shivering.

Shikiyoku raised an eyebrow when he mentioned it and spoke through chattering teeth.

"Bonfire means lots of demons around." 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku's words, having already discerned that particular problem. Of course it meant a lot of demons, but it also meant food, all to which his stomach was craving at the moment. He was surprised it hadn't made a sound yet.

He turned and began to walk, assuming she'd follow since he was radiating the warmth she needed to keep her teeth from chattering and muscles from tightening. He considered their options for a moment as he sauntered along. He could kill something, if he so desired, but that would also mean that he'd have to skin it, clean it, gut it, the whole shebang.

And he wasn't quite hungry enough for that process just yet.

Maybe there was-

No, rivers were scarce in most parts of Demon World.

He'd simply have to gather them food from the bonfire on his own, he decided. "Are you hungry?"

~!**!~

Akari released his wrist and let her hand rest on her stomach, her eyes watching Foko even as he turned away. She hadn't been lying when she'd said she was comfortable. His presence was easy to give in to, and quite frankly, she found herself increasingly wanting to stay within his presence.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was so accepting of anything and everything that happened around her, even going so far as to kill his own business partners simply because he enjoyed her presence too.

It was something she found funny, but at the same time, disconcerting. Why? Because, well, he was so different than the people he was overseeing. While Otento was lethal, attacking at every chance he saw, Foko was making peace.

At least, to her he was.

She hummed thoughtfully and turned her eyes to the side now, noting that Kyu was nowhere to be seen and feeling grateful for that fact. _*****_

Without directly meaning to, Foko reached over to the hair fanned out about his thighs from where Akari had struggled and began playing with the strands absently, his eyes turned down to watch, but very obviously far away and not particularly seeing the action.

He spread portions of her hair farther out over the outer side of his leg and gently brushed his fingers against it, observing the stark contrast in color from her locks to his pants.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku trotted to catch up to Hiei once she realized he did mean to head back towards the encampment, partly for his warmth, mostly for his company.

"I could certainly eat." She responded mildly, "But I think you'll find we'll be dragged into the celebration. And I wouldn't advise you _stealing _the food." She teased. 3

Hiei made a small sound of amusement at Shikiyoku's teasing, though it didn't really move past his sealed lips. His expression remained neutral, even as he thought back to the creature he'd killed and every single word it had yelled at him. "Yes, but part of that is, by right, my own." he said suddenly, thinking back to his days as a child, when he'd been taken in by bandits that were a little rough around the edges, to say the least. They'd taught him the guidelines of how the hunt went.

Perhaps they were different here, but he half cared nothing at all about the differences.

The other half of him was mildly curious and wanted to learn.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes took in the scenery around her, noticing for the first time that the trees here were different than those at the other park that she normally visited. They were smaller and offered less shade, their leaves weaker and tearing as limbs struck one another. Some of the limbs were dead from the trees' ages.

_The human world trees die much faster than Demon World's._

She let her eyes wander again, this time to the playthings in the area. They were simple, obviously meant for creatures whose attention spans were no longer than her smallest finger. Nabu would have enjoyed it, when they first met. Now, she wasn't quite sure.

The feeling of her hair being tugged brought her eyes back to Foko, and she watched the glassy-eyed stare he had, wondering for the second time that day what was plaguing his mind, and again not asking. She let her eyes move to see the sky past his head, deciding to leave him to his thoughts for the moment. _*****_

Foko started to weave a portion of the hair together with one hand, his long lithe fingers delicately patterning the strands he had between them, starting from closer to Akari's head and moving out swiftly to the end of her hair.

He did this twice more, then took all three braids and started the same process over again until the ornament was finished.

His eyes came back to the present then, and admired his handiwork.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave Hiei a surprised look.

She had not known he had joined them in their hunt, though that is what she supposed he meant.

"I do not think Shubou would begrudge you what is rightfully yours." Shikiyoku admitted, "However, it would be considered a slight upon their honor for you to steal away with it and not at least sit with them to consume it." 3

Hiei didn't respond. That had been something he'd learned in his childhood too, but hadn't really cared for at points. Even now, he wasn't one for communal feasting. It was something he saw a group of very close individuals doing and, well, he wasn't even hardly acquainted with these demons.

Perhaps he'd skip it after all, to avoid the _politics_ of it all.

Or maybe it wouldn't hurt to join for a while.

He couldn't decide just how hungry he was, and now that he'd voiced his thoughts to Shikiyoku, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to back down now anyway.

"What's there to celebrate anyway?" he asked, genuinely curious of the occasion that had called for a bonfire and a feast.

~!**!~

Akari revelled in the feeling of Foko's fingers moving through her hair as gently as they were, her eyes sliding closed for a moment or two. It was the sole reason she'd let it grow out, so she herself could fashion it into any style she so chose, once she'd began living with Sensui. So when his fingers released her hair from his hold, she opened her right eye and looked up at him, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Do you always play with something in your hands when lost in thought?" _*****_

Foko blinked down at Akari, unaware that she had paid any attention, though his absent-mindedness was mostly to blame for that.

Before he answered, he smoothed his fingers down the finished product.

"I'm not sure." He admitted, "I think it was a result of having something so beautiful to play with."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made a thoughtful noise, "Mm. I think Shubou still celebrates the Feast of Darkness." 3

Hiei raised a brow, though didn't look at Shikiyoku or express his slight confusion. He'd never celebrated anything of the sort, to his knowledge. Was it something native to this level of Demon World, or simply something that became a rarity before he was born?

Either way, it mattered not to him. He wasn't a fan of large gatherings.

He actually almost sighed at this point.

He himself wasn't hungry enough, but if Shikiyoku was, he wouldn't mind killing and skinning a creature for them to cook and eat.

~!**!~

Akari blinked slowly at Foko with a small smile. "Would you believe me if I told you it used to be short, not even touching my shoulders? It was kept that way for most of my life, actually. Only recently did I decide to grow it out." she paused, smiling. "Who knew it curled so much?" _*****_

"Mm." Foko intoned, continuing to run his fingers through the other, non-braided parts of her hair, "Short or long is a matter of personal taste. I can see you looking just as lovely with either."

~!**!~

Warmer now, Shikiyoku stopped for a second to bend down and remove the bandages from around her knee, interested to find that here there had been left no scar.

Now that he had reminded her of it, Shikiyoku kind of wanted to attend. She turned the thought over in her head as she unwrapped her former wound.

She knew there would be storytelling and some time of music and dancing. Not to mention a few duels between tribesman. The celebration would likely last the entire night, as it was intended to. She felt torn, much preferring the simple company of her Champion to a large crowd.

Well, as large of a crowd as Shubou's tribe might produce. Which, if memory served of the brief moment she'd gotten to look around at the tents and gauge the noise when Hiei whisked her away earlier, would barely consist of twenty demons altogether.

Her energy did buzz slightly around her with excitement at joining them though.

She also suddenly realized the meaning behind Shubou's offer for her to join in with them. Having a demon of her kind in attendance, with her background and age, would make the feast one the tribe wasn't likely to forget, even if she had been forced to sit in the background with her injuries.

Events such as these were not usually kept in Demon World any longer except among the tribesfolk because their original purpose had been to lift the spirits of a hardworking group, ceremony and significance behind the gathering aside.

"I..." Shikiyoku started, hesitant, as she stood up to keep walking, "I should go." She admitted with a bit of reluctance. "Shubou asked me to while changing my bandages, and I...I think I owe it to the tribe for their kindness. To at least appear for a moment." Shikiyoku gave Hiei a side-long glance out of the corner of her eye, "I understand if you do not wish to join." 3

Hiei let the silence stretch on for a few more moments as they walked, stuck in his own inner debate for the moment. He could go, and likely end up being stuck there with Shikiyoku waiting, if she decided not to join him. He could skip out, kill an animal for themselves, but then he'd have to find a water source for-

Shikiyoku's voice practically yanked him from his thoughts and brought his eyes to her as she spoke, solving all of his inner debates in a single sentence. The rest of her words weren't really necessary, because no matter his reluctant he was to join the celebration - even to simply eat - he wouldn't allow her to go alone.

So when the campgrounds came into his sights, Hiei didn't turn to go back to the tent. Instead, he followed his ears, not responding to Shikiyoku with words, but with the direction his feet carried him.

He'd simply have to stick it out, he supposed.

Maybe he would actually find something worth staying for.

~!**!~

Akari made a sound of amusement at Foko, then turned it into a small sound of appreciation. He'd answered a loaded conversation wisely by not stating any preference or commenting on the flaws nor perks of either hairstyle, something she hadn't realized she'd been listening for.

"Quite frankly, I like it better long. I can play with it myself when I end up bored."

The smile she offered was a lopsided one as she eyed him again. "You know, I've been curious about a few things, but I'm sure you wouldn't appease my curiosity about any of them." she suddenly admitted. "Say, your actual name." _*****_

"Well, I won't turn down the question, you just may not get an answer." Foko smiled down at her and tilted his head. "Would it be unreasonable of me to admit to enjoying the name you've given me in place of my own?"3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	48. Episode 133 - Revelry

**A/N: **Hello once again, Audience!

There is a ton of me doing what CM and I came to call "rambling" in this chapter. It's where one of us goes off on describing the scene and it takes forever and we feel bad about it but the other person always goes YAY ME LIKE. Tee hee.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Foko continues distracting Akari from sleep,  
>at first with a game of tag,<br>then by tickling her until she concedes.  
>Her head in his lap, Akari asks for Foko's real name,<br>to which he admits to enjoying her christening him 'Foko.'

~!**!~

The water of the healing pond fully cleansed and repaired both Shikiyoku and Hiei,  
>and after a moment of playfulness between the two of them,<br>they head back to Shubou's camp...

* * *

><p>The encampment opened up before them with a fierce savagery, sounds of a fight on the air.<p>

As they drew closer, the giant bonfire was tossing sparks up into the sky, and the entire tribe was spread out around and slightly off to the right of it, forming an elongated circle in which two demons were crouched, facing one another, one hand behind their backs and blindfolds over their eyes.

The tribe was watching the exchange almost reverently at this point, only starting to shout or cheer when one demon or the other made a move at their opponent.

Shikiyoku stayed on the outskirts the loose circle had formed, silent, but watching with avid interest.

Upon closer inspection, each demon had three slim blades held between the four fingers of the bare hand not held behind their backs, and it was easy to see that by this point the blades had sunk somewhat into their skin as there would occasionally be drops of blood dripping down their wrists and to the ground.

Dipping and dodging around each other, the point of the skirmish seemed vague as hits on the skin did not appear to make a difference, until one demon broke through the other's defenses and made a quick upward slash that wrended the blindfold of his opponent into two portions, which fell apart and gently floated off the face of the losing demon and to the ground.

Cheers erupted from the onlookers and the demon who could see started to grin as the winner lifted his blindfold and mirrored the expression, leaving his bit of cloth half on and half off his face and closing the distance between them.

They both reached forward and clasped one another's arm, the winner leaning forward to say something into the loser's ear what with the noise about them, and the loser nodded, grin growing wider.

"Iro!" Shubou's glad cry cut through the crowd as the leader had spotted her standing with her Champion off to the side. One could almost not see the short, brown-haired demon as the bonfire nearly blocked the small form almost directly across it from where Hiei and Shikiyoku stood.

The demons seated in front of Shikiyoku and HIei immediately stood up, eyes bright with the celebration, saying words of welcome and expressing gratitude at both parties for deciding to come.

Greetings dying down as Shubou started to speak again, and most of the tribe looked over at their leader.

"Iro, I have a favor to ask!" Shubou's orange eyes were sparkling in the firelight, as if knowing the favor would not be denied.

"If it involves feeding us, I already agree!" Shikiyoku grinned, stepping forward through the demons towards the bonfire.

That earned her a laugh from the group, and almost immediately two or three demons with trays of what the tribe feasted on appeared next to her.

She chose something frugally and waved them back to Hiei, turning to Shubou as she stuffed the slice of meat into her mouth.

The three demons moved next to Hiei, offering him food as well.

"Then, perhaps _two _favors." Shubou allowed with a toothy smile, the red markings on its face curving with the grin. "You do us great favor by gracing us with your presence on this of all nights. Would you deem us worthy of your entertainment?"

"And by what do you mean?"

"A story!" A demon from somewhere piped up, earning several agreements from those around him.

"A dance!" That one got a few more cheers of approval that died down as the tribe looked back and forth from Shikiyoku to Shubou.

"Both!" Someone finally said, earning a good bit of laughter and general murmurs of accord.

"What story might you tell us, Iro?" Shubou wanted to know.

"What story would you wish to hear?"

"It is the Feast of Darkness. What do you weave about that?"

Shikiyoku grew a thoughtful expression as she stepped over in front of the bonfire, the light making her features glow, and started to speak, the group quickly growing still around her.

The tale she spun talked of the original demon, the one that fell from the heavens, and how he had been too powerful for the Ninth Level to contain, and had to separate a portion of himself away so that he did not destroy the home he had created. He separated from within himself the darkness flame, and from it formed his mate, a beautiful and powerful she-demon with long, flowing purple hair and skin as black as the element from which she came. And it was from her forming that the first Darkness, the first Night, descended upon the Ninth Level, for her power was so great that it blackened the sky. And so came to be the cycles of day and night; when the original demon's power was at its peak, there was day, and when his mate's power was at its peak, there was night. And as their power cycled together, the days and nights grew shorter or longer according to who was in what portion of their cycle.

The feast they celebrated welcomed the longest night within the cycle, the night when the first mate's power would have been at its peak.

As Shikiyoku's voice faded off, the faces of the demons around her took a moment to shake off the mystic tale, and even when they started to murmur appreciatively to one another, their noises stayed low and reverent.

"The tales of your word-weaving do not do you justice, woman." Shubou finally said, having had to take a moment to withdraw from the visions Shikiyoku had caused to form within his mind's eye.

Shikiyoku inclined her head slightly with a mischievous air, but took the compliment in stride and said nothing.

The shake of an instrument pulled everyone completely from the previous moment, and those who had them started to pull such things out from nearby, music starting to slowly carry into the air as first a drum began a beat and other drums from all around them joined in.

Shubou said nothing, but gestured with a hand that Shikiyoku could take to dancing should she wish.

The look she gave him wanted to know if she had any choice in the matter, but Shubou would only send her a grin in response.

By this time, having stood with her back to the fire, most of Shikiyoku's hair had dried, and it was after a quick run of her hand through the strands that she began.

This dance and its music was much different from that of the courts of Rae's household. It did not appear that Shikiyoku needed a partner as she began to move about in the rhythm the drums provided.

The celebration picked up around her with talking and laughing and drinking, but each demon had one eye on the dancer and her steps as she made them in the free space of their circle that had not long before been the battleground between two fighters.

As Shikiyoku danced, she slowly let her energy free as if it were the most natural thing in the worlds for her to do. She started to interweave the strands around herself, dancing with the tendrils in a fashion that most other demons would not have dared.

On another level, the energy began sweeping out into the crowd, her scent floating under the noses of those in celebration, and any that had not been watching her while conversing or eating found their eyes drawn to her even as they all kept their feasting going. But their gazes were not hostile, or even any with truly any motive at all except to enjoy the aesthetic form she cut as her arms and legs moved elegantly.

One of the females in the circle broke free and joined her, moving up with a bit of cloth that Shikiyoku paused just long enough to let her tie about her waist. It was a skirt of sorts that matched what most of the females wore in the tribe, strips of fabric extending to her ankles that would flow about her as she kept moving.

It didn't take long for others of the group to get up and join the two once the brief spell had been broken, weaving patterns in and out of one another, though unintentionally leaving the middle of their dancing to Shikiyoku alone, whose tendrils of energy swerved and looped sensuously about her as she continued, only occasionally having another two or three dancing demons briefly intertwine about her as the circle moved as if alive. 3

Hiei had accepted a type of kabob when it was offered to him, turned and watched Shikiyoku as she told her tale. As the first time he'd heard the story, he listened keenly, core moving slightly here and there when a particular part stood out to him. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but Shikiyoku seemed able to grab his attention and keep it, even though he'd already heard this story. His eyes had been locked on her the entire time she spoke.

And when she had wrapped up her story, he was still watching her, standing a little behind the others still as he'd been too entranced to move away before she'd begun. Now, he took another bite of the tangy, chewy meat as another being approached, taking to standing beside him and leaning down just a little.

"When you stand alone, you appear as if you'd rather kill us all than be present. At least join us in sitting while you enjoy your meal, Champion."

Hiei looked up at Hideki, only just noticing the demon who stood behind him as if he'd come along to add to the conversation, but now was too focused on Shikiyoku. He considered the pair for a moment, eyes moving to the strip of meat Hideki suddenly produced and offered to him.

"From your beast."

Hiei accepted it out of reflex before looking back up at Hideki, who stood at least three feet taller than he, and nodded once.

"That's the spirit! Come on, you're in for a show now!"

Hiei followed wordlessly, moving through the motionless crowd easily until he was pausing by a log that had been placed specifically for sitting. He didn't sit, but he did stay within the crowd that was randomized about. By the time he was standing comfortably and was chewing on the much stringier meat of the creature he himself had killed - likely much more satisfied by the taste than normal - Shikiyoku was moving about, her energy snaking through the air and carrying her scent even to his own nostrils.

He paused mid-chew to watch the dance ensue, only continuing when she paused for another tribeswoman.

By the time other dancers were weaving around one another in a dance he didn't recognize, he was completely and utterly interested, particularly to the center of the dancers.

"I see you've never witnessed something like this." Hideki suddenly whispered from nearby, "It's amazing, isn't it?"

Hiei didn't answer. He only took in the movement of Shikiyoku, and after a moment, realized that she was dancing alone, and that those who joined in were not moving to join _her_, per se. She was simply doing whatever she desired, and it just so happened to be something that came natural to her. At least, that's how it looked to him.

"Is this your first Feast, Champion?"

"Indeed." Hiei responded finally before taking another bite from the meat he'd completely forgotten about.

"Well, if you stick around, you'll be in for a treat."

"I'll consider it."

A laugh from Hideki, and then he was joining the dancing crowd.

~!**!~

Akari couldn't help the small laugh that left her lips at Foko's response, which was nothing less than what she'd expected. She wasn't surprised in any way that he'd confirmed her suspicions. Though, she was surprised at his admission. "You like being referred to as a _fake Youko?"_ she asked, suppressing a small laugh again. "Of all things, the goofy slip-up is what you enjoy?"

She turned over onto her side, facing her back to him so he wouldn't see her biting her lip to stifle the giggles. _The slip-up, of all things! _

A small sound of a twig breaking caught her attention, and she opened her eyes to see a dog calmly walking into the park, ears at attention and nose in the air. She rolled onto her back again and sat up, looking at Foko with a smile.

"Your lucky day, Nabu's decided to hunt be down after all." _*****_

"It reminds me that I am not truly Youko. It is hard sometimes to remember." Foko replied, voice a bit more reserved.

His mood lifted at the feeling of her laughter, at seeing her smile in his direction, and as she sat up to speak, he glanced around quickly until his eyes landed on the tiny dog still a good distance away.

"Will he come to us?" Foko wanted to know, eyes bright with excitement.

~!**!~

None of those out in the circle so much as _dared _to dance _with_ her, and even those that wove steps nearby obviously kept their distance from the tendrils of energy that snaked and wound about her lusciously.

And so it was that when the ribbons of power began to move outward to intertwine around the bodies moving to the rhythm that the energy would encircle the demons, and that the demon getting circled would stop, turning slowly to watch her with admiring eyes, sinking to sit on the ground where they had stopped.

Once a strip of energy brought a demon down, it would loop about them lazily a single time before moving on.

Each demon who only got that one loop appeared slightly crestfallen, having eagerly watched the energy come towards them up to that moment, and as Shikiyoku danced on, soon she was the only one left standing, innumerous threads of power both curving around her body as she moved, and also extending outward to those now seated, not one of them with more than a single loop about them.

The threads kept going past those on the ground, getting to the musicians scattered about the circle. The players did not stop, but neither did any of them get more than one coil of her energy.

From there, the strands branched out, Shikiyoku still the lone dancer in the midst of demon faces, in the middle of those formerly moving around her, and while the other revelers did not appear to notice the power flowing among them as they talked and laughed and drank, the tiny slips of energy also only left each demon with a single wreathe, some about their waists, others at their necks or one wrist, and with each passing fiber of power, a celebrating demon would look almost sadly, with one brief flicker of their eyes, out to the isolated she-demon who did not stop moving, her eyes glowing lustrously when they were open, both with an inner gleam of power and lit by the bonfire that roared alongside her, and with a mysterious smile on her face.

Shubou carefully watched the dance occurring, eyeing each strand that moved among the tribe, knowing the significance of what was happening even though no other demon there truly understood. And so it was only this pair of eyes that saw the tiny strip of power get to the fire demon in their midst and circle around his ankle once...before doing it again, and then instead of moving on like all the other threads had done, slowly wafting back to its mistress.

A gentle smile touched Shubou's face, but the discovery remained unseen by any others, no one paying attention to much except if not food or drink, to the demon herself.

The energy she produced eventually got around to every demon in the celebration and as soon as it happened, a pulse of power, like a soft breeze, radiated out from Shikiyoku to envelop the encampment before fading away. For just that second, with everything in its balloon of power, everything froze. The music paused, all other noise stopped, as if the entire clearing was holding its breath.

The moment passed, the pulse faded, and everything continued on, but Shikiyoku's expression had shifted in that brief pause, as if the realization that she was dancing alone finally hit her, the image she made companionless and forlorn, her eyes suddenly very far away.

The rhythm of the song finally faded off into an ending that shimmered across the air in a final burst of magic and the demons all cheered appreciatively as Shikiyoku also slowed to a halt with a final flourish.

While the eyes trained on her clapped or hooted or howled with thanks, her own gaze scanned around those that her energy had, like so many gossamer threads, connected to her in a tapestry of power, and the smile Shikiyoku gave them all did not reach her eyes when it appeared that she did not find what she searched for among them.

Another soft pulse of power radiated out from her as the performer still gave them a bow in spite of herself while the other dancers started to rise about her, and with that silky pulse, the threads of energy looping about all those present dissipated into the air, breaking the second spell she had woven that evening.

As the noise picked back up, Shikiyoku untied the skirt from around her waist and handed it back to the female who approached her with a word of thanks, the two exchanging brief words while the musicians started with a new rhythm for a new dance.

Moving through the dancers who started up again, Shikiyoku went in the opposite direction from where she had come in, cutting a lone path through the feast towards the forest beyond.

Before she got past the final bits of the crowd, a male demon approached her breathlessly and starting talking, taking her hand and leaning down close to her ear so that his words might be heard over the noise, cupping his free hand to her ear.

When he leaned back again to hear her answer, Shikiyoku's lips moved and she shook her head, causing the other demon's face to fall even as she said something more, patted his cheek, and turned to keep going, leaving him behind to watch her back.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku kept walking beyond the treeline, wandering listlessly through the trees for at least a mile or two before she stumbled upon a small puddle of water, about six feet across but only a foot deep, at which she paused to look at her reflection.

_What's __**wrong **__with me?_ She asked the very human-looking demon who stared back at her, feeling as if perhaps _that _was the reason.

Getting no answer, Shikiyoku stood back up straight and lifted her hands, letting her energy waft outwards once more in little fibers of power and starting to dance again, this time circling gracefully around the outside edge of the tiny pond as if stepping alongside the doppelganger in the water. 3

Hiei's Jagan had slid open sometime during the dance, as if curious, and had honed in on the female in the center, allowing his mind to fully comprehend the tendrils of energy that moved gracefully about in the air around the dancer. But, his eyes didn't stay on the ribbons for long. Instead they moved again to the she-demon, and they stayed there.

And then, she and the music were stopping. A slight frown touched his features before his expression became neutral again, the Jagan no longer interested and sliding closed again. He hadn't realized to the extent at which he'd been enjoying the scene, so when she moved away from him, back to him as she left the scene entirely, he stared after her.

"See what I mean, Champion!" Hideki yelled over the loud crowd now, coming forth from said moving crowd and towards Hiei, who paid him little mind aside from his commentary. "You're lucky, she's made the evening much more meaningful!"

Hiei continued to stare after the place where he'd seen Shikiyoku disappear, and after a moment he passed the leftover strip of meat he'd originally been intending to eat, to which Hideki accepted almost joyously. He didn't even seem to notice that the fire demon was moving away, following the path that his counterpart had taken.

After a bit of walking, the glow of the fire was nothing more than a light in the sky behind him and the sounds of the celebration were distant, almost unable to be heard. By the time the sound died away, Hiei was standing behind Shikiyoku, on the edges of the small clearing, watching her but ensuring his presence was known, though a little more on the discreet side. He wouldn't allow his energy to disturb her if she did not wish to be disturbed.

~!**!~

Akari had almost missed Foko's response due to Nabu's appearance nearest the street, his nose turning from the sky to the ground as he seemed to contemplate whatever trail he was following.

"Of course," Akari answered almost gleefully, a small laugh at the fact that her company seemed almost afraid of scaring the pup away. "He's like a child to his mother, always nearby once in sight."

As if to make her point, Nabu's ears twitched and his head swiveled in her direction, eyes honing in on her before he turned and moved at a trot in her direction, pace only slowing when he was within a few feet of her. "_I was worried, you weren't at the normal place! And I can smell blood!" _Akari smiled and reached over to ruffle the dog's ears, who turned his eyes to Foko. "_Flowers!"_

"Nabu, this is Foko. Foko, Nabu," she introduced, a hand moving to gesture between the two.

"_Not Flowers?"_

Akari shook her head, "Mm-m"

"_You're acting weird. Have you slept yet?" _Akari responded with another negatory hum and an impish smile as the dog huffed at her and moved on, stepping to Foko and sniffing at his arm curiously. "_You __**do **__smell different than Flowers…" __*** **_

Foko took the exchange between inu and pup in stride, but his eyes never left the small dog who had trotted up to meet them.

When the dog began sniffing at his arm, Foko slowly lifted his hand for the animal's inspection, staying quiet while moving as if he did not wish to scare the dog away.

His eyes flickered briefly towards Akari, and his words were quiet, "What does he say?"

~!**!~

It isn't as if this hasn't happened before, Shikiyoku was thinking to herself as she, with closed eyes, made her way around the pond for the third or fourth time, her energy extending outwards with each movement, reflected in the waters below her.

_Yes, but it's been a very long time._

Ages, in fact. Since she went around with her first Champion and made their living together as a pair of demonic bards of a sort. He had been the singer, the instrument player. She had been the storyteller, the dancer. Dancing had been part of her earning her keep, something that bound together all members of a clan or tribe as one and made them closer because of it.

_That just makes it sting more I suppose. _She answered herself ruefully.

The dance had another purpose as well, one few, if any, actually knew.

Her first Champion had not been _cruel_, exactly, but after a certain point in her life had consistently remained distant and cold and rather uncaring. As long as she did what was expected of her, and did not get into trouble, he otherwise left her alone. Which, for her kind, was cruelty enough, as they truly needed more than just simple protection.

The dance was her way of seeking out companionship, as most Feasts in those days lasted longer than just the one performance. While her energy would in fact bind together those present, it served another purpose: to find her someone that she could be with who held no hostility or ulterior motives towards her; would not use her.

Her power would draw them into approaching her once the dance was over, and she would then know the individual was safe and the two would spend the feasting days in one another's company, her seeking comfort in the other's presence. It made for the cold days with her Champion turn into warm nights with a companion.

It did happen, however, where there would be camps in which no such demon existed, and Shikiyoku was forced to spend her time there alone.

Like tonight.

Her dance beginning to bring her back around the edge of the pond, Shikiyoku let a sigh escape her nose.

It always stung just a little. As if it was _her _fault. That she wasn't good enough or hadn't danced well enough. Her Champion always had a good laugh at her expense for it, he had very quickly picked up on what he called her little 'game,' and certainly made it seem so.

The demon who had approached her earlier had done so for reasons other than her dance, though she had known as soon as the ritual was over that there were no such companions to be found amongst those Shubou had gathered into a tribe.

Shikiyoku froze in place and opened her slightly glowing eyes, blinking, to see Hiei in front of her.

She had ended up back where she started, but as she approached the fire demon whose presence she had only been vaguely aware of, her energy had started to reach out towards him, and _that _she _had_ taken notice of.

Lowering her hands, the threads were pulled back towards her body with the motion and her energy licked about her skin here and there, a fine sheen of sweat still making her glisten with more than just her power. The fibers that were in the air still waving about began moving back towards Hiei without her direct notice.

"Champion." She smiled, thankful to see him, but with an expression that did not otherwise reach her shimmering irises. 3

Hiei had bared witness to Shikiyoku's movements and the troubled expression on her face, and still did not interrupt her. He left her to her thoughts, allowing her to sort through whatever had just fell together inside her mind to create the mood that filled the area. He had considered stepping up, yes, but what good would that do for her troubles?

He had a feeling it was something he would not be capable of helping her solve. At least, not to the full extent in which it likely should be. After all, he knew nothing of her world, of what was the norm for someone in his position. How could someone as clueless as he in the matter help solve a problem for someone whose entire world was different than his own?

When she came to a halt before him, he merely looked down at her, searching her face for a moment before pulling his curiosity away and simply _staring_. Not his normal cruel stare that left demons either challenging him or backing away, but a calm, even stare that held no meaning behind it other than to simply _see. _

And he easily saw that her smile didn't reach the otherworldly glimmer in her eyes.

Still, he wasn't here to solve problems. He was merely a bodyguard.

Wasn't he?

Or was that something he knew nothing of as well?

~!**!~

Nabu stretched his body out in caution as he sniffed at the person who'd extended his hand for him to assess, making his body appear longer than it should have been for his small stature. After a moment, he made a connection in his mind and pulled his nose away, promptly sitting on his rump to look up at _Foko_, as Akari had introduced, head tilted to the side.

"_You're the one who made the bed and helped Akari when she was hurt. Not Flowers."_

Akari raised a brow and looked over at Foko, his question reminding her that not everyone could speak to Nabu as she could. She repeated Nabu's words with a small smile, and the dog turned to look at her with a curious stare.

"_I'm confused. He looks like Flowers, smells like him almost completely, but after a minute I can tell a slight difference. Is he playing a game where he's supposed to do that?"_

Akari shrugged, earning an impatient sound from the small pup's nostrils. "_You're no help."_

"Am I supposed to be?"

He again turned to Foko and took to laying in the grass beside him, nose pointed to and almost touching the fabric of the demon's pants near his thigh as he looked up at him in consideration. "_You're confusing." __*****_

Akari's informing Foko of Nabu's words had the psuedo-fox demon smiling gently first at Akari, then down at the dog, nodding slightly.

He could tell that the two were still exchanging words, obvious by how the pup continued to turn and look back at her, and while he caught the small nuances from the animal that were likely the source of his speech, Foko had no idea how to decode such flicks and sniffs, one of his own ears ticking back once at the realization.

Leaving his head still hanging in the air, Foko appeared to hesitate.

"Does he...can I touch him?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku met Hiei's gaze evenly a bit longer, her smile dropping away as she lifted her hand and solemnly watched the threads of energy that danced out seemingly from her skin, slowly weaving around her arm, between her fingers, interlooping with one another as she rotated the limb to look at the other side of her hand.

"We should...go. I guess." Shikiyoku let her eyes glance briefly over Hiei's shoulder in the direction that the celebration still continued before coming back to the fire demon before her, hand coming back to her side.

At a lack of specific direction from her, the bits of energy that had been dancing with her were slowly beginning to snake their way through the air towards Hiei. 3

Hiei's eyes briefly strayed to the limb that Shikiyoku moved to peer at, watching her hand momentarily before his eyes moved up to her face again, as if uninterested in whatever she was assessing. Again, he realized he knew little of this woman and her power, and all that came with it, but for the moment he pushed the thought away.

He could ask, he supposed, but what question would he form? There wasn't a _specific _thing he wished to know. He was simply _curious_.

When she spoke, his expression remained unchanged and he considered her for a moment longer. Hadn't she been having fun a few moments ago? Wasn't that what a feast was for, to enjoy oneself with the company of others?

Granted, Hiei didn't mind leaving.

"Traveling at night is more dangerous, no matter the location." he rebutted almost instinctually, looking up and over her head towards the trees behind her and considering the creatures, as deadly as they could be, that were hiding within its depths. As he'd learned earlier, there were even creatures who could simply _disappear_ and mimic one's tone of voice, read one's emotions to disarm the prey.

While Shikiyoku was smart and not very likely to fall for such a trick, he didn't want to chance anything worse than such a creature. "And no, your energy won't solve that problem. No use in expending it for such a useless task."

~!**!~

Nabu stared up at Foko, both curious and cautious. His calm composure kept the fur from rising on his back in alarm, though from what, he wasn't exactly sure. Maybe it was just the fact that this person looked, sounded and almost smelled _exactly _like another. It was a jarring discovery that had him wary of approaching.

"No, he doesn't bite. Not that I've seen. He's just a ball of joy!"

Nabu didn't look at Akari this time when she spoke, choosing not to add to her words as he eyed the hand of the other, fingers twitching discreetly with the obvious desire to touch the pup.

All of which Nabu wasn't sure of just yet.

But…

_He's a friend of Akari's._

Nabu moved closer just a bit, scooting along the grass on his belly, front paws making a soft thump on the ground as his body weight shifted, back legs dragging and laying out with his tail. _One chance. _If he saw anything out of place, he wouldn't allow the person near.

He moved and rested his chin on Foko's knee, ears flat against his head to create what most humans called "the puppy dog face", which had, at times, earned him a treat from a stranger and a loving scratch behind the ear. _*****_

At the dog's touch and subsequent expression, Foko finally gave in and started to gently run his hand from head to back down Nabu's body, intermittently scratching behind the dog's ears.

"I am sorry if I seem confusing, little one." Foko said to Nabu, smiling, "Maybe one day we can truly meet face to face and you can make your assessment of me then."

_Assuming I haven't forgotten who I am at that point..._

~!**!~

"If I can't use it for _that _useless task, what good is it anyway?" Shikiyoku hadn't actually meant to say the words out loud, realizing she sounded almost angry about it.

She sighed, but didn't apologize for how she felt, "There is the tent back at the camp. Will that be best do you think?" 3

Hiei felt his lips twitch downward at her words, feeling as if her words were either an aimed attempt at irritating himself, or for making herself sound useless, as she'd stated about herself more than once. His brows drew together to create a slightly irritated expression at the thought, but he felt it slide away from his mind altogether when she continued on, actually _asking _what he thought of her idea rather than _stating _what they should do, as they had both done the day before.

His expression turned thoughtful.

If they stayed overnight and didn't rise before the tribe, it was likely they'd be caught by someone within the clan and stopped from leaving for one thing or another. However, if they left, they were chancing another encounter within the forestry that would lead to the same results as before: Shikiyoku bleeding out and Hiei left to decide how to deal with it.

He realized that he may not be as apt at doing such a thing where she was concerned, as each step he took with her was a risky one, whether she was directly involved or not. Anything he said or did could put her into danger.

"If we manage to leave before the waking of the others," he began, and then remembered that it could be considered an insult to run out like that. His eyebrow twitched.

"We'll leave in the morning, as I'm sure simply leaving now or before showing respect for the tribe and their… consideration would lead to problems." he finally said, his thoughts clicking together to form a decent plan that would lead to the least amount of harm.

~!**!~

Akari watched the moment between Nabu and Foko, keeping her observations of Nabu's hesitations to herself and concealed with a gentle smile as Foko spoke softly to her closest companion. After Foko's hand passed over Nabu's ears, passing over his head and running down the length of his body, the dog's ears perked to attention, seemingly deciding that maybe Foko wasn't so bad.

His tail moved slightly at Foko's words, indicating a bit of relief. "_Or you could show me now." _Akari huffed out a breath of air through her nostrils, much like a larger dog would do to a smaller dog who had crossed a line. He immediately retracted his statement, instead saying, "_I guess you're not too bad."_

Akari smiled. "He doesn't see a problem with you, other than the fact that now he'll be confused about you and Kurama."

"_I thought he was pretending to be Flowers?"_

"That's his _real name_, Nabu." _*****_

Foko could take a guess about what Akari was talking to Nabu about, but as he continued to pet the dog, he glanced down to his waist.

"I suppose I could wear a red sash next time." He turned back to the dog with a toothy grin, scratching Nabu behind his ear. "Would _that _help?"

~!**!~

"Shubou is not the type to take our absence as a slight." Shikiyoku told him, "And I doubt we'll be up before _everyone_." She added.

"But if that is what you think is best, we could slip into, and out of, the camp from the West, next to the tent, and avoid running into anyone entirely." 3

Hiei considered Shikiyoku again for another few silent moments. He considered her words, mind turning back to the last time they'd gone along with his idea. His frown reappeared on his face and he blinked once at her slowly, as if only just realizing she was giving him the choice.

Was it because of their conversation earlier?

"You know the area best. Which would you prefer?"

He settled with going her way, since it seemed his own judgements were skewed in this place.

~!**!~

Nabu sat up, though didn't move away as he was actually enjoying the gentle stroke down his spine. For the moment, weariness was gone from his mind. Yet, he didn't move closer either, instincts keeping him right where he sat as Foko spoke.

"_I can't see colors, but it could work!"_

Akari gave a small laugh at Nabu's words, not having thought of that herself. She'd always assumed the dog _could _see the world as she did. Then again, she too had once been colorblind. Perhaps it was a canine thing. "He said even though the color would mean nothing to him, the idea of a sash is an agreeable one." She almost continued to point out how it would differentiate the demon from the real Youko to everyone else as well, but she figured he'd already thought of that and simply decided it was something for when he _specifically_ wanted to see Nabu.

Meaning he'd be _specifically _seeking her out.

The thought had her blinking, and then smiling knowingly at Foko, as if she'd just been let in on a joke she hadn't understood at first. _*****_

Foko had lifted his gaze to Akari, and noticed as she caught on to his not-so-subtle queue.

He took on a more pious expression and turned back down to the dog.

"That is, of course, as long as your pack-mate doesn't mind my visit. It's entirely up to her, I think."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku considered the question.

"I think your instincts are right." She replied assuredly of his desire to not move further that night, nodding once at him. "And our plan is sound." She gave a grin, "No need to bother Shubou or the tribe any more than necessary." 3

Hiei nodded once in affirmative of Shikiyoku's agreement, her smile making any doubt he'd had become scarce even before he was turning about-face and slowly beginning to moving the direction of the camp, though altering the course just a little so that they would be heading to the tent and not simply back to the bonfire.

His steps were slow, leisurely, as if he were in no rush to be out of sight and out of mind of the tribe. He only glanced back once to ensure Shikiyoku was following before turning again to watch the path ahead.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged once at Foko, though Nabu hadn't turned to ask her opinion over the matter. "So long as you knock before you enter, I don't mind. The door might be locked."

This time, Nabu did turn to look at her, an ear swiveled with an unamused expression. "_The door doesn't lock. You're forgetting the small things."_

A laugh left her lips again at Nabu's obvious miss of her joke before the sound clipped short with a sigh, followed quickly by a yawn. "Of course, I see no reason to tell you that discretion is advised."

"_Why is that?" _Of course, Akari didn't answer Nabu's question. _*****_

"I can't possibly see why _anyone _could object to us meeting together." Foko said in good-humor. "Nabu," he turned back to the animal, "Do you know how to play tag?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku trotted to catch up to Hiei, sliding an arm between his and his side at the elbow, much like she had done before they entered the Grand Hall, but less formal, so that she ended up resting her head against his shoulder as they walked together, at first thinking nothing of the contact until she abruptly raised her head and loosened her hold, suddenly thinking Hiei would not appreciate her absent-minded touch. 3

Hiei had heard her approach, but he hadn't been exactly expecting her to reach out and _lean on him_, much less _touch _him. His body instinctively tense, his feet faltering in their steps for a moment as his eyes shot down to her, pupils slightly larger than normal and brows raised. He…

What was he supposed to do?

How did he react in this situation? She wasn't a threat, but at the same time, he held no knowledge of the meaning behind this contact. He assumed it was a type of… affection? Maybe?

After a moment he turned his face away from her and continued walking, deciding she could do as she pleased for the time being. After all, while her injuries were now no longer a threat, he still felt as if she deserved to do as she wanted for a bit, rather than doing as he wanted her to do.

~!**!~

Nabu's ears perked at Foko's question. "_Tag?" _He gave a pause, head tilted to the side. "_The kids in the parks play it! It's fun if you join in every once in a while! Just don't let the smaller ones catch you." _Here, his ears suddenly lay flat on his head. "_They pull on your ears."_

Akari reached over and rubbed Nabu's head, holding back her laughter at his sudden enlightenment. She hadn't seen him play with the children before. Each time he'd done so, she'd been readying for a nap or resting her eyes.

"He knows tag." she simplified for Foko with a laugh at the mental image, earning a huff from the dog who wasn't happy at her amusement. "He's rather fond of it, if you couldn't tell."

"_Just no small kids."_

"There won't be any kids, Nabu."

"_Are __**we**_ _going to play together? Now? Like, __**now **__now?" __*****_

Foko watched the exchange between demon and dog passively until the dog appeared to get a little excited.

Reaching over with a single digit, Foko gently booped the small animal on the nose.

"You're it."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku may have released her grip, but she didn't completely disengage herself from Hiei, taking to walking next to him with her arm encircling his and looking thoughtfully around at the forest as they meandered through it, the noise of the encampment growing louder as they came closer.

"This smells _so _much nicer than Human World." Shikiyoku crinkled her nose at the memory. 3

Hiei tried to ignore it. Really, he did. But the close contact was something his body simply did not allow him to enjoy, his mind not able to move away from the odd feeling of having someone attached to his limb and leaning into him, even as slightly as she was.

He hadn't realized his expression had shifted from calm with slight confusing lighting his gaze to one of impatience, accompanied by even more confusion and the feeling of uncomfortableness making his brow twitch.

How was one supposed to _deal _with this sort of contact?

Better yet, how did anyone deal with a _hug?_

Hiei hadn't even heard Shikiyoku's comment.

"What is the meaning behind this?"

Perhaps his tone was a little harsher than meant to be, but…

He needed to know.

~!**!~

Nabu blinked in surprise at the contact, body still and eyes watching Foko carefully, as if anticipating something else entirely. So, when the male spoke, the dog's ears relaxed, along with the rest of his body, and his tongue was lolling at the prospect of playing a game with someone who _wouldn't _pull at his fur or ears.

He quickly dropped into a playful crouch, tail in the air wagging side to side and chin on his front paws, his throat releasing a small bark of excitement as he waited for Foko to get up and move.

And then he thought, why wait?

He pounced, jumping first into the other's lap with a brief pause as if to say _you're it_ before leaping off of his lap and making a mad dash in the other direction.

All the while Akari simply sat and watched, a fond smile following her small furry friend. She wasn't sure exactly how this game would work, what with the size differences between Nabu and the other two, but…

She clamoured to her feet and was scattering away from Foko too, moving in the opposite direction than Nabu had taken.

Might as well play too. _*****_

Foko laughed aloud at the tiny animal's reaction, sure now that the dog could understand all speech and not just Akari's, and waited half a second, seeing Akari dash off out of the corner of his eyes, before pulling his legs up and bouncing onto his feet, squatting down with his hands between his knees and touching the grass.

He took off after Nabu in this manner, running along on all fours in a way that seemed as if he had done so before in some manner or another, his stride similar enough to a fox for the connection to be made, his tail and hair streaming behind him, ears at attention as he pursued the dog.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku looked over at Hiei, seeing the expression on his face and having already been puzzled by his question, furrowed her brow further.

She'd only meant that she was glad to be in Demon World for once, since Human World smelled so terribly of...humans. His question...confused her, and he almost sounded upset. He felt upset next to her as well, his body tense.

"What is the meaning behind what?" 3

Hiei looked down at Shikiyoku with an expression that said he was waiting on her answer. Waiting for her explanation. So, when she asked what he meant, confusion written all over her features, he felt more impatience swell up. Now he felt as if she were toying with him.

He lifted his arm and shook his elbow a little, not even noticing they were actually within the campgrounds now as they hadn't stopped walking. "_This_," he enunciated with another shake of his elbow, "what does it _mean, _woman?"

~!**!~

Nabu had been running at an almost lazy pace, strides long but not to their full extent. His fur moved in the wind that moved behind him even at this speed, his ears swiveling behind him when he could hear the sound of the other chasing him.

He turned to look, tongue lolling and breaths coming out as happy pants, which quickly turned into a very loud sound of surprise at the sight of the creature that ran at him, hands on the ground and feet propelling him forward, butt sticking into the air and tail streaming out behind him as if to control his balance.

It would have almost seemed normal if it weren't for the humanoid face, the elongated limbs and the smile on the face that looked just so determined to _catch _him.

He tucked his tail in further and began actually _running_, little heart pounding as his ears lay flat on his head and eyes turned ahead. He'd never seen such a scary, such a fast advance in his life.

Akari came to a brief stop when she felt that there was no Foko running after her, nor no sign of him appearing in front of her. Though, at the sound of Nabu's frantic bark into the wind, one that screamed "_Help!"_ she turned with wide eyes to see what had happened.

And for the second time that day, her hand was covering her mouth at the sight of Foko, who looked rather ridiculous chasing the small pup as he was.

The small pup who was completely terrified, his rear tucking his tail down and almost hitting the ground with the start he'd given.

Her laughs were louder, uncontrollable almost. She pressed a hand firmly to her ribs, which, with the force of this sudden burst of laughter, protested and stung. She hunched over, eyes closed as she tried not to look at the scene that would ultimately render her unable to even stand.

_He is the most childish demon I've ever met! __*****_

Foko elongated his strides and reached for the dog with his hands once he had caught up, snatching Nabu out of the air and tucking him close to his body as they rolled together on the ground for two turns, then three, ending up on his side where he rough-housed with the dog briefly, running his hands vigorously along either side of Nabu's body, and in a flash Foko ended up rolling over onto his back, holding the dog above his face and then lowering the animal so that their noses touched, which he promptly began moving his own back and forth over the dog's affectionately.

"I did not intend to frighten you, little one. I am sorry for that."

~!**!~

"Oh!" Shikiyoku exclaimed in sudden understanding, actually letting go of Hiei as she seemed startled into realization that he appeared uncomfortable with the contact, her arms falling awkwardly to her own sides, lifting one hand to hold the other at the elbow as she walked along.

It had never honestly occurred to her to consider his background as an aspect of how he interacted with her, since she had never actually taken to considering him as the 'Cursed Child,' merely another hybrid. But if the myths were true, and male children of Koorime literally cast off the island, it dawned on Shikiyoku once more the kind of childhood Hiei likely had: one without a mother's touch.

Which greatly changed one's outlook on life.

"I-I'm sorry." She said just as quickly as she had exclaimed, lowering her head, and her gaze. "I...it's..." She struggled for a second with her explanation before giving a little sigh.

"It is many things for me. My touch is...an expression of my fondness for you. A physical manifestation...representation of my affection. And is also..."

Here her eyes shifted to the side as she searched for the right wording, "Your closeness is of great consolation. Especially when I am troubled. Physical contact..." She shrugged and her words died away, having trouble providing an answer so suddenly to a question she herself never had to consider. "It will not..._cannot_ be anything other than these things for me. Perhaps it is because I am incapable of killing another which makes this so.

"But I do not wish to be a source of discomfort for you." She added in a rush, glancing up once, "So, for that, I am sorry. I-It is hard for me not to do so as I think it often happens without my direct notice." 3

As soon as Shikiyoku's hands had left his body, his muscles had relaxed, though merely because he still did not understand the gesture, and the motives such a gesture might hold behind it. He'd pulled to a stop, even going so far as to step in front of her to keep her from going any further until his question was directly answered.

All to which he wasn't sure he understood.

Okay, so it was, overall, a form of affection. He'd considered that thought earlier, but hadn't been sure. But her stammering continued to make his brows raise higher and higher with impatience, wondering if there was a shortcut to the point.

However, his brows drew down over his eyes when she'd said that physical contact was also a form of consolation. How? It was just _skin_. But the mental image of a crying child held by its mother crossed his mind, and he realized that it must have been something he'd missed out on, something his lifestyle had not allowed him the chance to experience. He supposed consolation by close contact was a thing, as proven by the times he'd seen a child cradled to its mother's neck calming after a fit of tears.

It made a bit more sense now.

He'd known she'd been upset over _something_, but had let her work it out on her own. It was obvious that whatever was troubling her still troubled her now, if he went by what he knew of crying children and their mothers.

Then again, why would _his _skin hold any consolation to _her? It could be part of my job._

The thought made his eyes slide closed. _That _had not been explained to him. Then again, neither had anything else aside from protecting her life. He wasn't sure that he could handle physical contact each time something upset her. Not that it was something that happened often, but simply because he wasn't one for such a thing.

And she was apologizing again, making his thoughts drift away and his eyelids slide open so he could look at her. _Well, at least it was something just as simple as consolation. _It could have been something completely different, for all he knew.

"You still haven't figured it out?" he voiced into the silence that had fallen, referring to whatever it was that required consolation.

Quite frankly, he wasn't sure what to say about her apology, because he wasn't sure if it _was _okay. He wasn't sure if physical contact by simple means of affection was something his being could withstand.

Of all things, of all the beasts in the three worlds and of all the challenges he'd ever face, he wasn't sure if _physical contact _would be something he could bare.

_How piteous.*_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	49. Episode 134 - Tag and Revelations

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Shikiyoku and Hiei end up at the Feast of Darkness Shubou's tribe is celebrating.  
>The demon leader manages to coerce Shikiyoku into telling stories and dancing for them.<br>Shikiyoku seems disappointed about something once she finishes dancing,  
>and leaves the encampment to think on a few things.<br>Hiei follows after her and questions the physical contact she makes with him.  
>After she attempts to explain it, he asks if she has solved whatever is bothering her.<p>

~!**!~

Nabu joins Akari and Foko, and after a brief bit of confusion about Foko _not _being Kurama,  
>the three start playing tag, beginning with Foko tagging Nabu, who immediately tags him back.<br>This leads to Foko chasing after Nabu on all fours, scaring the dog as the demon scoops him up in his arms.  
>Foko apologizes for scaring the animal...<p>

* * *

><p>Nabu's feet curled up and into his body as soon as they left the ground, paws tucked against his belly as if he were laying down as he prepared for… whatever was going on. As soon as their rolling stopped, Nabu was wriggling about in Foko's hands in an attempt to get free of his hold, his rough housing that at the moment didn't strike him as such.<p>

And then he was in the air, held up only by the man's hands who slowly lowered him. Nabu had considered a growl of a warning, had considered snapping, but his instincts had his body relaxing, his legs hanging in the air and head dipped as his nose just touched Foko's.

After a moment, Nabu's ears twitched and slowly returned to their natural position atop his head, nose sniffing at Foko's slowly as the odd feeling made him recall one other who had made such gesture. He knew it was a gesture of peace, of affection, so his body went entirely slack, his ears twitching when Foko spoke up.

Instead of giving a verbal response, his little heart beating too hard and his poor lungs moving too quickly to warrant such a reaction, he moved a paw and placed it gently on Foko's forehead, tapping twice as if saying "it's okay". His tongue tested the air, licking at his chops to catch any slobber that had threatened to fall as a result of his panting before he craned his neck to lick at the demon's face wherever he could reach.

"_You're scary. Don't do that again." _he whined out.

As silence filled the park suddenly, Akari was heaving large breaths of air and chancing a look up. She eyed the scene with another small giggle before she stood up straight again, right hand gently patting her stomach as if to thank it for not exploding from her day's laughing sprees.

She would have approached, but from here, the scene was simply too adorable, too cute for words, and she didn't want to interrupt the bonding going on.

She glanced around the area again, eyes moving to the trees overhead, and then the clouds that floated by in the sky as she began thinking over a few things. Namely, how the heck she was going to tag Foko once he came after her, as she had a feeling he would.

It was obvious she'd never keep up with him. It didn't take a genius to know that his speed was greater than hers. Simply by _looking _between the two, their difference in body stature, in build, in muscle mass and where those muscles were located, one could easily define the older, stronger, faster demon.

She'd have to get crafty then. _*****_

Foko lowered the tiny body to his chest until Nabu's paws rested there, and put one arm behind his head to prop it up, stroking Nabu with the other loosely enough to indicate the the dog was free to leave if he wished.

"Do you and Akari usually play tag together?" Foko asked absently, "I was wondering how you planned on tagging her."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had intended to keep moving while she spoke, but even when Hiei basically stopped her in her tracks, she acted as if to keep moving when she finished, weight shifting forward until he asked her his question.

She shook her head slightly, but did not look up at him.

"There's...nothing to figure out-" Shikiyoku cut her words off, the first part of the statement true enough. And given his reaction to being a source of 'comfort,' she felt almost scared to explain what had her spirits low, to tell him the truth about what the dance and result had meant. He'd likely turn tail and run. Or just laugh at her like her first Champion. She wasn't sure which one would be worse.

Besides, it seemed almost ridiculous to measure her self-worth by whether or not she could find a companion, right? Wasn't that on the character of those among whom she searched? Then how come she still felt so scummy?

"-I'm just...useless. That's all." Had she been a demon with ears atop her head or a tail, either would have quite obviously drooped at the admission, her gaze still lowered. 3

Hiei had raised a brow at Shikiyoku's first words, as if saying _I know better than that_. And he'd waited as patiently as his confused mind would allow, since he still wasn't sure how to respond to much of anything that had been said within the previous moments. In the silence that had followed after her own cut-off words, the fire demon merely stared down at her, waiting for her to continue.

And when she did he continued to do that very same thing.

Again, he found himself realizing that he couldn't quite get into the mind of someone of her stature, someone like her who _needed _someone a little less…

_Hiei._

His expression shifted to one that would have likely been deemed as _soft_ from the fire demon, who looked at Shikiyoku calmly, but with no real thoughts readable on his expression. His stare wasn't harsh, nor was it a demanding one. It was simply, as he had been earlier, a stare that could _see_, not draw conclusions or make harsh judgements.

"The only useless are those who don't have anything to live for."

Where _that _had come from, he'd likely never know.

~!**!~

When set down, Nabu simply stood on the male's chest, nose still extended to the other's face though he'd ceased licking at him. After a moment, he decided to sit, his tail moving slightly in response to Foko's question. However, instead of speaking, he shook his head back and forth in a manner that he'd seen humans do when saying "no" to a question.

Normally Akari merely played games where one would hide until found, or games that involved toys. Nothing like tag, because she'd never really wanted to run around like this one. She'd always said she was 'too big' to chase him, and had once even said she feared she would step on him. Thus, they never played this particular game.

But he still had a pretty good idea of how he was going to go about this, and after a second he turned his head to look at Akari, who still stood a good ways away, eyes not even on him or Foko.

He turned back to Foko, lips moving with the tiniest sound he could muster before he was moving away from Foko, hopping to the grass and turning to Foko again with a happy wag of his tail, tongue lolling and body angled as if to say _watch and learn. __*****_

Foko rolled over onto his side, the one that would allow him to face Nabu, and propped his head up with a hand, elbow planted firmly in the grass.

Eyes bright, he said nothing, merely watching the dog and waiting to see what would happen.

~!**!~

For the first time in a long while, Shikiyoku's eyes finally lifted to peer into Hiei's face, but her countenance held no particular emotion, despite the war that had started inside her mind.

But she didn't _have _anything to live for, did she? After all, the only desire Hiei had ever expressed to her _about _her was to be free of this disgusting pact, right? And the only way that could happen, to her current knowledge, was for her to...well, die.

When she spoke up, in the midst of her inner turmoil about living and dying, her voice was small, her lips barely moving to form the words.

"What do I have to live for, do you think?" Her words strangely echoed the moment between them earlier, when she had sought his advice as to whether they should stay the night or travel onwards. 3

Hiei's lips tilted further downward, creating a frown that seemed set in stone. Her question was something he could not answer for her. Rather, it was something he _would not_ answer for her, because who was he to tell her how to live? It wasn't his decision, now was it?

He _could _give suggestions. He could also tell her of all the things he himself would have found of value, but honestly, what good would such words do?

So he settled with his first thoughts on the matter.

"You expect me to know the answer? You have to figure that out on your own."

With that, he made to walk away, but paused, glancing down at his arm.

Maybe it was in his job description. Maybe it wasn't. But for the moment, he supposed he could deal with it.

He slowly moved his arm so that his elbow was sticking out into the open just a little, enough to create a small space between his elbow and his side in a silent offer to her.

He may not _enjoy _contact, per se, but he supposed he would come to not _mind _it, if it were completely necessary.

~!**!~

Nabu moved away from Foko with silent steps, ears at attention as he watched Akari's eyes move around carefully, as if in thought about something or another. He crept forward a few steps, appearing as if he were approaching something he saw as prey, not as a friend, and when she didn't seem to notice, he continued forward.

Until she finally blinked back to the present and was looking down at him, to which he lowered his ears and head to the ground, tail drooping as if he were afraid she'd be mad.

"Nabu, why are you looking at me like that?"

"_Because…" _He paused, head drooping lower as he tried coming up with another idea. He'd figured she would look, but he hadn't exactly known what to say. It simply played it by ear.

"You look as if I've swatted you."

"_No, it's just…" _He gave another pause as his rear sat on the ground, quickly followed by the rest of his body until his chin was laying on his front paws, eyes looking up at her and ears as flat against his head as they could go. "_You're acting funny and I don't know why you won't sleep. It's scaring me,... And this new person you call friend isn't right. He's playing a trick, pretending to be someone else and I don't want you to replace Flowers, because I like Flowers."_

Akari's brows furrowed in concern and she crouched down, a hand reaching out as if to pet the dog who moved away from her, tail tucking closer against his body. "Nabu, I'm not-"

"_But he's _fake _Akari…"_

"Nabu, come on, he isn't _that _bad. I mean, sure, he's got a few pointed teeth and all, but he's not going to bite you."

"_Are you sure he isn't playing another trick?"_

"I'm sure. You trust me, don't you?"

Nabu sat up again, ears still drooped and tail still dragging against the ground as he slinked his way to Akari's outstretched hand. He sniffed at her fingers, as if testing her emotions about the conversation, and then he leaned forward, gently tapping her palm with his nose.

His tongue lolled from his mouth and his jaw dropped to show a toothy, doggy grin as his ears and tail perked again, the small dog quickly dancing out of her reach with a wriggle of his body and a cheerful bark of "_You're it!" _

All of which Akari didn't react to other than staring after the dog. She'd been so convinced that she wasn't even sure how to react anymore. _*****_

Foko began laughing, his voice carrying across the park.

"Look at that! I would have thought the dog were a fox what with that performance!" Foko kept laughing, his mouth opened wide with amusement, "What say you to _that, _inu?" His eyes gleamed at her from where he still lay on the ground.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku flinched at Hiei's words, as if he'd struck her, and looked away again.

While she blinked in confusion at the ground, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced up to see Hiei had paused, waiting.

Cautiously, as if he might retract the offer, Shikiyoku took the single step forward she needed to get to his side and lightly slipped just her hand to the crook of his elbow in silent thanks as she got to him, only letting her fingers brush against his skin enough that the hand wouldn't fall or come loose too easily, taking to walking by his side once he started moving again. 3

Hiei had caught her reaction, but hadn't commented on it. Actually, he acted as if he hadn't seen it at all, because he wanted her to figure it out on her own. As he himself had. For the longest time, he'd lived for nothing but the fight, the kill. For a while thereafter, he'd lived to find his tribe and his twin sister, which, oddly enough, had ended almost as well as he'd hoped.

Aside from the fact that Yukina was still searching for him, the long lost brother she so dearly wished to meet.

Now, though….

What was it that kept _him _driving onward? What was it that _he _had began living for?

At this particular moment, he didn't really have an answer aside from the task he'd been given: protect the girl now beside him and kill the ones who dared touch her.

It wasn't so bad, right?

In the beginning, he'd thought the opposite but…

When had that changed?

"Your life is yours. If I were to _tell _you how to live it, you'd come to resent me once you found what you truly wished to do with yourself."

He hadn't meant to speak aloud, but he supposed there was no going back now.

"Hence, it's something you'll have to figure out yourself."

~!**!~

Akari's eyes lifted from the bouncing, yipping ball of furry joy in front of her to glare at the fox demon look-alike across the way, irises darkened with irritation. _So you're the mastermind behind this? _She slowly pushed herself to stand, eyes never leaving the demon that she now approached, frown twitching to show her pointed canine for a moment, threatening a snarl.

"_You _taught him trickery? What possessed you to do such a thing, _hm?" _Her advance was slow, threatening.

"_Akari! It was my idea! I was playing a trick, a joke!"_

"_Very _funny." _*****_

"It was none of _my _doing." Foko replied loftily, seemingly unimpressed by her advance. "And you _ought _to be praising him for such a convincing performance. It might save your life some day."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku knew how untrue Hiei's words were. All of her other Champions had set a task before her that she had been more than happy to accept in exchange for their protection. It was how this sort of arrangement usually worked. Or, that is, how it had worked up until this particular Champion.

But now...she only had one thing to work with, and it was only an inkling of direction besides. An impression of how she thought he felt about their arrangement.

Find a way to break the pact.

Shikiyoku stood a little taller.

All they had to do was finish this job for Koenma, and hopefully by that time the young prince would have an answer for her in relation to that sheet of paper she had given to him.

Freedom for Hiei. His return to Demon World, and a return without _her_. Free of _her _as well as his so-called job for Spirit World.

For now...that was her purpose. 3

Hiei continued walking through the shadows of the encampment, ignoring the sounds of the bonfire a little ways away and the sounds of the happy cheers of the tribesmen and women were lost onto him as Shikiyoku stood taller, the grip on his arm changing ever so slightly at the motion that he cut his eyes at her to see.

Her expression gave way nothing, but he wondered what she'd come to the conclusion of. Maybe he'd helped her in some way about her _purpose_. The thought would have made him feel a little more confident himself if it weren't for… something.

It didn't feel right. He felt as if he was completely missing something, as if he was forgetting something important. Missing a major point here.

His thoughts turned inward, searching himself for whatever bothered him. While she had stood taller, with more purpose, there was something that simply didn't seem right about it. As if…

As if he'd made it worse.

When he returned to the world around him, his expression was devoid of any and all emotions and he was waving away the flap of the tent, stepping inside without so much as even a pause for her to either follow or go first.

And for the first time in a long time, he couldn't bring himself to look at someone in the face.

~!**!~

Akari stalked forward still, even as Foko's nose rose a little higher into the breeze that swept by lazily. Her mouth made no move to respond, her lips staying pursed together as the vein in her temple pulsed, her jaw flexing slightly as she moved slowly across the park until she was standing over the demon, looking down at him with accusing eyes.

"Just because you killed a business partner for me does not make me weak enough to need help." Her lip lifted, revealing her canine again in a silent snarl. "I am not a helpless creature." _*****_

Foko's grin did not fade, but his eyes did grow a little colder when she stopped, looking up at her from the ground as if she were not worthy enough an advocate to leave his place to stand.

"You misunderstand, _inu_. I would have killed Kaido regardless." His eyebrows lifted, "Happening to save you from your imminent death by his hands was simply a...perk."

He lazily broke eye contact with her and rolled over onto his back, putting both hands behind his head with a sigh, gaze softening as he looked up at the sky overhead.

"It is much too pleasant a day," He murmured as if to himself, "To bother with becoming upset over nothing."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku followed Hiei inside, her vision adjusting to the near darkness just enough that she was able to see and quickly traverse the room to where the furs she laid on earlier were.

She had no idea if Hiei would join her on the only comfortable spot in the entire tent, but she did not ask, simply spreading out the hides so that there would be room for both of them to lay down if he wished, and then claiming one side of the makeshift bedding for her own.

After getting acceptably settled, she spoke up quietly, "We should make it to our destination tomorrow. We do not have much further to travel." 3

Hiei _had _paused after his eyes had adjusted, looking about the area momentarily as Shikiyoku made herself comfortable in the same place she'd slept on the night before, though he noticed she left a bit of room to the side.

Likely an offer, but for the moment, he couldn't see any reason to take on the offer. He didn't feel right, and he wanted to think it over a bit. In peace, and without disturbing Shikiyoku. So as she got comfortable, he himself decided to sit nearby, but not lay as if to sleep. He'd heard her words and glanced at her to show he had heard her before he stretched out beside the furs, as he'd done earlier that night.

~!**!~

Akari continued to stand over Foko, tempted to cross her arms at the male who seemed to have no inkling, nor did he seem to care, that she really was just playing the game that seemed to have formed. Her jaw flexed again as he rolled over, his eyes turning to the sky as he spoke.

And after a moment, she was falling to the ground, adjusting so that when she fell, she was within inches of him and her fingers were poking at him, prodding, her scowl turning to a smirk as she wondered if he too was ticklish. _*****_

Foko's eyes drew closed the longer Akari simply stood next to him, as if he didn't have a single care in the world.

He felt the air next to him shift as she moved towards him, the scent of rosemary coming heavier into his nose, and while he didn't initially consider the movement as anything specific, his body twitched, muscles at his ribs tightening, and he found himself attempting to stifle laughter, biting at his lower lip and trying to ignore the tickling actions of the inu next to him.

As Foko clenched his jaw together, he knew it was a losing battle.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let her eyes close, a bit of a cloud darkening her brow as she thought of the day tomorrow.

They would indeed not be long in reaching The Palace, the resting place of those who ruled over the Ninth Level of Demon World. The ones who had overthrown, and killed, her entire family.

It wasn't as if her thoughts were murderous or vengeful. Frankly, she didn't really find herself caring all that much. Being so young when it happened...she couldn't say she particularly remembered much of being 'raised' on those lands.

Her only source of ire, her only hesitation on the subject was the mesmer of her mother.

_Do not set foot upon these lands again._

One of Shikiyoku's ears twitched in annoyance. Even countless eons later and the demand rang within her.

She would find out soon enough if she had grown strong enough to break whatever spell it was she felt resting within her still.3

~!**!~

Daybreak had already come, as told by the colors that were attempting to filter through the tent now. Hiei had awoken some time in the early morning hours, but hadn't moved in the past few hours. When he'd first awoken, he'd stretched his legs, lengthened his torso, and _then _realized that he shouldn't be, as the woman beside him had stirred.

Or, maybe not exactly _beside _him.

His eyelids slid open to let his ruby irises turn down and peer at the sleeping face of Shikiyoku, whose head rested on his shoulder and arm draped over his torso. He oddly found himself rather… comfortable, unlike the night before when she'd first grabbed onto him and held his arm. That he hadn't understood.

Of course, he didn't much understand this one either, as he liked to tell himself he did. But, quite frankly, he was sure she hadn't gotten closer to simply _stay warm. _

Or maybe she had, he didn't know.

Nor did he care as he took in a long breath of air through his nostrils and settled in, preparing to stay for as long as was necessary.

~!**!~

Akari's grin turned triumphant at the feeling of his muscles twitching, at the feeling in the air of restraint that radiated from the demon laying in the grass. She scooted closer on her knees, taking to prodding each spot that reacted with her fingers, a small laugh of her own filling the air.

"What have you say to _that_, hm?" she giggled out, moving a knee so that it pinned down the fabric of his pants to the ground where it was loose near his thigh, preventing an escape. _*****_

"I-..." Foko opened his mouth as if to respond, but then found that he couldn't contain himself any longer, bursting into tortured laughter, attempting vainly to scoot away and at the same time starting to grab for Akari's wrists as his upper body jolted more harshly at her poking.

His golden eyes kept opening, his chest heaving as if to say something, but his eyes would squeeze back shut after a pause, his voice falling only to laughter as he kept reaching for her arms.

~!**!~

The tent flap whipped back as a small arm brushed it out of the way and the red markings that distinguished Shubou's round face followed the arm, unannounced, into the tent.

Briefly brushing a portion of brown hair out of orange eyes, glowing spear in one hand, Shubou at first said nothing, moving to a bag on the other side of the tent.

Truth be told, Shubou felt relief at the sight of the two demons together, next to one another.

After watching Shikiyoku wander away, there hadn't been much time to discover whether she and her Champion had met up, Shubou becoming quickly distracted by other portions of the Feast.

While somewhere on the inside, Shubou felt a little disappointed that Shikiyoku had not found a sound companion within the tribe here, in the same space, knowing that the fire demon was to fill that void for her-that she in truth had no need for the secret portion of the ritual any longer-helped a great deal in satisfying the cloud that settled over Shubou's heart at the first thought.

"I am glad you followed her after the ritual." Shubou said, voice low so as not to disturb the sleeper, back turned to continue rustling through bags in a search. "I am not so disappointed with the results of last night, knowing what I do now from them." 3

Hiei had considered closing his eyes again, considering going back to sleep. But, the small sound of the tent flap being moved caused him to slowly turn his gaze to the side, not sure what to expect from the demon who had entered unannounced. Of course, he had every right to do so, since Hiei and Shikiyoku _were _in his territory. He turned his eyes back down to Shikiyoku, ensuring she was not disturbed before his eyes turned up to Shubou's back again as he spoke.

His expression didn't change from the peacefulness that had actually taken hold of him despite the confusion that bubbled. There was an actual _meaning _behind the ritual he'd seen the night before? He raised a brow at the demon's back, mouth opening as he spoke very, very quietly.

"What are you going on about?"

~!**!~

Akari's laughter was much quieter than Foko's was, her laugh more of a small giggle at the struggle the demon was having. She continued to poke and prod, avoiding his hands that made attempts to grab at her wrists with jerky movements.

Finally, she gave a final prod and sat back, her hands going to her knees and her head bowing with her laughter that was only known now by her shaking shoulders. And she continued to lean forward as she continued to struggle with her own laughter, practically leaning over Foko as she bit her lip.

All the while Nabu stood on the side, watching with a curious turn of his head at the interaction. _Flowers never does that with her. __*****_

When Akari stopped, Foko's laughter started to fade, becoming more and more like chuckles in remembrance of the touch until he finally opened his eyes and narrowed them playfully at her.

He lifted a portion of his lips, revealing demonic canines, and growled in that same playful vein, his eyes reflecting his amusement.

"I deserved that." He said through the growl.

~!**!~

Shubou sent Hiei a brief glance, moving over to another bag upon not finding what was needed at the first, beginning to search again.

"Her dance?" Shubou clarified, "The Odori Iro? Has she not told you of it?" 3

Hiei raised a brow now at Shubou's back. The what? The name of the dance wasn't something he was familiar with, so he hesitated, thinking. Was he _supposed _to know? If so, wouldn't she have told him? Had he been supposed to participate?

Surely she would have said something, right?

A frown pulled the corners of his lips down briefly before his expression became even again, eyes focusing on the male in the tent now, choosing not to answer. Either the demon would tell him, or he'd simply…

Not know.

If he were supposed to know, Shikiyoku would have said something.

Right?

~!**!~

Akari sucked in a deep breath once she'd gained control over herself this time, her head moving, her nose lifting to the sky as if the fresher air moved above her head. Once her lungs were entirely full with that air, she released it through her lips in a steady stream, her eyes turning to Foko again when a sound left his lips, followed by his admittance.

"Yes, you did." she agreed, nose lifting higher in the air. "You deserve more, but I've learned of mercy to those who are…" she paused, head tilting to the side to mirror her sudden puzzlement. She blinked at him slowly, her eyes having found his golden ones.

What had she been saying again?

Oh, right.

"I could have done worse, too." _*****_

Foko's gaze did not leave Akari, catching her slight pause with not-so-veiled interest.

He lazily turned onto his side, facing her, one leg bent at the knee behind the other as he propped his head up with a hand and continuing staring at her.

"How exactly...worse?" He murmured.

~!**!~

"Now that I think of it, it is unlikely she has done the Dance of The Lover for a very long time. There are few true tribes of demons left in the Ninth Level any longer." Shubou mused, going on absently as if the thought just occurred, "She was called Iro, The Lover, a long time ago by the tribes of the Ninth Level."

A corner of Shubou's lips lifted in a silent snarl, "I have heard rumors that she is called 'seductress' now."

As if the teeth shown did not adequately express the distaste for the word, Shubou spat next to the bag. "I assume that was the work of her second Champion." The statement was lower than the others, darker in timbre. 3

Hiei stayed silent as Shubou talked, his hands moving through bags in search of something that must have been rather relevant to something at least a minor priority. At the name of the dance, he felt his brows move up even further, disappearing into his bangs almost entirely. It was an odd name, but he wondered if its name held the only meaning of it he needed to know:

Shikiyoku wished to have a lover.

He glanced down at her again, this time finding her contact much, much more uncomfortable. Hiei held no capacity for such things, no interest in them. And he felt he never would. Why would this _one _demon change something such as that?

_She wouldn't._

He refrained from moving away as his instincts wished him to do, instead forcing his muscles lax as he turned his eyes to Shubou again, just in time to catch the last of his speech about her nickname.

_She hadn't always been referred to as that?_

His own expression shifted to one of disdain at the thought of the 'nickname'. He felt it wasn't worthy in any way, shape, or form of being deemed her nickname. It was too…

Harsh, almost.

Or perhaps it was the way people _spoke _the term that made it seem harsh.

"Enchantress." Hiei suddenly uttered, more to himself than to Shubou. It seemed a little better, but… not quite.

He moved on, back to the original topic. "This dance…" he began, tone cautious, "is of the norm for tribes now?"

~!**!~

Akari thought for a moment, considering whether or not she should answer Foko's question. If she did, that could completely render it useless should she desire to use them as tactics later. _If there is a point where this would happen again, _her mind spoke. She frowned at the thought, but quickly turned the frown into a wicked, rather crooked and toothy grin as she met Foko's gaze.

"Are you sure you wish to know?" _*****_

"If I didn't wish to know, inu," Foko leaned closer to her, "Then I simply would not have asked." His eyes gleamed. "Of course, you could just as easily not tell me. But I make no promise that I won't attempt to _laugh _it out of you." He did not specify on the kind of 'laugh' he meant, but he did begin to reach over towards Akari's ribs.

~!**!~

Shubou glanced over at Hiei again and nodded, "Aye. Enchantress is much closer to what she really is, as I understand it, than either 'seductress,'" the word sounded venomous, "Or 'lover.' I think her first Champion circulated that as her stage name as his own private joke. He-" The demon sighed, head shaking the momentary ire that had built up, tossing it away as useless. "He was the cruel, jealous sort, hardly worthy of the occupation, and she was allowed no such thing as a lover, not even him. Nor even so much as to be loved by any, outside of that which would let him bask in her glory and reap the benefits. She was on a tight leash."

As if hearing Hiei's second question for the first time, Shubou continued, "Sadly, no. While it was once a norm, it is no longer such. I believe it is why there are so few tribes left, but that is only my personal speculation." Shubou took a breath to go on, thinking about how to approach the original question which had been skirted by ramblings, "The dance was only done by _her_, as no other demon could duplicate it. But she is also the one who created it, or so the stories say, so it's not surprising. And she would travel between tribes in the old days to perform it. The ritual...you yourself saw how it wrapped each and every member, binding them together in loops of energy. This binding by her power, it brings closer together the members of the tribe, sometimes resolving minor inner conflicts entirely.

"The name is inadequate, inaccurate. It is simply a 'dance' done by her, when she was known as 'the lover,' and became known as 'The Dance of The Lover,' or Odori Iro, as I said." Shubou's teeth clenched together briefly, "Likely another private 'joke' of the Champion." 3

As Shubou talked on, the first thing that popped into his mind was what the other said about being a Champion as being an _occupational _matter. While he himself did view it as such, something within him stirred, calling forth the sudden urge to speak, saying one word: "_Lifestyle." _Hiei himself was not aware of the word that rolled from his tongue in a serpentine-like fashion, so for the moment, he was lost in his own thoughts, thinking over what had just been told to him.

For some reason, the fire demon hadn't realized Shikiyoku would have had more than, say, two Champions. Why he hadn't thought of it, he didn't know. That thought, along with a bit of information that had been passed to him via Shubou, made Hiei realize just how different he was from the others.

To some degree, anyway. Maybe he could be cold and distant, when things didn't go as he'd planned. That was something he noticed wasn't much different but…

Did he give her the freedom she needed? As he thought it over, he realized that he'd done a lot of ordering about, a lot of expecting her to do as he pleased when he made up his mind. It had been the sole reason they were here now, in this little encampment.

Finally, he found himself seeing Shikiyoku in a new light, filled with more respect than before, if possible. He had no way of knowing that the individual he now was laying under was someone who had _created _a ritual that brought together entire _tribes and clans_. He hadn't realized she would have been capable of so much, especially since she continued to refer to herself as _useless_.

He suddenly felt irritation welling up at the single thought. Not any other individual could do what she had done, and still did from time to time it seemed, and she deemed herself _useless_? His expression shifted from the calm mask he'd been wearing to an expression that actually allowed one to see his sudden ire, if they actually turned to look at him.

He almost considered waking her at that precise moment to tell her of his thoughts, but…

He didn't.

He simply looked back to Shubou. "A binding ritual, per se." he intoned, his thoughts straying away again, though only briefly, from Shikiyoku's self image. "I'd never seen one. Would have been useful years ago."

_At least, for me. _

~!**!~

AKari's expression swiftly changed from amusement to begrudging caution as she scooted out of Foko's reach, eyes on his moving hands now. She thought for a moment, contemplating even further her next words, her next actions.

She _could_, but..

She also could wait.

Her lips twitched.

"You should know that torture does no good on me anymore. I won't speak if I don't wish to tell you." she proceeded to stick her tongue out at Foko before her tongue retreated into her mouth again and she was grinning at him almost mischievously. "I suppose if you truly wanted to know, I wouldn't mind a _demonstration." __*****_

"Is that _so_." Foko's teeth glittered in the grin he suddenly found himself sporting.

Foko tackled Akari to the ground and started poking at her again, batting her hands out of the way lazily with one of his own and attacking her ribs.

~!**!~

Shubou blinked when hearing the fire demon's comment correcting 'occupation' to 'lifestyle,' and while the other knew this was likely true, there was no helping how the whole of Demon World viewed the one who held the position of 'Champion.' It was nothing more than a job to those outside the relationship, albeit something many viewed as the highest ranking job one could have _in _Demon World.

The brown-haired demon appeared to size up the one laying with Shikiyoku at the statement Hiei made before scooting along to another bag, rubbing a hand into the mop of messy hair that was mostly loose from the ponytail that would usually have been tightly pulled to the base of the neck.

"It would have been useful long before that." Shubou sighed, "When her second Champion took her to the cities, which at the time were little more than small towns, the tribes suffered a good deal. Not only was there more in-fighting, but more land wars cropped up until we nearly wiped one another out, and those that were left started forming pockets of bandits. And then she left the level entirely and...well...I don't think the cities have ever been the same either. There have been at least three wars since her leaving, between-" Shubou stopped, "It doesn't matter. I do not wish to bore you with such history. The level would have shifted with time anyway since we mirror Human World and that's what they did, regardless of her influence. But once she earned her keep from the guilds and households of the towns and no longer visited the tribes...I believe our decline came much faster because of it.

"Demon World is such the living thing, ever evolving and changing. But when things were right within the Ninth Level, things were right on all the others, since influence always travels up in our world, but not down. The farther she moved up, with her third Champion, the worse things got for all the levels lower than her. Then she left Demon World, and there has been much unrest, even a civil war or two between levels within the last fifteen years. And now I am hearing rumors of beings on the Eighth Level who seem primed to invade and claim the Ninth for themselves. And that Demon World will soon go to war with Human World-" Shubou stopped again, giving an impatient sigh aimed solely at the rambling, "I do not wish to bore you with my personal thoughts either. I'm much too old to go blabbering on like this." Shubou grumbled.

"Suffice it to say that last night was probably the first time she has danced since being parted with her first Champion." Shubou speculated. 3

Hiei's mind had taken to imagining the things Shuhou enlightened him of, mental images of Shikiyoku moving from place to place and dancing for faceless demons, until another faceless demon or two simply dragged her away to other places, until she was in Human World, alone. He frowned at the thought, and then realized if it were true and she _had _been alone her entire time in Human World, then that would make him her fourth Champion. And the fact that he'd ended up dragging her back to the places she'd been dragged from made him wonder how she thought of everything she saw, how she felt about being back after so long.

She'd been gone much longer than Hiei himself had been. How had she not gone crazy, sitting around doing nothing but petty human th-

Right, Toriko. She'd somehow formed her counterpart, who had taken to simply doing all of the boring tasks Human Worth threw at her without much complaint. At least, about as much complaint as he'd witness from her- which all seemed centered around herself.

_Fifteen years._ Isn't that how long she's said she had been in Human World? And he'd only been there for… maybe a year? He wasn't sure, as he hadn't really been keeping up with the time. Why would he bore himself even more with the place?

Hiei's mind returned to the present, his eyes focusing on Shubou again. For the moment, he said nothing, as he felt there was nothing to say to the demon who'd just opened up Shikiyoku's world for him.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes widened at the grin that formed on Foko's face, but hadn't had time to get away before he moved. Not that she'd expected _this_.

Akari wriggled underneath the male now sitting on her, lips firmly pressed together in a very weak attempt at stifling the laughter that was going on anyway. And when she couldn't get away, her body simply took to reacting to the sensation, her feet kicking on the grass and her head moving from side to side as she bat at his hands and made more attempts at scooting out from under the male, sucking in her stomach as if it would help make her smaller.

And as Foko had done before, she opened her mouth to speak, only to let laughter ring in the air instead, eyes closing and head moving to the left again with her giggles. _*****_

After continuing to attack her for a moment, Foko finally sat back and folded his arms over his chest, golden eyes glittering down at Akari.

"Do you concede? Going to tell me all your plans now? Or do I need to continue?" He didn't move from his pose, but the threat hung in the air between them.

~!**!~

"In fact," Shubou grumbled, remembering the tale of how she parted ways with her first Champion, "I highly doubt she's done that dance _since _leaving her first Champion. I'm honored she graced us with such a boone."

Shubou made an impatient noise, rubbing at the mop of brown hair again with a slight grimace before giving Hiei another sidelong glance, remembering suddenly the beginning of the entire conversation.

"I believe I have you to thank for that, Champion." 3

Hiei watched Shubou as he reached a hand to scratch at his head, eyeing the motion that made the hair become even more disheveled, even if just a little. He wasn't sure what to say at first, as there was nothing he thought appropriate to say, but after a moment, he turned his eyes to the side and shifted his body just a little, turning so that Shikiyoku's weight ended up almost entirely on his shoulder, moving her with him in hopes of not waking her in his slight shifting.

"I did nothing more than alter our course." He paused, eyes sliding closed. "And lead to a pitfall."

~!**!~

AKari's laughter died down just a bit once Foko retreated, her arms simply falling from where they'd been extended in her pathetic attempts at batting him away to rest in the grass beside her, extended as if she'd simply fallen back.

She took a deep breath to respond, but something inside her moved at his words. She blinked up at the sky, at first confused by the knot that formed in her stomach.

And then she was painfully aware of being unable to get away. Her eyelids slid closed and she took another deep breath, this time to steady herself and push away the emotions that welled up. _It's just Foko. _

"P-please," she began, taking another deep breath but not opening her eyes to look at him, but not finishing what she'd been about to say. _*****_

Foko stared down at Akari with a humored expression for a moment longer, blowing a huff of air out of the corner of his mouth in an attempt to clear away a stray strand of hair that had fallen over his face.

He gave another huff, a quick in-and-out breath, and then got off of her, lifting one leg to pull away and ending up laying on the ground next to her, within arms reach, his hair fanned out behind his head and one ear flicking madly as it tried to get free of a loop of hair that currently strangled it.

~!**!~

Shubou let out a low chuckle, knowing the two of them were talking about two separate things entirely.

At Hiei moving he and Shikiyoku together, this time the she-demon actually shuffled herself around a little, her brows turning down for a moment and mumbling the Champion's name in a whispered breath, but waking up no further, instead relaxing once more and returning to heavier sleep.

"I believe I'll have to mention something to Okahito about those traps as well." Shubou mumbled as if meaning for no one else to hear the mental note, "They were not supposed to be triggerable by demons. It happening to be the Champion and his Ward could not have worked out better for us, but still…" 3

Hiei scowled at the sound Shubou released, wondering why he thought the fire demon's words were funny, or otherwise. But his attention was pulled to the female beside him, eyelids sliding open to look at her still-sleeping features before he made his own sound of amusement. Even in sleep she seemed to disagree with him.

He watched her even as Shubou spoke, finding himself actually drawn to the expression of peace she wore. It was something he had realized he wouldn't see unless she were in this exact state. Hair a mess and mind away in another world.

Perhaps the trap hadn't created as much trouble as he'd believed.

"Perhaps…" his voice trailed off, his sentence dying on his lips before he changed his own statement. "This world works in mysterious ways."

~!**!~

The pressure lifting from Akari's stomach brought great relief to her scrambled mind, making it easier for her to breathe for the moment as she pushed away what she hadn't at first realized to be the vestiges of a memory she'd almost actually forgotten. Until now.

Had the male beside her not mirrored the words she'd heard once before, she-

"_...or should I continue?"_

Akari's eyelids slid open to view the male who leaned over her now, face extremely close to hers and his breath washing over her forehead. Light grey irises sparkled with amusement, Kyu shifting on his knees in the grass above her head until he was sitting crosslegged instead, his cartoony, colorless figure hard to miss.

She frowned and rolled over until she lay on her side, eyes closing again as she stilled again, one arm under her head and the other tucked to her stomach. "_The silent treatment? Really?" __*****_

With his hands behind his head, Foko did not at first take notice of the demon who had curled up next to him, enjoying the breeze that swayed through the grass and ruffled his clothing.

When he realized Akari had come closer, he absently moved his arm behind her head and took to running his fingers through her hair again, fiddling a little with the braid he'd earlier created.

"If you could be anywhere in the three worlds right now, inu, where would you wish to be?"

~!**!~

"Aye." Shubou agreed, "And sometimes not so mysterious, Champion."

The demon with the spear thought to the night before, watching again the tendrils of Shikiyoku's energy wrap twice around the fire demon's leg without his direct notice.

So _this _Champion had no ulterior motives? No direct _plan_ that he began to enact as soon as he'd captured this rare prize? How strange to see a demon that would not use Shikiyoku to further himself, but how comforting to know that she had at last found a true companion.

Even if neither of them really knew it yet.

"What will you do next, I wonder, when you finish whatever brought the two of you to the deepest level of Demon World?" 3

Hiei didn't respond to Shubou's first words, as he didn't really know if the demon was referring to something specific or not. He assumed the other had reason for his words, but he didn't ask. He didn't find any reason to. If Shubou wished to elaborate, he would.

But it seemed it was simply a matter of personal amusement for the shorter.

He did, however, find himself silently thinking on Shubou's last words. He himself had been considering simply… not going back. However… in doing so, it would be much more dangerous for Shikiyoku. Koenma, while merciful, wasn't one to forgive after being slighted twice.

So he didn't answer, taking to simply wondering on the subject himself. He supposed he would simply continue what he was doing.

Preparing for the fight to come.

~!**!~123

The closeness of Foko's voice had Akari's eyes peeling open, only to find herself staring into the fabric of Foko's outfit. She raised her eyes to peer into his face, only just realizing he'd begun playing with her hair. She took a deep breath in before releasing it through her nostrils, her eyelids sliding closed again.

_Anywhere? _

"In Demon World, there's a place on the Fourth Level that I visited once as a child," she began, lips turning up in a small smile. "It's nothing more than a large garden, meant normally for elemental demons to visit, but… It's so beautiful." She imagined the different plants that had colored the grounds for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see. And the creatures- the small animals had been so peaceful despite the rest of the level.

"But," she said suddenly, eyes peeling open again as she stared at the fabric of Fokos shirt, "This isn't so bad either."

Nabu had crept forward cautiously, nose twitching as he searched for any sign that the two laying in the grass would move again. When he was sure they were simply laying there with no immediate plans to do anything but that, he approached their heads and paused, watching the delicate fingers that ran through Akari's hair. Again, he found himself thinking that Flowers had never done anything of the sort, and he wondered if perhaps this demon was actually trying to replace the other.

Despite that thought, he took the last few steps and took to laying between the two in a tight ball, chin resting on the grass as he watched their interaction curiously, silently. _*****_

"Fourth level," Foko intoned thoughtfully, "I think I've heard of the place you mean.

The psuedo-fox reached over and gave Nabu's head a scratch.

"Peaceful. Lots of flowers." He nodded once with approval, "A fine choice."

~!**!~

Shubou _finally_ found the small glass vial that had caused all the digging, removing the lid and downing the contents after sitting back, pocketing the empty container and starting to rub a hand at an eyebrow.

Sighing at the immediate relief, Shubou turned to Hiei, "You both are welcome for as long as you wish to remain, Champion. And our encampment is open to you should you find a reason to return. I can at least extend our hospitality to you for the happy 'accident' that brought us together." 3

Hiei nodded once at Shubou's offer in a silent 'thanks', but for the moment, said nothing. Instead, his eyes again traveled down to Shikiyoku's face, and instead of moving again as he had initially intended, he simply stayed where he was, watching her. He considered making an attempt for sleep again, but as he had before, decided against it.

If he went to sleep now, and she awoke, he'd merely accomplish nothing other than waking again to continue on their path towards their destination. And a fire demon being awoken from a nap was not something many dared to do, as it often made their tempers much shorter.

So he'd simply avoid the issue and wait for Shikiyoku to wake.

~!**!~

Nabu's eyes closed with the contact of Foko's hand, ear twitching slightly and head turning into the gesture to aid in guiding Foko's hand to the _perfect _scratching spot. And once he achieved successfully guiding the scratching fingers to the right spot, his foot gave a shake, making as if to scratch at the spot as well but doing nothing more than thumping on the ground.

Akari caught the sound, eyes opening and turning to Nabu to watch the pup's expression shift to what she could only describe as sheer joy. "I visited that level only once, and had been planning on returning, then I ended up stuck _here_, in Human World." Her smile widened just a touch. "Of course, at the moment, it isn't too bad. I've found this place rather enjoyable, after a while." She gave a short pause for a yawn. "Though, I think that's because of the people I've found myself surrounded by. The company is quite welcomed…. Most of the time."

"_What is this, a date?" _Kyu huffed, almost startling Akari. She'd almost forgotten he was present. "_You're too sappy. It's boring." __*****_

Foko frowned, not at anything Akari had been saying, but at her mentioning the Fourth Level.

It had been a long time since he'd thought of anything directly in relation to locations within Demon World. And while he had a recollection of the garden Akari talked about, he suddenly discovered that he couldn't remember where _he _was from.

Instead, he had visions of a hideout and a gang somewhere within the first few levels, memories that he knew for a fact weren't his, but ones for which he could find no replacements.

The frown faded, almost mirroring Foko's mood as he gave up.

He'd known this was going to happen, but taking direct notice of it as he did in that exact moment was...disconcerting.

~!**!~

Nothing further to say, Shubou got up with the help of the glowing spear and left the tent as silently as the entrance had been.

It was about this time that Shikiyoku became conscious of the fact that she had slowly been wandering towards the waking world, vague awareness of her surroundings starting to filter into her senses.

A deep breath gave her both the earthy scent of the furs of the bed and the tent around her as well as the fiery cinnamon-and-cloves smell that she had come to associate with Hiei.

As if to resist coming out of sleep, Shikiyoku's body tightened once and her brow furrowed together before she relaxed again and her eyes blinked once, twice, squinting as they came open in the muted morning light.

Her first real impression of the world was that she felt very...comfortable. 3

Hiei had taken idle note of Shubou's leaving without even looking up, but when he felt Shikiyoku's stirring, his eyelids slid closed and his head shifted, turning his face away from hers as if he'd never been watching her. As if he'd never even stirred from sleep.

He took a slow, deep breath in and his body seemed to relax even further, if such a thing were possible.

~!**!~

Akari let out a long breath of a sigh, a sound that Nabu mimicked as he rested his chin in the grass again and settled in for a small nap. "Foko," Akari piped, her voice small and tone curious, "Where would _you _be right now, if you weren't here?"

It was only fair, since she'd answered him. _*****_

"This is no other place I would be." Foko replied with a measured air.

He couldn't remember any place else. At least, he had no memories of anywhere else to be. None that were his _own _memories, at least.

Otherwise he might find himself wishing for home…

Such thoughts would be entertained _after _the war.

Assuming he survived.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes came open and she found herself staring at Hiei's side, a pose she did not remember actively taking and supposed it had happened accidentally during the night.

She hadn't meant to, but her body tensed at the realization, eyes flickering up to what she could make out of Hiei's face and seeing that he hadn't appeared to have stirred.

To top it all off, not only was she laying on a portion of his shoulder, but she had her arm flung over him-an action she most definitely did _not _remember doing.

She very quickly lifted the arm up and pulled it back towards her, hoping that she would not wake him in doing so.

As soon as the arm was clear, she did the same with her head, lifting it from his shoulder and then shifting around until she sat up, taking to stretching her arms above her head and stifling a yawn. 3

Hiei didn't move when Shikiyoku did, aside from a small twitch of his lips that threatened a slight smirk at her quick retreat. His expression stayed neutral following the twitch of his lips, and after a few more moments, he allowed his muscles to stretch, his body lengthening out across the ground.

His eyelids slid open again and he took to glancing at Shikiyoku again, keeping his expression clear of all thoughts about the conversation he'd had with Shubou. He moved to sit up as well, rubbing a hand against his cheek for a moment, feeling a bit of dirt there from when he'd rolled over sometime in the night.

And for the first time, he realized he could smell something in the air being cooked nearby, over an open flame by the smell of smoke that accompanied it.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at Foko, but otherwise did not respond to him. She couldn't decide if he meant the words as simple truth or if this was one of his attempts to appear slightly charming and yet uninterested. Then again, if it were him being charming, she wouldn't have to question it, as he'd pointed out as well the day before.

She sighed. "At least you're enjoying yourself and not simply.. _wrapped up_ in everything else. A break is necessary from time t-"

"_Geez, sweetheart. Do you hear yourself?"_

"-to time." Her eyes moved up, sending a glare to the male who was again leaning over her, expression mildly annoyed. She rolled onto her back again and sat up, rubbing at her eyes as she realized staying still any longer could very easily result in sleep. "Everyone deserves a break."

"_Pft. Fool." __*****_

Foko didn't disagree with her, still gently massaging Nabu's head, but-

"Unfortunately I cannot take a break from my own mind." He stretched a little, but made no move to rise. "Even laying here I cannot fully enjoy the rest, as I keep thinking about the next steps that have to be taken."

~!**!~

While the rest had been most excellent, Shikiyoku felt her stomach begin tying into knots like it had last night while she fell asleep as she lowered her hands, brushing one briefly against her abdomen.

Just the _thought_ of actively stepping foot on Palace land had her mind racing back to Spirit World and telling Koenma to go shove it and find someone else.

She had a vague recollection now of how others must feel once ensnared by her power, that unbending desire to do whatever is told of them. When she had first been given the order, there had been no such thoughts in her mind of returning, nor had there ever _really _been such thoughts at all. Let the strong lead, she had no interest in it. Being royalty was too much trouble and she had shucked the title with little to no second thoughts.

Shikiyoku felt that it would not be the last time she desperately hoped she would be able to break the compulsion that had been placed upon her. If not for her sake, then for Hiei's and for their return to Koenma. It would truly be a test as to whether or not she had become stronger than her own mother in all these years, a feat Shikiyoku still retained doubts of, regardless of those who had likely run the other woman through and thus were stronger than even her mother.3

Hiei glanced about the tent, surveying the bags that Shubou had meddled with in his search for whatever it was he'd needed. Had he not known the demon had been within the tent's walls, he wouldn't have noticed the slight changes in the bags. After a moment, he turned to Shikiyoku.

"We should eat," he suggested as he moved to lean forward, pushing himself up to stand and patting himself free of dirt.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes turned down to Foko as she waved her hand in the air, batting away both the fly that had taken to buzzing around in front of her nose and the hand that Kyu reached towards her. She didn't think she could sit still much longer, but she didn't make a move to leave either. She didn't want to. Being in Foko's presence was something she enjoyed and something she didn't want to relinquish so soon.

"I guess that comes with being a leader." she finally said, hands moving to her lap as she crossed her legs beneath herself. "Sadly, I don't know how to help in that respect."

"_As if your narrow thinking could do any good."_

Akari let out a low sound to herself, somewhere between a grumble of annoyance and a growl of irritation. When had his manifestation turned to a harsh one? _Leave._

Oddly, unlike before, her thought of irritation made a small chuckle echo into the air before he was gone. _*****_

"Indeed." Foko replied, "Though your distraction has done a great deal. I..." He hesitated on what he had meant to reveal, but did so anyway, "I am not allowed a chance to be myself around any others."3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	50. Episode 135 - Resistance

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

I realize I have a bias since it's my character, but the scene that picks up towards the end of the chapter is another favorite of mine between Shikiyoku and Hiei. Heheh.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Nabu, Foko, and Akari for a while longer until the three of them collapse to the ground for a rest.  
>Foko asks Akari if there is anywhere in the three worlds she might wish to be,<br>and she admits to a wish to seeing the Fourth Level and the flowers there.  
>Foko expresses a gratefulness to her for being a distraction from his 'duties.'<p>

~!**!~

Shikiyoku is still struggling with the feeling of uselessness,  
>trying to rid herself of such feeling by implanting a purpose<br>in the stead of Hiei actually giving her one.  
>The next morning, Shubou enters the tent searching for a remedy for a headache,<br>and the demon leader and Hiei exchange words on the subject of Shikiyoku  
>that leave Hiei with a bit more insight into his Ward.<br>After Shubou leaving, Shikiyoku wakes up and Hiei suggests that they get something to eat...

* * *

><p>The smell struck Shikiyoku's nose when Hiei mentioned food, and her stomach simultaneously roiled within her in distaste, but also sent her signals that told her she should eat, since the last time she had consumed food had only been a bite last night and she had danced since then, which always made her hungrier than normal, an aftereffect she had forgotten.<p>

She wasn't sure if she _could _eat and keep anything down at the moment though.

Still…

Shikiyoku nodded and got up, adjusting her clothing and smoothing down her long, dark hair as she made her way towards the exit of the tent. 3

Hiei noted her hesitation, but paid it no mind and turned towards the front of the tent, taking a few steps until he was standing before the flap, turning to wait on Shikiyoku as she considered. Either way, they were leaving the tent at that precise moment. Whether she decided to eat or not, well, that was only a matter of which direction they were heading.

As soon as she nodded, he turned and waved away the tent flap, the brightness of day shining harshly into his eyes and causing him to blink two, three times before he proceeded out into the open campgrounds. His hand held the tent flap until Shikiyoku was close enough to catch it when he released it, and a beat later he was turning and moving through the tribal community in search of the fire that was still roasting some sort of meat.

And it smelled rather scrumptious.

~!**!~

Akari found herself turning to Foko with a gentle smile, finding his admission to be somewhat of a compliment. After a moment, she reached forward and tugged on a strand of his hair, and when she found it to be soft, smooth, silky, she did so again, this time winding her fingers through it as he had done to hers. "Glad to be of service. I am, after all, a great distraction. At least, that's what I've been told." _*****_

"Is that so?" Foko gave her a roguish smile, turning his eyes to her and quirking an eyebrow, "Well, it seems that I can't disagree with whoever made the statement."

Foko had stopped petting Nabu by this time, both hands behind his head, and he just watched Akari's face as she wove her fingers into his long, silver hair.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes scanned the encampment, following Hiei more than her nose.

"Are they cooking some of what you killed?" 3

Hiei continued moving, eyes roving over the tents he passed and the demons who moved by, doing whatever it was they did daily. He glanced back at Shikiyoku, then sniffed at the air again and realized that the scent was the same as the meat Hideki had offered the night before.

"Seems so," he finally answered as a small group of demons game into view, made up of three who all watched the fire they sat around, snickering at something or another that Hiei hadn't listened to. Hideki was, not surprisingly, among the three, a wide smirk on his face as he waved around his hand in a tell-tale show of finishing up a story.

All to which he paused when he caught sight of Hiei and Shikiyoku, his eyes gleaming in amusement as he waved them over. "You're welcome to join us! We have scraps leftover, if you wish to have them!"

And Hiei did not hesitate this time to join the demon who had called out.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small laugh at his words, eyes on the strands of hair that she toyed with, not really doing anything more with them than running her fingers through. "I try," she joked with a simple shrug of her shoulders, scooting a little closer to the male as she began running her other hand through his locks as well, now completely relaxed again.

"Of course, I had practice too." Her smile was one of sarcasm, of jokes untold. _*****_

"Mm?" Foko intoned, his eyes having closed at her attentions to his hair, "Good at being a distraction for many reasons, then?"

~!**!~

Still following after the fire demon, interest piqued at knowing that at least a part of what was releasing that smell had been due to Hiei's contribution to the hunting, Shikiyoku took to sitting next to Hiei once he did so, her stomach having gotten over her previous thoughts and now growling angrily at her lack of attention to it.

One of the demons around the fire laughed at the noise as he passed meat to her, then more over to Hiei, and she stuck her tongue out at his chuckles, but accepted the offer.

After the initial bite and interest in the flavor, Shikiyoku tried her best not to wolf the whole plate down, restraining the urge to dip the entire plate into her mouth all at once.

The ritual had left her more ravenous than she remembered being in a long time.

And food hunted and cooked in this way _always _tasted better. 3

Hiei was comfortable in a moment's notice, sitting alongside Hideki and Shikiyoku with a plate of grub in his hands, a piece of meat already hanging from his lips as he idly chewed at it. The male beside him continued in his storytelling, turning back to the other two who had been listening intently before.

"Of course, this is the moment when the guy's all puffed up like a boar and his nose is so high in the air, that I-"

"Hideki," another demon called, approaching the group with weapon in hand, "Shubou gave us a new task for the day." Okahito's eyes glanced briefly at Hiei and Shikiyoku, offering a nod of acknowledgement before turning to the other again. "I believe it's best to get it out of the way first thing."

Hideki released a small sigh. "Always during my stories."

"Of course," the other snickered once before waving him onward. "I believe the two of us can handle it nicely. Champion," Okahito nodded at Hiei before turning to Shikiyoku as well, "the Missus."

Hiei nodded his own greeting in return, mouth full enough to keep from giving him the opportunity to respond verbally before Hideki was standing and the other was gone.

"Well, I'm off. If you're gone before my return, I wish you two the best of luck in your travels."

~!**!~

Akari's smile widened and became a bit more slanted, her teeth showing on one side. "I can be," she responded naturally, eyes flickering to his ears as she considered messing with them as well. "Of course, it just depends on the situation. For instance…" her words trailed away and her hands ceased with their toying of his locks.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she was crouching down, movements slow in an attempt to keep the fox from noticing her intentions, breath held as if it would help.

Her hands were flat on the grass, lowering herself until she was even with the top of his head, at which point she smirked mischievously and nipped at the top of his ear, quickly moving and sitting up again.

"And that puts me as the leader now, not you. And since I have no canine ears, you can't revoke it!" _*****_

Foko opened his eyes, ear that had been bitten flicking once, and blinked at Akari, no sense of understand behind his gaze at the gesture whatsoever.

Not to mention the fact that _he _had no canine ears either...

"And tell me, oh fearless leader, what will your first act be now that you've abdicated my throne?"

~!**!~

Without missing a beat, or even looking up from her plate, Shikiyoku hurled the bone she had just cleaned in the direction Okahito had disappeared, earning herself a satisfying exclamation of pain from the other demon now out of sight. 3

Hiei turned his eyes to Shikiyoku after the sound he'd caught, raising a brow at her as if asking 'really?' But the expression turned to one of mild amusement as he turned away, taking more meat into his mouth with vigor.

"At least wait until we're _gone _to start fights," he began, "It's too early."

The two left nearby released long breaths, as if they'd heard this conversation before. One smirked and made a sound of mock disappointment at Hiei. "It's _never _too early for a fight."

~!**!~

Akari stifled a sigh at the expression Foko wore, point going totally missed it seemed. But at his question, she was smiling again and sitting up straighter, eyes closing in a dignified manner. "First…" she began, pausing as she thought for a moment before continuing, "you're going to sit up so _I _can play with your hair, without breaking the beautiful grass beneath it." _*****_

Foko wriggled around for a moment, obviously torn.

"But...the grass is so soft and comfortable." He pouted a little, turning over onto his stomach and mumbling something into his hands, enjoying the warmth of the earth as it radiated up towards his skin.

~!**!~

"He deserved it for being cheeky. Besides," Shikiyoku countered, looking up from her meal with a telltale glow of energy in her eyes, releasing one soft pulse of energy into the air, "There isn't a demon here who can fight _me_." 3

Hiei's eyes slid to Shikiyoku again, chewing on the meat in his mouth for a moment longer before swallowing. He assessed her for a moment before scoffing once and turning away. He went quiet again, as did the pair across from them.

And he couldn't hold back what he wanted to say.

"It wouldn't be a matter of _fighting_ as it would be of _ignoring_." Of course, he was referring to the energy that now made her eyes shimmer and glow just lightly. A smirk formed on his expression. "Hn, any fool with discipline can do so."

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Foko's response, her cheeks puffing up at him in disappointment. She thought for a moment, watching him as he rolled over in the grass, before she suddenly realized she now had even better access to his full head of hair. Her expression swiftly shifted to cheer and she stretched out, leaning forward until she was crouched on her knees, hands grabbing his hair and toying with it thoughtfully, as if she might be able to fashion it in the most elaborate way possible.

"This will do, sir. This'll do." _*****_

"Mm. Good. Because I wasn't really planning on getting up anyway." Foko told her, burying his face in his arms.

His ears would move occasionally in her direction as if to hear her as she moved about, and every so often his tail would twitch as if aware of how revealed it was at that moment.

~!**!~

"Luckily 'fools' are often the easiest to ensnare." Shikiyoku released her energy and turned back to her own food. "You'd be surprised how many _fools_ thought they could fight me." 3

Hiei released another sound of amusement, but otherwise said nothing in reply to Shikiyoku, as he'd seen only a few examples of her power. While humans were very easy to compel under one's desire, even by simple wording of one's sentence, he figured it was much the same for the weaker demons. Of course, some of the higher ranking demons could be the same, but normally that was another story.

Which is where Shikiyoku's energy would have come in handy, were it necessary.

And, of course, Hiei felt no need for such use of her power. Why spend her energy when Hiei could persuade them in any which way he desired?

Of course, there may be times where he had no other choice. After all, he wasn't the best at swaying others to his will. He knew that. It's simply where he'd resorted to persuasion via sword.

"I suppose it's a good thing I am no fool then, hm?"

~!**!~

Akari ran her fingers through the other's hair, ridding it of any tangles and stray blades of grass that she encountered. And after a moment, she found herself wondering a few things, though one thing stuck out much further than everything else in her mind. At first, she'd decided not to ask on it, but…

It simply wouldn't leave her be.

"Foko, if I _had _decided to join when asked, what would have happened? Would you still be playing a charade, or would it be… like _this?" __*****_

"What do you mean, inu?" Foko opened his eyes and turned his head to look over at her, puzzled by her questions.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku coughed, choking a bit on the meat she had just attempted to swallow as she fought back a smile.

"I _suppose_." She echoed. "As only a true fool would try to fight me." 3

"Hn." Hiei would have responded more, if he hadn't decided to take another bite to finish off his meat, and on top of that…

He really didn't have much to say about the topic any more. She was right, after all. Hiei knew that if she desired to do so, he'd be under her every command, under her thumb and doing whatever she demanded of him. It was much the same for others, though not many seemed to understand such a wild concept of being, simply put, _mind controlled. _

And quite frankly, he didn't wish to know how it felt. So he'd just stick to his job of protecting, and hope he doid a well enough job to not create a veil of ire thick enough to provoke her.

Unless he did it for fun.

That's a different story.

~!**!~

Akari didn't respond right away, her eyes staying trained on the three strands of hair she'd retracted from the left side of his head. She weaved the strands in and out of one another, directing them towards the center of his head, at which point she took a deep breath and paused her motions, thinking for a moment before dropping that single braid and doing the same thing, starting from the right side of his head.

"I mean," she began calmly, "that when Otento gave the off-"

She paused, frowning to herself suddenly.

A thought had crossed her mind, but for the moment, she decided to ignore it, until it was confirmed or denied.

"When Otento offered for me to… _join the ranks_, would you have played as Youko, or would we still end up… playing games and keeping one another company?"

Part of her hoped she wasn't right, but… Well…

It wasn't likely she was wrong. _*****_

Foko watched her as she kept moving his hair about, his expression remaining neutral throughout her questionings.

"I do not have an answer for you, inu." He finally said after a long pause. "There are many variables to account for within your question. Had you at that point realized the human boy Shuichi Minamino was in fact the vessel for Youko Kurama? If so, you would have likely saw through the deception quickly. Would I have approached you about the masquerade before then, preemptively attempting to warn you of my true nature not being the real Youko? This is also possible.

"I think..." Foko grew thoughtful, "My closest comrades know I am not Youko. Know that I must keep the form to further the cause faster. Would you have been one such comrade?" He raised and lowered a shoulder, indicating as he said before that he simply did not have an answer that he felt would satisfy her curiosity.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku passed her empty plate back to one of the demons still around the fire.

"My thanks for sharing this meal."

"It ought to be us thanking you." One said. "A meal is the least we can do for the unity you have blessed us with. I hope this feeling lasts for a long time." He grinned at the other tribesmen at the fire. "Or that I don't forget it very quickly."

Shikiyoku said nothing else, but gave a nod of her head in understanding. 3

Hiei watched the exchange with keen eyes, ears listening just as keenly to the conversation at hand, choosing not to add to it. He could see and _feel _the sincerity from the demon who had replied, thanking Shikiyoku for her ritual and all it meant for the tribe. Hiei himself felt as if it were a magnificent feat, something of such a magnitude. When Shikiyoku said nothing in reply, he turned a neutral gaze onto her, as if he'd thought she would reply sooner or later.

When she made no such indication, he moved to stand, nodding once at the eyes that turned to him curiously.

"Your generosity is greatly appreciated," the fire demon began, deciding he might as well and end their stay here as cordial as possible, "But we _do _need to continue on."

~!**!~

Akari listened, eyes trained on the motions her fingers made as she deftly braided the small portion of hair she'd plucked from the right side of his head, her fingers moving until they met the other braid in the center of his head.

By this time, he had finished speaking, and she'd allowed the silence to hang in the air between them. So, Otento's offer hadn't been some measly trap that she hadn't noticed until now. It wouldn't have surprised her, though, after all that had happened already. After all, he _had _grabbed herself _and _Kurama from the park and tossed them into a dark room.

He _had _snatched Toriko from her home, with Hiei even nearby, and-

She stopped her thoughts right there, her fingers even pausing mid-twist as she stared at the formation she'd begun. Her eyelids slid closed and she took a very slow breath in through her nostrils. "I'm not sure it would have happened." she admitted, her hands resuming their work on his hair. "A lot has happened between then and now. I'm not exactly who I was then."

She gave another pause, realizing who was behind such changes. Her hands stilled again, this time finishing the job she'd been working on and tying the last braid in a loose knot, so that if he wished, he could undo it all.

_He's caused a lot of changes lately. _

The mental image that she'd been able to fight away the past day and a half floated to the forefront of her mind, and this time, she released a small sigh. _Was the lip contact really necessary, you moron? __*****_

After speaking, Foko had felt himself relaxing more and more under Akari's touch, to the point that his breathing had deepened and he was on the verge of sleep.

Her words danced vaguely across the front of his mind when she spoke up again, but he had not the effort within him to give any answer, instead letting the quiet afforded them by their private park hush over their company.

~!**!~

Even before the demon had thanked her, Shikiyoku's eyes began to darken, turning inward to the slight turmoil that had started up in the pit of her stomach at the realization that they would soon be headed towards-

Shikiyoku stood mechanically, murmured a last farewell, and moved off into the treeline.

As soon as those in the encampment could no longer see her, her eyes glazed over now, her body turned and began heading in the direction they had come from, back towards where the entrance to Human World lie. 3

Hiei had lead the way away from the camp, nodding farewells here and there as he passed demons who wished him and Shikiyoku safety on their journey, or in the very least, a cheery farewell and thanks towards the female who had accompanied him.

He moved into the treeline, Shikiyoku at his side, and he continued walking, eyes focused ahead as he considered several things at once.

If they so wished, the pair could very easily stay in Demon World, especially this far down where the Spirit World had little to no control. It likely wouldn't be the first time something of the sort had happened.

However, if/when they returned, what would happen next? Would Toriko take over again, leaving the fire demon with a human who he didn't actually know anything about. He frowned at the thought of dealing with relearning about the person he was supposed to protect.

Or would it be the same?

They cou-

Suddenly, Hiei was aware that he was alone, and his steps made a sudden halt in their tracks, his body turning so that when his head moved as well, he could see back in the direction they'd come from, searching for-

"You're going the wrong way." If _he _knew that, wouldn't it be painfully obvious for _her?_

~!**!~

Akari noted the lack of response from Foko as she sat back again, though really, she wasn't much more aware of anything else. Her attention was turned inward, her eyes glazed over as she continued to consider the fact that there was a specific reason she'd changed the way she had.

Sure, Nabu helped a lot with coming to terms with herself and keeping herself in check, but…

_How can one person be such an influence on another? _

She thought back, to the first moment when she'd done something… out of character. And she realized it was the same day she'd followed him to the school, to enroll. He'd been snide, as had she, but when it came down to it, she didn't really strike back as she would have normally done. It was a small thing, but she wondered if that small thing had really actually turned her into the person who now did a job she'd been given without second thoughts, without considering each and every option and how to get away from the command she was now under.

In fact, she didn't really even feel like she was being ordered around, as she had with Sensui, who'd watched her each and every step. Here, she was practically doing whatever she wished.

And it just so happened that it turned into her learning a few things along the way.

A frown settled over her expression again, and this time, she emerged from her inner thoughts and looked down again at Foko.

_Is this… right? _

Her frown deepened, creating wrinkles in her forehead. The slow, steady rhythm of the demon's breathing had her yawning, but otherwise, she felt no need for sleep now.

Maybe…

Maybe she'd go to school tomorrow. Maybe… it isn't as bad as she'd been telling herself.

~!**!~

Pen scratched along paper, making markings along lines and lines of bold, black print that she'd stopped _actually _processing hours ago. Yet, her reading continued, and thus, Akari's hand continued to scribble answers on the very last sheet of homework she'd been given.

Despite her anger at the subject of Algebra.

Who in their _right minds _put letters in math?

"_Akari…"_

The demoness paused, her pen lifting from the paper as her eyes shifted down to the dog who was now sitting beside the chair she'd taken to sitting in, an expression on his face that told her he'd been awoken by her occasional growls of irritation. "Did I wake you?"

The dog huffed once at her, but otherwise continued on. "_You still haven't slept. It's not good to do that. I don't see how you're even able to read all of that stuff. Or concentrate."_

"Practice, Nabu. Practice."

"_There are some cases where practice doesn't make perfect."_ Wide, brown eyes turned to look at the nearest window, ears falling slightly. "_You're not leaving for school soon, are you?"_

"Well, wandering town is boring. And Foko's busy."

"_Busy playing tricks…."_

"Enough, Nabu."

"_You know it's true. No one who pretends to be another is nice."_

Akari took in a deep breath to calm herself before turning back to the paper she'd been working on, eyes quickly finding the last blank on the paper before her pen continued its work, a few minutes passing until she finally sat back and stretched. Her bones cracked and popped from having sit here for so long, and her stomach made a small sound that said she'd neglected eating long enough. Still, she reached for the lone remaining bottle of water on the desk and twisted the cap, earning a small sound as it was opened for the first time before she took a long drink from it.

"_That isn't good either."_

Akari ignored Nabu altogether this time, twisting the lid back onto the bottle and standing from her chair, quickly shuffling each paper into her hands in an orderly fashion before sliding them into the open bag on the floor, her left hand reaching for her uniform shirt, along with the white undershirt that was appropriate for such a jacket, as soon as she had achieved placing her papers away calmly.

The female moved across the room, peeling off the sweater she'd been wearing all night and pulling the white tank over her head, her messy hair protesting the motion and getting stuck underneath her shirt, to which she quickly fixed by tugging it out from beneath the tank before turning to the mirror that she'd scrounged from a junk pile outside another house.

She frowned at her reflection, red, puffy, glassy eyes staring back at her as she pouted. She looked just about as she felt, she assumed. She peeled her eyes from her own face and up to her hair, the curls anything but neat being, at first, ran through with her fingers, followed by a comb that didn't seem able to pull each and every tangle from her locks.

So she settled for pulling her hair up atop her head into a bun that she wound around and around, only her bangs and a few side strands falling to frame her face. It wasn't too bad. It seemed to hide the disheveledness of her state just a bit better than keeping it down.

"'_kari… Stay home. You need sleep and-"_

"Nabu, I said that's enough."

While her tone hadn't been harsh, her words made the dog lower his head, and after another moment of watching her dress herself for school, he turned and slinked away, hiding in the blankets of her makeshift bed.

Akari released a sigh as she finished tucking her tank into her skirt hem, pulling the jacket over her arms, pausing for a moment to glance at the scar that just peeked over the collar of the undershirt.

_253_. It was hardly noticeable to anyone who looked, but the numbers were tattooed on her skin, following her collarbone as if they had been fashioned to sit on it like a shelf. She took another deep breath in, eyes sliding closed as she pulled the jacket over her shoulders and proceeded to button it up, hiding the rest of her markings easily.

By the time she had her shoes on and tied, the sun was completely up and the human world was bustling with activity, people moving to work and school with varied speeds. Not worried about being late in the slightest, the redhead grabbed for her bag and slowly maneuvered about the room until she was standing in the threshold of the door, glancing back at the lump beneath the covers that was Nabu.

She almost said her normal farewell, but instead she merely turned and shut the door behind herself with a soft click, slowly moving to blend in with the crowds and saunter her way up to the school. _*****_

~!**!~

At the sound of Hiei's call, Shikiyoku stopped dead in her tracks, eyes clearing, and subsequently widening as she came back into herself.

Without a word, she pivoted around and came back to where Hiei had paused, moving past him to keep heading towards The P-

-other side of the Ninth Level, _obviously._ 3

Hiei watched silently, waiting for Shikiyoku, who seemed to act as if she'd done this on purpose. Almost as if she'd been waiting to see if he would notice.

And yet, her movements were jerky, making it seem as if she'd had no idea whatsoever of her own movements. Both options had him frowning slightly as she caught up, at which point he turned and began walking alongside her, this time _much _more aware of her presence than before.

And he said nothing about her change in direction, choosing to act as if it hadn't happened in the first place.

~!**!~

Akari moved with the crowd, easily blending in with the bustle despite her leisurely pace, her mind blank of any and all thoughts and.. well, most emotions. Here and there, a shoulder would bump into hers and her eyes would snap over at the perpetrator, who would simply continue on, oblivious to the ire that they'd provoked.

And it was never to any specific person.

She took a deep breath and rubbed at her face, rubbing her eyes free of the sleepless night she'd had and shaking herself awake mentally. At least, that's what she told herself she was doing.

In reality, she was in a sort of daze that was only interrupted by physical contact of another running into her, or by the fact that she had to pause at a crosswalk or simply be run over.

By the time she was on school grounds, her eyes were as alert as possible in her state and her frown was aimed at any and all who cut her off in her walk, in her desire to get to class and simply _sit _in a desk and do _nothing _but listen to someone ramble for a while.

It was odd how she wouldn't mind sitting still today, when yesterday she'd been hell bent on moving around, not being in one place for more than an hour or so.

At least the hallucinations had ceased for the time being. Doing work with a commenting Kyu over her shoulder had been hard work.

But nothing was as bad as doing work with Sensui standing over her, watching her each and every movement, correcting each and every mistake she made. That one she still had yet to get over. It had scared her enough to keep her from sleeping the rest of the night.

By the time she was standing outside the appropriate classroom, she was pulling herself from her thoughts again and simply staring at the open door. There was still time to go back, if she desired.

But, she'd already gotten here. Might as well stay.

Still, she made no move to enter the room at that very moment. _*****_

Kurama stared out the window, lost in thought.

How long had Toriko been gone? How long had it been since Hiei left with her?

Long enough that _someone_, Kurama had his suspicions as to who, had arranged it to be that Toriko was studying abroad for a time.

It didn't seem like too much of an issue. Like himself, Toriko could have easily tested out of Meiou High.

The issue was, where had the two of them gone?

And why?

Demon World. Considering Koenma's refusal to answer.

Could their mission be one connected back to the fake Youko?

Kurama hoped so, since there had been no further breakthroughs on that front either.

~!**!~

The next few miles Shikiyoku covered with Hiei were pleasantly void of any major encounters, though she remained quiet the entire time, fighting viciously with the urge to turn back, every step heavier than the last as they dashed through the treeline much like they had at the beginning of their trek across the Ninth Level.

Four miles later and Shikiyoku halted in place, eyes glazing over once more, jaw clenching this time as her stomach roiled into knots at the resistance before the tension released, and the female hopped down from the tree branch and began walking back the way she came for a second time. 3

Hiei had kept very close watch of his companion this time, still trying to decode if her earlier change in direction had been intentional or otherwise. He didn't see why she would do so without meaning to, but-

There it was again. The fire demon pulled to an abrupt stop and turned to face Shikiyoku, who was walking in the opposite direction entirely for the second time. A frown pulled his lips downwards and made his brows furrow in confusion.

Definitely not by choice.

"Wrong direction," he called once more, eyes watching her keenly, waiting for a response even as he stood in the shadows of the tree branches.

~!**!~

Akari took a deep breath in and rubbed at her eyes for the third time since she'd arrived on campus, her hand moving from there to brush her hair from her face soon after. She took a single step towards the door, but paused when unnatural movement caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to the dead end wall of this hallway to see a single, slithering shadow moving along the floor. A frown colored her features as she tugged lightly on her energy, recalling the ribbon so that it dissipated in the air entirely.

_That's not good. _

She hadn't noticed her energy doing that before now, when it would matter most. If a human saw it, who knew what would happen.

She took another deep breath to gather herself, composing her expression into a calm one before she took the final steps that lead her into the classroom and right up to the teacher's desk, hefting her bag up and onto the wooden surface as the teacher pulled his gaze up to her with a smile.

That smile twitched momentarily before dropping entirely, forming into a slight frown. "Good to see you again." Akari dug in the bag she'd opened up with deft fingers, rifling through the papers until each and every sheet of work was in her grasp, to which she held out silently to the older human. He blinked at her hand and reached to take the papers almost robotically, slowly sliding them from her grasp. "Already? Is this why you missed classes yesterday?"

"No," Akari replied simply, tone flat. "Circumstances left me unable to attend, sir."

"Well, as I said, it's good to see you again," he repeated, eyes carefully going over the work in his hand. "Toriko's seat is open again today. She's studying abroad, so you can either have her seat until then, or the one you had occupied previously. Your pick, as a reward for your hard work." He paused, looking up again with a half-smile. "Though, I'd suggest the latter, as your partner is nearer."

Akari nodded once before turning away and taking the same path she had the last time she'd been in class, taking the same seat in front of Kurama. And again, she didn't pause to even glance at him, nor did she even make as if to notice the ramblings of the humans who had seen her stalk by.

It wasn't as if she weren't aware of her physical state. _*****_

Kurama remained lost in his thoughts, only vaguely aware of the classroom around him, until a small blip of demonic energy just at the edges of his vision brought his attention back to the present.

His eyes fell first to the floor, and a deep frown creased his forehead.

Akari's shadow was...moving. There was no other word for it. And as Kurama checked, Akari herself was _not_.

Kurama leaned forward in his chair a little, not enough to be inconspicuous, but in an attempt to get the demon's attention as he whispered her name.

"Akari?"

~!**!~

"_-go back to Human World. Leave. And go back to Human World." _

The mantra rang loudly in Shikiyoku's head, and on some level, she wasn't sure when it had morphed to include a return to Human World, the knot in her stomach simply directing her away from the land of The Palace she was fast approaching.

On the main level of her consciousness, she continued traveling in the opposite direction. 3

Hiei scowled at Shikiyoku, who gave no pause at his calling out to her. The bond in his mind was ringing, as if it were dire that his attention be on Shikiyoku, who continued to make her leave.

After another moment of simply watching her, Hiei dropped to the ground and, utilizing his full speed, moved so that he cut off her trail, giving her no room to alter her course. His arms were crossed, expression now slightly irritated, accompanied by the gleam of confusion in his eyes.

"You're going. The wrong way."

~!**!~

AKari had gotten comfortable slumped slightly in her chair, legs stretched out until her feet were beneath the chair of the girl in front of her, arms crossed her her stomach as she took a deep breath. The atmosphere in the room was already too much, as a few students were still watching her, staring.

_Yes, I know. I look like hell. Shut up._

Her ears caught sound of the movement of the person behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts in time to hear her name become a whispered question that asked for her attention. She turned her head enough to show she was listening, but not enough so that he would see her face.

_Make one comment, fox. Just one. _

A sneer formed on her features, though it left just as quickly. "Hm?" she finally hummed out, tone curious despite the thoughts she'd just had and her complete and utter desire to be left alone. _*****_

"You appear to be...dancing." Kurama couldn't help but stare briefly at Akari's seated shadow, which had started to throw its hands around and wiggle in the shadow-seat of the shadow-desk. "Is that intentional?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku actually bumped into Hiei before startling back and looking up at him, confused for a moment until she shook her head a little, mind clearer than before again.

"Sorry," She mumbled under her breath, turning and leaping up into the trees to dash off in the right direction. 3

Hiei stayed where he'd stopped Shikiyoku from advancing, arms still crossed over his chest even as she apologized and turned away, taking off in the same direction they'd been going before she'd ceased all advances. His frown now turned into a discontented scowl, accompanied by keen eyes following her motions until she was out of sight.

There was no way she did that on purpose. The look she'd had in her eye before running into him was not a gleam of someone who was consciously doing what they were doing.

Finally, he took off after her, this time staying behind her to make sure that if she turned around again, he could stop her before she got too far and interrogate her.

If there was no third time, he would let the subject go.

~!**!~

Akari listened to Kurama's words, at first completely and utterly confused. She hadn't moved in her desk? She hadn't done more than turn her head since she'd sat down. What on earth would make him think that-

Her body tensed visibly in her seat and her eyelids slid closed in realization. _It's happening again, isn't it? _Her eyelids slid open again and she glanced down at her own shadow, frowning to herself as she watched it move about, and then its head turned as if it were turning its eyes onto her.

Admittedly, it was the weirdest thing to see, her own shadow staring at her.

_Enough. Sit still, or leave. _

The shadow moved again, turning its head away from her and making another odd motion that could only be described as a twitch of defiance.

_What did I just say?_

It twitched again.

_Your __**master**_ _is ordering you to sit still, right this instant. Or so help me, you will cease to exist._

In a motion too jerky to be possible, the shadow snapped back into its normal position, mirroring her own frame perfectly now just in time for a human nearby to glance at it, as if interested in whatever it was that had warranted a harsh glare from Akari.

_Good. Now stay that way._

The pulse of energy that she earned from the shadow told her it had bowed to her will, and she turned forward again, this time speaking aloud to the male behind her without really looking at him. "Let it do as it pleases. It needs its day too." _*****_

Kurama had leaned back in his chair once the dancing shadow had been brought to Akari's attention, but he continued to watch what he assumed was a silent exchange between the two before it settled down once more.

_She still hasn't slept yet. _The thought stabbed across Kurama's mind in a fleeting moment. _Too much more of this and it won't be just her __**shadows **__that are out of control._

~!**!~

Shikiyoku tried to keep her thoughts steady on simply reaching the other side of the Ninth Level, but even with that distraction, her speed through the trees had slowly decreased, appearing to simply become more measured as if through a more dangerous stretch of branches.

Grinding her teeth together, Shikiyoku fought with her speed, increasing it once she noticed it had become lax.

That is, until she reached the edge of lands surrounding The Palace.

Shikiyoku looked as if she slammed headlong into a wall, her nose instantly bleeding, dropping out of the tree branch on which she'd planted a foot. Her body twisted easily in the air so that she landed with steady assurance on the forest floor, and then she shot off in the wrong direction at nearly twice the speed she had been going up until that point. 3

The fire demon had continued on without incident for a bit, and he'd almost begun to relax when he noticed her stride adjusting here and there, at which he simply adjusted his own speed to match so he would not catch up with the female.

And then she was completely stopping and turning tail again, moving _much _faster than before. His muscles struggled with the sudden stop and he quickly changed direction as well, this time moving throughout the treetops until he was again in front of her, where he dropped to the ground, plucked the female from her running position, and returned to the trees, moving as high up as the weaker branches would allow and setting her on her feet in front of him again, eyes narrowed at the sight of the blood running down her face.

"What's wrong with you, giving up? You're being pathetic."

~!**!~

AKari relaxed in her chair again after checking her shadow a second time, ensuring it had indeed ceased all motion for the time being. Satisfied, she slid down into a lounging position in her seat, arms crossed over her stomach still and head falling forward just slightly. Her eyes remained open, staring at her desk blankly as she checked her energy.

It didn't _feel _out of control…

"_That's because you're lacking in discipline, Akari."_

"_What he said, sweetheart."_

At the voices that intoned suddenly, she gave an audible groan, likely a little louder than she'd intended. _Can't you two find someone else to pick on? _

"_Of course not! You're simply too fun to mess with!"_

Sensui gave no reply other than leaning over her desk to peer at.. something or another.

"_Yo, Shinobu, care to-"_

"_None of your business."_

"_Not Shinobu. Another one. Which one are you?"_

"_Doesn't matter. You're losing it again. Where has your self discipline gone?"_

Akari's eyes opened and turned to look down again, but found nothing out of the norm. _What are you on about?_

"_It's getting away, sweetheart."_

Another sound of impatience as the demoness found the small, shapeless blob of darkness sliding along the sides of her desk, almost appearing to be a bug as it made its way to the floor and under several other desks before she called out to it. _That's quite enough out of you. _

"_Perhaps you're in need of another one of our _lessons_, Akari."_

_No thanks._

"_What she needs is-"_

"_No one asked you."_

_ENOUGH! __*****_

While Kurama could feel the fluctuation in demonic energy from where he sat, he could not actually see what was happening in front of him.

He recognized the signature to be Akari's, but at this vantage point he could not make out what exactly was going on.

Luckily it appeared her dancing shadow was still under control. But he felt his entire body tensing as if he were going to have to scoop her up and barge out of the room should things go too far south.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's head reeled, struggling to simply stand in place, but with enough sense in her mind at Hiei's abrupt interruption of her fleeing to come back to the present.

She knew she was looking at Hiei, but she wasn't seeing him.

Blood trickled farther down her nose and Shikiyoku reached up absently with a hand to wipe it away, staring at the red mess for a second before lowering her hand back down.

_Do __**not **__return!_

Shikiyoku's body shuddered violently at not moving away from her former homeland, and her eyes squeezed shut, coughing as blood caught in her throat and causing more to spill from her nose in the meantime.

"We should...keep moving." _Keep running! _Shikiyoku's eyes flickered in the direction they were meant to go, "It's...not much farther." 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku, the sight and smell of her blood keeping him where he stood with his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place among the branches. One step this way or that and she would be falling much further than before.

Admittedly, the sight of her nose dripping blood at such a rate was an unsettling one, and of course he noticed the way she seemed to swallow around what he could only assume to be more of the crimson life essence.

"What's wrong with you?" His question was a bit more demanded than before as he raised a hand to wipe at the blood still spilling from her nose just as she had. This was definitely not of the norm.

~!**!~

Kyu sighed at Akari's impatient air, making the female turn her eyes up with a glare aimed specifically at him. He caught her glare and countered it with a smile of innocence that was defined even more so by the batting of his lashes.

"_After your school activities today, you will meet me in the gym. Understand?" _Akari's eyes shifted to Sensui, glare harsher than before, to when he reached forward and flicked her forehead. "_None of that. You know better." _His normal, fully colored appearance was even weirder when he stood next to the grayscale Kyu.

A defeated sigh left the demoness and she let her eyelids slide closed, the feeling of the shadow she'd been addressing before moving along her skin not even so much as bothering her. _Remain unseen, would ya? _The shadow gave a brief pause, the chill in the crook of her elbow making bumps rise on her arm before it continued moving up her arm and over her shoulder, coming to rest at the base of her neck as if created by the bun she'd put her hair into.

After a moment, she realized it had paused to contemplate Kurama, and she tugged at her energy again, telling it to stay still. And it did, despite the way it contemplated the male behind her. Her shoulders moved with another sigh. At least they listened when she addressed them. _*****_

Kurama had the distinct feeling of something staring at him, but with the aura of energy that had started to become more pronounced around Akari, he found himself distracted, glancing calmly around the rest of the room to see if any of the other students, or perhaps the teacher, had caught on to the aura yet.

Much more of this and even the dullest of human senses were going to be able to catch what was going on, and know that Akari was at the heart of it.

But what was he supposed to say to her?

The entire thing was still hanging over him as likely his fault anyway.

Short of knocking her out and removing her from the room himself, Kurama didn't think his options were all that open.

Unless…

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took a moment to process the question, eyes starting to glaze over again before she fought off the urge to knock Hiei's hands off of her and start running again.

In fact, it seemed him physically holding her in place was actually helping a little, as she had a pause where she could begin to overcome the compulsion without having to move forward.

She didn't notice it on a direct level, but 'overcoming the compulsion' was actually causing her to release more and more of her energy, her skin starting to prickle with power and her scalp tingling as her hair released more scent.

"I'm-" Her eyes had just started to take on that otherworldly glow when another pang of demand hit her stomach and she coughed again, the glow disappearing as this time she pulled up her hand and released the blood that had started to coat her throat into her palm.

While coughing, she moved her other hand up to Hiei's shoulder, as if physically holding onto him would both steady her as she coughed and somehow prevent her from dashing away. 3

Hiei continued to stare at Shikiyoku, eyes narrowing in thought slightly as she made an attempt to speak, but was unable to continue as her words were cut off by a cough. The smell of blood became stronger, making his features darken with a scowl etched in stone and wrinkles in his forehead that looked as if they'd always be there. When she had a hand on his shoulder, that's when he decided to try something else.

Because obviously _talking _was not a simple option anymore.

His hands moved to grab her face, guiding her eyes until he was staring directly into the emerald color, his Jagan completely awake and open by that point. His mind reached out and touched hers, brushing it gently at first before simply seeming to invade.

"_Look at me. Now." _The harsh words were nothing more than a whispered demand, said both aloud and telepathically. With the invasion of her mind, he was able to get a feel of what was going on, though it was only a vague impression on his part. "_Resist. We can leave as soon as this is over, and never return if that is what you wish."_

~!**!~

Silence seemed to fall around Akari for the moment, both Kyu and Sensui standing silently on either side of her desk with arms crossed and watchful gazes. The shadow at the base of her neck moved only slightly, as if intrigued, and again she tugged at her energy, pulling it inward just a little as if tightening a leash on a puppy. It stilled immediately once more, feeding her information of the person behind her.

Unwanted information, quite frankly.

_Enough, little one. Your interest does not suit my needs at this time. Keep it to yourself. _ Her energy pulsed again with the shadow's reply, and again she tugged at it. _No._

"_Better, but not much. Keep it up. Make su-"_

_No one asked for your instructions, Sensui. _

"_I think she's had enough."_

"_What you think means nothing to me."_

The sound Akari released was somewhere between a sigh and a growl, both sounds of irritation that meshed together to only end up stuck in her throat, almost like a cough that wouldn't leave. Her eyes suddenly focused on the room around her, and she realized there had been a lecture going on, the teacher standing in front of the room and gesturing to the chalkboard, though his words were entirely lost on her.

She wanted nothing more than to leave.

But at the moment, she realized it was not actually a possibility. At least, not a discrete one. _*****_

Kurama sat back in his seat, appearing to pay avid attention to the lecture going on in front of him, but glancing his eyes over to a potted plant in the corner of the classroom to get the vision of its location in his head.

Using a discrete amount of energy, he woke the plant up, talking to it with his demonic power and coaxing strength into its fragile limbs, and moving one such limb meticulously towards the fire alarm in place nearby, following the action with two or three more limbs until they were deftly curled about the mechanism.

As soon as he felt the plant able, testing the might of the alarm versus that of the plant, Kurama had the plant give a sharp downward tug, standing up almost in the same instant and grabbing for Akari's arm.

Immediately alarms blasted into the air, and Kurama was already moving for the door with Akari in tow.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes flickered timidly into Hiei's gaze, finding that she could not look away from his blood-red stare.

She felt something brush against her mind, and then suddenly he was there all at once, his warmth flooding into her head through the Jagan's power.

Her mind was in turmoil, two sides desperately fighting at one another-one to run, the other to keep going-but for the moment, neither winning.

It took everything in her power not to take off in either direction.

"_Don't move." _She managed to tell him, her breathing labored.

Shikiyoku finally became aware of her energy slowly building to fight off the compulsion and she let it go even further, actively releasing it in an attempt to climb higher than the compulsion that had been placed on her eons ago.

Without directly forming the words, Shikiyoku let images pass through her forethoughts in an attempt to explain to Hiei what was going on.

The attack on The Palace-the place they were traveling to now. Herself as nothing more than a toddler with just the strength to walk and talk on her own. Her mother holding her face just like Hiei was holding hers now in a room where the enemy had not invaded. They did not have much time before they would be discovered. Her mother's overwhelming power, the mesmer, the order. _Do __**not **__return. Stay away from __**everyone**__. _A hug, her mother shoving her into a secret passage, compulsion to flee set into place as Shikiyoku began stumbling through the darkness, urgency to _get __**out **_building up until she ran as fast as her tiny frame would allow, and upon breaking through the secret passage and out into Demon World, continuing to run as far as she could until she collapsed to the ground in some of the Northern-most reaches of the level in exhaustion. 3

Hiei hadn't planned on moving away from her, neither mentally nor physically. His hands remained on her cheeks, keeping her from moving away even if she wanted to, and his gaze stayed locked with hers. He didn't respond to anything she said, simply watching her eyes with a steady gaze.

And then images were flooding his mind, like a movie he'd seen sometime before now and was only recalling the most intense scenes. The small child running from who he could only guess to be her mother, who had _ordered _her to leave. The prospect had his brows raising in realization that their pasts were very, very similar in such a way.

The images faded and he was left staring at Shikiyoku again, his expression now neutral as he allowed his mental presence to seemingly consume her mind.

He would wait until all was well before even considering leaving her mind.

"_I hadn't known."_

~!**!~

Another sigh passed over the lips of Akari, taking the brief moment of silence from the pair in stride an-

Suddenly, an extremely loud and annoying sound was piercing the air, and she cringed at the volume of the sound. Within the next moment, she was pulled from her seat by the arm, stumbling once before gaining her balance and turning her eyes up to the male who pulled her along, out the door before any other students had gotten as far as they had.

She would have growled at him, but quite frankly, she herself felt relief at being pulled from the classroom. The circumstances, however, were confusing, and the hand Kurama had no control over reached up to cover an ear to ward off the worst sound in the world.

"What is that?"

"_Your saviour," _Kyu answered over the loud sound with a snicker. "_You're lucky Red pays attention and no one else does!" __*** **_

Releasing his energy on the plant after reverting it back to normal, Kurama continuing moving Akari out the classroom door and heading for the main doors of the building, managing to pass all of the other classrooms with his pace before they even had their doors open with faces starting to coming out into the hallway after him.

He felt Akari's willingness to go, and he himself had no small amount of relief at her not fighting against him, though his grip had not been meant as forceful.

His ears picking up her question, Kurama didn't bother glancing down at her as they kept going.

"Fire alarm." He said simply, knowing any further explanation might be heard and questioned by unwanted attention.

As soon as they made it out into the sunshine and safely down the steps of the school to the ground, Kurama gently let Akari go to stand on her own two feet, a moment of confliction passing over his face.

"I'm sorry." He meant it for more than just the abrupt exit, as he now took notice of her sleep-deprived features and mentally berated himself for them, chalking each detail up as his own damn fault.

~!**!~

As Hiei overtook her thoughts, making the last emotions of the images passing through her mind's eye-ones of urgency to flee, core-pulsing and pounding energy through her veins as she ran desperately for her very life-fade with his enveloping warmth, Shikiyoku felt her eyes closing in relief and she simultaneously leaned forward until her forehead rested against his, just below the Jagan, and reached up to wrap the fingers of both hands around his wrists.

She sat there, doing nothing but breathing heavily and living inside his presence in her head, feeling his warm hands against her cheeks, and let her energy spiral more in the air around them, building up a visible resistance to the internal fight to flee from the lands to which she had come so dangerously close. 3

Hiei's own eyes slid closed as several thoughts occurred to him at once, at first not seeming to notice the new form of contact being induced. In his mind, behind a wall that Shikiyoku could not pierce, he realized that the amount of power one had to have to create an order strong enough to last _this _long, and remain strong enough to create such a struggle within one's mind…

He couldn't even begin to comprehend the amount of power Shikiyoku's mother coveted. It was obvious that she was at least an upper A class at the time, due to the fact that the fight Shikiyoku was putting up at that exact moment was causing such turmoil, both in her mental state and her physical state.

Next, he realized how much power Shikiyoku herself had the capability of having. If her mother could do that, then what could _Shikiyoku_ do? It was likely that she could do just as much, if not _more_.

And again, he found such a thought difficult to wrap his mind around.

Why would _anyone_ with such power at such a great amount refer to themselves as _useless_? The displeasure he felt at the prospect had his eyes opening again, looking into the face of the female whose head touched his own gently. He realized they had been standing like this for a bit, but he felt no desire to pull away.

And suddenly, Hiei found himself unable to veil his own thoughts, his own emotions over the matter. His awe at such an amount of power, his conflicted emotions over the way she called herself _useless_ of all things.

~!**!~

Akari made no further sound to Kurama as he lead her out the doors, pulling her arm away just as he released his hold on her. The sun that bared down on her felt harsh, making her eyes sting and her head ring with the sound she could still hear from the building she now stood outside.

"_Pathetic."_

"_You need to be nicer to her, Shinobu."_

"_What she needs is not kindness."_

Akari tried to ignore the pair that seemed to enjoy bickering with one another, taking turns berating her while the other seemed to defend her. It was unsettling, really, but she held no capacity to deal with it at the moment. _Could you guys shut up for _two _whole minutes?_

Silence ensued, making the female realize Kurama had spoken. _Wait, what did he say?_

"_He apologized, sweetheart." _Kyu answered as he slid into her view, hands on his hips as he leaned forward, smirking at her. "_You're losing it."_

She scowled at the male and waved a hand in front of her face impatiently, trying to ignore him to the best of her abilities. "Quite frankly, I was searching for an exit myself. I had actually contemplated jumping out the window, but it was simply too obvious."

"_Not what he's referring to."_

The impatient sound she made this time left her lips as a groan, her glare intensifying at Kyu once the sound passed. _*** **_

Kurama watched Akari carefully as they stood there, hearing behind them that the other students would soon be outside.

"Akari...how long have you been without sleep?" He would reserved judgements on her behavior, such as the way she glared at him and made him feel worse, until he had an answer.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's energy steadily filled the air, coming off of her in gentle waves of power that caressed both her and Hiei as they stood unmoving.

For a long time, it was all she could do to actively let her power go, feeling as it strengthened the impulse to turn and run lessening in return.

Becoming aware of Hiei's emotions, Shikiyoku felt herself flush with embarrassment at his suddenly revealing how much admiration he held for her power.

"_I'm just __**old**__." _She countered, sounding flustered and equating 'old' and age with power accumulated over time. "_And I have no purpose. No reason to live." _She replied, unsure how to approach the 'useless' subject and flushing slightly more at remembering the night before and the feeling of inadequacy she had gotten for dancing such a foolish dance and receiving no answer. 3

Hiei didn't react to her words the way she must had assumed he would. Instead of scowling at her like he normally would, he merely made a small sound of disagreement, resisting the urge to shake his head and instead sending the impression of such a motion through his Jagan for her to feel.

"_No demon who can bring full tribes together is useless by any means."_

He went silent again, making another attempt to veil his own thoughts, but being unsuccessful in doing so. He felt as if it were almost entirely impossible to do such a thing at this point in time, which was a little unsettling, but otherwise nothing more than a slight inconvenience.

It wasn't like he had anything to hide after all. *

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	51. Episode 136 - Revelations Once More

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!

As I mentioned in the last chapter, the scene that continues first here with Shikiyoku/Hiei is one of my favorite among the earlier part of the series.

I'm trying to decide if the number of chapter might be overwhelming to a newcomer and if I should at some point in the near future start a new story (like a Part Two sort of thing) and make this like a series... Feel free to chime in with thoughts if you have any in that regard!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

As Shikiyoku and Hiei head for The Palace,  
>Shikiyoku feels more strongly the compulsion placed up on her by her mother,<br>when she was barely a toddler, to flee the lands and never return.  
>Apparently the mesmer has lasted up to this day,<br>and it continues to interfere with the pair's progress  
>right up to the point where she appears to slam headlong into an invisible wall,<br>which sets her nose bleeding, and then begins running in the opposite direction.

At that point, Hiei catches her and hops high up into a nearby tree,  
>keeping a solid grip on her and demanding to know the problem.<br>They begin converse via telepathy and the Jagan  
>as Shikiyoku's speech is being hindered by her bleeding.<p>

It is then that Hiei learns about the story behind Shikiyoku leaving her homeland,  
>finding that their pasts were more similar than he might have imagined.<br>It is at that point Hiei finally reveals his dissatisfaction for her continually referring to herself as useless,  
>arguing that a demon with the ability to bind entire tribes together can be nothing but the opposite.<p>

~!**!~

Akari questioned Foko about what might have happened between the two of them  
>had Akari taken Otento up on his offer and joined the rebellion. He admits he doesn't know.<p>

Akari goes to school the next day and receives her homework,  
>which she works on that night until the next day.<br>She is beginning to lose control of her shadow powers,  
>and it's only by the interference of Kurama-<br>who has a plant pull on the fire alarm so he can drag Akari out of the school-  
>that no one else notices.<br>After they get outside, Kurama questions her on how long she's been without sleep.

* * *

><p>Akari's attention was pulled away from Kyu for the moment, and though she couldn't actually <em>see <em>Kurama behind the first, she focused on his question. Her brow raised slightly and her eyes turned to the sky as she began calculating just how long she'd gone without sleep.

_Well, there was the day with Foko, and the day after… That's 36… Plus yesterday… uh… fifty? Is that right? _A frown pulled her lips down slightly. _Plus now…. _

She finally gave up and shrugged, earning a peel of laughter from Kyu who promptly skirted away from her glare, shuffling to the side to stand near Sensui, whose expression was not very impressed with the situation. "_Forty eight hours plus the twelve of the day before. Sixty. Plus the three hours since the sun's risen. Sixty-three hours without sleep, as of this moment."_

Akari turned her eyes to Kurama finally with another shrug. "Sixty-three hours." She answered in a tone of mild annoyance. "Not something I haven't done before, though it's a bit different this time…"

"_Yeah, you have both of us here to keep you company Sweetheart!"_

"_Though his company is unwanted."_

_Both of your companies are unwanted._

"_Harsh." _*****

That explained...a lot.

Kurama heard the doors of the school start to open behind him and started to move towards the gates of the schoolyard, murmuring to Akari as he passed.

"If you don't want others to notice the-" He had been planning on saying something about her appearance, but quickly inserted another option, "Aura of power that you have going on around you, you might want to step away."

He did not feel like he was in a place to order her to go home and take rest, though if he had _his _way, that was exactly what he would do, and likely carry her there himself just to make sure the order was followed.

Hearing the girls of the school begin to talk excitedly about him, and knowing they would probably take the opportunity to mob him in the meantime, Kurama picked up his pace in an attempt to make it perfectly clear that he wished to be away from them, and went ahead and ducked out of the gates to the school, leaning up against the wall on the outside where he would be out of sight.

~!**!~

In her mind, the dance-the ritual, really-was not a tool used to bring tribes together. It had been born out of a sort of necessity, a product of her first Champion's genius-a term used begrudgingly at the thought of the cruel male, but no less truthful-in energy manipulation and fashioned by her, so that she might _live_. Be given food and drink and a place to lay her head at night, which was all her first Champion desired. A creation formed with a purpose, at the demand and tutelage of another, but not directly with the end result of binding in mind.

All of this Shikiyoku could feel Hiei picking up from her forethoughts, and she found herself spiraling in another direction with a sudden tension accompanied by more embarrassment with the admission.

In the end, the dance had held another purpose entirely, besides what had been ordered into place, out of the awareness of her first Champion-Shikiyoku desperately tried to turn her thoughts elsewhere-and became a source of solace in which she could secretly commune with those who held no hostility or malice or ulterior motives towards her, since she was all but neglected by the first Champion and his jealousness that kept her away from any other. And when the dance did not work, did not bring her together with one such as what she sought, it left her feeling _useless_, for the dance would then be useless to her, left her feeling as if it was _her _fault for not having danced well enough to bring to her someone to even simply _talk _to. 3

Hiei paid very close attention to the impressions he found being passed to himself, his mind grasping at each and every emotion that seemed to pass by her mind's eye. The images of her dancing, and then talking with another afterwards, made him realized he'd missed the actual point of what Shubou had been talking about. Shikiyoku had not been searching for a _lover_, as he'd assumed from the name of the dance, but for a _companion_. A source of… company, a source of comfort and consolation.

And suddenly, he was very, _very _aware of her hands on his wrists, of the place where her forehead touched his, just missing the open Jagan that stared at her and continued to send him images. Images he didn't pay any mind to at the moment.

At the realization of the meaning behind the ritualistic dance Shikiyoku had created, the realization of his own presence following the dance came with it. Had that been why he'd been so drawn to her? Why he had considered joining in the dance?

After a moment, Hiei's mind simply took to doing whatever it pleased, the Jagan taking over and copying the feeling of her hands on his wrist sending warmth over his skin and taking that impression, sending it to the one who had earned its attention.

The Jagan made sure that she could feel what he felt, as if she were in his stead and looking down at her. The calm serenity from her fingers around his wrist, the warmth of her forehead just touching his.

And then the image that Hiei had ignored.

The image of her energy reaching out to him, followed by the image of Hiei following her through the crowd, ignoring each and every demon who had called to him without his notice.

And with those images, the bond seemed to hum within their contact, singing almost with joy at the revelation.

~!**!~

This time when Akari's eyes turned cold and her lips turned down into a scowl, it was intentionally aimed at Kurama as he passed by. His words reminded her of Nabu nagging at her, constantly reminding her that she hadn't slept and that he felt she needed to do so.

But she didn't move towards him until he had disappeared behind the wall, at which point her irritation had turned to mild anger. _You have no right. Not you too. _Akari turned, ignoring the chatter of the students behind her, and followed the trail Kurama had made, passing through the gates and turning, passing by him on her way to….

Anywhere but here.

She paused in front of him, cutting her eyes at him from the corners and scowling at him. "I don't need your insight, fox."

With that, she turned resumed her steps and continued on, hands brushing at her skirt as she remembered she had no pockets.

And she held no bag.

She didn't even pause to consider going back for the object. At the moment, it meant nothing to her. It would be there tomorrow, should she decide to give this another attempt.

In the meantime, she'd go find a spot where she could simply _sit _and do _absolutely nothing. __*****_

Kurama flinched visibly after she kept walking, eyes casting down towards the ground.

Rationally, of course, she _did_. Since she appeared to have no sense about how much she radiated her power from her body. He wondered at the hallucinations she _must _have been having by this time, and how her illusory powers would mix in and make them seem that much more real.

He immediately pushed himself off the wall and took to following her, not particularly caring if she noticed, though she was far enough away at this point that he couldn't be sure.

He was not about to let her go wandering the streets of the city with _that _much power at her disposal while in a sleepless daze.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gasped, a small sound that would have gone unnoticed had their minds not been so closely intertwined with one another, for the emotion that accompanied the sharp intake of breath and her eyes flying open rang clearly in her head.

Her mind's vision doubled for a moment, becoming both herself standing in Hiei's strength as well as the demon himself who radiated that strength, feeling her hands at his wrists, but also the wrists themselves, and the absolute calm that the gesture held.

The dance hadn't been _useless_. What she _needed_, what she _desired_ with every fiber of her existence was standing before her in the form of a fiery demon. In the form of her Champion.

A blip of thought, which went unnoticed, maintained her viewpoint of still feeling useless as a general rule, but the overwhelming astonishment at having found something she had long searched for being in front of her the whole time completely undermined the momentary uselessness.

And at the understanding, in a welling up of relief and surprise and other emotions she had no name for in that moment, a small breath of laughter escaped her lips as she closed her eyes again. 3

Hiei's own mind had finally clasped onto the understanding of what the Jagan had been sending to Shikiyoku, and after a moment, his eyes slid closed again to take in the images it had lifted from his own mind, watching them as well from its odd viewpoint. It was as if he were watching from another's perspective at that moment, and it was the oddest thing he'd experienced as of yet.

And then the images faded, leaving Hiei with Shikiyoku's overwhelming emotions that left him simply…. existing within her mind, not saying anything and making no reaction whatsoever, observing silently even as she chuckled.

And after a moment, he remembered the reason he'd established this contact, and he searched her mind for a moment, looking for the power she had been fighting off curiously.

Was it still there..?

~!**!~

As she slinked her way along the sidewalk, Akari considered going home, meeting with Nabu and-

_No._ She wouldn't do that. Not after this morning, when he'd hid under the blankets from her. Plus, he'd simply continue on as he had for the past two days, reminding her with almost every waking moment that she hadn't slept a wink and that he wanted her to stay _inside _the dusty home and have _nightmares. _

The thought had a chill running up her spine.

Again her hands searched for pockets, and again she found none and gave a very loud sound of impatience.

"_The park is quiet around this time." _Kyu suddenly piped, voicing a thought that had passed fleetingly at the forefront of her mind.

"_As is the gym." _Sensui quipped.

Akari ignored the both of them, moving silently until she was inside the park gates of her favorite place, pausing only briefly to rub at her temples. Which way was it again?

Her feet finally continued moving, without her direction this time, and she found that her pace was much, much slower than normal, even as she released a yawn.

"_...much less aware of your surroundings now, aren't ya?"_

This voice was unfamiliar at first, but the words were not. She didn't turn to look behind her, figuring whoever it was would simply leave her be if she ignored them enough, as Kyu and Sensui seemed to do.

"_It's only been, what, three days? You can't be getting weaker now. There's still much I have planned for you."_

This time, the chill that raced up her spine was one of recognition, but her mind and body continued moving forward, ignoring the newcomer anyway. It wasn't as if she were _there. _He was simply a part of her overactive imagination, a product of her sleepless nights and exhausted mind. She knew that.

But when she blinked and then rubbed her eyes, she _felt _the change this time. As if she were dropping into one of her own illusions, except…

Less controlled.

And the scene she dropped into was just as colorless as Kyu, telling her instantly she was engulfed in another memory.

"_There you go. Now you're responding as you should be. Keep that up and you may get a gold star of achievement." The snicker that filled the room was one of dark amusement that had her stomach rolling, coiling up and threatening getting sick. But it wouldn't have mattered. Her stomach was empty anyway._

~!**!~

His nose touched the ground as he walked, tail drooping as well as his ears to create a reluctant air of worry. Akari had left this morning despite his protest, had even been harsh in shooting down his concern, leaving without even saying her normal goodbye. He'd pouted for a bit before Nabu had decided to follow after her.

He'd followed her trail up to the school, noted that students were filing back into the large building before he turned away and backtracked, this time taking the only route he had a feeling she'd take around this time.

Except, he managed a shortcut.

Nabu ran along the concrete, between buildings and around pedestrians along the sidewalks as he made his way towards Akari's favorite spot, the place he knew she would go for peace and quiet. But she wasn't there.

His nose lifted higher into the air, sniffing momentarily until he _did _find traces of her scent on the wind, to which he followed until he was walking up to the female, who stood stock still in the middle of the play area, no other person in sight. "_Akari!" _he barked once, confused by her glazed-over eyes and withdrawn expression. When she gave no response, he barked her name out again, louder this time.

And then he was scurrying out of the way, tail tucked and ears down as she simply _fell_. There was no other way for him to describe it, really. He stared at her still frame for a minute, nose twitching as he sniffed at the air, not paying any mind to the moving shadows around her and the feeling of being watched.

"_...'kari?"_

And then she was throwing an arm at him, barely missing his head as he ducked out of the way of the strike. A growl escaped her, a sound of desperation, he knew. He whined once at her, earning a forceful command of him to leave, her tone demanding and tone low.

And then the dog was moving, turning tail and deciding he'd go find the one person he felt could fix this.

_Flowers. __*****_

Kurama let Akari get more of a lead on him, finally deciding that he really didn't wish for her to know he was there should she happen to turn back.

So he stalled for a moment or two along one of the sidewalk vendors, feeling his stomach give a lively churn at the smell of the food that wafted from their wares.

He exchanged currency for a meal and then took to following after Akari's trail while he ate, lazily keeping track of the energy signature he could read somewhere up in front of him, making sure that it did not grow any stronger as he tailed her.

~!**!~

At the release of her chuckle, so to did Shikiyoku's energy release in a silent eruption around her, rolling off of her skin whose prickling she felt singing excitedly inside her mind, and wafting through her hair which shimmered and gleamed in the waves of power as it also tingled at her scalp.

Like when she had stood in the clearing trying to break through Toriko's wall to free her true form, the energy swirled up into the air, but unlike that time, it appeared to come from both her and Hiei, including him in the eye of the storm of intensity.

The compulsion set in place by her own mother had become only a whisper by that time, and this sudden burst of demonic energy shattered through the spell that had unknowingly cursed Shikiyoku throughout her entire existence, beckoning in that moment she had only wondered about before: that moment where she had finally surpassed her mother's strength.

Humming about her from head to toe, still pulsing into the air around them, the energy thrilled through her and Shikiyoku tilted her head up just enough, still keeping her forehead in contact with Hiei, to let the tip of her nose nudge gently, affectionately, against the Champion's.

"_Thank you." _For many things. But mostly for simply _being _there. Standing with her and lending her his strength. For his touch, which sent more sparks of power from her body. Her gratitude, her joy, was almost palatable in her mind, aiming appreciation not only so that Hiei might feel the depth of it which sprang from her very soul, but also at the Jagan and the role it had played in that moment.

The two words she spoke into his head did not seem to do the feeling justice. 3

As if in response to her influx of power, the sudden rush of his own energy sent Hiei's mind reeling, his skin crawling and his body seeming to hum with the amount of power that not only surged from himself, but from the one whose face he still held between his hands. His energy was released in a way that could only be described as an explosion, except, for once, his energy was not destroying things. In fact, he felt as if the warmth that radiated around them had nothing to do with flame or anger, as his energy was normally associated, but with…

Happiness?

Relief, in the very least, as he felt the snap of Shikiyoku's energy against the hold that had been placed on her consciousness. And the emotions he felt, the extreme amount of gratitude that was being directed at himself seemed to fuel his own energy into flying higher in the air, creating a dance around hers in swirls and streams.

The absolute feeling of his energy being _free_, and not _destroying _things…

It was a feeling unlike any other, and he felt his awe slipping underneath the tide of emotions Shikiyoku was sending, and for once, the unknown contact that she issued was not exactly something he found himself uncomfortable with. In fact, he rather… enjoyed it in the moment.

And he just _couldn't_ find any words to respond to her with.

~!**!~

Nabu ran, nose up in the air and taking in large puffs of the wind that blew by. For a single moment, he paused, turning in circles around and around on the street corner, eyes searching the moving crowd of people on errands or whatever it was they were up to.

He made a small sound in his throat before turning and tearing off again, this time in the direction of the school again.

It wasn't long before he found the scent he needed. His claws made pitter-pattering sounds on the concrete aa he lowered his head, no longer needed to follow a trail as he'd figured the male was heading this way. It was such a convenient thing that he almost thought he'd end up running into the _wrong _Flowers.

But when the male came into sight, Nabu let loose a bark that called out his name, not even slowing until he had to skid to a stop at the other's feet, at which point he began jumping, planting his front paws on the shins of Flowers before dropping to the ground and doing frantic circles, knowing that if he just got the male's attention… _*****_

Kurama lifted his head from the food he'd been enjoying, continuing his slow meander in the direction Akari, when he heard a bark whose timbre rang familiarly in his ear, and suddenly Nabu had jumped on his legs, turning around and around as if chasing his own tail.

"Nabu-" Kurama started, opening with the intention of greeting the dog warmly, but his eyes shot in the direction that Akari had disappeared in, and without another word, he took off running, sensing the concern in the dog's presence.

He had not felt an immediate change in Akari's energy, but that didn't mean something else hadn't happened, and he dashed through the park, letting his demonic senses lead him to her.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's breath had steadied, her nose no longer dripping blood, and she finally opened her eyes, looking into Hiei's face and finding that she wore a small smile on her lips.

With their minds so closely linked, there was nothing at the forefront of her thoughts that she could keep to herself, though she did try to reign in her happiness, which she realized was likely overwhelming to _anyone _but her.

It didn't change the fact that it was still there, and the portion of the pact that she had access to thrummed in time with the one she could feel within Hiei, making her release another quiet chuckle as she watched his face. 3

Hiei felt the Jagan pulse with energy of its own once, twice, three times before it seemed to have had enough of this for one day, and after a few moments, the third eyes was closed, lost in slumber and leaving Hiei with his mind now linked to hers by his own power, seeming to quiet the amount of energy he felt from Shikiyoku and the amount of cheer that he could sense within his own mind. Her near-silent laughter had him pulling away after a moment, realizing that he hadn't moved a single inch since having grabbed at her cheeks.

His arms dropped to his sides and his eyes suddenly cast downward, to the ground that was at least thirty feet down. He made a small sound of amusement. How had he forgotten how high up they were?

"One step this way or that, and we would have been falling to our deaths."

Of course, this was not true, as the fire demon knew both of them had instincts quick enough to stop their fall.

Now that his mind had receded from hers just enough to veil their thoughts from one another, he almost felt as if his mind were _too _empty.

~!**!~

As soon as Flowers was moving in the direction Nabu had come from, the dog stopped his frantic circle-making and he stood, staring after the male as he panted, fighting to catch his breath for a moment. At least this one was smart enough to understand. Had it been someone like Loudmouth or Stripes, he wasn't sure he would have been able to make them understand without _biting _at their ankles and then dashing away.

After that brief thought and a moment to catch his breath, Nabu shot off again, following after Kurama. He didn't feel as if leading him right to her were necessary, so by the time he reached the park, he was merely trotting, deciding that he'd stay out of the male's way and watch from-

Screw it. He'd be as close as the other would allow.

~!**!~

_The floor underneath her cheek was cold, despite the fact that she'd been laying in the same position for a very, very long time. Her eyes were squeezed shut, making tears fall as she struggled to keep her breathing steady, only succeeding in keeping her breaths short, labored, and pretty much useless. Her lungs burned, her head hurt, but in the end, it was nothing compared to the painful fact that she couldn't get away._

_A single calloused hand continued to toy with her hair, a normal ritual for this time of day that left her, normally, so angry that she'd growl or even struggle. But now…._

_There was no use in it._

"_That's right. You're no longer the alpha, now are you?"_

_Her breath hitched, and for a moment that stretched longer than normal, she didn't breathe again. The chuckle she'd come to loathe sounded again, and instead of invoking anger in her, this time it invoked fear that intensified as the male shifted his weight, leaning forward and running his hand over her bare shoulder, tracing wounds that were scarring over. _

"_Without the ears and tail, you're actually attractive." _*****

Kurama immediately dropped to his knees next to Akari's fallen body and watched her energy rolling off of her body, knowing she could not be dead for he could still hear her core beating.

"Akari, I don't know if you're still awake, but I'm going to turn you over." Having her face in the dirt surely wasn't comfortable, and he wouldn't be able to administer anything with her eyes, nose, and mouth stuck in the ground.

Kurama reached out to turn her over towards him.

~!**!~

As soon as Hiei had pulled away, both physically and mentally, Shikiyoku started trying to wipe away at the dried blood that had crusted just beneath her nose, unsuccessfully attempting to rid her face of the stuff, and licking her lips a little, tasting a strong iron flavor that meant the blood had dripped down farther than she realized.

Shikiyoku let her own gaze flicker to the ground and smiled a little at Hiei's comment, knowing that neither one of them would have simply let the other fall.

She kept her gaze turned downwards as if she could see where the blood was she was trying to remove still remained.

Even with only half a pact to work with, Shikiyoku could still feel the echoes of the moment they had shared earlier resounding within her mind, for it was not a moment she would soon forget.

For her at least-she could not speak for Toriko-it would remain forever etched in her mind: the first moment she and Hiei had been on the same page, carried the same desire, the same purpose. It was those moments which she as the Ward strived for, fulfilling whatever it was her Champion desired. Like a drug, she was addicted to that feeling, but she also wished it for more innocent reasons as well, because the truth of the matter was she wanted nothing more than for her Champion to be happy. 3

Hiei stood there, staring at the ground for a moment in thought, though not _many_ thoughts crossed his mind at the moment other than the fact that he still felt as if his own energy was intertwined with Shikiyoku's. He could see his own energy blending with hers, creating an odd glow that could only be seen by the keenest of gazes, and even then it was nothing more than a slight distortion of color in the air.

He was rather impressed with the discreetness of such a combination, finding that it could likely be something that could later prove to be very, very useful. Perhaps in a stickier situation he'd remember this.

Assuming they could duplicate what had just happened quick enough to make a difference.

He turned his eyes up to Shikiyoku now, a smirk just gracing his features for a moment. "I suppose we should continue on, get this over with."

And with that, he began dropping from branch to branch, making his way to the ground.

~!**!~

Nabu trotted up to where Kurama was kneeling beside his best friend, coming to a stop beside the male's knee and watching his hands move Akari, who, at the moment, seemed completely unresponsive. His ears lay flat on his head and he glanced over at Kurama, taking a step closer to the thigh of the other as he craned his neck towards Akari, sniffing at the air around her. "_Akari?" _he whined out, earning no response either.

And again he turned his head to look up at Kurama, saying nothing to the male but silently begging for him to help.

And then he was ducking behind the male as Akari's body suddenly came alive with movement, hands reaching out and pushing Kurama's hands away and proceeding to form fists that flew almost at random.

~!**!~

_Akari made as if she weren't even alive, her breathing nonexistent in the moment as she ceased all movements at the touch of now two hands at both shoulders, pulling her not only closer to the male on her right, but over onto her side. Still, she didn't react, not even when her bare skin peeled painfully from the surface it had stuck to._

"_Another chuckle rang in the still air, and this time her fear drove her to at least attempt fighting again, despite her six other attempts that had all ended in the same way. It was instinct, and those instincts weren't so easily squashed. _

_She balled her hands into fists, swiping her arms at the hold on her shoulders and proceeding to strike from where she lay, earning a grunt or two from the male as her hands struck the bare abdomen of the other. A snarl left her lips, and she was pressing her feet to his knees and kicking him away from herself, her arms taking to covering herself as she scooted across the tiled floor on her back now. "You will not touch me!" _*****

"Akari-" Kurama blocked the fists that searched for him, deflecting them away.

She was most definitely asleep. And not only asleep, but likely trapped in her own illusory dreams.

He could only guess at what those dreams consisted of, but even what little he knew of her past sent him frowning at the prospects.

She would probably continue fighting against any effort he made should he continue in this manner.

As Kurama quickly filtered through what he considered his options, searching for the one that would bring the fastest result, he felt a little sigh escape from his chest.

This was not going to be pretty.

"Akari…" He grimaced, but placed a hand on the grass beside him and started feeding his energy into the ground, "I'm so sorry."

The grass burst upwards in between them, strategically encircling Akari at her ankles and wrists, reaching up and pulling her until she lay flat on the ground, and then acting as restraints to keep her in place.

Kurama's face had grown dark at the sight, knowing that he would only feed her visions with such an action, but also strongly feeling as if this would be the fastest way to rid her of those visions.

As the grass settled, another quick burst of growth shot up from the earth near her head, covering her entire neck and the lower part of her face, leaving her nose free to breath, and becoming only tight enough that she would not be able to move. Kurama did not wish to become bit for his efforts as he reached with his free hand into his back pocket and pulled out the sleep-inducing, dreamless remedy that he nostalgically recalled the two of them talking about at a time when he did not think he would be using such a concoction in _this _way.

The dirty-white crystal was brought up to Akari's nose and Kurama rubbed at it between his fingers, releasing its scent into the air and simply...waiting.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku followed after Hiei, taking off once again for The Palace as soon as her feet touched the forest floor, her core soaring as she felt no resistance with the thought or the direction coming from within her own body.

Her energy still licked off of her skin into the air around her as she ran, creating this streamlined effect that echoed her direction, and she saw no reason to contain the power, her eyes glowing excitedly as they closed the last bit of distance between them and The Palace itself, the miles going past in mere minutes for the pair.

As they broke out of the treeline, the building suddenly loomed in front of them, towering high into the sky in red marbled slab, truly a gorgeous palace to behold.

There was no sign of life coming from the castle, no guards or servants scurrying around. And there were no walls either, the entrance just a long and wide series of smooth, marbled red steps leading up to the doors, starting roughly half a mile out.

Shikiyoku came to a sudden stop about a third of the way up, seeing a demon come into view heading down in their direction.

The other demon appeared to have spotted them as well, her pace slowing until she stood twenty or thirty steps away from them.

This female had spiky orange hair, short, sticking out from the top of her head, and her expression looked as if it were stuck in a permanent frown, her steel-grey eyes staring at the pair angrily as if she did so all the time. Her clothing was fairly nondescript except for a thin silver circlet that she wore on her head.

"I take it you are the ones responsible for the disturbance on our lands?" She called, her tone matching the angry look in her eyes.

"We weren't on _your _lands." Shikiyoku clarified. "Not when we did _that_."

Her energy still filled the air around her and she took a languid step in the other demon's direction, moving up two or three stairs to close the distance between them with her hips swaying, her eyes glowing coyly.

"Tell me, gorgeous: where can we find Gekijou?" Shikiyoku's eyes pulsed once with a mesmerizing gaze, catching the other demon's stare and not letting her look away.

The other demon seemed fairly bored with the question, raising a single orange eyebrow.

"Are you paying more than the other guy?" The demon responded.

Shikiyoku did not flinch, but took another couple of steps closer, "I assume that means you are she?"

"Or are you just a messenger of his?"

Shikiyoku moved the tendrils her energy forward to start encircling the demon, though as soon as they got within reach, Gekijou batted them away absently without taking her eyes away from Shikiyoku, and to Shikiyoku's surprise, the energy responded to the gesture, moving to the side as if actually hit.

"You do not wish to try my patience." Gekijou spoke up again. "I thought he said he needed my brother and I because he could not get you to comply with his wishes."

Over fifteen years was a long time since the last Shikiyoku had interrogated anyone, and she was usually close enough to them to touch them, which played into how responsive they would be. She did not think this demon was going to let her approach any closer for now so she let out another pulse of energy and made sure it went far enough to brush through Gekijou before fading.

"He told you about me, then." Shikiyoku's voice grew huskier as her energy wafted into the air, her smile luscious.

"Naturally." Gekijou responded without hesitation. "Though your attempts at interrogation also give you away, demon of desire." Her eyes flicked over to acknowledge Hiei's presence for the first time since his and Shikiyoku's approach before returning to Shikiyoku. "That must be your Consort. It would explain the energies I felt mingling all the way in there." She jerked her head back towards the palace behind her.

Shikiyoku blinked at the incorrect title Gekijou gave Hiei, a small frown drawing the edges of her brows together. She sent another pulse of energy outwards.

"What exactly does Otento need you for?"

The tendrils of power had woven themselves around Gekijou during her speech, and Shikiyoku made sure the two of them had locked gazes.

"Same thing he needed you for." The reply came readily enough, as if she were still not affected by the power and answered of her own free will. "Though obviously you were too useless for him. Otherwise he wouldn't have called on my brother and I."

Shikiyoku felt a pang of anger shoot across her mind, vaguely aware that the emotion had not directly come from within her.

This time Gekijou took the step forward, coming down two or three steps closer.

"Ah, a reaction, I see. I must have hit a nerve." Her eyes smiled cruelly, but the emotion did not reach her frown. "How _exactly _can one be so useless when they have a Consort?"

"He is a Champion." Shikiyoku spat, "Not whatever you keep calling him."

Gekijou's eyebrows rose, "Only a _Champion_?" She shifted her gaze to Hiei, "Well, no wonder Otento could not use you. You still have to have a Champion. How cute."

Shikiyoku could feel the anger within her begin to simmer the longer Gekijou talked.

"Perhaps one day when you're less _useless _yourself, you'll find yourself a companion who is worthwhile." 3

Hiei had pulled up short so that he was standing about a foot behind Shikiyoku, expression its normal, neutral by the time he'd been able to see the palace that jutted out into the air, almost the same exact color as its surroundings were it not for the shine of the siding and windows. For a moment, he took to memorizing the details of the building, eyes taking in every inch he could see before turning to the patron on the steps that Shikiyoku had taken to addressing.

He spoke no words, brought no attention to himself for the time being, instead deciding to watch rather than take over. It wasn't his place anyway, and _his _form of interrogation would not work here. At least, he assumed it wouldn't, as it appeared that the other demon was completely unphased by Shikiyoku's energy that poked and prodded at the air around her.

His hands slid into his pockets after a moment, ruby eyes trained on the unfamiliar demon that Shikiyoku had confirmed to be the one they'd been sent after. He watched the features of the demoness, seemingly unimpressed by her ability to wave away Shikiyoku's prodding and continue on.

As soon as grey eyes met crimson ones, the fire demon began assessing her expression, taking in everything in stride, mind recalling that Koenma had said Otento had wanted her as a replacement for Shikiyoku.

The fire demon stared unblinkingly at Gekijou even as she turned away from him, eyes immediately taking to searching for clues as to what he needed to guard against. And, oddly, he became aware of a dull thud in his mind. He turned inward for a moment, assessing the bond that seemed to throb here and there, as if being poked in the wrong way.

By the time he refocused on the conversation at hand, Shikiyoku had spoken up with defensive words.

It couldn't have been more obvious at this point, and the fire demon blinked once more at the pair, considering his options while simultaneously checking his mental guards. He would have spoken up by now, but he knew that one slip of the tongue could bring the attentions onto himself, meaning he'd be poked and prodded.

And he wasn't sure how strong this one was.

"_Caution, Shikiyoku."_

~!**!~

_Akari hadn't gotten very far before the male was towering over her, on his feet in a movement that almost couldn't be considered humane as he reached down and pulled her back to where she'd been laying before, promptly dropping so that he straddled her waist, his large hands quickly making grab for her wrists and roughly pressing them to the floor. She wriggled about underneath him for a few moments longer, snarling weakly._

"_You know how this ends. Might as well give in and lay down like a good dog."_

_The words cut across her mind like a blade to skin, and while she struggled just a little longer, her snarls dying away into whimpers, the feeling of his breath on her neck was enough to send her to tears that begged for mercy. Her lips parted and released a small sob as her muscles simply went lax, one of his hands moving from her wrist to cover her mouth and stifle the sound._

_And she simply gave up, eyes staring at the dark ceiling overhead as another, very quiet, very gruff chuckle echoed in the dark, quiet room._

_**I just want it to end. **_

_She was giving up. No use fighting a battle she'd never win._

~!**!~

Nabu had slowly re-emerged from behind Flowers , leaning around the male's hip to peer at Akari, whose muscles went so still that he thought maybe the problem had been solved within a few short minutes. He slowly moved out from behind the back of the male he'd lead here, taking cautious steps to Akari and sniffing at the bindings that held her to the ground, eyes watching the crystal that Flowers held beneath her nose.

Just has he had the first time.

His ears perked up just a little and he turned to the person beside him, silently thanking the other before turning back to his best friend, who suddenly released a sound of distress that made his body go still, his ears going flat again as he crept closer, nose sticking to her face as he sniffed at the rivers that had begun to fall down her cheeks.

_She's never cried before._

He released a whine and slowly lowered himself to the ground next to her shoulder, curling up so that he could rest his chin on her arm, his head pointed to Flowers and worried eyes watching him as well. _*****_

Kurama wasn't entirely sure what to think of Akari giving up when she had so vehemently attacked him before, but he slowly loosened the restraints around her, letting them morph back into the rest of the grass beneath her body.

Glancing around once, Kurama hesitantly slipped an arm underneath Akari's neck, sliding the other under her knees, and picked her up, turning and walking for the nearest tree where he sat down with Akari in his lap, holding her up so that when he resumed intermittently rubbing the crystal and waving it under her nose she would not fall over.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the tree.

"I-" He sighed, feeling as if he spoke to the wind, "I'm so sorry."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku clenched her teeth together when the other female simultaneously insulted both herself and her Champion in the same breath.

She took another step closer, hearing Hiei in the back of her mind, but paying him no heed.

Eyes pulsing with power, Shikiyoku pulled her energy inward until it caressed the skin of Gekijou.

"What is Otento's game?" She said through her teeth.

Gekijou regarded Shikiyoku with a momentary glare, "Haven't you heard?" The female leaned closer to Shikiyoku, breath washing over her face the two had gotten so close together, "There's a war coming." Gekijou leaned back again, "Otento is gathering troops who will fight for his cause. And there happens to be enough mayhem planned that I will be more than use_ful _to him."

Gekijou's own eyes flashed as she emphasized the word and Shikiyoku let out a low growl.

"It's too bad, really." She went on, "I would have thought someone like you could have been more help. Were you not strong enough? Can't hold on to more than one thing at a time? Is that it, then? I thought your kind was good at that sort of thing. If you can't multitask, then I suppose you really _aren't _of any use."

Shikiyoku snatched at the front of Gekijou's shirt and pulled the demon's face until it was inches away from her own.

Her power had started to become more densely formed around the two of them.

"What. War."

"Between the demons and Spirit World."

"Then why is everyone gathering in Human World?"

"Because it's much easier to get Spirit World from Human World."

"But why. Why are they trying to get there?"

"To overthrow the king and take back what is ours, I assume."

The two glared at one another before Gekijou finally smiled, a wicked, nasty thing upon her lips.

"You're lucky the rulers aren't here, seductress. They would put you in your place. How _dare _you step onto these grounds as if you have any right. You have no place here any longer. They killed your entire family. What makes you think they won't hesitate to do the same to you should they find you here?" 3

Hiei felt his brows furrow at the turn of the conversation, suddenly finding himself struggling to stay in place, to stay in check. His composure outwardly hadn't changed, but at Gekijou's last words, he felt a small amount of irritation form. _Simply to get into one's head. _

Obviously, it was working.

Yet, simultaneously, he felt as if Shikiyoku was making a type of breakthrough as well, as she was beginning to get answers. Answers that were very valuable to them. Again, he refrained from stepping in.

Why interrupt when Shikiyoku was getting the answers they needed?

Except, things were going pretty far in the heat of the moment. Finally, he decided to cut in, taking a few steps forward until he was standing just a few steps from the ground, having climbed three or four stairs before pausing again, keeping his distance.

"What do you mean by _take back what is ours?" _he suddenly inquired, deciding to pry into the conversation with a metaphorical crowbar. "Wouldn't such a war be swatted down by Enma?"

~!**!~

Nabu moved when Flowers did, following after the male as he carried Akari quietly across the park until he was settled at the base of a tree. The dog watched the other male for a moment, contemplating the air about him before giving the dog equivalent of a deep sigh as he approached the male, this time taking to curling up next to him.

He rested his chin on Kurama's thigh, at the small space between himself and Akari that was free, and just large enough for such utilization. Silence followed for a moment until Kurama spoke up, earning a small whine from the dog's lungs.

"_She's going to be okay. You'll see." _He didn't know why the male blamed himself for Akari's circumstances, but.. "_I like you more than the other one. You don't play games. You care, and she knows that. You'll see."_

With that, he turned his eyes to Akari, who shifted once to move an arm, her body now relaxed in a way that was much different than before as a hand grabbed at Kurama's shirt and she turned her face towards the male, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as tears dried and she took in a deep breath.

"_See?" __*****_

Kurama pulled back the hand that held the crystal as Akari shifted, careful to not let it get knocked from his fingers as he watched her move.

When she finally came to rest, even closer than before, Kurama noted her warmth in his arms, her breath moving across his neck as she seemed to sigh and perhaps relax a little.

_This shouldn't have happened in the first place. _He let out his own sigh and rested his head back against the bark of the tree behind him. He felt reluctant, but…

_I should tell her I can remove the scars whenever she wishes._

~!**!~

Gekijou was locked in a stare-down with Shikiyoku and did not answer until Shikiyoku snarled, "Answer his questions."

Gekijou growled as Shikiyoku tightened her hold on the shirt caught between her fingers.

"I do not know." She raised a lip threateningly to reveal her sharp teeth. "Something is different this time. Enma is too sure of his defenses. And the end goal-" Gekijou snapped her lips shut.

Shikiyoku's energy writhed furiously in the air.

"What?"

No answer.

"What is meant to happen?"

"I do not know." Gekijou blurted out, "Only...only that removing Enma from power is just the first step."

"Why does that _matter_?" Shikiyoku pushed farther, sensing something in the way the demon spoke the last sentence.

"Enma uses us." Gekijou spat.

"Enma cannot stand demons."

"Enma is a two-face _bastard_."

Shikiyoku's eyebrows rose as the word venomously dripped from Gekijou's lips.

"You are demons. You know there is more to us than what _they_ think."

"Do go on."

"There are stories, stories of demons torn from their homes, from their lives, dropped into Human World by _his _hands with their minds wiped of anything but hatred. Just so his people can have something to do. So that it will keep the masses thinking he is _good. _That he is doing _something_. When in reality he is of no use. And when a ruler is of no use, they are removed from their rule." 3

Hiei's brows furrowed, drawing together to create a shadow over his eyes in contemplation, confusion. Removing Enma from power was not something so easily done. The king had been in rule for… eons. Longer than Hiei could even imagine, and his power was something that even the strongest of demons feared.

Right?

In any normal circumstances, Hiei likely would have scoffed at Gekijou's words, but…

This time, the sincerity behind the words she spoke was hauntingly clear. And it seemed just like something someone such as Otento would be in to.

But the most unsettling part was the last things said, the last words even so much as _uttered. _If it were true, then…

Suddenly, a sneer was on Hiei's face. He'd always hated the system and how it worked. He'd always joked about how skewed it was. Now, he was practically being told that he'd been right all along. Hiei stepped forward, taking the last few steps until he was standing beside Shikiyoku, expression deadly as he glared at Gekijou.

"These _stories_, how often is one circulated? What makes you _believe _in them as you do? Surely no fool would simply _fall into _blindly believing tales. Enlighten inquiring minds."

~!**!~

Nabu frowned up at Flowers, staring at the male who rested his head back and seemed to fall more into the mood that had the air feeling so heavy. The dog released a sound into the silence, a small bark no louder than a usual whine. There was no reason behind it, other than to make his presence known, to offer a small sound to let him know that the dog was concerned over him as well.

As if to highlight the meaning behind the sound, Nabu's nose ran along the arm he could just reach, licking at the hand momentarily before resting his chin on said hand and looking up at him again. "_She's okay. I promise." __*****_

Kurama let his eyes open at the dog's attentions, and sighed again, slipping his hand out from under Nabu's chin and idly beginning to pet him.

"I know." Kurama smiled a little, "But her predicament was my fault in the first place." His smile faded and he turned to watch her as she breathed deeply, "So, you can hardly blame me for worrying."

~!**!~

"Answer him." Shikiyoku immediately demanded.

"You want the most recent rumor?" Gekijou scowled. "Of an Aswang from the first level who had taken in orphaned demon children? Disappeared. I can only imagine the _spirit detectives _found her rather quickly. All the demons that go missing are from up there. You would think the smarter ones would have caught on." 3

The words from Gekijou left Hiei momentarily speechless, his mind quickly going back to stories _he'd _heard when he was younger. Stories he hadn't listened to because he'd been too wrapped up in his own dealings to care about others and their ridiculous tales.

After a few moments of recollection, Hiei suddenly found himself scowling, this time not at Gekijou, but at the prospect of it all. Scowling in thought. He hadn't heard of any Aswang being in human world, but, knowing Yusuke, or any of the others, in fact, there would have been no hesitation.

He made a mental note for later.

"Any other recent rumors?" he inquired, this time tone much less harsh and filled with genuine curiosity, colored with caution. "We will leave you be, should you answer our last few questions."

~!**!~

Nabu leaned into Kurama's petting, eyes remaining up at the male's face as he spoke his thoughts aloud. The dog's head turned slightly, as if in thought, before he made another sound and gave a gentle swish of his tail. "_You couldn't have known. She will forgive you, just like you would forgive her. Right? That's how friends work." _He gave a pause, tail swishing once again. "_**I**_ _forgive her for being mean sometimes, because I know she's just tired. And she forgives me for waking her up at night because I can't sleep."_

Another pause, another tilt of his head. "_She forgave you when you bit at her for her scars and compared her to another. I don't know why you guys were so mean to each other, but she forgave you, and you her. Why would now be any different?" __*****_

Kurama considered the little dog carefully.

"When-" Here he ruffled a little at the dog's head, "-did you suddenly go and grow up?" This time his smile was wider.

~!**!~

Before Shikiyoku could demanded another answer, the demon Hiei addressed spoke up.

"My anger only fueled you." Gekijou's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Shikiyoku did not respond but with a small tilt of her head and a sultry smile.

"Heh." Gekijou's laugh did not reflect in her expression. "Maybe you'll be worthy of a Consort some day after all."

Shikiyoku frowned at the word, its meaning escaping her.

"Tell me-" Gekijou's eyes flashed, "-how are you with _pain_?"

Shikiyoku growled, but released Gekijou, reaching up and brushing the back of her hand against the other's cheek.

"Tell me," She purred, "Who else has gone missing?"

Gekijou's eyes flinched at the question.

"There are at least two more within recent enough news who have disappeared unannounced. Both on the first level." 3

Hiei watched the new exchange with disinterest, waiting until the conversation again turned to what he had wished to know about, his mind going over many things at once even as he listened to the current conversation at hand.

One, if this were true, should this information be passed on to Koenma? _Not likely._ However, he had the slight suspicion that perhaps the prince was uninformed of such rumors.

Two, if this were true, and Enma was behind such disappearances, would that…. Would that make the enemy more like.. an ally? If the tables were to turn in such a way, it would make the enemy to be those who are creating unnecessary problems, correct? In that case…

_Otento still dies._

Hiei was, for the first time in a long time, confused about where to go from here. So, when Gekujou enlightened them of two more disappearances, Hiei nodded once and turned, taking his leave silently, too wrapped in his thoughts to say anything verbally about heading back the way they'd come.

They'd gotten the information they needed. There was no reason to linger any longer.

~!**!~

Nabu ducked his head and closed his eyes this time when Kurama rubbed at his head, huffing once as if the male were speaking of a topic he had already been informed in. Otherwise, he gave no response to Flowers' question, which, in his opinion, warranted no reply whatsoever.

After all, in order to keep up with his best friend, he possibly _couldn't _stay a puppy forever. Though, that didn't mean he wouldn't act like one here and there.

Nabu released another sound, this one more of a sigh that was a little bit more relaxed than before as he rested his chin again on Kurama's thigh, eyes closing. "_I like you. You're my favorite." __*****_

~!**!~

"You, my dear," Shikiyoku smiled at the female, "Will speak of this conversation to no one. You _will _join your brother and accept Otento's offer, and you will _also _find a way to inform me when you feel the next step is about to be taken, understand?"

A low growl had started in Gekijou's throat.

It felt to Shikiyoku as if breaking the mesmer put upon her by her mother had unlocked, at least momentarily, the knowledge of how to use the spell. And she wove said spell around the demon with a precision she had not realized she was capable.

Shikiyoku released Gekijou and the latter stared at her as she turned to follow after Hiei.

_Hopefully the mesmer will ensure she won't turn obsessed like Otento…_

She didn't feel optimistic. Not with her lack of experience in using such a spell.

Shikiyoku trotted to catch up to Hiei, lost in her own thoughts as the two moved silently beside one another.

"I can only imagine what my powers were meant to be used for, and why they decided I was not worth the trouble," Shikiyoku began, "But I think the prospect of removing Enma from power will rally many a demon to the cause of the fake Youko. Especially if what Gekijou said about Enma using demons like she claims is true. The part that bothers me is the fact that she really did think that overthrowing Enma was possible, and that taking down Spirit World's leader is only the first step in some larger plan. _How _exactly does one take down Enma? And what else _is _there after that?" 3

Hiei continued on, walking away from the continuing conversation behind him at a leisurely pace. He only half listened to the orders Shikiyoku was giving to the other demoness, mind still stuck on his circulating thoughts of what had just been revealed to him. He, for the time being, didn't know what to think. Demons going missing wasn't exactly something to go crazy over. The fact, however, that _most _were from the first level…

To say the least, Hiei didn't believe in coincidences.

By the time Shikiyoku had caught up, speaking her thoughts aloud, he'd already made up his mind. They were going to investigate a little before heading back.

Or, at least, _he _would be investigating. If Shikiyoku wished to return to Koenma, he wouldn't stop her. But the fire demon's curiosity accompanied by the _need _to know more about the topic was strong enough to keep him here.

At least for a little while longer. _*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	52. Episode 137 - Travels and Illusions

**A/N: **Hello once again, Readers!

There's a bit of a time-skip that occurs for both Hiei and Shikiyoku as well as Kurama and Akari. For the former, we quickly shift them through the month it takes to get them from the Ninth Level up to the First, and for the latter, day passes to night.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari wanders away from school after Kurama activates the fire alarm and drags her outside,  
>and Kurama takes to following her, worried about her walking around town by herself.<br>He follows her about from a distance until Nabu comes running up in a hurry,  
>and the two of them run to the park, Kurama finding Akari has collapsed.<br>Using the sleep-aide the two of them had talked about making for their class project,  
>Kurama helps pull Akari away from her nightmares and into a dreamless sleep.<p>

As day turns into night, she does begin to dream, in a manner of speaking...

~!**!~

As Hiei and Shikiyoku are standing there in the tree attempting to overcome the mesmer Shikiyoku's mother placed on her,  
>the two of them realize that the ritual-dance Shikiyoku had done at Shubou's had actually pinpointed Hiei,<br>pegging him as a companion who did not seek to abuse her, instead of being useless as Shikiyoku had first thought.  
>Upon such discovery, she is finally able to break through the binding spell placed upon her in childhood,<br>and she and Hiei finish their quest to question Gekijou.

They learn several interesting things, including the fact that it appears as if King Enma is stealing demons from the First Level,  
>sending them into Human World to be killed by the Spirit Detectives, possibly as a distraction for whatever he is really doing.<br>Or possibly to mask the fact that he is completely useless as a ruler in the first place.

Something stirs within Hiei at the prospect, and he makes it his new mission  
>to figure out if the stories of abductions of demons from their homes on the First Level are true...<p>

* * *

><p>Of <em>course <em>Shikiyoku wasn't going to let Hiei go alone. Besides, she felt it more than appropriate that a Spirit Detective _finally _employ the "investigation" side of their job description.

Granted, how _long _such a job was going to be in place remained only a matter of time should the stories of Enma be true...

But she kept such thoughts to herself.

Between Shikiyoku and Hiei's knowledge of Demon World, the two managed to traverse the other levels without much incident, keeping to themselves and making as quick of work as possible in their trek.

For Shikiyoku's part, she felt closer to Hiei than ever, knowing of course that he desired to look further into these disappearances helped, and while on occasion she would forget that her penchant for physical contact did not match up with his own feelings on the matter-there was at least once where she'd hugged him about something or other before startling back and apologizing-the journey was not a disagreeable one for her nature.

She knew what he wanted.

And her Champion _always _got what he wanted.

As the two emerged onto the First Level, lighting crackled across the sandy-colored sky as if there was a constant storm overhead that never released the water it threatened to drop.

Shikiyoku frowned.

The acidic rain was going to be an issue here. The flora and fauna may have built up an immunity, but that did not mean Shikiyoku's skin would appreciate the stinging holes. 3

Hiei hadn't said much of anything on this journey. Not even when Shikiyoku had her moments where she got too close for his liking, at which point he'd simply stared at her and considered the moment before letting it pass and continuing on. The few times they had stopped for rest, Hiei hadn't really slept much, not that it mattered. He'd gotten just enough sleep in to keep his wits about him and appear just as normal as could be.

All because he was torn about the situation.

If Enma was in fact plucking demons from the First Level of Demon World and setting them free in Human World, wouldn't Koenma be informed of such happenings? If so, telling him what they found out would not be wise.

But, there was the possibility of Koenma being completely blind to it, as would everyone else be.

These two contradicting thoughts had circled in his mind, over and over again, creating a swirl of confusion and impatience in his core.

Of course, he'd be pulled from those thoughts occasionally.

And this was one of those moments.

Hiei's eyes focused on the sky now, witnessing the flash of light that moved across the clouds with a storm that never really seemed to have an end in sight. The wind that blew by was anything but gentle, whipping leaves and branches of trees around and around, creating the sound of a creature howling.

He paused in his steps and looked about, as if the foliage around him would enlighten him of the next acidic rainfall. He turned around in a half circle in place, eyes taking in each detail around him in mere seconds before he turned and decided they needed to keep moving.

It was clear that the next cycle of rainfall was soon, as several plants were beginning to close their leaves in defense from the onslaught.

The cloak he now wore, one he'd grabbed from a city they'd passed through, would do nothing against the acid. Nor would Shikiyoku's clothing.

"We'll stop in the nearest public building to wait it out," he informed Shikiyoku, turning his eyes to look at her from the corners. "Perhaps eat while we wait."

~!**!~

_The sunshine was warm, inviting, and quite frankly, Akari hadn't been able to stay inside. It simply was just too nice of a day. So, she'd gone to the park, met up with someone she'd been trying to track down for days, to thank him for being a calming presence when she'd been anything but. It hadn't been a planned thing this time, as she'd tried to establish. It just simply occurred as it normally did: Foko simply appeared at the most opportuned of times. _

_She stood over him now, hands on her hips and tongue stuck out at him, his smile a teasing, lopsided one. "I didn't ask your opinion, Foko."_

_Again, he chuckled at her and rolled over, laying now on his stomach. "It's free of charge. You don't have to ask for one."_

_She sighed, eyes rolling up to the sky in slight impatience. "You think you're so clever."_

_He made no response, and for a moment, silence floated on the gentle breeze between them. She continued to stare, watching the way the sun made his hair gleam and shine, the way the wind made his ear flick every so often. His tail twitched once, and his voice floated lazily to her ears. "You're staring again, Inu."_

_This time, instead of picking an argument with him, she gave a shrug that he didn't see and she moved to sit beside him again, close enough that when she reached out to grab a handful of his hair, it wouldn't pull on his head and create discomfort. Her fingers wove in and out of the silver locks, at first simply detangling them before she began to weave his hair into a simple braid._

"_Enjoying yourself?"_

"_M-hm." she hummed at him with a gentle smile. "It's so soft and… smooth."_

_He gave no response other than a deep sigh of content. Again, silence ensued, but this time it was more comfortable, as if either one of them could roll over and go to sleep if they so desired. And when her fingers finished their work with his hair, they unwound the locks and started again. _

_**It's such a calm day. **__Her thoughts strayed from whatever had been previously bothering her, something she couldn't remember at this very moment. __**And everyone else is in school. Must suck. **_

_After a moment, she gave a sigh very similar to Foko's, who turned his head to look at her, golden eyes flashing with amusement. His white teeth glimmered for a moment as the gears in his head turned, but for the moment, he didn't move. "Do you _want _me to go to sleep, inu?"_

_Akari gave a huff of a laugh, but otherwise continued what she was doing, unwinding the woven locks of hair again and, for the third time, starting over out of pure desire to feel his hair in her hands. _

_And suddenly, she was pulled to the ground, fingers releasing his hair out of reflex as she fell to her side, hazel irises finding amber ones and locking with them. She heaved a sigh for the third time as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, knowing the routine that was beginning. _

_But before he could poke or prod at her, Nabu was climbing over her side, nose in her face. "You're with Flowers! I should have known!"_

_Akari laughed. "No, Nabu. Wrong one."_

"_Foko?"_

_Akari nodded once and pulled her arm out from between herself and said demon, pointing a finger at the red cloth at the male's waist. "See?"_

_Nabu turned his head to peer at the cloth, tail stopping all movement before taking to wagging furiously again. "You wore it this time!"_

"_I said I would, didn't I?"_

_Akari smiled and pulled away from the male, sitting up._

_Now that she thought of it, Kurama could pass at any moment… School was letting out soon and he had the tendency to show up at random._

"_I think… I'm going home."_

"_Leaving so soon? I was having fun." _*****

Before long, night had fallen across the park, waking Kurama up.

He ruefully thought of both his and Akari's things left neglected in the classroom at school.

Granted, he hadn't exactly been planning on _this_.

He glanced down at the demon who had her head close to where his heart, her fingers clutching at the pink overjacket of his uniform.

It was lucky his mom was on vacation with her fiancé. She wouldn't have been expecting him to be home this evening and worrying when he didn't appear.

"Akari…" He breathed quietly, moving a bit of hair away from her lips where it quivered from her breath. "Akari, we should probably leave."

He hadn't more than murmured the sentence at her, and got no response as a result.

Even so, Kurama reached up with the hand that wasn't between her and his knee propping her up and gently started to unfurl her hold on his clothing.

He pulled back a little when she shifted in her sleep and closed her grasp tighter.

Eyes kind, Kurama instead moved that arm underneath her knees and slowly stood up, starting to walk in the direction of his home.

~!**!~

Unfortunately, bag at school meant key at school.

Fortunately, a part of Kurama had been a thief as a former occupation.

He entered his home with little trouble, letting the door close behind him as he stepped on the heel of one shoe and slipped his foot out, doing the same to the other before moving farther inside and going up the stairs to his room.

Attempting to put Akari down on his bed was met with more resistance from the girl and Kurama let out a sigh, climbing onto the mattress, shoving a pillow into and leaning up against the corner where his bed sat at the wall with Akari still in his arms.

Moving around until he was comfortable, in much the same pose that he had held for hours in the park, Kurama cleared hair from the demon's face once more, watching for a moment the peaceful expression on her sleeping profile.

And then he blinked.

When his eyes opened again, he felt the haziness of the air around him, alive with the same energy he had seen constantly radiating from the girl ever since that morning in school.

He was standing in the park he had just left, in the middle of the day, and saw Akari and Nabu and...Youko?

Of course he knew this was simply an illusion of the girl's mind, but...what exactly had happened between her and the fox demon to merit _this _sort of picture? Or was this simply a product of her brain that _wished _this kind of interaction had taken place?

Kurama could only guess.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave Hiei a nod to indicate that she had heard him, then turned to follow the fire demon as he moved off.

As his cloak billowed slightly in the wind, Shikiyoku wished not for the first time that she had acquired for herself a similar article of clothing.

Finding anything that fit had been a problem. And she wasn't about to go walking around as her kind of demon in just _anything_.

She let out a low grumble about being stuck in human form, and then found her thoughts returning, as it often had the entire way to the First Level, to the information of which Gekijou had so _generously _provided them.

Heh.

On the one hand, if Enma were gone, there would be no warrant out for Shikiyoku's arrest. She would be free for the first time in over a decade.

On the other hand...actually joining the fake Youko, however 'noble' his true cause might be, felt to Shikiyoku a bit like betraying her former Champion, the _real _Youko, whom she couldn't possibly imagine contriving something as ridiculous as the fake Youko's plan unless there was something shiny to be had from it. 3

Hiei's feet carried him through the trees expertly despite the distraction his mind posed. He simply couldn't push away the thoughts long enough to focus on what was going on around him entirely. He'd considered just about every turn that the information he'd been given could produce, and none of them seemed worth the fight against the ruler of Spirit World.

At least, not to him.

Nothing seemed worthy of such a battle.

He _had _to be missing something.

His eyes turned to peer at Shikiyoku again from over his shoulder, this time thoughts shifting to the display in power she'd had back at The Palace.

If her command stayed in place, Shikiyoku had just created the best information broker that he'd ever seen. It was likely that no one would assume the sister to be giving out information. Why would she, when it would put her against her brother in the end fight?

Hiei turned forward again, his thoughts staying on Shikiyoku and her energy this time.

If she had in fact surpassed her mother's ranking, then Hiei assumed she'd be above the lower A class ranking now.

Meaning she was stronger than he. It was a little odd, the thought of the one he was protecting being more powerful than he was in such a system.

Suddenly, Hiei's feet hit concrete, and his eyes focused on the path to the city that lay ahead, eyes finding a building that demons were circulating in and out of. Obviously a public building. Perhaps trade.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the air around him changed and his eyes noticed the demons all scattering in different directions, disappearing into homes and other buildings alike.

He picked up the pace, knowing that if they didn't reach it to the building on time, they'd end up with melted skin and much, much more pain than most any attack could create in one blow.

~!**!~

_Akari took a deep breath in, eyes sliding closed. She was so tempted to stay, and his presence was so inviting…_

_But if she did, and Hiei or Kurama appeared…_

_She could convince Yusuke and Kuwabara easily of the identity of this one. That was no problem. The other two, however.._

"_Flowers!"_

_Akari's eyelids slid open and she turned to Foko, expecting Nabu to be jumping all over the male. But the dog wasn't even nearby anymore, and Foko's golden eyes were trained forward, cold gleam aimed at someone beyond Akari._

_She turned around, shifting in the grass until she was looking at the redhead across the park, meeting his confused stare with a wide one._

"_How..?"_

_How had she not felt his energy nearby? How had Foko not felt it and taken off? How had he slipped by?_

_Nabu sat at the male's feet, tail swishing against the grass happily and tongue lolling as he looked up at Kurama. "You're here! Make the other one leave! I don't like him!"_

"_Nabu!" Akari reprimanded out of pure instinct, huffing at his words. "That was mean!"_

"_But he's playing tricks, remember?"_

_Akari shifted, pushing herself to stand, brushing off the skirt of her school uniform. Why had she put on her uniform only to skip school? _

"_Inu," Foko whispered, pulling Akari's eyes down to the male who was now sitting up, eyes pointed at Kurama, "caution."_

_Akari laughed, albeit a nervous laugh before she turned to face Kurama again. "School's out already?" __*****_

Kurama settled into this strange dream-illusion with relative ease, knowing that _this _was the picture in Akari's mind as he held her in the real world, and closed the distance between himself and Akari with an easy gait.

He nodded to answer her question.

"I didn't see you in class, so I thought I might check and see if you were here." His eyes sparkled, "I knew the day was too beautiful for you to stay cooped up inside."

~!**!~

As they neared the city, Shikiyoku pulled the large hood of the top she'd stolen up over her head to better hide her features, making sure that her hair was tucked away inside it.

This fabric was more resilient than most, and ever since breaking through her mother's compulsion, Shikiyoku had become more aware on an unconscious level that her power subtly permeated the air around her head like a perfume. And that said perfume was now thicker than before.

She made sure the long sleeves were pulled down as far as possible over her wrists, for her skin had also started to take on a natural brilliance of sorts that she could not readily explain.

Thusly covered, Shikiyoku trotted after Hiei as he headed towards a building, just as eager as he to make sure they got out of the rain before it started to fall. 3

Hiei slowed his run to a simply trot, and then to a walk as he approached the building he'd laid eyes on earlier, hand clasping the handle of the door and turning it downwards, pushing it open and quickly stepping inside to allow Shikiyoku in as well.

Just in time for the beginnings of rain to hit the roof overhead.

As the door swung shut behind Shikiyoku, Hiei turned to survey the place, realizing that it was not a trading post, as he had initially assumed, nor was it a pub as was the norm, but instead, it was more like a lounge of sorts. The room opened up into what could only be described as a living room one would see in the Human World, makeshift couches spread out around the area and a small counter at the opposite end of the room meant for eating, a small area for preparing such food and beverages closed off behind such counter.

Soft music was being played on a harpsichord-like instrument by a male demon in a coat who sat in a corner of the room by himself, eyes closed and body swaying with the soft melody that contradicted the pattering rain outside.

And the few demons who were still in the building were speaking to one another in hushed voices, as if someone were sleeping and not to be awoken.

It was oddly calm, he noted. Normally he associated the First Level with constant fights and meaningless arguments.

But here, it was almost as if he'd entered a bubble of serenity, where no troubles could find him. Of course, that wasn't the case, but he didn't let his thoughts shift again.

He merely stepped further into the room, making slow steps across the way, around couches and chairs, until he was standing at the counter, staring at a demon who had his back to Hiei and was tending to a boiling pot.

~!**!~

_AKari raised a brow at the calm air around Kurama, hiding the confusion she felt towards his easy acceptance of Foko's presence. Though, at his words, a light smile passed over her lips before disappearing again with a shrug._

"_Class is boring. Why stay there when I can lay in the sun?"_

_Foko shifted again behind her, this time moving to stand, back leaning against the tree he'd been lounging under. "Why should she go to class when __**I **__can be of entertainment?" __*****_

"Indeed." Kurama commented to his counterpart. "I suppose I have you to thank for keeping her boredom at bay." He inclined his head slightly to the fox.

~!**!~

There were other things...little things...that Shikiyoku had just begun to notice in the month that it took them to get to their destination.

Like the way when they stopped sometimes that the creatures would approach her with captivated eyes when she had done nothing to provoke them, and indeed had been trying _not _to. How her hair had taken on more of a natural shine.

_Problems. _Shikiyoku thought privately to herself. _Nothing but more problems. _

Not if she had been in demon form. Certainly not. But with a more humanlike appearance, and a particular mission to boot, she felt as if her very presence could compromise any progress they wished to make. She should have gone back to Spirit World.

_More uselessness._ A small sigh.

Shikiyoku stopped short of Hiei, stepping to standing next to him, if still a little behind, keeping her head down and her ears open to their surroundings. 3

Hiei stood at the counter in silence for a minute, watching the male on the other side as he continued stirring at whatever it was that was boiling, making the room smell rather…. awful. He eyed the other things around the other demon, finding nothing of interest that would suit his slight hunger. He wasn't exactly ready for a full meal yet, anyway.

"_You gonna order or wha'?" _The voice seemed to float on the air and echo about the room, but it wasn't a _loud _voice. In fact, Hiei half thought he hadn't heard the demon at all, until he repeated his question. "_You gonna order or just stand there, gawking like a fool?"_

The demon turned to look at Hiei over his shoulder, revealing a mouth that seemed to have always hung open, a tongue similar to that of a reptile's, and beady eyes that were filmy, milky in color. _Blind_. He turned to Shikiyoku. "Anything?" the fire demon asked in one, simple word under his breath.

"_The special is our gumbo. Big enough for two."_

Hiei glanced at the demon out of the corner of his eye, noting that, as he had suspected, the creature's mouth didn't move a bit, the voice seeming to float out of the open jaw like a record player.

~!**!~

_Foko made no indication of hearing Kurama other than watching the other, expression neutral despite his calculating, watchful, cold stare. It was obvious that he wasn't happy about the appearance of Kurama, but he also seemed to think that making a move to leave was not a wise option, instead taking to simply being there._

_Like a guard._

_Akari sighed again, this time in impatience. _

"_He's grumpy because he didn't get his nap," she grumbled, turning to look at the silver-haired male who flickered the glare over to her. "I woke him up earlier." There was a pause as she turned away from Foko again, eyes finding emerald ones this time. "It happens a lot. He'll be fine."_

"_As enjoyable as your presence is, inu, I do enjoy my naps."_

"_What happened to the playful smirk, hm?" __*****_

"I think my appearance itself is cause enough for his mood." Kurama suppressed a grin, coming farther forward so that he stood next to Akari, "Have you eaten yet, Akari?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave a slight shake of her head.

"Not hungry." She breathed back to Hiei just as quietly, her eyes still turned to take in the rest of the room.

Something bothered her, and it took another moment of her resting her gaze on one of the demons in the room to finally discover that when she looked at one, whether discreetly or otherwise, their gaze lifted and looked back at her until she shifted her eyes elsewhere.

It was rather disconcerting considering the fact that her green eyes remained well shaded beneath the hood over her head.

Shikiyoku absently tugged at her sleeves, as if it would make them cover more of her hands.

_Maybe I should have considered snatching some gloves. _3

Hiei nodded once to Shikiyoku, eyes never leaving the demon who was now facing him, tongue tasting the air once before disappearing in his open maw again. "Beverages?"

""_There's this one," _the demon turned and grabbed a bottle from a shelf Hiei hadn't seen, crossing the few feet it took for him to approach the counter before he placed it down, making a small _clink_ against the tiled countertop. "_On the house."_

Hiei eyed the bottle warily before looking up again. "Why?"

There was a pause and Hiei could have sworn the other's eyes turned to Shikiyoku. And then his mind's presence was touching Hiei's. "_She's uneasy. This is no place for fear or squabbles." _The demon turned away, returning to his boiling substance, this time speaking aloud. "_There's a separate room on the side, normally reserved for…. special guests. Help yourselves, just don't lock the door with every lock. Doing that seals it shut for hours."_

Hiei nodded and turned, grabbing Shikiyoku by her upper arm and directing her to the right, as the demon had nodded in that direction. His other hand held out the glass bottled drink to her, a thumb expertly removing the metal cap with a flick. "Until the rain ceases."

~!**!~

_Akari raised a brow at Kurama, her eyes crinkling just a little at the small smile in response to his first words. And at his second question, her eyes shifted up in thought. When _was _the last time she'd eaten? A frown colored her features now as she couldn't quite recall, thinking back to drinking water, but refusing food as it had kept her awake easier. _

"_Not yet," she finally replied, eyes turning to Kurama again as she all but forgot of Foko's presence. "Not in a while, actually…" __*****_

Kurama placed a hand on Akari's arm, "Then how about we fix that? Where would you like to go? Anywhere at all and let's be there."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had let her gaze fall to the floor upon her unnerving discovery, and it was about this time that she felt Hiei begin to drag her off and thrust some drink or another out to her.

She took it, but did not drink, keeping her fingers wrapped around a bottle that she somehow didn't really see.

_For someone who had been eager for cities at the start of our mission...I think I've had my fill of them for a long, long while._

At least until she could return to them in demonic form. That was always the exception to the rule. 3

Hiei hauled Shikiyoku into the only side room he'd seen, leading her in through the door first before following suit and shutting the door behind him. His eyes shifted to the window that the door had- apparently just for this reason- and eyed a few of the patrons sitting around in the lounge, a few dropping their gazes while one or two watched him as well.

He moved away from the door, pulling down the small curtain that had been tied to allow his curiosity until it hid the inside of the room from outside onlookers. A hand deftly locked two of the three locks before he turned and took a seat at one of the three couches that resided in the rather small room.

He propped his feet up on the coffee table lazily, crossing his ankles one over the other as he lounged, linking his fingers behind his head as his eyes took to surveying Shikiyoku, taking in the air around her.

"We shouldn't stay on this level long." His words were meant to be a form of consolation for her, though he wasn't sure such words would achieve that with her current mood and their situation. "If this town isn't home to one of the demons missing, then we'll make quick leave and continue to the next. For now, we can only wait." He thought for a moment, trying to recall how long such a downpour lasted on this level.

~!**!~

_Akari's eyes turned to the hand now on her shoulder, confused for a moment. Last time she'd seen him, she'd been rather cold to him, practically ignoring him any chance she could. And he'd been just as tired as she._

_They'd both been trying not to sleep in class._

_He was being oddly friendly with her despite her own attitude towards him. Her eyes again skirted up to meet Kurama's, ignoring the small scoff of the male behind her. _

_That is, until arms circled her waist and her feet were lifted from the ground. She made a small peel of sound from surprise as Foko turned, heaving her over his shoulder so that she could still see the male she was being carried away from._

"_H-hey! Put me down! I wasn't done talking to him!"_

"_I don't like his presence."_

"_It isn't your choice! I'm hungry, and I want to eat! Put me down!"_

_Another scoff._

"_Now!"_

_And suddenly, she was on her feet again, looking up at Foko with a glare to match his, arms crossed over her chest. "I've been here all day, so you shouldn't be complaining."_

_The glare she received was colder, more harsh than any he'd sent her way. And then he was turning, leaving her standing there, staring after him and sticking her tongue out at his back. "Want to lose that tongue, Inu?" he called without looking back, and Akari quickly pulled her tongue back into her mouth and turned, trotting back to Kurama and sighing._

"_You choose. I'm up for anything." _*****

Kurama wasn't _quite _sure what exactly would lead Youko to acting in such a manner around Akari, and he let out a loose chuckle at the image her illusion was setting before him.

Perhaps this was what she _wished _Youko would do around her.

If that was the case, it would be best for the seducing kitsune not to know.

"Alright." He replied, "There's a ramen stand near here. How does that sound?"

He wasn't sure if he should be acting so amiable around Akari when he really just wanted to apologize for all the trouble he'd caused her.

But this was her dream. And she appeared to be enjoying herself.

~!**!~

As soon as Shikiyoku heard Hiei locking the doors, she breathed an audible sigh of relief and reached up to throw her hood back and shake out her long, dark hair, trying to release the pent-up tension that had settled across her shoulders.

She absently rubbed a hand at the back of her neck as she sat down on the edge one of the other couches, listening to Hiei talk.

"An hour at best. Four at worst. But no more." She shifted her shoulders around again and held up the glass bottle to her nose, lightly sniffing at the drink before pulling it away again.

She didn't know _what _it was, and she wasn't quite sure if she _wanted _to know. Not knowing made her less likely to drink it, however. 3

Hiei's eyes turned to Shikiyoku at her words, answering his silent question he'd been pondering over. He nodded once and turned away again, staring at the dark red cloak he had grabbed in one of their earliest cities on the trip here. The black lining was almost indiscernible from the rest, the red dark enough to pass as black if one only glanced. The fabric was comfortable, almost a replica of his normal cloak.

The thought of it back in the palace of the Ninth Level made him sigh to himself.

He'd have to find a new one.

His eyes suddenly shifted to Shikiyoku again, zeroing in on the bottle in her hands. "It's a fruity mix," he began, moving a hand from behind his head to wave it in the air, "Hence the reddish-pink color. Nothing more than a rehydration drink meant to calm the nerves."

~!**!~

_Akari felt a spark of recognition at Kurama's words, blinking once as a small smile formed on her features. She hadn't visited Shyn in…. who knew how long. Her eyelids slid closed and she took a deep breath, this time much more aware of the scent that rolled off of Kurama and wafted on the breeze around her. _

"_Sounds good. I haven't been there in a while."_

_Without another word, aside from her loudly grumbling stomach, she turned and began heading in the direction she'd almost forgotten over the past few weeks. _

"_Have you eaten at that one yet? The chef… he's a good guy. Acts like his customers are his family." _*****

"I have. Mother enjoys eating there as often as she can." Kurama wondered what illusion-food would taste like.

He also wondered how long it would be until Akari woke up and they left this serene dream world behind.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's lip twitched and she put the drink down on the table without tasting it. She would prefer for her nerves to stay right where they were, thank you.

She did catch sight of Hiei fiddling with his cloak and her eyes brightened with a humorous secret.

"I've got someone working on that." She nodded her head just a little in his direction to indicate she meant his old cloak, giving him a small smile. 3

Hiei frowned when Shikiyoku set the bottle down. He knew that one bottle would do nothing more than allow one to sit back and relax, even fill an empty stomach. But he suddenly found himself imagining Shikiyoku drinking more than one, leaning back into the couch with half-lidded eyes and a dreamy smile. Those were the first telltale signs of having drank too many of the relaxants.

The other signs normally pointed to something similar to how a human would react to… what was the plant called? He couldn't remember.

But it would have been quite the funny sight, he had to admit.

Hiei returned from his thoughts, raising a brow at Shikiyoku and again glancing down at the cloak he wore. A frown pulled at his lips. How would she have managed something like that, when they'd only been in each other's company, and no other's?

~!**!~

_Akari nodded her head to show she'd been listening, her small smile in place as she walked alongside the male. Her hands searched for pockets, finding none in this skirt, but she didn't mind. She merely let one hand fall to her side again, the other reaching up to smoothen out the mess the loose bun on her head had become._

"_Have you made him laugh yet?" she asked after a moment, eyes zeroing in on the stand now that could be seen just a few blocks away._

_And in no time at all, she was waving away the flags that hung over the entrance and ducking into the small ramen stand, eyes moving from the ground and up to peer at Shyn, who didn't turn to look at his new customers right away._

"_I'll be with you in just a moment! Sit wherever you like!"_

"_Gladly," she responded to the older gentleman, who paused and peered over his broad shoulder at her, grin quickly coloring his features. _

"_I knew it was about time for another visit." _*****

Kurama felt...strange about the passage of time here. As if it didn't happen at all. Perhaps that was merely an oversight of the girl sleeping in his arms, currently without a care in the world and as safe as she could possibly be. She did not have to worry about such details.

Kurama only nodded when Akari asked her question, moving after her into the makeshift building and then finding a seat among the many empty ones the restaurant had open.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes glanced back at the bottle as she rubbed her hand at her neck again.

"I don't know if you've realized it yet, Hiei Jaganshi," Shikiyoku lifted her gaze back over to him, nose slightly higher in the air and a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "But I'm actually quite amazing. There's a lot I can do that you couldn't even imagine in your wildest dreams." 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku after a moment, brows drawing together as he took her words in stride. Of course there was a lot he didn't know. He'd thought of that much earlier in their journey. But _this_ had him curious, tempted to ask _who _and _how_ she had planned for another cloak to be made.

And then a thought struck him. If his cloak, something he'd worn for a vast majority of his life, was with a disgruntled queen who had missed her opportunity to keep a prize within her grip…

His eyes shifted to the door for a moment as he considered the possibilities. It wouldn't be unheard of if they were being followed, being watched. It wouldn't surprise him if there were demons, legions of them, hunting him down in various ways.

Enma knows the many different ways to track a demon. By their scent, via spellwork - albeit a bit more difficult - or maybe even another demon with an eye like his. It wasn't exactly uncommon for a demon to make an attempt at the Jagan. Surely he wasn't the only demon with a third eye by now.

After a moment, he resettled back into the cushions of the couch, deciding that if they _had_ been hunted down, they would have run into problems by now. In fact, he half considered the thought of each and every guard, each and every military personnel from the Queen's rule being dead, at Uryo's hands.

The thought brought a sneer to his features for a moment.

And then he was turning to Shikiyoku again, thoughts once more on their current conversation. He eyed her steadily for a moment before his lips parted. "Hn. I suppose I give you this one."

Normally, he would have sneered and rebutted her words with a snide comment all his own, but quite frankly, he'd found less reason to do such a thing as of late.

~!**!~

_Akari slid into a seat on Kurama's left, eyes on the back of the chef who held a towel in his hands as he turned to her and Kurama, eyes shining with mirth. "I know what you're having," he said to Akari before turning to Kurama, "what'll it be for you this time?"_

_Akari leaned forward on the counter, placing her crossed arms on the surface as she leaned a majority of her upper-body weight onto it. Her eyes were turned to Kurama, shining with cheer. She wasn't sure why he was being so cordial, considering her attitude the days before, but she found she rather enjoyed his presence._

_Likely more than she enjoyed Foko's, at the moment. __*****_

"The same as her." Kurama replied easily, tipping his head in Akari's direction.

He noted her looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Something of interest, Akari?" He turned to look at her, small smile on his face.

~!**!~

"You'll have your old cloak back soon enough." Shikiyoku finally sat back into the couch, mysterious smile on her face, "Being in my company affords you certain...advantages should you desire something strongly enough. Call it..." She acted as if she searched for the word, "A _perk_. If you will." 3

Hiei sneered at Shikiyoku, that being his way of showing his utter amusement at her. And quite frankly, he was thankful for her resourcefulness, as mysterious as it was. He flashed his teeth at her for a moment before turning his head away.

"I hope you don't expect special treatment."

~!**!~

_Shyn nodded and turned away, leaving Akari and Kurama to themselves. And the demoness merely turned her eyes away from Kurama when he called her out, her smile widening only slightly._

"_Nothing really. Just…" she paused before shrugging. "You're acting differently than I'd expected you to be." __*****_

Kurama cast his eyes down at the counter, "I owe you an apology. For all the trouble I've caused you."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku scoffed, "Tch. From you?" A single dark eyebrow lifted, her smile gone, nothing more than a ghost that flickered over her lips, "Not likely. Don't go doing me any favors _now_. Unless you wish to be rid of me," Here she finally broke into a wicked grin that mirrored her glittering eyes, "As I'm sure to drop _dead_ from the shock." 3

Hiei made the same _hn _sound at Shikiyoku, eyelids sliding closed at her as he fought the twitch that threatened to touch his lips. Even at her last comment, he seemed able to keep himself under control, his expression a mask of calm as he shifted, one foot planting on the ground while the other balanced on his knee, which rested on the cushion of the couch.

For the moment, he said nothing. He merely sat there, listening to the acidic rainfall outside and the sound of Shikiyoku's breathing.

Maybe he _hadn't _slept enough the night before, like he'd thought. He could feel his body sinking into the cushions, his mind calm now that he was certain they would not be bothered, as he had realized that the substance it was made from could only be penetrated by… well… itself. It was something that was commonly found in palace walls or walls that outlined cities.

"You're capable enough to not _need_ any favors done," Hiei suddenly piped, mind waking with a slight jolt and his eyes sliding open lazily to view the female he now sneered at. "My job is that of a body guard, nothing more, nothing less. Errand boy is not within that description."

Of course, he was only _half _kidding.

~!**!~

_Akari's brows furrowed at the change in atmosphere, and Kurama's words suddenly had her looking around the small shop. For the first time, she realized that this may be something other than a simple _dream. _Her eyes focused on Kurama again, the realization that he was _not _simply an entity in dreamland having her feeling very, very cautious._

_Foko's appearance in this _illusion _could have ended much differently than how it had. _

_She sighed, good mood now almost entirely gone. Again, her gaze shifted, this time to watch Shyn, who stood over his stove. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_While she had, in the beginning, been completely confused- something that hadn't changed- and angry about the situation, the only thing she found herself angry about was…._

_Herself. _

_If she'd just… _ignored _it, his gesture, and gone on as she had with every other scar, then she wouldn't be _here_. _

_Though, she had to admit, the redhead wasn't exactly easy to forget about, especially when he did things like _scar and kiss _people. _

"_Stupid fox." __*****_

Kurama chuckled.

"At least you finally fell asleep." He peered at her out of the corner of his eyes. "I thought I was going to have to resort to drastic measures."

~!**!~

"Any favor that I would wish to have would certainly not require something so mundane as an _errand-boy._" Shikiyoku replied primly, "My tastes are much more refined than _that_."

She sunk back into the couch, pulling her feet up to her chest and closing her eyes. The weariness of their travels, their constant vigilance, hit her all at once and for the first time in weeks she relaxed.

"Besides-" She mumbled quietly, "-you've done so much already." 3

Hiei slid a single eye open to stare at Shikiyoku, appearing almost entirely uninterested in what she was saying. Even a few moments after she'd finished speaking, he did nothing more that watch her with his one open eye, a brow slightly quirked at her as if he had no clue what she was referring to.

And quite frankly, for the moment, the only thing he could think of was the moment before they'd reached the castle, where their energies had locked together.

Thinking over it, he could still feel his energy reaching out, mingling with hers, even as they sat in the quiet room.

It made no sense.

After a moment, he released a small sigh and let his eye slide shut again. "Don't be a fool." After all, he hadn't done much more than simply do his job. And that he hadn't even done very well either.

~!**!~

_Akari grimaced. She couldn't remember falling asleep, especially not at the hands of the male beside her. She thought, mind making a very avid attempt to look back, but all she came up with was…_

_Foko. The park. Braiding his hair and him braiding hers._

_She grimaced again and turned her face away, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand. After realizing this was an illusion, she was painfully aware of his every move, his every breath. Since she was apparently asleep, it was very likely she wouldn't remember this, as if it were a dream._

_But that didn't mean he'd forget it. _

"_You know, I was mad." she suddenly mumbled, still keeping the back of her head towards him and chin in her hand. "Mad because…" she took a deep breath, "you scare me sometimes. And.. in the gym… I wasn't sure what was going on or what had warranted an attack."_

_She stopped there, eyes sliding closed as she became more aware of her own exhaustion, making the scene seem to waver, though his presence never did. "I don't understand you, and… I think it scares me." _*****

"Then understand this, Akari, know this one absolute truth," Kurama reached over and gently took her chin in his hand, knowing she was likely close to the illusion falling away to her sleep. He moved his face closer to hers, tipping her cheek towards himself, "I wish for nothing more than your happiness." He pressed his lips to her cheek and then let his hand fall away as he delicately pulled back.

~!**!~

_"Tell me...how well do you deal with __**pain**__?"_

Shikiyoku shot up in the couch in a cold sweat, eyes clearing to reveal the room in the lounge, and nothing more.

Her chest heaved with the anxiety of her dreams, which were all but fading from memory, but still that one phrase echoed inside her mind and she could not shake it.

_"How well do you deal with __**pain**__?" _3

Hiei had been so comfortable, so close to sleep.

Actually, his mind had been nine miles past sleep when the sudden alarm shot across his mind, his muscles first tensing even in his sleep. His body shifted once before his eyelids flew open and he was sitting upright, red eyes quickly taking in the area as more alarm seemed to run across his mind.

But he saw no threat, so his eyes traveled to Shikiyoku, who stared wide-eyed and wild ahead, breaths coming quick and sweat glimmering on her forehead and nose.

He frowned. Her alarm was out of place, odd, and he wasn't quite sure why _her _sudden awakening had awoken _him_. But for the moment, he watched her, realizing she must have been dreaming.

"Shikiyoku," he called in a calm voice, watching her carefully as if she were capable of attacking at any moment. Was she even completely _awake?_

~!**!~

_AKari hadn't been expecting the gentle fingers that pulled at her chin, and her eyes flew open to see the male who drew closer. For a moment, her body was stock still, unsure of his motives or thoughts behind the gesture until she realized that _she _was in control here. If he stepped out of line, she cou-_

_She blinked once at the words he uttered and the gesture he made, staring at him in open surprise now before her lips turned down just a little, a hand moving to her cheek where his lips had touched. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak._

_Only for the redhead to disappear, leaving her alone in darkness that was both very satisfying to her tired being, but frustrating to the part of her that had wanted to speak. _

In her sleep, the demoness shifted, pulling herself closer until her arm moved, her hold on his shirt releasing as she instead wrapped her arm about his neck, her nose finding Kurama's collarbone easily, almost as if doing so would keep her from forgetting what she'd been about to say.

And thus, keeping him from escaping her.

She settled again with a small sigh of content. *****

Kurama found himself sitting back against the wall of his room, much like he expected, with Akari still draped across his lap.

He briefly loosened his hold when she started shifting around, surprised that she did not in fact pull away, but came closer.

His smile was kind, his eyes gentle, and he couldn't help planting a soft kiss in the midst of her light red hair, filling his nose with her rosemary scent in the meantime.

"Rest, pup. You are safe here." He murmured.

Kurama leaned his head back against the pillow in the corner of the wall behind him and gazed up at the ceiling, lost in thoughts that swirled around the female in his arms.

His shift in attitude towards her had been a subtle thing. But that moment when her life hung in the balance and he wrested back his demonic powers...he would not have been able to do that when they first met.

Kurama's eyes had closed sometime during his inner dialogue and he felt himself on the verge of sleep, knowing that the desire for her happiness stemmed from some deeper part of him that had discovered without his direct notice something the rest of him had been acting out all along.

He cared for her.

~!**!~

Her energy formed a hazy barrier around her body, licking off of her skin to caress the air around her, leaving the rest of the world looking like a shimmering oasis far off in a desert from Shikiyoku's eyes behind it.

This was in fact a physical manifestation of the aura that constantly surrounded her, growing denser in response to her panicked awakening.

_Pain._

They were two sides of the same coin, pain and pleasure. And at the same time, each one was the absolute antithesis of the other. The only beings in this world who could actually counter and manipulate her own energy without her consent. But, she had nothing to fear, right? All the demons of pain had died off long ago.

Then why could she not shake Gekijou's words?

"Hm?" Shikiyoku absently responded to her name after a moment, looking over at Hiei, her eyes glowing and piercing through the hazy veil of energy with perfect clarity, appearing as if she had not become aware of herself yet. 3

Hiei's eyes took in the haze around Shikiyoku after a few blinks of his eyes, clearing away the sleep now that he was certain there was no threat inside this little room. The glowing green orbs that turned to him from behind the odd barrier of energy was almost off putting, as he could easily see she was not really seeing him yet. It was almost as if she were dreaming, but responding to the world around her anyway.

He didn't know what to say. His mouth remained closed as he eyed her, the energy around her moving, almost slithering through the air as if searching for a target. Searching for the source of her distress.

He didn't think using the Jagan in this instance would help.

Finally, his mind strung words together for him and he spoke. "There's no one here, no one attacking. We're alone." _*** **_

Shikiyoku blinked a couple of times upon hearing Hiei pipe up again, her eyes slowly scanning the room around her.

She frowned a little, pulling herself from her thoughts to actually comprehend what Hiei was saying and respond.

Well. Right. They were in that lounge. No one here.

Shikiyoku's unease did not lessen, but the energy around her did-fading away until only the usual scent remained-when she took note of the fact that she was not in any immediate danger.

Gekijou did not seem old enough to know about demons of pain, and it was this one thought that allowed a dark cloud to settle over Shikiyoku's heart.

It meant that either someone had told her-unlikely since these demons weren't supposed to exist anymore and it had been so very long ago when they _were _alive that few knew about their former existence, Shikiyoku only knew because of stories from _her _mother-or...they _did _still exist, and Gekijou _knew _one. And for some reason the second option seemed to be the more likely of the two. 3

The frown set on Hiei's lips pulled even further downwards as the haze around Shikiyoku began to lift, leaving him looking into her face as if nothing had been between them previously. For the moment, he eyed her with an even gaze, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees, feet planted on the floor firmly as he sat on the edge of the couch he'd taken residence of.

After another moment he took a breath in to speak, hesitated, then spoke up anyway. "Thinking on it does no good here." He gave another short pause to consider her again. "It's an issue that will be solved with time, not by worrying." _*****_

Hiei's voice drew Shikiyoku's eyes back to the fire demon and she regarded him with a neutral expression while he spoke.

Should she tell him? Was it worth explaining her concern?

If nothing came of it later, then the knowledge would be useless anyway.

She needed to try and control herself better in either case.

Shikiyoku sat back again, settling down as if to return to sleep, and took a deep breath through her nose and tried to remember that they were safe for the moment, calming her nerves and setting her mind on the task they would have at hand. 3

Hiei sat still for a few moments, taking to resting his chin on his fingers that linked together to create a platform. He stared unblinkingly at Shikiyoku, even as she went still again and seemed ready to go back to her previous state of sleep.

He wasn't sure if she would be going into a peaceful sleep at this point, or only return to whatever had awoken her in the first place.

After a few more moments of contemplation, he pulled himself up to sit upright, then moved to stand, crossing the area between the two couches. He stood over Shikiyoku for a brief moment before inching by her and sitting on the free spot next to her, leaning back and crossing one knee over the other, the arm nearest Shikiyoku lifting and laying across the back of the couch. He took in a deep breath before leaning his head back, closing his eyes to lounge quietly.

If he'd learned anything over the past month, he'd learned that while he didn't quite enjoy contact, he didn't mind being near. And it seemed to help. _*****_

As soon as Shikiyoku's eyes had closed and her brain edged towards sleep, the voices and images from the dreams she had just recently left began whispering across the surface of her mind, causing her face to twitch.

Just before she released her hold on the land of the waking, she felt a warmth wash over her and the distractions were gone, her body relaxing into a more peaceful state.

Her eyes flickered open once, seeing the dark cloak and confirming the presence she had felt settle next to her.

Closing her lids again, she let out a tiny sigh and let sleep take her. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	53. Episode 137 - Resting Realizations

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Enthusiasts!

So, where the previous couple of chapters were short because of my attempts to cut these chapters into relative coherency, this one in return is a littler longer, heh.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

As Akari 'dreams' while sleeping, Kurama is actually pulled into what accounts as little more than an illusion,  
>finding himself amused to find Akari has Youko inside her dreams. Of course, 'Youko' is actually Foko,<br>but Kurama does not know this and interacts as if there's nothing odd about the silver-haired fox  
>acting rather over-protective of the girl.<p>

Playing along with the world she has created, Kurama asks if Akari is hungry,  
>and soon the two of them are sitting together at a ramen stand.<br>Kurama apologizes for the trouble he's caused,  
>bringing Akari to realize that she's asleep.<p>

As she falls away into the darker reaches of slumber,  
>Kurama admits to her that he wishes for nothing more than her happiness.<p>

He is dropped back into his room, where he has Akari in his arms as he leans up against the wall,  
>and he resigns himself to staying there when she appears to almost protest him leaving her.<p>

~!**!~

Over the next month-in Demon World time-Shikiyoku and Hiei make the trek from the Ninth Level to the First.  
>Hiei is looking for information regarding King Enma kidnapping demons from the First Level and relocating them to Human World.<p>

As they arrive in the first city, it begins to rain and the two of them go into a nearby lounge to wait for the acidic downpour to stop.  
>The owner of the lounge gives Hiei a drink and provides them with a private room,<br>sensing Shikiyoku's tension and explaining there is no place for it there.

Shikiyoku has noticed that since she broke the compulsion her mother placed on her,  
>there have been subtle changes to her body that happened without her direct say-so.<br>Her scent is more potent, her hair gleams, and the most disconcerting:  
>her skin almost <em>glows<em> with beauty, meant to beckon others closer, to touch it.  
>Lesser demons pay more attention to her now than ever before,<br>and it has steadily made her more and more nervous.  
>She now goes around as covered as possible, but despite her best efforts,<br>she has found no gloves that would fit her rather small, humanoid hands.

In any case, she and Hiei take their rest in the private room, intending to stay until the rain stops,  
>and after having what equated to a 'bad dream,' and waking both herself and Hiei up,<br>Hiei moves over next to Shikiyoku with the intention of his closer presence being of a help.

* * *

><p>Hiei had stayed in that exact spot for about two more hours before his ears had picked up the slight change in the sound, his instincts picking up on the change in the atmosphere that told him the rain had let up. His eyelids slid open and he stared up at the ceiling for a moment before his irises turned down to the peaceful expression on Shikiyoku's face.<p>

After a slight moment of contemplation, the fire demon moved each and every muscle slowly, carefully, until he was sliding away from the couch and slinking out the door, shutting it behind himself silently. With eyes set on the demon behind the counter, who now seemed rather bored as he rubbed at a few bowls with a towel. The fire demon approached the counter with silent steps that, somehow, were not lost on the demon who turned a blank stare onto him.

"_Nice nap?"_

Hiei raised a brow before turning eyes back to look at the different snacks and such in the area, the soft music of the room floating around just as easily as the demon's voice.

"_Another one?"_

"Yes," Hiei replied finally, deciding he'd have the drink rather than a snack. "Two, this time."

"_She gonna drink this one?"_

Hiei gave a smirk. "I guess we'll find out."

"_Indeed."_ the demon replied as the bottles slid across the counter and into Hiei's waiting fingers. Without another word, the fire demon dropped a few coins onto the counter and turned, making his way back into the room where Shikiyoku had been left alone to sleep.

~!**!~

The darkness of sleep didn't really seem to fade entirely as Akari awoke, and the only thing she did at the moment as shift, pulling herself closer to the pillow she was hugging, tangling her legs in the blanket around her feet and burying her nose into the fabric of the sheet that felt extremely warm.

She took in a deep breath, willing herself to go back into the sleep she'd somehow managed.

A dreamless, beautiful sleep that she hadn't had in what felt like an eternity. Nothing but darkness, restful sleep.

And she could go for a few more hours of such sleep.

And that thought lead her to tangling herself up further into the sheets, arm pulling her pillow closer and nose rubbing one more time against the sheet with a sigh of content. _*****_

There had been a moment or two over the past day where Kurama had considered getting up, but each time the urge had arisen, the demon he now lay next to on the bed would move closer, pull him tighter, or murmur something in her sleep, completely rendering the urge moot.

So, he had himself napped on and off, waking on occasion to assure himself that she dreamed none during her rest, and found the next night that somehow in the middle of all of this, instead of sitting with his back against the corner and Akari in his arms, they were laying next to one another, Akari tangling her legs up in his-and ridding any chance Kurama had of leaving without her notice-with her arms around him and her face buried in the sleeveless white undershirt of his school uniform. He'd removed the pink jacket at some point.

He froze as she shifted around again.

Once the night had come upon them, he had found himself unable to fall back asleep, and took to weaving vines into Akari's hair, giving her a brilliant green crown, and he wondered if his actions had nearly woken her.

He waited a few seconds after she stopped moving before returning his free hand back to her hair and this time continuing to circle the vine down around her long curls, encouraging the growth gently with his energy while at the same time weaving it with his fingers.

~!**!~

With her internal clock set to wake her when the atmosphere changed, Shikiyoku could feel that alarm slowly pulling her from rest, becoming aware of the fact that she had found a couch pillow and was hugging it, curled around it in a ball on the seat cushion.

She blinked sleepily once, eyes closing quickly again with heaviness of not being fully awake and wondered somewhere in the back of her mind where Hiei had gone off to. 3

Hiei slipped back into the room silently, cold glass bottles between his fingers clinking only a little as the door shut behind him silently for the second time. He popped open one of the two, hearing a small sound of fizzing sound just before he lifted it to his lips, taking a small sip of the drink that suddenly had him pausing, staring at the red slush within the glass confines with wide eyes.

It reminded him of _strawberries_.

After that thought, he took another drink, this time savoring the taste and comparing the flavor to that of the little red fruits of Human World, moving to stand over Shikiyoku, extending his hand until the cold glass bottle touched Shikiyoku's cheek.

"Time to get moving."

~!**!~

Akari settled again, just thinking that she might be able to fall back asleep until she felt her hair move. She heaved another sigh, this time thinking maybe Nabu had taken to chewing on the ends of her hair again- something that hadn't happened for months now.

But…

She couldn't _hear_ the smacking of the dog. Nor could she _smell _the pup. She let her eyes slide open, her senses slowly waking and her brain finally registering the fact that the scent of the area was nothing like the smell of her home.

And when her vision cleared, she saw _white_ sheets. _Perfectly white_ fabric. And the feeling of her hair being moved was much more prominent this time, and her hold on the fabric that smelled alarmingly of roses and other greenery released, pulling away from the pillow she'd been holding on to. She looked up at the source of the movement, finding an arm clothed in the same _perfectly white_ fabric of what she just realized to be a shirt.

Her eyes followed that arm to stare, wide and unblinking at the face of Kurama. _*****_

Kurama felt Akari shift in his embrace, but this time didn't bother stopping his work.

His green eyes briefly lowered to her hazel ones to indicate the he knew she was awake, but then they went back to looking at her hair.

"Sleep well?"

~!**!~

In her semi-hazy state of sleep, Shikiyoku could feel the air of the room shifting around, so the cold bottle on her cheek did not startle her, instead bringing her eyes open as she heard Hiei speaking to her.

She sat up and took the extended bottled offering, looking at it skeptically before sliding her eyes over to watch Hiei partake of his. 3

Hiei released his hold on the bottle he'd extended to Shikiyoku as she took it from his grasp, lifting his own to his lips again and wandering towards the door, the taste on his tongue so very uncannily similar to _strawberries_ that he was almost certain it was concocted of the fruits.

He paused by the door, turning to Shikiyoku with a patient expression that said he was waiting.

Then he held up his bottle to indicate the subject of which he was speaking, "If you try it, you may find it an enjoyable taste."

~!**!~

Akari immediately detangled her legs from Kurama's as soon as she was aware of herself, pulling away, though keeping her hair under his touch so that he wouldn't end up pulling her locks harshly. "What do you think you're doing?" she growled, feeling completely unsettled.

How in the three worlds had _this _come about? _*****_

"Weaving?" Kurama raised an eyebrow, stopping the moment he felt her shoving back, "And I'm not done yet." He remained paused for a second longer, then went back to it when she did not immediately continue to pull away.

Since she had been asleep when he relocated them to his home, Kurama felt no surprise at her reaction.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stood up when Hiei stopped to stare at her, realizing that he meant 'time to get moving' _now_.

She still gave the bottle an identical look of skepticism as she started to follow after him.

"It is the same as the other?" 3

Hiei turned to continue through the door, stepping again into the room that was filled with soothing music and soft murmurs between inhabitants of the lounge- not surprisingly the same demons that had been here when he'd first arrived.

He didn't even glance back at Shikiyoku.

"Not precisely. Serves the same purposes, aside from the calming effect." He took another drink of his own, keeping the bottle against his lips until it was empty as he stepped outside. "Just drink it. No complaining."

~!**!~

Akari glared up at Kurama from under her hair and the hand that was still woven into her locks, not daring to move any further from him at this point, as she had become more than just a little aware of his energy pulsing in the room.

Against her own that was still radiating around her body.

She took a moment to consider the situation, glancing around the room and then looking back up at Kurama from where she lay propped up at the elbow on her side. "Why?" _*****_

Kurama kept his face neutral, gently twisting his fingers and the vine through the lock of hair he had been working on.

"Because I was bored." He said plainly, avoiding any other manifestations of the question that Akari posed at him.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku heaved a quiet sigh of deference at Hiei and went ahead and opened the bottle and began drinking, stopping only to pull her hood up over her head and self-consciously tugging at the ends of her sleeves to cover as much skin as possible.

As they got outside, Shikiyoku glanced around while taking another begrudging sip of the drink while she stuck to Hiei and paying little attention to the taste, instead thinking about how she might acquire a pair of gloves small enough for her hands.

Her hood shadowed her face well enough, but her fingers were still visible and their enticing, almost pearlescent gleam made Shikiyoku feel very strange about letting anyone see them. 3

Hiei continued moving through the town that seemed to come alive, demons moving from building to building, continuing their daily lives even as the last of the day's light disappeared. Or, maybe it was reappearing? He wasn't sure. He'd forgotten how time passed on this level after so long of being gone.

Plus, what did it matter?

What they needed hadn't been here. If no demons gathered in a social building knew of the rumors Hiei had been inquiring of earlier, then neither would the common folk of such small town.

However, he _did _want to visit the trading post, for more than his own amusement. He almost felt as if it were a necessity at this point, as they'd visited almost every single trading post since the Ninth Level. Why?

Sometimes for his own amusement, sometimes for something Shikiyoku felt she needed.

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Kurama, momentarily turning her eyes away as she forced herself to not ask any _more_ questions, though there felt like there were many. But for the moment, all she could think of was the fact that she was stuck here, in an unfamiliar room with Kurama, who was currently _toying_ with her hair.

Much like _Foko _had done.

The thought had her eyes sliding closed and taking a deep breath.

"What _exactly_ are you weaving, might I ask?" she asked, voice calmer now than previously. "Don't tell me it's some ridiculous headband or another." _*****_

"A 'ridiculous headband' would be much too mundane for the likes of you." Kurama responded. "You can see it when I'm finished."

His eyes remained trained on his work, getting down to the bottom of one full curl of her hair with a vine and going back up to where the crown came around just behind her ear and coaxing out another length of plantlife, slowly taking it down another curl.

"Did you sleep well?"

~!**!~

After the first couple of sips, Shikiyoku let the bottle hang at her side, keeping her head down as she followed after Hiei.

Being lost in thought about a demon of pain led to her bumping shoulders with another demon going the opposite direction and she didn't stop to turn around, instead being startled out of her thoughts and quickly stepping up as if she were Hiei's shadow, staying close to him.

The demon she ran into didn't say anything, but did pause to look after her for a moment before turning and continuing down the path the other way.

Shikiyoku could feel the eyes of that demon on her, and wished suddenly for the power of invisibility, but said and did nothing save for keeping next to Hiei and making sure she stared at the ground near his feet. 3

Hiei refrained from the sound he wanted to make, keeping his sigh in his chest and squashing the sound before it could even be made. He could feel the distress of the person trailing him as if it were a tide rushing over his entire being, as her energy often did.

He continued onward, paving a path between the moving bodies of demons of all kinds. He glanced over his shoulder once at the woman making herself his shadow, his body very much aware of her close proximity on his heels.

After a brief glance, he turned forward again.

"There's a trading post a few meters away. Might have what you're looking for."

It hadn't been hard to guess what she wanted. After all, it was hard not to notice the odd sheen that covered one's skin.

~!**!~

Akari didn't respond right away, instead letting her body finally sink into the mattress again as she forced herself to relax. She let her eyelids slide closed, mind almost immediately going over the only other person who'd been allowed to play with her hair.

But, for some reason, she felt as if Kurama's work was _gentler_, more kind than that of Foko's, who, in comparison, seemed almost as if he'd never done such a thing before.

Of course, that wasn't the case, she knew. He'd been quick with his work.

Unlike Kurama, who was taking his time, enjoying himself.

"M-hm." she finally replied, the sound one of relaxation. She didn't want to ask _how_ or _why _she was in Kurama's house. "How long have you been at this, exactly? And… How long did I sleep?" _*****_

His internal clock told him he had started this a few hours ago, but his response consisted of, "I'm not sure. But you've been sleeping since yesterday."

Kurama watched his fingers curl around the strip of hair, winding the vine to the contours of Akari's hair with ease.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku closed the hand that did not hold the bottle into a fist, flexing once before releasing it.

As if she'd really thought Hiei hadn't noticed.

Perhaps on some level she wished he didn't, but since she felt sure this strange mutation was a hinderance to their more subtle work here she did not find herself surprised in his comment, but instead a little grateful that he would go to the trouble of seeking out something for her, even if it was probably for his own peace of mind.

She nodded before she realized he couldn't see her do so, but stayed quiet anyway, following after him just as she had been. 3

Hiei walked on despite his sudden irritation at the close proximity of the female and the cloud that he could all but _see _hanging over himself and her. His jaw set as he thought about it, not having to even make an attempt to guess what it was that was bothering her this time.

Because it was the same.

Every. _Damn. _Time.

Hadn't they moved past this stage already?

Suddenly, his calm mask became a glare at demons who passed too close, earning a quick scuttle out of the way or a challenging glare here and there, all to which he found useless and pointless. Unamusing.

He flexed his jaw discreetly, hands moving to his cloak pockets with ease instead of pushing open the door of the trading post, which was designated by his shoulder as he brushed by the wooden structure and inside the large warehouse-like building. Demons were everywhere, looking among stalls and stands galore, some with dull, old objects worth absolutely nothing and others with shiny, new objects also worth nothing. Some had food, some had what others would call simple _souvenirs_. But the only stands he needed, or felt he needed, were in the back.

He cut a straight path through the building, sending a glare to anyone who even so much as glanced his direction or even thought about heading towards him, whether it be for another stall or otherwise. He approached the stand that held hats, gloves, and shoes, each different colors with different purposes, some made of material he'd never seen before.

And instead of wandering away like he normally would have, he decided to stay near Shikiyoku.

It wasn't like his wandering away would help her mood in any way, shape, or form.

~!**!~

A long, loud sigh left Akari's lips at Kurama's words. _Since yesterday?! _How long had she actually gone without sleep? Her closed eyelids hid the roll to the ceiling her eyes made as she thought back, earning hazy memories of, the latest….

School? Maybe?

Right, a loud, annoying sound.

She frowned to herself and let her eyelids slide open again, this time looking up at Kurama's calm expression as if it held her answers. But all she could come up with was, still, the loudest, most annoying sound.

"_A fire alarm."_

She tried to recall more as she watched the redhead, the way his eyes moved to follow the motions of his finger and what she assumed to be vines, the way his hair moved when his shoulders did. "Why are you such an _ass?" _she suddenly inquired, releasing a sound that could almost be called a scoff.

She was supposed to be mad at him.

It was hard to be when she was just so _comfortable_. _*****_

Kurama's eyebrows lifted at her words, but the small smile that his lips pulled into belied his surprise at her question.

"And how exactly am I supposed to answer that question in a way that would satisfy it?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku stepped around Hiei and immediately moved to the section containing gloves.

Her first impression was that none of these were small enough, her second that she found herself searching for something black for no other reason than the fact that it would match the rest of her clothing.

She nearly snorted at the pettiness of such a thought. She should be thankful to find _anything_, pink, blue, chartreuse or otherwise.

Somewhat wistfully she thought of her old clothing, some gloves included, back in Toriko's home, knowing that with just a little time she could modify any of it-much like she had modified the original cloak and outfit she wore initially for she and Hiei's excursion-from what her former demonic form measurements had been to those she had now in her more humanoid guise.

The wistfulness turned into almost an audible snort of derision in thinking of how _quickly _Rae had adjusted every single piece of clothing in her old closet in Rae's palace back on the Ninth Level. There's no telling how many poor tailors she figuratively, and likely literally, whipped into submission in order to accomplish such a task in hardly any time at all.3

Hiei stood over the stall, eyes roving over the varieties of gloves, among other things he realized were scattered about, seemingly hidden from sight as if the gloves were most important of them all. A sales tactic, for sure. It was the same as when he'd been in the first city on the Ninth Level.

The one he'd taken a katana from.

The same katana that he just realized had been left behind.

With his cloak.

Hiei felt his lips pull down into a grimace at the simple _thought _of his cloak being left behind, replaced by the out-of-place, very flammable cloak he wore now. The itchy material was nothing compared to his favorite article of clothing.

"Ah, browisn' fer gloves I see!" Hiei's red eyes looked up to the shopkeeper who seemed to have simply _appeared_. The shock of purple atop the demon's head was completely contradicted by the glow of turquoise that peered at Hiei momentarily before turning to Shikiyoku. "An' fer good reason too! Yer pos'tively _shinin'."_

Hiei felt a brow twitch at the dialect of this demon, who sounded remarkably similar to another he'd met. One he hadn't heard from since the tournament.

_At least Jin was on occasion worth listening to._

"Ooooh! Look how small yer hands are!" He peered over the stand at Shikiyoku's hands with shining orbs, smile wide and showing two rows of crooked, discolored, pointed teeth. "You nee' somethin' special."

He reached below the counter, hands moving objects that gained Hiei's attention as they _clinked _and _clunked_, even jingled against each other.

"Is you lookin' too, flame-boy?"

The scowl Hiei gave was accompanied by a twitch of his brow and lips, the vein in his head suddenly throbbing. "No."

_Don't call me that._

"Mmm… Too bad."

~!**!~

Another scoff and Akari was shifting, moving so that she lay on her stomach on Kurama's bed, chin on her hands and eyes sliding shut again.

"I guess what I'm meaning to say is…"

She gave another pause. What _was_ she trying to say? She wasn't going to admit that she'd been _trying _to be angry at him. She had plenty reason to be too. So why wasn't she?

"What is it exactly that makes you _want _to be an asshole? I mean, come on…" _*****_

Kurama gave a little sigh, smile fading away.

"To be truthful, it is never my intent to come across that way." The smile returned for a second, "Unless it's needed to knock some sense into someone and no one else has volunteered for the job."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku clenched her teeth together and held back a low growl that threatened to start vibrating in her throat, instead idly shifting through pairs of gloves as if she could find what she searched for.

There were many beautiful specimens of work, each crafted with care. There were ones that would only go to the wrist, ones with the fingers cut out, others that were meant to extend to the elbow, some that would reach even further up the arm. Some had gems or feathers, some had embroidery or etch-work. There were some interesting materials as well. Nothing Shikiyoku did not recognize, but several instances of things she knew were not cheap by any definition of the word.

And all too big.

Even the smallest she knew would not accommodate her human form's short fingers and small palms.3

The shopkeeper noted Shikiyoku's eyes that glanced over each and every pair of gloves even as he continued rummaging underneath his small counter. "Aw. don' be sad. I have special ones too!"

Hiei turned his eyes away, looking at a nearby stand to keep the desire of striking this foolish demon under wraps. Neither of them were children, and they shouldn't be treated as such.

"Here, try these!" The demon moved, pulling his hands out from under the surface and extending a pair of gloves that were simply one color, gold, with dark thread where the cloth had been sewn together. "Is my smallest pair! Ne'er though' I'd sell 'em."

Hiei's eyes zeroed in on the color, noticing the light sheen that seemed to glow around the color. Wasn't the point of gloves in their case to draw attention _away_ from her hands?

"Here, have these as well!" The demon turned to Hiei, extending a pair of dark blue gloves. "They're rumored to be able t' ward off the kidnappers! They're common abou' these parts, though no' many people believe a crazy shopkeep."

Hiei frowned at the offer, crimson eyes turning up from the gloves to the turquoise gaze that shone with excitement. "Kidnappers?"

"You ain' heard th' stories?" His voice was hushed now, the demon leaning forward to create an air of secrecy as he spoke. "I've seen 'em."

~!**!~

"Yeah, well, y'know…" Akari began, not looking at Kurama. "it isn't your job to _set someone straight." _A small smile ghosted across her features before disappearing entirely. "And quite frankly, your methods are questionable, at best."

She gave another pause.

_I don't see why you care anyway. It matters not what you think, because either way, it's still my problem. Dumb fox demon. __*****_

"Ah." Kurama 'realized' what Akari was talking about, "You should know what I did had nothing to do with being an 'asshole' or setting you straight." His face dropped into a neutral, guarded expression and he had to force himself to continue to work on the curl he currently had in his grasp, getting to the end and stopping completely before going on.

"And I'm afraid I must apologize as apparently I only made things worse. That certainly did not factor into my calculations as a result and it was never my intention to cause you more trouble."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took the gloves from the merchant and immediately slipped the left one on her hand, putting the bottle down on the table inbetween them and then placing the other over her fingers.

They would...do. For her purposes. Neither particularly aesthetically pleasing for Shikiyoku nor really the right size, but they extended up her arms to just shy of the elbow and would conceal her skin even if her sleeves accidentally lifted a bit.

As she inspected her newly acquired gloves, turning her hand first one way then another, she held back a scoff at the exchange occurring between the shopkeeper and the fire demon next to her.

There was no way to tell if they warded off kidnappers or not-she barely glanced at the gloves the shopkeeper offered to Hiei-as if it _were _true, the pair would likely still be on the hands of some demon somewhere. 3

Hiei let his eyes drop again to the gloves offered to him, expression mildly irritated and slightly disgusted, as if the articles were tainted. The shopkeeper seemed to notice and place the small gloves down, hands resting atop them as he leaned forward. "No one's e'er seen 'em before, y'know? The kidnappers."

Hiei made to leave, ignoring what he said. He was now entirely uninterested.

Out of all the stands, the one they needed just so happened to have the craziest demon behind it.

"They took an Aswang, y'know tha' right?"

Hiei paused, finally turning to look at the demon again. Smile gone, expression troubled now instead of happily servicing customers. "You expect anyone to believe you?"

"So you _do _know. Rumor has it, she's dead alrea'y. Killed after taking a human child's life."

Hiei's brows furrowed only slightly, eyes shifting to Shikiyoku as his mind brushed hers. "_What do you think?"_

~!**!~

Akari heaved a sigh, turning her face away. She had the oddest sense of déjà vu going on.

"It doesn't matter." she replied, cheek resting on her hand making her words slur just a little. "It isn't like it hasn't happened before." she paused, contemplating his words. She wasn't exactly sure why, but no matter how hard she tried, she just _couldn't _find it in herself to be mad.

"Don't be stupid." she suddenly said, deciding his apology wasn't necessary. "Your intentions were different than those in the past. I acknowledge that." She gave another pause, finally turning her face and opening her eyes to peer at him calmly again. "Just…." she let her words die away, deciding not to say them after all.

She pushed herself up to sit up, shaking her arm in an attempt to awaken the numb limb. "Like I said, it doesn't matter." _*****_

"Well, it obviously _does _matter since you sent yourself into a frenzy to stay awake to ward off dreams that _my _actions caused in the first place." Kurama tilted his head slightly, "So, on some level, whether you acknowledge it or not, the entire situation was my fault. And for that," He took a breath, "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes.

"I would take it back if I truly thought it would help."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku continued inspecting her gloves, acting as if she hadn't heard Hiei's question.

"_Merchants are sometimes known for having information the general populous does not. They're also known for being quick to tell you what you __**want **__to hear, and not necessarily what is true." _3

Hiei turned to the shopkeeper again, this time facing him entirely with a watchful gaze. He considered pressing on, but quickly decided he was in no mood to linger around for information that could be entirely false. So he turned to leave, his Jagan quickly and discreetly gracing the demon's mind with its presence in search of-

"Those gloves, they're eight-"

It took a lot to keep from pausing and turning to face the merchant.

"Your service is much appreciated," Hiei cut him off, continuing to move away. He didn't even give the demon a hint of the coins he'd left inside the other pair of gloves, something he'd learned to do long ago when he felt… generous.

"_Two towns over is the home of the Aswang." _Apparently, the merchant had known the creature personally. Though, as for seeing her taken…

That was nothing more than a load of crock.

"_This place is useless now."_

~!**!~

Akari set her teeth together. Here she was, being nice, and Kurama was trying to convince her to be angry. Like she hadn't already tried. She moved, leaning forward and hitting him on the chest. Hard, with an open palm before leaning away, brows drawn down and lips pulled into a scowl. "Get over it. Just dreams, just memories. The past." She moved, sliding away and swinging her legs over the side of his bed.

"What in the _hell_ makes you think taking it away would matter anyway? Haven't you learned _anything_ about running from your past? Surely someone like _you_ knows how that goes." _*****_

Kurama sighed.

If he hadn't given her the scar in the first place, then she wouldn't have been driven to dreams of her former station in life that were _so _ugly she had forced herself to avoid sleep for, what, three days? He couldn't really be sure. To say that he had regrets was an understatement of the third degree.

"No. Not particularly." He finally said. "What reason do I have for running from my past? Considering _it _actually ran into me…" He mused on Youko's spirit entering the body of the child Shuichi Minamino.

That is, himself.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku caught the shopkeeper's gaze after Hiei turned to leave, glancing meaningfully at the bottle which she had left on the table before following after the fire demon.

Assuming he didn't choke on the coins left inside the beverage, Shikiyoku had used some sleight of hand to leave him at least some recompense for the information, if not for the gloves.

When she felt Hiei telling her of the information he'd gathered from the shopkeeper, she gave him the mental equivalent of a nod before pulling her mind away from him to realize something she had not considered before.

Hiei really _did _have no use for her.

Considering she spent the majority of her life as an information gatherer of one sort or another, with _both _her second and third champions, the sudden thought that the thing she would consider herself best at was completely moot for a demon with a Jagan hit her all at once.

Why the _hell _had he agreed to protect her in the first place? There was absolutely _nothing _for her to do in return except follow him around and cause more trouble than she was certainly worth, given that she really _had _no worth to him.

_Ugh._ 3

Hiei continued walking in silence for what felt like an eternity, finding no reason to rush to their next destination. The next acidic rainfall wasn't for a few days, at least, and quite frankly, he was sick of running around like a moron.

Or maybe his patience was wearing thin. It was something he hadn't noticed until now, but every time Shikiyoku seemed to fall into one of her _moods_, his patience seemed to wear thinner and thinner.

Until he was almost afraid he was going to _snap. _

He didn't understand her in the least bit. Her mood changes. The causes of such changes. Only that his presence would sometimes calm her, sometimes make the cloud over her head darken.

"Enough."

He wasn't sure why she continued to shift the way she did. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much. All he knew was that the longer they were in one another's company, the darker her mood seemed to get, and thus, the shorter fuse he had.

"That. Is. Enough of that."

~!**!~

Akari planted her feet on Kurama's floor and she was making for his door, hand pausing on the handle as he spoke up. She turned her head slightly to show she had heard him before turning her eyes forward again, then down to her fingers around the knob.

"I'm a mess. Get over it. You did what you saw fit in an attempt to fix my mess. While I appreciate that, it's also made me realize how much of a mess I actually am, despite these months after Sensui. Your actions were…" she gave a pause as she pulled the door open.

"Never mind. Point is: you made your point." _*****_

Kurama was standing, listening to Akari's words and trying to decide whether or not he should physically prevent her from leaving.

"And do you know what that point was?" Kurama wanted to know, his expression just as neutral as it had been.

~!**!~

_At least-_

Hiei's voice pulled Shikiyoku from her next thought, startling her a bit.

It dawned on her that Hiei was likely picking up her thoughts on some level or another, something her previous two champions got quite good at doing _without _the aid of a third eye. And given that the two of them had been in close company for over a month demonic-time, him sensing the gist of her mood was unsurprising.

She didn't actually answer him, instead finishing her thought about how what with their fast approaching return to Human World, and subsequently to Koenma with the information they gathered, Hiei wouldn't be stuck with her for much longer.

That lifted her spirits, if only a little.

For now, at least they had some direction or another, though Shikiyoku could only guess why Hiei wanted confirmation about the kidnappings; _she _didn't particularly care. Let the three worlds do as they pleased.

...and maybe once she had a moment she could figure out what _exactly _surpassing her mother's strength had done to her. 3

Hiei continued walking, brushing his hands discreetly on his cloak for a moment as if brushing away his irritation. His mood, however, stayed, just as persistent as his sudden silence and the desire to say no more in case he actually _did _snap at her. It wasn't like he _wanted_ to.

"I normally wouldn't care," he suddenly began, not sure what had prompted him to speak, "but this is.. different."

Again he went silent, this time truly not intending to speak, no matter what she asked, if she even decided to prompt him.

~!**!~

Akari's hand fell from the knob after the door had been pulled open, turning to go down the hall and only pausing to consider his question. She let her eyes turn to him, looking at him from the corners for a moment before a brow raised.

"Scars are scars. As you said, they tell stories. Survival stories." Her brows resettled into place, expression turning neutral again. "I just have to get through my own, get over it because I'm an idiot stuck in the past. Now, if you'll excuse me, Nabu's probably running around like an idiot."

With that, she let her feet carry her to the stairs. _*****_

After she left the room, Kurama let his eyes close, a pained expression falling over his face.

Of _course _that wasn't his only reason, his only point, but why did he find it so difficult to try and explain it to her?

What, he could admit it to her mostly unaware self because somewhere in his head he knew she wouldn't remember? Or was it that he felt if she actually rejected him, it would just chalk up as another failure, like giving her the scar?

Kurama collapsed back into sitting on the bed and stared at the point where Akari had disappeared, saying nothing.

_Stupid fox._

~!**!~

She knew it was different. And she knew apologizing for it would make no difference.

She also knew faking her mood was likely to be just as bad.

So, for the moment, she settled on contentment, resting on thoughts of the matter at hand as well as the thoughts of fulfilling that which she felt Hiei desired most.

_Soon._ 3

Hiei walked. And walked. And walked. Never once had he decided to pick up the pace, only deciding to keep this slow pace out of preservation for the both of them, giving Hiei time to keep himself in check and Shikiyoku time to sort through herself.

So, when he set foot into the city he'd been looking for, his expression was of calm neutrality. His hands were at his sides, eyes glancing about calmly as he considered the extremely silent town. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought this city to be completely abandoned.

The difference?

He could see blinds moving from windows, shuddering back into their original places as demons retreated from the visitors.

A shaken town. Almost small enough to be considered a village.

"Unsettling." _Even for Demon World._

~!**!~

Akari gave a pause at the top step, a hand moving up to her hair as her eyes turned back to the open door of Kurama's room that was just down the hall. She released a silent sigh from her lungs. "Hey!" She suddenly called down the hall, a very slight smile touching her lips. "I dunno what you did, but thanks." She turned and continued down the stairs. "I haven't slept like that in ages."

She let her feet carry her down until they touched the platform of the living room, gave one more pause, and then turned to leave, hand falling to her side. _Crazy. __*****_

Kurama had lowered his head to stare down at the floor, leaning over with his arms resting on his legs, but his head lifted at Akari's words and he actually found himself smiling.

At least he'd been able to do _something_ right.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku bent her head slightly forward in a nod as she glanced around them.

"Is _this _proof enough for you, then?" She asked quietly, noting the haunted look in the eyes of any who she could catch peering at them before escaping back into the buildings. 3

Hiei continued to stare at a pair of eyes that had locked with his own, meeting the gaze squarely, but with no hint of malice whatsoever. No ill intent. And as a reward, the eyes simply stared back, as if a silent conversation were going on.

But in reality, Hiei felt mildly disturbed. He couldn't feel _anything_ of the eyes that stared back at him. His mind, or rather, his Jagan simply couldn't focus on the being, as if the air around the demon was hazy, unstable.

Or maybe it was stable enough to _seem_ unstable to him. But the more he poked and prodded at the mind that he could clearly see churning behind the blank stare, the less he seemed able to focus on the being.

_Force won't always work, I suppose. _

He suddenly was walking forward, raising a hand to wave Shikiyoku to follow, not that he hadn't thought she wouldn't follow.

"_Your turn. I'm useless at the moment."_

~!**!~

After a while, Akari had decided to do something she'd been putting off for a while now:

Visit Spirit World.

"You picked the best time to visit! Koenma was just about to send me to give you the communication mirror he has specially for you!"

The demoness shrugged, but gave no response to Botan, who continued on happily, as if no response whatsoever was required of the girl. And for a moment, Akari considered turning around, going back. She almost wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers about her former team. After recalling the demise of Gourmet, she did give a short pause and glance back.

But it was too late now. She was already in the office, watching the large doors slide shut behind her.

She turned to look at the toddler prince, who was staring at her for a moment with a calm gaze. His lips twitched slightly, making her brows furrow before she sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't mind answering a few questions for me?"

"That depends on the question."

Akari gave a small pause before smoothing down her shirt. When was the last time she'd stood before this desk? A few months ago? "I'd like to know, if you would allow me, about what happened to the team."

She watched him sit back, regard her for a moment. "I'd been wondering when you'd ask." His hands moved to a drawer she couldn't see, his eyes below the desk surface as he pulled out files, setting them in a neat stack and sliding them towards her without so much as a hesitation.. "Help yourself."

And she made herself comfortable in a chair in front of his desk, files in hand and silently shifting through the first one, Sniper's. _*****_

~!**!~

The cool night air rustled through Kurama's hair as he walked through the trees on the outskirts of town.

Sleep had been...a no-go.

After spending the past day and a half tending to Akari-and by 'tending,' mostly sleeping-Kurama had found that laying back down and staring up at the ceiling had been the most of what he could do at that moment.

He was thankful his mother was on vacation.

He _could _have used some sleep remedy or another on himself and _forced _the sleep, but it felt much nicer to be up and around, easing some of the pent-up tension he had gathered from staying in much the same position for so long.

For the most part, he kept his mind clear, avoiding the internal monologue he'd been running through about Akari, as well as the one involving Hiei and Toriko.

Or...hopefully Shikiyoku. Especially if, as Kurama suspected, the pair had gone off into Demon World together. Protecting Toriko from the things she appeared to fear the most would certainly be-

Kurama shook his head.

Clear mind. No thoughts.

Because there was always a chance of-

Kurama staggered as he felt a wave of..._something_...shudder through him, and he whipped around to see Otento, having not heard nor felt the demon approach.

Otento's platinum blonde hair waved slightly in the breeze, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression blank.

"Greetings...Kurama."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku followed after Hiei, wondering almost incredulously at what exactly Hiei thought he was useless for, as the fire demon led the two of them towards a house off to the left. 3

Hiei never let his gaze stray from the one he was locked with, almost thinking that if he broke the contact, he wouldn't gain it again. But as soon as he was standing at the door, the eyes drew away from the window and, in a second, were peering at him from a crack between the doorframe and the door itself.

"What?"

Hiei raised a calm brow and glanced at Shikiyoku. "We're traveling through, need to ask a few things.

"Company not wanted."

Hiei stepped forward, using his foot to stop the door from slamming shut.*

Shikiyoku glanced behind towards the street as Hiei stuck his foot between the door and the frame and prevented it from closing, earning himself a glare from the owner of the home within.

Slipping her small frame inbetween Hiei and the door, getting wedged against the two, Shikiyoku raised her head so that her eyes behind her hood would meet with the ones of the demon she could make out in the gloom beyond.

Her green eyes glowed with subtle power and she reached a small hand into the house through the opening Hiei had kept, finding the jawline of the demon beyond and brushing her fingers from ear to chin.

"Let us in." She said simply, voice low and husky and filled with that same subtle hint of power her eyes held.

The spell seemed to work, the door opened slowly, and the demon stepped back, giving them just enough room to come inside before he closed it behind them.

There was a lantern in the corner of what Shikiyoku would have equated with the living room of Toriko's home, and it cast just enough light to reveal a comfortable chair, which was all Shikiyoku needed.

She did not make eye-contact with Hiei, instead letting her gaze catch the demon at the door and hold it, but she did speak into her own mind a warning for her Champion.

"_If you wish for me to do this, be prepared to behead the poor fool once I am finished."_

Shikiyoku raised her hands and slowly pulled her hood back, letting her ebony hair fall about her shoulders with a shiny gleam like so much silk, a tell-tale perfume beginning to permeate the air around her.

"_And make sure you keep hold of the pact so you too do not succumb."_

Each motion Shikiyoku made was deliberate, her eyes never leaving the demon before her, and his own brown eyes locked with her gaze.

She pulled up the sleeve of each arm in turn, every movement somehow sultry, and then peeled back a single glove, revealing her skin which, like her profile, held a faintly pearlescent glow all its own that seemed to almost beckon one to test its smoothness.

And beckon Shikiyoku did, holding that hand out, palm forward, to the enraptured demon by the door who made no hesitation to join her, reaching out with his hand and intertwining his fingers in hers as he came closer until he stood practically in her embrace. He released her fingers to hang by her side and ran his up her exposed arm to lightly rest there, staring down into her eyes which held the answers to everything he could ever ask and more.

Shikiyoku's energy had not even manifested visibly yet, filling the nose of this demon in silence with only her eyes giving an indication of the seduction happening between them.

The demon leaned closer, inches away from Shikiyoku's face, and his eyes flickered briefly down to her lips, finding them lush and enticing and slightly parted, before returning to her eyes.

Those lips curved ever-so-slightly as Shikiyoku took a breath to speak into the warmth she had created between them.

"What do you _desire_?"

A thousand things ran across the demon's mind as he stood there, breath moving slightly faster than was normal, and Shikiyoku blinked once, hiding the brilliance of her gaze from him for only a moment, but leaving him, in that moment, feeling as if he might go insane should she never gaze upon him again.

As her eyes came open again, he had taken his other hand and placed it at her neck, as if that would make her open them faster.

His vision and mind both tunneled onto this exquisite being before him and he finally gave his reply, the spell over him coming to a completion.

"I desire... ...you."

Shikiyoku's head tilted slightly as if she had fully expected his response. This demon gave in quickly to her tactics, his strength of mind fast overwhelmed by her energy, her presence.

"Tell me," She moved her face so that her cheek brushed up against his, moving her lips close to his ear, and he appeared to shiver at the touch of that same inviting skin against his face that his fingers now caressed up and down her bare arm, his eyes shuddering closed, "How often does Spirit World come to kidnap demons here?" 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, but otherwise moved out of her way, sliding his foot from the door's frame and simultaneously taking a full step back, catching Shikiyoku's words and giving an imperceptible nod to show he'd heard and understood. Her energy moved around her, making the hairs on his arms and neck raise. At Shikiyoku's second prompting, Hiei made no motion that he heard her.

He merely turned his attention inward, deciding that trusting her judgement was likely the only thing he could do at the moment. So his mind focused on the pact, the bond that dully hummed underneath everything else currently on his mind. He carefully kept his eyes turned away from the scene, instead taking in the darkened room despite the beginnings of light outside. He tugged once on the bond, earning a dull throb in his temple from the gentle prodding of such a thing.

"_What do you __**desire**__?"_

The question cut across Hiei's mind, sliding into the forefront of his mind and settling there as if it were making a home for itself. As if it didn't wish to go unnoticed.

And for some reason he couldn't quite comprehend, he himself began sorting through the things he so desired. At first, it was simple things, such as to get this _mission _over with, to leave this level and figure out what was going on between the three worlds. He thought about wanting to see Yukina and make sure she hadn't gotten onto him yet.

His next thoughts consisted of Shikiyoku and Toriko, letting them see the parts of Demon World they wanted to see. And then, he found himself wanting Shikiyoku to feel a little less… _useless. _He wanted her to be _herself_, not a tool for others.

He wanted another moment like the one back at the pond. He wanted them to have _fun. _To enjoy one another's presences and-

The bond suddenly rang in his head, making him blink and focus on it again, previous thoughts now forgotten. His eyes slid open- when he'd shut them, he didn't know- to peer over at Shikiyoku curiously, not sure where she was in her questioning.

"_Is it time to kill yet? I'm ready to get out of here."_

~!**!~

Akari thumbed through file after file, reading the pages with a soft smile here and there. Hagiri, as she'd referred to Sniper as, had gone back to school. He seemed to stay mostly to himself, but that wasn't surprising, even to her. Kamiya had escaped from jail, not only changing his own face and name, but changing his lifestyle as well to support the sick and dying humans. Mitari…

She paused at the file and gave a small smile. He'd been the smartest of them all. He'd been the one to see that Yusuke and his team were the good guys first. He'd done right before any of them could, and she found herself wishing to hunt him down, say hello. Ask about mundane things such as school.

Amanuma. Her fingers paused here as well, almost not opening the file. She remembered how it had been set up, how the youngest of them all had been set up to die in order for the others to continue. But when she opened the file, she was surprised to see that his status read: Alive and well. She read the notes along the side, glancing up at Koenma briefly, who took no notice in the change in air around the female. She found herself feeling a bit more… respectful to this toddler prince.

Not only had he given _her _another chance, but Amanuma as well. She wondered if the others knew that bit.

Her eyes turned down again, skipping Gourmet's file and going straight to Itsuki's, which, like Sensui's, was covered in red letters that read _MISSING_ and _THREAT_. She looked at the closest wall clock, finding that Koenma's clock was generous enough to give her the date back in Human World.

Two months ago. If his disease had stayed persistent, Sensui would have died two months ago. Itsuki…

There was no telling where that one went. He could be stuck in a shadow realm at the moment, and not even the best of shadow masters could find him. It was just that simple.

She closed the last two files and took to staring at the top one in thought.

Maybe when she got back, she'd find them. Say hello. Catch up.

Or, maybe not. _*****_

~!**!~

Within seconds Kurama had evaluated the situation.

To be faced with a demon who could not only mask his own energy, but his scent, his sound, his very presence…

It _this _wasn't an S class demon, Kurama didn't know _what _was.

How he managed to get past the Kekai-

Didn't matter.

Kurama knew he was outmatched, even before he attempted to reach for his demonic energy and found that the same black orb had encircled it once more, locking it away within his body.

The seeds he had been experimenting with that would react to the soil or the air or water-anything that wasn't his energy specifically-were nowhere near out of prototype, as it remained difficult to infuse something with his demonic energy without the knowledge of how to actually seal that energy away from himself, save it for later. He knew nothing of rituals or curses or anything that might allow him to do it. Spells in that realm of knowledge were out of his expertise, though to be fair it wasn't as if many walked the planes of existence that were experts in that sort of thing anyway.

And, at any rate, he wasn't about to throw those seeds at this demon when he actually had no knowledge of what Otento was capable.

"Otento." Kurama said simply, all of these thoughts passing through his head at a moment's notice.

The other demon did not move.

"You are to come with me, fox."

"And if I refuse?"

The blonde uncrossed his arms and held out the leafy crown that Kurama had woven into Akari's hair.

Kurama's expression did not change, even as the crown shriveled brown and then crumbled away into dust in Otento's fingers.

Otento did not have to say another word. His meaning was clear enough for the redhead.

"You will _not _harm her." Kurama's voice lowered, his gaze steely.

"If you come with me of your own accord, no harm _will _come to her." Came the reply.

The urge to reach for hidden seeds almost made Kurama's hand twitch, and even though he restrained it, Otento's vibrant eyes flickered to Kurama's fingers as if he had sensed to desire.

"We will be doing something about that." Otento commented sharply.

There was nothing with which he could legitimately respond. If there was even the slightest chance that the enemy had captured Akari, Kurama wasn't about to risk _her _life.

And, really, it was only a matter of time before the fake Youko needed Kurama removed from the playing field. He was too much of a liability to have walking around.

Kurama blinked once, then held out his hands, wrists together, to which Otento came forward without hesitation, producing a length of wire from somewhere that felt strange when tightened against Kurama's skin in a makeshift pair of handcuffs.

The wire held some sort of power all its own and the energy of it hummed against Kurama's wrists.

Otento started to walk beyond Kurama, tugging at the wire when the fox demon stayed in place for a second too long and setting Kurama to a slight stumble after him.

~!**!~

"You try my patience, fox." Otento growled, slashing again at Kurama's thigh with the needle-thin blade.

Kurama had been led here, wherever _here _was exactly since it had gotten misty with an otherworldly fog and obscured his vision and removed any sense of direction he might have had, and Otento had promptly thrown the other end of the wire up into the branch of one of the dead trees to pull Kurama's hands above his head.

What had followed was a series of increasingly short-tempered questions regarding the whereabouts of 'Toriko.' The interrogation had gone south quickly when Kurama refused to respond, and now Kurama could not even lift his head, his clothing in tatters and bloodied with each strike the other demon had taken. His mind was hazy from the blood loss, and there were no such thoughts of escape in his mind.

Because...if he tried to escape...they might do something to Akari...

Kurama coughed a little as blood got caught in his throat and made his breathing difficult.

He would have-_should have_-blacked out hours-_minutes?_-ago, but somehow his high constitution allowed for no such thing, leaving him in a state of semi-awareness in which he could no longer consider flinching-_not that he had_-under the subsequent attacks.

"Answer me!" Otento brought the blade up across his body and slashed through Kurama's arm again.

The fox stayed silent.

~!**!~

_He was __**supposed **__to have been back an __**hour **__ago. _Foko grumbled to himself as he tromped through the trees. Unfortunately, other things had held the pseudo-fox's attention just long enough for the sleight to go by unnoticed.

_He didn't even need half the time he requested for the job in the first place. What's so hard about apprehending a fox when you have the power to- _Foko stopped dead in his tracks, nose flaring.

Blood.

But Otento's or Kurama's?

Too far to distinguish. He was not in full control of the fox's senses as of yet.

What could have gone wrong?

Foko broke into a dead run, sprinting in the direction of the scent's origin and breaking through the trees with wide eyes onto the scene, seeing Otento's back as he lifted an arm to make another slash meant to join the already countless others that covered the tattered body of the redhead the demon had been sent to obtain.

Foko let out a snarl that shook the trees as he continued forward without pause, bringing up a fist that suddenly sprouted with a sword of deadly plant life and making the last dash forward, swinging the sword down through the very arm that Otento held up to strike into Kurama, and continuing a few paces past both demons before skidding to a halt and turning to glare menacingly at Otento.

Otento stood in shock, staring at the place where his shoulder should have connected to his torso and finding nothing there, the arm fallen to the ground below.

Foko stalked back to the demon, plants disappearing from his fist, and grabbed the blonde by the front of his shirt, turning and slamming him into the trunk of the tree from which Kurama's arms had been strung up.

"You were to bring him back to _me_." Foko's words were crystal clear and articulated, as well as almost to low to hear and dripping with barely-contained fury.

Otento's eyes were just as wide as possible, blood dripping from the place where his arm had once been, staring directly into Foko's cold, golden gaze.

For a split second, Otento's eyes narrowed, but a plethora of indescribable plants erupted seemingly from the air behind Foko and trained themselves upon, facing towards, Otento's body.

"Just _try _to work your magic on my energy." Foko seethed, "I _dare _you. You will be _dead _before your work is finished."

The tension of Otento's body did not lessen, but it changed, and the plants behind Foko disappeared, slithering away out of sight as if they had emerged directly from Foko's back.

"I will spare you your life," Foko snarled viciously, "But only because he is not dead and you have up to this point proven yourself a valuable asset."

Foko glared at Otento, finally releasing the demon from where he was held up against the tree trunk so that he slid back down for his feet to touch the ground.

In two steps, Foko had Otento's limb in his hand and he threw it none too gently at the other demon, who barely caught it in his other hand.

"If you are not back at base by the time I return, I will hunt you down and kill you myself." Foko snapped again. "Get going!" He growled when Otento did not move immediately.

The purple-eyed demon shuddered, but slipped off of the tree, never leaving eye-contact with the pseudo-fox even as he stepped to the side of it, but then he turned tail and ran, quickly moving out of sight of the shifting mist.

Once alone, Foko visibly relaxed, but turned concerned eyes to the fox demon before him, starting to check for vital signs and the extent of the damage. He removed bits of fabric where they had gotten caught inside the wounds, not caring that his hands were quickly becoming soaked in the blood of the overly injured avatar as he made his inspections, speaking quietly to the fox in the hopes that Kurama might latch onto his voice and not fall into unconsciousness.

Unable to recognize the voice, Kurama still did just that, fighting back the urge to give up and let go and knowing on some level that doing so might cause him to never wake up. 3

* * *

><p><em>It's saidhinted at here and there in our roleplay around this time, but CM and I discussed the difference in Shikiyoku and Hiei's interactions when we decided a time-skip was in order (that is, the possibility of Hiei being more talkative with her and the like) and we decided that because of the traveling they did together (the month of a time-skip we did for them basically) that Hiei has become at the very least more amiable specifically when it comes to Shikiyoku since they've been companions and in close quarters for that length of time. And why things like her mood effect him more. So, if you notice moments that you might think are out of character for Hiei, know that CM and I made the choice to have him act in such a way because of their month of travelling, and that here is where we are in fact consciously starting to make the slow shift for Hiei to begin caring for her, and that the change, while meant to be subtle in some aspects, didn't come all at once, but instead did happen over time (we just skipped all the boring travelling they did in that month since nothing terribly important happens)._

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	54. Episode 138 - Confirmation and Care

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dear Reader!

Get to the chaptah!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama<br>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari finally wakes up in Kurama's arms on Kurama's bed,  
>with the avatar weaving vines into her hair out of partial boredom.<p>

After a brief conversation in which Akari tells Kurama she got his point about her scars,  
>she leaves and ends up heading to Spirit World in an attempt to discover what became of Sensui's psychics.<p>

Kurama, meanwhile, can't sleep after having mostly slept himself while watching over Akari,  
>and he subsequently is caught off-guard by Otento, his energy sealed away.<p>

Foko was expecting Otento to return with Kurama, and the psuedo-fox goes looking for the pair,  
>and he finds Otento brutally torturing Kurama for information.<br>After removing Otento's arm and sending him away,  
>Foko sets about stabilizing Kurama's condition.<p>

~!**!~

Hiei and Shikiyoku leave the lounge in which they had taken refuge from the acidic rainfall of the First Level.  
>Hiei takes them to a bazaar, a trading post, specifically seeking out a glove vendor for Shikiyoku.<br>They manage to find a pair that will fit her, and also glean information from the vendor:  
>there have in fact been demon disappearances as of late,<br>and an Aswang went missing most recently from a nearby town.

They journey there to find the town in a state of solemn caution,  
>not a single being on the streets.<br>Hiei catches sight of a telepath whom he cannot read,  
>and decides Shikiyoku will interrogate the demon...<p>

* * *

><p>Shikiyoku moved her bare hand up to brush against the cheek of the demon, eyes locked in his.<p>

As she questioned him, she found herself moving and doing and saying things she had never even considered options before.

She knew somehow, without consciously acknowledging it, that her touch was more potent now, that each attention she gave even with that one free hand was somehow more effective than a thousand before it, requiring exponentially less energy to entice the one in her grasp.

And the demon before her moved his own hand up to place it on top of hers, longing for her touch, for her gaze, for her everything. In her were his desires manifest; without her there would be _nothing_.

He held her against him with his other arm wrapped firmly about her petite waist, staring down into her eyes where he nearly towered over her small form, and the moment would have been considered quite intimate save for the fact that now her energy was visible, wrapped about him and binding him to her in their own private cage of power, her eyes officially glowing and her scent rising invisibly from her hair to enfold the demon in its perfume.

"_Anytime now." _

The demon was leaning closer to her, eyes starting to close as he prepared to finally place a kiss on those lips he had long since wished to claim as his own. 3

Hiei had lost any and all train of thought by this point, watching the way Shikiyoku's energy move, swirling around and around the demon in question and even around herself. Occasionally, he turned inward, touched the bond with his consciousness and earned a hum of joy.

But in the next moment, he would always end up distracted by something or another, normally by a question or the way the demon would answer.

For instance, in this very moment, he was stuck staring again at the haze around the pair, lips pulling downwards at the sudden silence in the room. Then he realized that must mean it was _his _turn. The fire demon moved without so much as a blink of an eye, his sword appearing and then disappearing in a flash of light.

A moment later, the demon's head was literally rolling, falling from his shoulders and to the floor with the rest of him. Hiei, who hadn't even blinked, turned to Shikiyoku with a blank stare.

"We're leaving."

~!**!~

Akari had been taking her leave from Koenma's office and towards the gym before a very loud siren began ringing in the distance and a single light in the hall she'd been meandering down began flashing an angry red. It was at that point that several things happened at once:

One, an ogre ran by, barely keeping from running her over, and only because she'd made herself flat against the wall to avoid him.

Two, she felt her curls fall around her face again, the once green, leafy decoration in her hair falling to the floor in front of her. It was at this point she felt her stomach drop and her feet turn to begin their trek back to Koenma's office.

Three, Botan appeared and was pulling her away, one hand giving her the communication mirror Koenma had told him to remind her of before she left the entire building, the other hand closed tightly on her wrist.

Before she knew it, she was in Human World all over again, feet carrying her as if she knew _exactly _where to be. Quite frankly, she wasn't exactly sure _why_ she was running. She hadn't heard anything Botan had told her. But, the only thing she found herself thinking about was the dead plants that had fallen from her hair. The same plants Kurama had, as she assumed, taken _hours_ to fashion into her hair.

_They wouldn't just __**die**_ _like that. _She knew that if he put them there, he would have fashioned them to stay there as long as she desired. Why? Because… well, it was Kurama.

And the fact that they'd simply fallen from her hair after such a short amount of time… it left her more than just a little uneasy.

"You're going the wrong _way_, Akari! His energy was-"

"No, you're trying to pull me away from his scent. Shut up and let me do my _job_, Botan."

Silence as the reaper followed. She wasn't sure how long she ran, and the girl flew, before Akari broke through a line of trees. But when she did, she was aware of three things: One, Botan had left her be, let her handle the situation to watch from a distance, perhaps. Two, Kurama was hanging, white shirt almost nonexistent and whatever was left of it certainly wasn't _white_. But red. A very bright, angry, gory red that clashed with the wonderful red of his hair. She had the awful sense of déjà vu, but had no time to consider as her eyes shifted to the hands that were covered in red that pulled away from the form hanging from the tree.

And several emotions clashed, forming a large ball of swirling emotions within her, until she settled for one, solitary emotion: rage. Her teeth set as her eyes locked on Foko- no. The Pseudo-Youko. Her lip twitched, lifting only slightly to reveal a single sharp tooth.

"If you do not step away," she began, energy humming through her body, though not moving _away_ from her yet. "you will find yourself _without_ hands." She wasn't sure what kind of confidence she had in herself at the moment, but if it came down to it…

She'd simply fight long enough for Botan to grab Kurama and go, if she were still nearby. If not, well… She'd figure _something _out.

Because Kurama dying was _not _happening. Not with her here. _*****_

As Foko methodically tended to clearing some of the deeper wounds of their debris, thoughts that he'd never had before started stirring in his mind. Realizations and images of plants and their properties, which ones would be useful for healing these cuts, cleansing them, removing the scars that would remain behind.

He became lost in the visions and the knowledge that threatened to overflow within his mind, forgetting to even cut the fox demon avatar in his hands down, though the position did make it easier to work.

Foko only had one such useful plant on his person at the time, and by now the seed had been slipped onto Kurama's bloodied skin near the bottom of his ribs and was being coaxed by Foko into its viney form, slowly spreading underneath the tattered shirt over Kurama's stomach and ribs outwards towards his chest and starting to, wherever it touched, stop the blood flow.

For a split second, he did not register Akari's words, but his ear flicked back and that brought his attention to follow, turning his head until he caught her eyes, his face blank and lost in the deeper thoughts he was attempting to make sense of, his golden eyes obviously distracted and far away.

Her glare pulled Foko from those thoughts and his eyes suddenly cleared, momentarily questioning her expression until he glanced down at his hands, which had come slightly away from Kurama's body.

They were covered in blood, as were part of his arms.

Mostly Kurama's blood, though he was sure there were specks from Otento mixed in there as well.

Foko turned back to look at Akari, and saw in her eyes no immediate chance of redemption for the situation she supposed to have caught him in.

And that's when his gaze hardened, something within him mixed in with all the thoughts and visions coming to the forefront of his awareness and making his face cold and calculating.

A fading wish to explain to Akari what had happened was quickly squelched underneath this tide of new emotion, and it was as if Foko knew now that there would be no turning back.

However...he had no desire to fight her. And with Kurama's energy locked away, this time as permanently as Otento had been able to manage, Foko knew somehow that the fox demon within would not be able to roam free.

And that was the point after all, wasn't it?

There was nothing more for him here.

"We are enemies, you and I." Foko said cooly, quietly. "On two sides of this war." He did not take a step back from Kurama, but he did whip his hands to the side, splattering more blood onto the ground. "And you would do well to remember it."

Something within Foko shouted at him, screamed as he seemingly cut off all contact with this demon whom he had come to cherish. Respect. Perhaps even _love_, in his own way.

But he made no flinch, no hesitation, face remaining in that same flat and emotionless expression that gave no indication of his own private war that he fought within himself as he looked for what he assumed would be the last time upon Akari's face.

Then he simply turned and left, disappearing into the mist that swirled around and ate him up, leaving behind no trace of the silver fox as it enveloped him in its otherworldly mask.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's abruptly disgusted expression did not come from the headless body itself, or rather the beheading of the demon, but from being wrapped in his embrace, which she rapidly extricated herself from with a practiced ease, slipping out of the dead arms and letting the body fall mercilessly to the floor.

Her lip was curled as the body made a thud and she looked down on the empty shell with no small amount of disdain.

The demon's desires were still freshly singing their song inside her mind, and she felt no need to disguise her distaste at their parade, instead pulling her energy away from him and recalling it out of sight.

For the first time, the abrupt death stirred nothing within her. Where before she remembered mind-wrenching devastation at each sacrifice she took under her power, she felt none of that now. Only an aversion to the desires she somehow found disgusting that she had read from the demon now on the floor.

Her eyes stopped so prominently glowing, though they still retained a sort of inner light, and her exposed skin did much the same thing, settling back down, but still whispering of a smoothness of touch that beckoned to be tested.

Shikiyoku wiped her bare hand on her clothing as if that would help remove some of the invisible gunk of desire the demon had left behind in her head, and then slipped the glove back over her fingers and up her arm, pulling down her sleeves and turning to leave the house as she replaced the hood over her head and folded her hair to be hidden within it. 3

Hiei witnessed the way Shikiyoku's energy moved about, slithering around in the air and towards herself until his eyes could no longer see it. He could still smell it, of course, but it was only at this moment when he realized that her scent was from her energy itself, not simply her skin or hair. All of her.

By the time she had slid her gloves up her arms, Hiei had regained control on his own thoughts and was staring down at the body. Now that he thought about it, killing the fool likely wasn't the best idea. This town could likely see _them_ as kidnappers. And that would _certainly _be a hindrance for their travels back to the Ninth Level, and thus, for their travels back to Human World.

The fire demon frowned at the thought, but turned his eyes away from the body anyway, instead pulling them up again to Shikiyoku, watching her hide her face and hair again beneath her hood. Instead of ridding of the body as he normally would have, he decided to leave it where it lay, to avoid others assuming he and Shikiyoku were a part of the group of kidnappers.

He wordlessly turned to go, silent steps moving towards the door and pulling it open, twisting the lock as he stepped aside to allow Shikiyoku to go out first.

He saw no need to look for more answers. He had everything he needed to know, and that left the male in a very quiet, withdrawn state.

It seemed that Gekijou was not lying about a single thing she had said to them.

At least he'd have a month to decide how to go about this…

~!**!~

Akari's energy had slowly begun to move about her skin in the moments where the Pseudo-Youko gave no indication of responding other than turning to her. She shifted her own weight only slightly, balled fists staying at her sides even as her nails dug into her own skin. Every inch of her being screamed at her to move, to fight, to let out the rage.

But she didn't. Instead, she was watching his every single movement, cold stare matching the golden glare she was now receiving from the other. For the first time in her life, she was planning ahead, searching for the twitching muscles that would indicate plant growth around her feet, or a vine manifesting from his hand. She was searching for any and all signs of a pending fight.

So when he moved, shaking the blood from his fingers and palms, her eyes followed the motion before flickering to his face again, catching his words with a twist in her lips that created a gesture that was often accompanied by a growl. _You don't say? _

For a moment, an image threatened to pass before her mind, but she paid it no mind, not allowing memories of _anything_ distract her. And she said nothing to the demon who turned to leave. She merely waited until his form was completely gone from her immediate eyesight.

And she waited a few moments longer before turning her eyes to the male that hung from the branch of the dead tree, her expression suddenly blank and eyes guarded as she took quick steps across the clearing. With swift motions and sure hands, Akari's energy formed a small shadow blade that cut through the binding around the male's wrist, her other arm quickly creating support for the dead weight of Kurama until her first could gently aid in lowering him to the ground.

Silently, her fingers waved before his slightly parted lips, finding the whisper of a breath there and slight relief. _Still breathing, good. _Her energy moved again, this time to the vine she could now see underneath his shirt, cloaking it until her shadows simply _rotted_ it away, after which they carried it away from herself and Kurama.

_I'm sorry. I'm so stupid and-_

She shook her head once in a jerky motion. Now was _not _the time to get stuck in her own mind.

"Kurama?" she called out to the male as a finger brushed away blood from his cheek and then moved to his eyes, peeling back an eyelid to check the reaction his pupil would give. "I'm moving you. Don't fight me." She didn't think he _could_ fight her, even if he was still conscious in any way, but it was a precaution.

Without another word, she moved to stand, carefully pulling the male up with her until she had the entirety of his weight on her back, his arms over her shoulders and her own hands wrapped about an unharmed portion of his arms. Even when Botan silently appeared in front of her, expression of shock before she offered a helping hand, Akari took to moving silently away from the area.

"Akari, he-"

"No. I caused this, I'm fixing it. Just… get me the necessary supplies, if you will. And if you see any other demon in the area, let me know. I can't fight."

"But-"

"_Now." _She turned her eyes to the girl before giving a short sigh. "Pease. Just gather the necessities."

With a frown and a silent nod, Botan was again leaving, and Akari was making her way to her own home, deciding it was much closer than Kurama's. _*****_

"_Where IS she?! Answer me!"_

"_I will spare you your life..."_

"_Moving will make it worse...please remain still while I do what I can. You're bleeding out. I need you to stay with me."_

The voices kept bringing Kurama back from unconsciousness, though they seemed distant, but with this last one he found his pain lessening and that it was easier to latch on to the voice, such a familiar voice, that continued to murmur quietly to him.

It took a moment for him to realize this voice was speaking through remedies he already knew of, creating a steady lull of sound that Kurama tried to make sense of, but only caught the bits and pieces.

"_If you do not step away..."_

Another voice.

He tried to say her name, but his lips parted and no sound came out.

"_We are enemies..."_

No. No, that wasn't true. Otherwise he would be dead.

Kurama opened his mouth again, mind unable to reason any thought as to why, if they were enemies, he had been kept alive.

He could feel the blood coating his throat and could not manage more words.

"_Kurama…?"_

He tried to speak, unable to open his eyes or make much sense of things, and swallowed fiercely as he felt himself being moved.

"_Please…"_

"A-Akari?" His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears, and he attempted to find his own feet underneath himself. 3

Akari paused at the sound of her name being breathed into her own ear, but after such a brief pause she continued on anyway, leaning further forward as she felt his struggle to stand.

"Don't." she said simply, keeping her voice even, keeping her own thoughts and emotions veiled as her energy moved about her, searching for threats in the area. "You're not stable enough to stand, much less _walk_. The bleeding has stopped for the most part, so there's no need to reopen the wounds."

She gave a small frown, eyes staying trained forward as she moved with relative ease despite his weight on her back. "For once, let _me _help _you." _

_Rather, let me fix what I started. Let me help so later, maybe you won' kill me. At least let me make it up to you. __*****_

Kurama made no further movements of protest, knowing that while his size compared to hers might make the position slightly awkward, his weight would be of little to no consequence for another demon.

In the midst of all the blood and gore, the faintest scent of rosemary wafted through his nose as her hair rustled in time with her steps.

_She hadn't been captured._

Kurama didn't know what to think at the moment, though there were few thoughts actually occurring besides breathing, but the welling up of relief from that simple fact flowed over him as he relaxed, fighting once again with slipping into unconsciousness. 3

Akari stayed quiet, mind roving over several things at once. When she felt Kurama was too relaxed, too close to unconsciousness, she would adjust her hold on him as she walked.

_How could I have been so stupid? What made me think that this time, it would be different? _

_Well, it __**is**_ _different._

_This time, I wasn't the one who came to harm. Someone else was. Someone who'd helped multiple times came very close to __**death**_ _because of me._

Those thoughts swirled over and over in her mind, making it impossible to keep her expression blank as she methodically pushed open her front door, using a foot to easily shut it behind herself before continuing on.

She wasn't surprised to see Botan sitting on the floor, talking to Nabu, who said nothing as he eyed the clean sheet and bandages and a whole array of things meant for Akari's use.

"You live _here_, of all places?"

Akari didn't answer, only moved until she was able to lay Kurama on the clean setup Botan had prepared. And she was quick to begin dressing wounds, starting at his arms.

_"I told you," _Nabu suddenly piped in a small tone. _"No one who-"_

"That's enough, Nabu. Botan, I can handle this. Tell Koenma that if he has questions, he knows how to find me." _*****_

If he had the strength, Kurama would have protested the attentions that Akari had started to give him, but his half-lidded green eyes gave every indication that he was having trouble staying conscious, and couldn't see much past the length of his arms, which had since been picked up and started to be cleaned.

Not to mention the fact that he was feeling very...human at the moment. He could not feel the avatar within himself, and without Youko's presence or the ability to access his demonic energy, it left Kurama feeling much the same as he had the first time Otento had locked everything away. Except perhaps more pronounced what with his injuries, which he knew would be healing at the same rate as a mortal.

Hence not _actually _protesting the help. 3

Akari took her time with each and every wound the redhead had, eyes staying carefully trained on her work even as she swapped from one arm to the other. She hadn't watched Botan leave or Nabu get comfortable near Kurama's face, as her attention was solely on Kurama and the wounds that were the worst, the ones that still threatened to bleed.

Once she was absolutely certain no wound would begin bleeding again, her hands slowed their work and her mind picked up on the thoughts she had tried to leave behind.

_It should have been me. What was I thinking? Why didn't I think about this being a possibility?_

_Because I'm stupid and acted like I didn't care for the others. I acted as if I thought nothing of their safety. _

But it was true, she hadn't considered the others being attacked anymore, because she'd put herself in the hands of the enemy, let them get into her head and fool her that maybe she was doing something better than she'd previously done. She'd never considered the fact that others would be affected by her own actions, her own choices.

Then again, she hadn't ever cared about the others before now. Before this group, it had been only her. She hadn't worried about others because there had been _no others. _She hadn't…

She hadn't cared before now.

And now that she had, she'd put them in harm's way.

Her hands suddenly paused their work, hovering over the bandages she'd robotically tied together. She stared at it, not really seeing the bandages around Kurama's bicep or anything in front of her. She clenched her teeth together.

"_We are enemies, you and I….. And you'd do well to remember it."_

_Why? _Why had she stupidly ignored everything that was so obvious? Why did she ignore every single hint? Nabu had even warned her, but…

She leaned away from Kurama now, hands dropping to her lap and head bowing, eyes sliding shut. _You're so stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid._

She suddenly moved again, resuming her work with tender fingers, tying more bandages around wounds that were already clean.

"_Akari?"_

She ignored Nabu's small sound, forcing her expression and mind blank all over again.

"You still conscious?" she asked coolly, tone even and words quiet despite her inner war. For the moment, she wouldn't let her thoughts show to the fox. _*****_

Kurama remained awash in a sea of pain, intermittently closing his eyes completely and opening them just enough to look in the direction he knew Akari was supposed to be.

His eyes had been closed when he felt her stop working, and he had slowly lifted his lids in time to feel her start again.

She hadn't said anything in a long time, and being unable to see her face, Kurama noted nothing of the inner turmoil she felt, but as soon as she spoke he felt something quiver inside him as if noting a strangeness to her voice.

"No." He answered, the corners of his lips tugging upwards a little with the threat of a smile. 3

Akari glanced at Kurama's face, noting the very small twitch of his lips before she turned her eyes back to her work. While she would have found his response funny in another situation, she didn't even consider a smile or a retort for the moment. Nabu shifted somewhere nearby, but again the demoness made no note of anything else aside from the motions of her own hands and her own thoughts.

And for a while, she was just as quiet as before, until she sat back again, this time sitting back on her rear and crossing her legs underneath herself. She rested her elbows on her knees and leaned forward until her hands were propping up her chin, the dried, crusted blood of Kurama rubbing off here and there along her jawline as her eyelids slid closed.

She considered laying down, but her shaking hands were only the first hint that she wouldn't be able to sleep.

_You have to tell him._

"I," she began, giving a small pause, a small hesitation, until she suddenly decided to _not_ say what she knew she was supposed to say, "wrapped up all your wounds. Sleep isn't recommended, but if you were to, I won't be going anywhere." _*****_

Kurama's breathing had steadied, though he still found it difficult to pay attention to anything but the pain, which he felt was only magnified by the fact that he could not feel his body actively seeking out and healing his wounds.

On the plus side, he also felt as if he was no longer bleeding out, thanks in no small part to the demon who had sat back from her work next to him at that very moment.

He opened his eyes half-lidded again, not remembering when exactly they had closed, and found that his vision had cleared a little more, letting him see just the edges of Akari's face in the low light.

"...thank you." He managed after taking a shaky breath. 3

The churning in Akari's gut increased tenfold when Kurama spoke up, and it took every ounce of willpower to keep her expression blank. "Don't," she responded in a flat tone, eyelids finally sliding open to allow her to stare at him blankly.

What was she supposed to say? _You're welcome for getting you almost killed? _

"Just… don't." _*****_

Besides a single eyebrow lifting in question, Kurama's expression did not otherwise change.

"You wrapped my wounds when I was unable to do so." Kurama murmured, "Am I not allowed now to be grateful to you for this?" 3

This time, the flinch was not only internal, but external as well, and Akari was turning her face away. "No." she answered simply, eyes closing again.

"_She's mad because I was right and she was wrong, and…. Akari?"_

For once, Akari hadn't told him to shut up when the dog had begun boasting about her being wrong, because for once, she knew without a doubt that not only had he been right, but listening to him could have prevented so, so much.

"Shut up and sleep, will you?"

"_But he's not supposed to sleep, remember?" __*****_

Kurama's gaze moved over to look at Nabu, then back to Akari's face.

"I do not think sleep would be wise at this juncture." He noted, hesitating for a second, "Akari…" He moved his closest hand towards her, finding her knee and resting it there. "Why do you frown?" 3

"Why do you sound like a character from a human's literature book?" she suddenly retorted, slowly shifting away from the hand that had reached out to her. Akari's thoughts were jumbled, mixed into a swirl of nonsense that had long since been this way.

She wasn't sure she _could _answer him correctly, even if she _wanted _to. _*****_

"You're going to have to tell me eventually." Kurama noted, pulling his hand back and masking his reaction to her pulling away. "Or I might do something we _both _regret." 3

"Threats mean little to nothing when your energy is sealed away and your body is incapable of moving on its own."

"_You're being mean again, Akari."_

"Shut up, Nabu."

"_See, there you go again."_

Akari huffed a sigh out at the dog before opening her eyes and turning her gaze to Kurama again, watching him with a dull gaze that no longer shielded her emotions. It just wasn't a possibility anymore. She felt like she'd been running a marathon of fools, and had lost the entire thing. She opened her mouth to speak, but slowly shut it again. How would she even begin to say it? _*****_

When Akari did not go on, Kurama started shifting about, testing his muscles and the strength that they held, and slowly started to push himself up, his stubbornness, as well as his high constitution, starting to show. 3

For a mere moment, the dog demon watched the fox move, shifting his weight and shuffling about in an obvious attempt at sitting up. An attempt that she didn't think was wise.

"Would you _stop_? You're in no condition to move about and you can't afford to have reopening wounds." _*****_

Her words went unheeded, but Kurama did speak up, his voice steady and normal as if he had not just practically gone to Spirit World for last judgement and come back.

"If I can sit up and look you in the eyes, maybe you'll tell me what's troubling you." 3

"Or maybe you'll _die_, like the moron you are." she grumbled back at him, feeling the flinch at her own words. "It's not going to do you _any _good if you're _dead_, you stupid fox." _*****_

"If you hadn't noticed," Kurama had himself up on his elbows by this point, "I'm much harder to kill than Otento apparently thinks." 3

Akari's teeth were gnashed together now, her jaw muscles flexing in time with her fingers that curled around them. She moved, and in a swift motion, she not only had a pillow where his head would hit the floor from such a motion, but she had a hand on his shoulder and pushed not-so-gently. "What did I just tell you?" _*****_

"I'm not sure." Kurama actually let a small smile cover his lips, "But I don't think it had anything to do with my original question." 3

"You're acting like a child." She retorted, still avoiding the question as she forced him to lay back on his back again. Her hand, despite her earlier motions to get _away_ from his reach, remained on his shoulder as she leaned forward, head bowed so that her hair fell over her shoulder as her eyes slid closed.

"Just… stop moving, okay? Please, just lay still. I don't want to see you hurt anymore."

In truth, a small part of Akari had changed, though she wasn't sure what that change entailed. All she knew was that it centered around this one, solitary person, and he was possibly the most _stubborn, irritating _being in the three worlds. _*****_

"I don't know if you knew this, but someone has taken care of my injuries, so really there's no need to worry about them." He moved the shoulder she had her hand on up as if to rise again, though he did no other movement. "However, as I have yet to receive an answer, I might be forced to more drastic measures." 3

The frown the pulled Akari's lips down was one of irritation mixed with unamusement and other emotions. Emotions she herself still hadn't sorted through entirely. She knew she felt embarrassed at her own blunder, nervous at how he would look at her after she told him, betrayed because-

_Not going there._

Disappointed. She'd thought she was doing better, but she'd just repeated history.

Angry.

And so much more. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed and she drew away fro Kurama, as if saying he could do what he wanted. She wasn't in charge of him anyway. If he wanted to reopen wounds, so be it.

She rubbed the back of her hand roughly against her eyes, as if wiping away the stinging sensation behind her lids. The cause, at the moment, was lost on her.

"You could have _died_." she suddenly spoke up, voice shaky even in her own ears. "You could have _died_, and it would have been _my _fault because I'm an idiot." _*****_

"Akari," In a swift motion only Kurama could have managed after being injured thusly, he was turned over on his side, leaning on one elbow and reaching for Akari's face with his other hand, where he took her chin and moved her face towards his, attempting to get her to look him in the eyes, "Akari, listen to me." He searched her face, green eyes now bright and filled with the years of life he had vicariously lived through his avatar, "None of this is your fault." 3

As soon as Kurama's hand had hold of her chin, Akari was yanking away, batting her hand at his wrist and leaning as far as she could from the male without toppling over. She wasn't sure what the sound was that she choked on, whether it was a growl or something else, but in the next moment, her mouth was open.

"No, _you _listen to _me._" She took a deep breath, suddenly very aware of her next words and how he would react. "_You _can't say it isn't _my _fault, because you don't have a _clue_." An image suddenly crossed her mind and she paused, blinking once before returning to reality. "_Youko_ was not in that illusion. I haven't even _met_ _Youko_, because there's been no need for me to _meet_ the real deal." Her breath hitched for a moment. "_You _were nearly killed because _I _amd the same moron I've always been and it should have been me and, and…"

Suddenly, she was unable to speak, her throat now thick and breaths coming much faster now as she rubbed at her face again, swiping at the wetness on her cheeks.

Her next words were nothing but a whisper. "So don't tell me it _isn't my fault." _*****

Kurama listened patiently, still propped up on his side, as several things made sense in his head all at once.

His first instinct was to laugh in relief, but for her sake, he discarded that initial desire.

_That _was her big secret? As if she was the first being in the world to be betrayed.

And for that matter, not even 'be' betrayed, but no, 'feel' as if she were betrayed.

Kurama slowly shifted again, this time with much more measured movements, until he sat cross-legged across from Akari, his expression solemn.

"Akari." He started, stating her name in a practical manner. "When you found me, what did you see?" 3

Akari hadn't even been aware of Kurama's movements until he spoke, drawing her eyes up from her hands that had stilled for the moment to peer over her fingers. The expression he wore had her feeling as if she should be ashamed, as if he were hiding his real emotions about what she'd just said. And his question was ridiculous.

Her expression turned from… whatever it had been… to a darker once, shadows seemingly forming on her face as her mind very easily produced the memory before her mind's eye. Again, several emotions hit her at once, but the most prominent one was _anger_. "You were all but dead." _*****_

Kurama's head shook, just slightly, once, before he pressed her more exactly, "Besides me, _who _did you see?" 3

Again, emotions shifted, and when the mental image cleared, Akari was left glaring ahead, her expression remaining on the stronger of the emotions that had been coaxed forward. "What do you mean, _who?" _she replied, but giving him no time to answer. "_Who_? That- That," she struggled, colorful words crossing her mind before she settled on a simpler term, "_fox_." _*****_

"I suppose there's no point in asking you what you _thought_ he was doing." Kurama noted, "Allow me to guess: his hands were covered in my blood?" 3

Akari's stare locked on Kurama and hardened into rocks, his words feeling a bit like a challenge. "And?" _*****_

"And what would you say if I told you that had the...'fox,'" Kurama went with her word for the pseudo-Youko. "Not chosen to stabilize me when he appeared, that even your wondrous wrapping abilities would have done no good."

He had not turned his gaze from hers, but he made sure his next words were clear.

"The fox did not do this to me, Akari." He gestured nebulously to his body, his injuries, "Truth be told, I believe he did not _mean _for this to happen to me. If you wish to be furious at someone, then your anger would be better spent pointed at _Otento_ who-" Kurama's words caught in his throat as he suddenly realized he had been about to admit to exactly _how _the infamous kitsune-avatar had gotten...err...captured.

Because he'd thought they'd had Akari. 3

At first, the demoness had done nothing more than meet Kurama's even gaze with a steely one, as if challenging _him _to challenge _her….. _as much sense as that made. But as he spoke, words slowly began sinking in, and her expression gradually changed from a dark, irritated one to a look of surprise. Her lips parted in a small 'o' formation for a moment before sealing shut again.

And she sat in silence, hearing nothing more that the fact that the false Youko hadn't done harm, but…. helped?

_Still.. _A small voice filtered from the back of her mind, wriggling its way to the forefront of her mind. _He may not have directly attacked, but he's still at fault. _

Suddenly, her expression was blank, and when she blinked, so was her stare that lifted from the floor to Kurama's eyes again.

"It doesn't matter _who." _she pointed out. "He's to blame as well, because he-" she cut her own words off with a sigh. _No use in sharing these thoughts. They're useless to someone who doesn't care about-_

_She cared._

That thought had her jerking just a little before returning to passive again. "It doesn't matter." she repeated, blinking once slowly at Kurama again. "How're you feeling? I mean, you can't be _too _hurt if you're making stupid remarks." _*****_

Kurama let Akari's first comment slide.

He knew that the fake Youko was to blame for his capture; the fox had likely given the order. But...the memories he had of the exchange between Otento and his leader indicated to Kurama some sort of strife that had not been so prominent before.

He felt sure that the original intent of his capture had been strictly to restrict the true Youko's ability to be summoned. And Otento deciding to 'interrogate' him on the whereabouts of Toriko was very obviously something the fake Youko did not intend to have occur.

The question _did _remain, however, as to _why_ the fake Youko did not want Kurama dead. Would it not be easier to simply kill him and be done with it instead of going to all the trouble of locking Youko away within him?

But the fake Youko very obviously did _not_ want Kurama dead, otherwise he would have either not interfered, or allowed Otento to continue, or simply let him bleed out.

Kurama had considered the motives of this band of demons before now, but he looked on them in a new light, wondering at their real intentions.

"Actually, I'm not really certain if I can move any longer." Kurama gave Akari a simple, almost cheerful, reply, letting none of the thoughts that had passed through his mind in an instant darken the words. 3

The frown that pulled at Akari's lips was deeper than one she'd worn before, this time aimed at Kurama and not herself. She released a small huff of a sigh, eyes closing for a moment in order to restrain herself, keep herself from making a remark.

When she reopened her eyes again, she was staring at him. Her lips twitched just a little. "Maybe I'll leave you like that then. Serves you right." She made sure her tone matched Kurama's pleasant one perfectly, even adding a small tilt of her head. _*****_

"It certainly would. Far be it from me to deny the truth." Kurama replied easily, "At least this way I can see you better." 3

"Frankly, I'm surprised you can see _anything _other than the darkness of unconsciousness." She admitted, smile still just as pleasant as her tone. "I could fix that for you, if you wanted me to." _*****_

Kurama's eyes narrowed playfully, "And _how, _pray tell, do you plan on _fixing _that?" 3

"I guess if you _really _wanted to know, I could _show_ you. But I don't know if you'd enjoy it as much as I would." _*****_

"And I'm not sure you have any _idea _what I might or might not enjoy." 3

Akari rolled her eyes to the ceiling at Kurama, for the moment deciding not to answer because, quite frankly, she didn't know how to. And when her eyes rolled down to meet his gaze again, her smile was gone and she was releasing a long, tired-sounding sigh. "I've learned challenging fox demons aren't fun. I lose." she reached forward, placing a hand on his shoulder with the intentions to guide him back to a comfortable laying position. _*****_

"A most _wise _lesson to choose to take to heart, pup." Kurama chuckled, but allowed Akari to help him lay back down, watching her thoughtfully. 3

AKari helped Kurama adjust until she felt his muscles relax under her grasp, at which point she retreated, taking to sitting just how she had earlier, legs crossed and elbows on her knees, chin in her hand. This time, she took to watching the other calmly, quietly. "You're no fun." _*****_

"Is that so? Pity. I've been told I'm loads of fun." Kurama's expression remained dry. "It's absolutely terrible to have been lied to all these years." 3

"Well, I mean, _I _was able to recover from being thrown to and from treetops in an hour, tops. I even was able to play tag and-"

She stopped, frown suddenly forming on her features again. The memory of being thrown via rock platforms through the air, only spared by the fake Youko had her feeling rather… queasy. Sick. Ill. Whatever one wished to deem it as her stomach rolled. _*****_

Kurama turned his head slightly so that he might be able to see the small dog nearby.

"Nabu," He said with faux-seriousness, "Whatever possessed you to let her run around playing _tag _after being hurt?" 3

Nabu stirred, lifting his head from where he'd been curled up, listening quietly before huffing indignantly at Kurama. "_I can't tell her what to do. You've seen how she listens to me."_

Akari mirrored the huff Nabu had made and turned her head to the side. "I do what I _want _to."

"_And it leads to trouble."_

"I've saved your butt more than once, or have you forgotten about the dog catcher?"

"_We don't speak about that. Flowers, make her stop." __*****_

"And just where do you think you would be were it not for your comrade here?" Kurama spoke up, eyes glimmering with both humor and the seriousness that such a question demanded. 3

Akari's smile suddenly returned, bright and wide and toothy as Nabu scrambled for an answer. "_I'd _be creating problems and likely being hunted down by Koenma, if not dead by now."

"_I would be with a __**nice**_ _family, who had kids who let me lay with them at naptime and-"_

"Now _that_ is an exaggeration. You can't handle kids."

"_Neither can you."_

"Wrong. I can handle it if I need to."

"_But remember that time when-"_

"We don't speak about that, either." _*****_

Kurama's eyes closed as the two continued exchanging banter back and forth, a smile fixed over his lips as he finally felt the weight of the last few hours settle across his body, finding that rest did not take long to fall over his mind and cause him to drift off to sleep. 3

Akari and Nabu both went quiet as they noticed the silence from Kurama, who, upon closer inspection, had drifted off. Nabu curled back into his ball of fur and went back to his attempt at slumber, and Akari…

For a while, she found herself watching the pair with gentle eyes and a kind smile. And after a few more moments, she found herself heaving a long-suffering sigh that almost transitioned into a yawn. She shouldn't be tired.

But watching the two males sleep made her feel as if she herself needed a nap. Maybe not a full night's- or rather, day's- rest, but… a small nap wouldn't hurt.

She shifted about, until she was laying on the floor where she had been sitting, laying on her side so that if something were to happen, Akari would already be facing the redhead who she had decided would be under her supervision for a bit.

_At least until he can move again. __*****_

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wasn't really sure what to think of the developments she and Hiei had discovered while here in Demon World.

She spent the month journey back to the Ninth Level in a much more somber mood than the trip down had been without really understanding why.

After all, the intel they gathered didn't particularly affect her.

What did _she _care if demons were being stolen from their homes and dropped into Human World, minds-wiped of all but aggression, with antagonistic purposes? And even if they _were _being taken by Spirit World's King Enma himself, again, why did it matter for _her_? She couldn't particularly care less, though she supposed perhaps that was because it had not affected anyone she knew or cared for.

As for Hiei...well...wasn't he technically in the _employment _of Spirit World? Perhaps that made things different for him.

Being a demon who spent the majority of her life out of the direct influence of Spirit World-considering that the 'offices' only had 'control' over the part of the First Level-she hadn't ever come across them, save for when they sent Hunters or whatever after Youko and subsequently her. But even then, it wasn't as if she could _blame _them for what they tried to do. In their own twisted way, they probably thought it was the _right _thing to do.

Though, _if _King Enma was overthrown, Shikiyoku _supposed _that the warrant out for her arrest would go away. That would be a plus. And she guessed something of a similar sort for the fire demon. But they seemed to have forgotten about her anyway, so in the end it didn't really matter, right?

...then why did she still feel so _lousy_? 3

He wasn't sure exactly _when _he had made up his mind, but some time during the trip back to the Ninth Level, Hiei had decided that telling Koenma _anything_ was, as of this very moment, out of the question. There were, quite frankly, too many risks in telling the _prince _that the _king_ was to be overthrown, if possible. While the fire demon still thought of it as something completely unable to happen, he realized that the possibility of such an event would mean nothing, but the simple _threat_ could end in mass destruction of…. well…

Every one.

Every single demon who had ever _once _stepped out of line, and that would, eventually, lead to Shikiyoku and even himself being targeted.

And that was a no-go.

Even still, while the rumors of demons being taken from their homes and planted on the plane meant for humans was very obviously much more than a simple rumor, there was no evidence stating that Enma was behind such a thing.

There was no evidence whatsoever that even remotely _hinted_ that it isn't simply just…. Demon smuggling. Slave trade.

In fact, he'd almost convinced himself that that was _exactly _what was going on.

But still, something continued to pull at the fire demon, make him retrace his thoughts and circle back to the very beginning all over again.

In the end, he had decided that it was now _his _responsibility to look into it. He'd talk to the smartest of them all first, see what the fox had to say about such a possibility.

From there….

Well, he'd just have to play it by ear.

Red eyes focused again on the path ahead, quickly adjusting his step to avoid a tree he'd been careening towards. Hiei narrowly missed the branch with a simple shift in his stride, landing expertly within the shadows of the tree he'd been moving through. He felt his hair resettle into place, along with his cloak and swords, and he turned to gauge their location.

Not that it helped much. He knew, still, nothing of the Ninth Level. Only that there was one particular place he wished to avoid at all costs.

But…

For now, break time was in order. _*****_

~!**!~

A babbling river produced many a creature for consumption, and Uryo had more than hunted his fair share, conjuring a fire at his feet in front of the fallen log upon which he sat and roasting two fish in one hand on two separate sticks while simultaneously tearing into a third fish which had finished cooking a few minutes before.

Not a single beast disturbed him as he hummed to himself some snatch of a long-forgotten song and turned the sticks over the fire this way and that to spread his flame evenly across it.

Uryo had been hanging around the cross-ways for the past week or so waiting for the pair to come back.

Escaping the wrath of the palace was of little to no consequence for him as he had yet to meet his match in speed or strength. Angering the royalty was probably the most exciting thing he'd done for...a long time.

Chuckling to himself, Uryo tore into the cooked fish for another bite, tilting his head only slightly as he sensed them descending into the level, his body jolting slightly in a hiccup, his breath-as always-heavy with drink that made his world swirl slowly around him.

They were much too far off to detect his presence, but he stayed where he was, knowing he sat in relative closeness to their path, at least close enough that eventually they would know he was near.

Especially since he was broadcasting his energy for them to find.

They'd come. Soon. Ish. 3

~!**!~

Time seemed slower here than other levels, the fire demon realized as he stood. While the First Level had days that only lasted a few hours, this level seemed to have days that lasted…. much longer. And as he stood still in the branches, his Jagan swept for immediate threats, searching for unwanted attention before he turned inward, checking the bond that had, as of late, become rather quiet within his mind.

Almost nonexistent.

After another sweep of the area, Hiei decided that maybe it wasn't yet time for a break. They could have one when they found an abundant source of food.

Which was, obviously, not within the very dry, very silent area he'd stopped in.

So he turned and nodded once at Shikiyoku again and continued moving on, heading straight and never altering his path.

Not even when a source of very strong energy slipped into his consciousness and grabbed hold of his attention. In fact, he'd decided to stop by and visit the source, who was very obviously _not _within the city walls of the town that Hiei and Shikiyoku had broken away from.

After all, Hiei felt as if he owed the demon a thanks for all the help. How he would do such a thing, he didn't know, but he'd think of something. Eventually.

As he closed the distance between himself and the demon he'd been looking for, Hiei slowed to a casual gait, hands finding his cloak pockets and a calm air finding its way around the fire demon, who had previously been rather tense about… everything.

"Have enough to share?" Hiei called before he even saw the demon, having smelled the cooking grub and sensed that it was of the other's doing. Of course, he was kidding. _*****_

A sloppy smile spread across Uryo's flushed face and he deftly tossed one of the sticks in his hand towards the other fire demon.

"I thought you'd never ashk!" He rejoined in good humor, watching the pair emerge from behind the forest of red-colored trees to his left.

He shifted the other cooking fish into his right hand with the one he had been eating from and reached inside the front of his tunic for a flask that he took a large quaff from before replacing it out of sight.

Shikiyoku nodded solemnly to Uryo who found her expression troubling as she closed the distance between them and sat on another fallen log arranged across from Uryo, staring silently into the fire that danced without fuel near Uryo's feet between them.

The river to Uryo's right laughed and giggled downstream happily, its red-tinted waters keeping hidden the creatures below, but Shikiyoku sat lost in her thoughts and did not seem to notice much until Uryo stuck the partially eaten fish in front of her face.

She startled back slightly, eyes wide, and Uryo blinked, quickly retracting the offer and giving her the proper fish he'd meant to. The uneaten one.

Unable to stand the silence, he spoke up again, frowning slightly.

"You haven't sh'een Ryou, have you?" He looked about them, half-expecting to see the tiny black dragon wheel out of the trees above with them. 3

The fire demon deftly plucked the fish from the air with a calm grace that made it very easy for Hiei to simply lift it to his lips, taking a bite out of it anyway despite his earlier thoughts of catching his own meal. After all, it was much too easy to simply stay here and eat what was offered to him. By the time he had swallowed, Uryo had asked a very simple question, but it left the fire demon momentarily thinking back.

Was even the lur'mog still with him and Shikiyoku? He wasn't sure.

But Ryou…

"No," he replied after a moment, moving to stand at the space that was between the two fallen logs, deciding that he didn't feel like sitting just yet. "Only a lur'mog." _*****_

Uryo had taken to staring at Shikiyoku, and whether or not he heard Hiei was hard to say.

His stare was not the most polite or subtle either, but it held nothing but pure curiosity, if of the drunken kind.

Shikiyoku had pulled her hood back when she settled down to eat, her dark hair falling around her shoulders as she absently tore pieces of the fish off the stick to put into her mouth with a still-gloved hand.

In the light of the Ninth Level though, Uryo could see the pearlescent gleam that since their last meeting had settled over her skin.

It was...it was meant to be enticing. He knew that much. And while the previous time, like the first, he noted how much her energy wafted around her body like so much perfume, this time the power was so much more dense, in a greater quantity than before.

Her clothing did appear to constrain it a bit, as the majority of the energy was currently roiling about her head in a scent that would be dangerous with too long of an exposure.

But that's what a Champion was for, no?

"You're different, lady." He said around a large chunk of fish he had just taken his eyes off of Shikiyoku to rip from his stick. "Oh!"

He once again reached his hand into the gap of his clothes at his chest and pulled out...something, and held it out towards her.

"Hey!" He said, a little louder than his conversational tone. "Wake up! You've been bugging me for week'sh about them and now you've gone and fallen ashleep jusht when they've gotten here! You drank too much!" He hiccuped.

A small, scaly body curled up in Uryo's palm started to stir. The lur'mog had his tail up over his face, clutching at it in his sleep with both paws. He wriggled around a little, warm in Uryo's hand, but did not take much stock in anything else at the moment. 3

Hiei turned his eyes over to Shikiyoku once he noticed Uryo's lack of reply and complete interest in the female. He stayed silent even when the other male made a comment, all of which Hiei wasn't very surprised this demon could see or feel or whatever….

Nothing about Uryo would surprise him anymore, he decided.

"She's gained more power." Hiei stated in a very small tone, one that was almost considered prideful for her. He wasn't sure why, but the thought that she'd overcome even her own mother's power over her was something he thought was quite the milestone. "It's been a bit of trouble to keep under wraps." he said quietly, watching her for a moment before moving to sit on the grass, legs stretched out before him.

And then he was staring at the curled up lur'mog in Uryo's grasp. He raised a single brow at the sleeping creature before turning his red gaze up at Uryo again. He said nothing, only observing for the moment.

Because, for the first time in two months, Hiei felt rather calm. _*****_

"It'sh dripping off of her." One of Uryo's eyebrows raised, but his eyes were still on the lur'mog in his hand. "You've made quite the sh'pike sh'ince the lash't time we sh'aw one another." Uryo hiccuped again, silently, and then took a deep breath.

His eyes clouded with worry, thinking about Ryou as he looked down at the creature that had just started to wake, sitting up and shifting to let his tail fall over the side of Uryo's hand and starting to rub at his closed eyes with his fist clenched into tiny paws.

"Ryou disappeared about the time we parted." Uryo's voice sounded darker, sad. "I haven't seen him since. I was honestly hoping he had simply gone adventuring with you, but I see now that isn't the case."

The thought was very sobering.

Uryo smiled and wiggled his fingers a little when the lur'mog was slow to see who Uryo meant for him to see.

"You must have...hic...drank quite a bit to be _this _slow on the up-take."

The lur'mog didn't seem terribly bothered by the jostling, but Uryo's voice drew his wide eyes upwards, his mouth falling open just a little as he gazed glassy-eyed at the older fire demon.

Uryo made a point to turn his hand so that the gaze would be facing Shikiyoku and the lur'mog gave a little start, promptly falling off of Uryo's hand in a little poof onto the forest floor, landing on his bottom and staring up at her.

A whispered smile passed over Shikiyoku's lips but did not stay long as the lur'mog slowly righted himself and stood up, bobbing over in a walk to her ankle, a faint flush across his nose slits.

He started talking once he reached her, throwing his arms around her ankle and beginning to chirr and chirp all at once, wrapping his tail lazily about her and telling her all about everything.

The world blurred around him as she gently reached down and scooped him up in one hand, placing him on her shoulder where he promptly rocked to the side and started to fall, Shikiyoku frowning a little and catching him, putting her legs side-by-side to create a platform and setting him in her lap.

Once sat down again, he stood and clutched at his tail, still looking admiringly up at her, blinking his large eyes, and continuing to chatter the latest news to her. 3

Hiei went quiet, listening to the lively sounds coming from the lur'mog who was perched in Shikiyoku's lap. He continued to watch the spectacle, though he wasn't really _seeing _the scene. His mind was far away, again trained on the days to come when he'd be standing in front of Koenma, telling the prince that _nothing _had been revealed, but that they still _did _have a spy.

And If they had come back with no information, as he would tell Koenma, would Shikiyoku still be released from her warrant? Surely an internal source was good enough, right?

Again, the thought of staying _here_, in this world, crossed his mind.

But it was quickly, and again, contradicted with his urgent need to learn more of what was going on, to speak with his comrades and find their opinions on the matter.

And to kill a very certain someone who was _not _in this world. He hadn't forgotten that. Not yet. Not ever.

Otento would pay dearly. Hiei would see to that personally.

But still. What would all of this add up to? _If _Enma was behind the happenings, then what would that mean for the group _he _was supposed to fight? Would that make them…. the _good _guys? No, not possible. Anyone with any sense of honor wouldn't do…. what has been done.

And, _if _Enma were overthrown, what would happen then? Would the three worlds merge? Would they collapse? Would things simply stay as they were?

Surely not.

_We'd all be dead for opposing. __*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	55. Episode 139 - The Northern Tribe, Recoup

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow FanFiction Fanatics!

As I was preparing this chapter for posting, I realized I introduce some romanized Japanese words in here that have specific meanings, and were chosen very specifically. Heh. Anyway, it got me to thinking that several names or words that CM and I use also have meanings behind them, and it is with that in mind that I am going to start defining such words at the ends of the chapters. I have already started the process of going back and inserting previously mentioned terms into previous chapters, but it's a work-in-process that will probably take me the next couple of days at least. Because I _am _going back and inserting definitions in the appropriate chapters in which they are introduced, I will only be putting words introduced for the first time in _this _chapter in the end notes here.

If you want to catch up in a more immediate manner with the various romanized words used in the story, you'll have to go back through previous chapters for now. I may compile them all into a chapter sometime in the future once I'm all caught up, but that will take a while for sure.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari finds Foko tended to Kurama, but she assumes Foko to be Kurama's attacker.  
>Foko takes the opportunity to sever his tie with her,<br>slipping farther into the persona he has taken on,  
>and leaving Akari to pick up Kurama.<p>

Akari takes Kurama back to her home  
>and uses healing implements provided by Botan to tend to Kurama's wounds.<p>

When he awakens, Kurama manages to convince Akari that it was not Foko,  
>but Otento who had done the damage to him.<p>

Both Akari and Kurama fall asleep soon after that.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku and Hiei have all of Gekijou's words confirmed to them  
>via the interrogation Shikiyoku does on the First Level resident.<p>

After this, they spend a month travelling back down to the Ninth Level,  
>and upon arriving they find that Uryo has been waiting for them.<br>They are reunited with the lur'mog, and they share in Uryo's meal.

* * *

><p>"Uryo…" Shikiyoku hesitated, eyes still down-turned onto the lur'mog on her lap.<p>

The older fire apparition lifted his attention to her, still unsure of how reserved she had become and what exactly it meant.

Could she...could she _fear _her power? After all this time?

With more of a sense of curiosity than his initial, brief assessment, Uryo metaphorically reached out through the space between them to get a better feel for Shikiyoku's power.

In the meanwhile, he waited for her to continue.

"Were you...were you alive when there was only Sekaiju?"

Uryo's eyebrows raised in surprise at her question as he probed gently, undetectably, at the demon across from him.

"That world is only a myth. An _old wives tale_, as the humans so often put it."

Shikiyoku caught his sanguine eyes with her own, and he felt somewhere inside a tick of awareness of the deepness of her gaze, where somewhere far within there was an ethereal glow that she only had to blink in order to summon. For the first time he understood how one could lose themselves in those eyes, and he did not look away.

"In legends lie truths too big for facts to hold." Shikiyoku finally replied.

Uryo caught something else in his evaluation of Shikiyoku, something that was not..._right_, though he did not truly have the vocabulary to describe exactly what.

_You have changed much in the months since I have seen you. And not all of it for the better I think._

"I'm not surprised to hear that you know of Sekaiju, storyteller that you are, lady."

"But...you do not know of it."

"I know less than yourself I imagine. And I...hic...have not experienced it, no."

Uryo laughed and broke eye contact, neatly cutting off the spell that had been attempting to weave between them and had settled over their conversation.

"I am not _nearly _old enough for that." He took another bite of fish.

Shikiyoku lowered her eyes again, finding the dancing fire that Uryo still had flaming upon the ground.

There was only one other she could think of to ask. Only one other contact she knew that might have lived, or perhaps had a parent who lived, when the three worlds had been one, when humans lived alongside demons.

Kafu...

But that would mean returning to the very city that was still under Rae's control.3

Hiei stared at the scene before him for what felt like an eternity, wrapped in his own circulating thoughts even as conversation unfolded before him. And for a while, he was oblivious to the words that floated between the pair he faced.

What pulled him from his thoughts was the sudden burst of laughter that filled the air. Hiei turned his red eyes up at the other demon, blinking only once at the rather loud sound that had almost startled him. Almost.

He wasn't sure what the conversation was about, and for a moment, didn't care. It didn't seem important thanks to Uryo's talk of age. But, again, with the cloud that hung over Shikiyoku, he considered consulting his Jagan for a playback.

But he decided against it. It was likely something he didn't need to know anyway, otherwise she would have let him in on it long ago.

Suddenly he realized he was still holding a speared fish, the stick still in his hand and the fish only half eaten.

"How long have you been out here?" He suddenly asked, realizing that the time difference between levels would be rather vast. What could have been a month for him could have been only a week for Uryo. _*****_

Uryo gave Hiei another lopsided grin.

"My time, or your time?" He used the moment to consider the question, but raised and lowered one shoulder after a brief pause. "Time is of little consequence to me. Seconds are like days and weeks if I do not keep myself hazed."

Shikiyoku found herself lost in thought again.

But what would the _point _be in bringing the three worlds together?

That was assuming it was even possible, because to her knowledge there was little proof of Sekaiju ever having existed, except in wistful accounts of half-baked demons who ached to rule over those 'lesser humans.' There had _always _been three worlds. Since the beginning of time. ...Right?

_In legends lie truths too big for facts to hold._

Her own words to Uryo echoed back at her.

The reason for these thoughts were guesses that Shikiyoku had started to make. Conjectures as to what the 'fake' Youko was up to. A war on Spirit World? To what end? Enma was not their end goal, but...

If it were possible to gather the three worlds into one, to once more allow demons to rule the land as the old stories said they had done, then it would be within Spirit World that the secret would lie.

For...the story went it had been the Kamis who saw humanity cowering in fear, unable to flourish under their demonic brethren, and that the Kamis themselves tore the world apart to separate them...and set up Spirit World as the gate between...3

This time, when he looked to the older fire apparition, Hiei was contemplating a few things. He'd never _thanked_ someone before. Certainly not for saving his life, because he'd never had it happen before. This demon's help had been extremely needed, and Uryo had simply lended a hand without even being asked, or it even being _hinted_.

And he'd likely saved Shikiyoku's life as well.

How should he go about such a thing? Such words were lost on him.

So he turned away, again deciding to stay silent on his thoughts. Instead he took to watching Shikiyoku, something he hadn't done recently. At least, not for any reason other than to consult her about directions or something pertaining to their return to the other two worlds.

And now that he observed, he realized just how _dark _the cloud that hung over her was. While her irises shone with hidden energy, they were, in a sense, dull. And the shadows that fell over her face were not from the light of their surroundings.

He'd gotten distant with her lately, all because he didn't know how to go about what was ahead. _What a foolish thing to do. _

Then again, he felt as if the only way she would brighten up is if she simply worked through it herself.

Whatever _it _was.

After all, his own attempts never amounted to much. In the end, she returned to _this. __*****_

The area had grown quiet save for the river and the occasional chirp of the lur'mog who would remember something important he had forgotten to say, the conversation fading away.

Shikiyoku's mind stayed upon the stories she had heard over the years, ones that she had taken and pieced together in what she thought to be the most coherent tale of how Sekaiju, the one world, had become three.

Instead of creating a new world for the demons, as they did not have the resources to do so, the Kamis decided to simply split apart the _one _world. For such an arduous task, three beings were needed: A demon powerful enough to act as a conduit to draw the other demons to their new home, a human strong enough to keep the other humans in place, and a Kami, to serve as the median between the two.

The Sundering spoke about how great the sacrifice had been to pull apart the very fabric of reality in order to give demons a separate home. Or force them there. Depending on who was doing the telling.

In fact, the demand of such a task was so great that the Kami became mortal, the human died and his spirit was no more, and the force necessary for the banishment flung the demon so hard into his new home that he crashed through eight levels of earth while encased in fire before slamming onto and stopping at the ninth.

It worked, though. In a manner of speaking. But instead of _two _worlds, the Kamis had created three, and they put the now-mortal Kami in charge of the third.

These things had been on Shikiyoku's mind since she and Hiei had gotten their information from the demon she interrogated on the First Level. Ever since they had gotten confirmation about Enma's actions, and in the same breath affirmed that the fake Youko intended to _do _something about it, Shikiyoku found herself stewing on what there could be done after Enma was overthrown. And what else but to 'raise the demons up' once more and 'restore their rightful place as lords over the humans?' And how else would one do it outside of restoring the three worlds to their former singleness?

Why had such conjectures left Shikiyoku's frame of mind in a dark state?

One variation on the story had more than just three beings involved in the ritual. It claimed that it had taken the lives of many humans, and that more than one Kami lost their immortality and ended up residing over what became Spirit World for as long as their mortal lives allowed, after which their progeny took up the task.

This same variation also talked of more than one demon involved, and while the one who served as the catalyst-some claimed this was the first demon, the most powerful of them all and the one from whom all other demons descended-still found himself cast into the depths of Demon World, the one upon whom fell the main task of unweaving the fabrics of reality was none other than the mightiest demon of pain the land had ever seen. Because only one who knew pain intimately, and could resist such pain, would be able to withstand the excruciating process of tearing apart the world. And even then the demon died from the strain of unraveling the dimension.

Now, why had the fake Youko been so eager to persuade Shikiyoku to join him?

Because if that variation was right, and if Shikiyoku's conjectures were also correct...if a demon of pain separated the world, why would not a demon of pleasure be the one to restore it?

Uryo glanced up at Shikiyoku again, then back down to the fish he had in his mouth.

"Brooding doesn't sh'uit you, Junai." He said unceremoniously around the food as he chewed the meat.

At the last word, Shikiyoku looked up suddenly, her expression unreadable.

The smallest smile curved Uryo's lips and he just as suddenly reached over and took Shikiyoku's chin in his hand, scrutinizing her face as he turned it left and right.

"Most demons do know me by that word." Shikiyoku said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze as he inspected her. "In fact...less than a handful."

"I am not most demons." Came his answer. He dropped his hold on her and sat back again. "But then again, few live to be my age and never come across it."

Shikiyoku's face grew curious and she looked over at him.

"Where is she now?"

"Dead." Uryo made the word sound simple. "Love is blind. She was not as strong as I first thought. Or perhaps...no, I am for certain that it was actually I who was not as strong as I first thought. She took her own life. And I was not there to stop her."

Shikiyoku's eyes softened and she looked upon Uryo differently with that knowledge in mind.

His crooked smile returned, "It was not as long ago as I might suggest."

The lur'mog chirped loudly, then hiccuped and fell over, squeezing his eyes shut and wondering if the forest around him would ever stop weaving about. 3

Hiei had grown silent, and stayed that way even as talk again picked up between the pair. He kept his eyes turned away for a bit, as if deaf to the conversation, but really he was curious. He didn't know what the subject consisted of, though one thing stood out to him.

Okay, two things.

One, Uryo had lost someone… close to him. Then again, in this world, who _hasn't_?

Two, he hadn't imagined it. Shikiyoku _was _acting, well, like herself. In a mood he didn't understand, a mood he didn't see having any cause. Something he couldn't fathom other than it being _Shikiyoku_. He'd never understand her thought processes, or how to stop the flow that, inevitably it seemed, ended here.

Maybe he himself had fallen into a mood similar as well. Occasionally, over the past month, he'd found himself much more short-tempered than normal, much less patient over small things.

Over all, he'd also noticed the lack in the bond throwing reactions at him. He didn't know why.

Maybe it was…. diminishing?

Was that possible?

Hiei's red eyes looked up again, focusing on the two in the area and taking in the air. He realized he hadn't been in his own thoughts for too long. In fact, he wasn't sure he missed much of anything.

Still, he said nothing, simply waiting and listening. It seemed personal, after all. A conversation between two friends perhaps that did not include an outsider.

~!**!~

One moment, she was dreaming. Nothing too big, nothing even memorable. The next, Akari's eyes were open and she was sitting up, eyes roving the room she was in and a hand slowly sliding the blanket around her waist away from her body. Her eyes were drawn towards the stairs that lead to the unstable upper rooms, but nothing stood out to her.

Maybe she'd heard a mouse or something.

Akari visibly relaxed, eyes sliding half-closed again as she heaved a sigh. She was still in a school uniform, shoes and all. Had she gone to school? What time of day was it? Her internal clock was skewed enough that she wasn't even sure if it was morning or night, but the lack of light outside made the room dark with shadows.

Shadows that moved occasionally when she stared at them for too long. They stilled eventually, like always, but this time she didn't have to _tell them _to sit still. They simply… stilled.

_Odd._

When was the last time she'd called on them? Trying to remember made her head hurt and instead she simply pushed herself to stand, not even looking at the pile of blankets she was _supposed _to have been laying on. It wasn't odd for her to have rolled _out _of those particular blankets.

She quietly stepped around the dog curled on the floor, who'd been very close to her frame while she'd slept. She stepped out of the shoes she was still wearing as she walked, taking to padding across the wooden floor in her socks as she moved into the next room- the kitchen- grabbing a different shirt from the pile on the desk on the way.

She felt…

_Disgusting. _Dirt was on her face, she felt, and something else was making her palms feel dry and in dire need of lotion or something. Her hair was a mess and when she ran her fingers through it, she was sure a dead leaf or two fell from her curls. _Funny. _

Maybe she'd sneak into the nearby gym showers again? Or maybe she'd just…

Well, why go through the trouble? She could use her energy this _once_, right? Not like Koenma would care if all she was doing was _showering…_ right?

She paused with her school uniform jacket halfway down her arms, glancing down at her once white undershirt that was now a bit more… off-white. The washers of the gym didn't work well either. _New ones. _

Maybe today she'd _actually _use the leftover money from Sensui's account for something… _useful. _For instance, actually _shopping… __*****_

If there was one thing Kurama learned in the time that he had spent drifting in and out of a restless sleep, it was the strange sensation that he was suddenly and completely very alone.

His dreams were dark and not conducive to productive recuperation, and any time he found himself aware, if only briefly slipping between the waking and sleeping world, he found that the titular 'heart' of himself that beat alongside his human one was no longer there.

Youko had been locked away.

In a moment of awareness, Kurama turned onto his side, wincing but refusing to take the motion back, feeling that a sort of weakness had settled over his entire body and left him, for the second time, feeling rather...human.

~!**!~

"What troubles you, lady?" Uryo wanted to know, his red eyes suddenly losing their glaze as he peered over his conjured fire that still danced merrily between them.

Shikiyoku had taken to gently, absently, stroking the lur'mog's scales. The tiny creature was sitting on her lap, enjoying the attention with half-lidded eyes, clutching at his tail and beginning to thrum happily.

The expression he wore seemed to bring a bit more sparkle back into Shikiyoku's far-away gaze, but Uryo's question brought her back to the issue at hand, an issue that seemed to revolve around a single entity in her life.

Should she decide to go along with the fake Youko's cause, as she felt so assured of his motives now, there was no doubt in her mind that she would perish.

Should she do so after returning to Koenma with the information he required, Hiei would be freed to Demon World, and then freed of her.

And yet this convoluted purpose she had contrived for herself from what little her Champion had thus far given her to work with still left her feeling...wilted.

In exchange for protection, she herself became a tool. That was the equalizer, that was what made the pact within her hum in happiness. On some level she supposed the pact, where it instilled in her Champions a fiber of protectiveness, for her it instilled a need to repay that protection, to _desire _what they desired.

Just as she had started to gather up courage to attempt to explain this in some form or another to Uryo, she sensed another approaching and glanced up just as a stranger, a demon, skidded to a stop from somewhere behind Uryo, next to the stream.

The older apparition had long ago felt this newcomer approaching, but had sensed no malicious intent and made no move against the lanky male whose nest of hair appeared to have been put through an extended mussing, a portion of it falling over his young eyes when he stopped.

He gave his head a slight toss, appearing to do so out of habit and removing the hair from his face in the process, as his eyes took in all three of the demons he had stumbled across.

His chest heaved, out of breath, and both Uryo and Shikiyoku lifted their gaze to take his skinny form in while he attempted to catch himself.

For his part, the newcomer let his eyes flicker between all three demons, for a moment appearing unsure until he finally took in a large suck of air and started to relay his message.

"I...I have been sent to find The Lover." 3

Hiei himself didn't wait for the answer Shikiyoku would give. It was likely the same as the first time he'd witnessed her in such a mood: _uselessness._ But he himself had no idea what that meant for _him _to do. Give her a hug and pat her back, tell her she was useful and then continue on? _Tch. _

He himself turned away both mentally and even physically from the topic, as if it had nothing to do with him at all. After all, there was absolutely _nothing _he could do about it. He'd tried.

Only then did he let his eyes fall on the newcomer, deciding that maybe the sudden appearance warranted acknowledgement. He stared silently for a moment.

But the moment the words _The Lover _left the demon's lips, he was absolutely sure he meant Shikiyoku.

Meaning he also meant for _Hiei _as well. Because where Shikiyoku went, he went. He spoke up without hesitation. "Your business?"

~!**!~

Akari stared at the off-white color a little longer before sighing and continuing through her change of clothes, quickly deciding that she'd go shop as soon as-

Wait, what was today? If Sunday, then the bank would be closed…

As she turned inward again to consult her inward clock, she buttoned up her pair of jeans and adjusted the simple black t-shirt she'd plucked from the pile. Deft fingers worked at pulling her hair into a ponytail as she moved again around the kitchen, eyes roving the miscellaneous items she'd scattered.

_Yeah. Today should be fine._

She pulled at her hair again to secure the hair tie before moving back the way she'd come, not noticing the sound of movement until she was standing in the threshold of the doorway between the kitchen and the living area, staring down at Kurama from across the room with a blank expression.

She blinked once, thinking for a moment before remembering the morning before. Was that right? Morning before? She wasn't sure.

She couldn't bring herself to say anything. So, she simply stood there, hands still holding her hair and blank expression aimed at the redhead. The redhead in her home. On her bed.

_Seriously? What now?__*****_

_In this place, there was utter darkness and Kurama knew not how much time had passed. He also knew, with that same assurity, that no matter if his eyes were opened or closed, the same penetrating, unrelenting darkness would be there._

"_Youko?"_

_His voice rang and bounced into the empty space, giving no hint as to the shape or size of the room._

_There was no answer._

_The oppressive lack of light settled heavily over him until he could not tell who he was or how long he had been there. Was he standing? Sitting? Did it matter?_

_Was it earth beneath him? He could sense no life there, no grass swirling with energy, no trees that he could feel growing and sending their roots deeper into the ground. _

_Nothing._

_Simply...nothing._

~!**!~

The younger demon seemed to brighten immensely when it appeared Hiei might know of whom he spoke.

"You have seen her...him?" He wanted to know eagerly, though he seemed unsure of whom exactly he was looking for, continuing without pause anyway, "Where? Close-by? Which direction?" His face started to glance about quickly. "We thought the rumors might not be true. That Iro couldn't have returned to Demon World." He appeared to grow sheepish for a moment, "Or at least, certainly luck would not have it: return to our level."

Uryo said nothing, keeping his gaze free of expression as he thoughtfully considered the demon before them who appeared to have yet to grow into his body, his hands and feet, and even his head, slightly too big for the slender frame he cut.

Shikiyoku wasn't sure why she did not speak up. Perhaps she felt struck by the nomenclature the demon used for her, suddenly transported back in time to when things had been much simpler.

As soon as the original question had been voiced, she calmly turned back down to lur'mog, resuming her attentions without a word, though her ears remained perked with at least some semblance of interest. 3

Hiei continued to stare at the babbling demon, expression unamused and gaze growing colder by the moment. Each word uttered, each question asked made his ire rise further. His question hadn't been answered. In fact, it had been avoided all around.

And that made him narrow his eyes at the male.

He weighed his options, thinking for a moment. While getting back seemed a good priority, he didn't feel like returning with his partner in _this _frame of mind was a good thing to do.

Plus, the last time she'd seemed even remotely, genuinely happy was back before their journey to the First Level…

"I said, _state your business." _he enunciated again, tone dry and eyes cold. He'd decide in a moment, he supposed.

~!**!~

Akari continued to stare at the redhead on the floor for a moment, taking in his face in the darkness of the room. She could tell he was awake, but why he didn't look up at her like he normally would, she didn't-

_His energy is locked away._

Her mind jolted awake, and after a beat of hesitation she let her hands fall to her sides. "How do you feel?" she asked in a quiet voice, to ensure that, should he be close to sleep again, he wouldn't be disturbed. She didn't know what his energy being locked away would do to him, but she was certain that, at least, healing would take longer. _*****_

Kurama did not let himself be jolted by the question that aired in the room that he had felt to be relatively quiet until then.

Without looking at her, he attempted to _feel_ her presence, unsurprised to find that he had no sense of her being anywhere near.

He could not hear her breathing, could not smell her. With a sense of resignation, he allowed his eyes to open, but he hesitated a moment before finally admitting, "Empty."

Yes, he was sore, yes, he had a long way to go before his body would be healed, but somehow at that moment, the awareness of a part of him having gone completely missing resounded the loudest throughout his being.

This felt very different than the last time.

~!**!~

The younger demon swallowed nervously, "I-I was sent to find The Lover." He repeated, thinking perhaps the job would have been better suited for an Elder. He could feel the extreme amounts of power rolling off all three of them and he bit his lips nervously.

"News travels fast." Shikiyoku spoke up quietly, not looking up, but letting her voice carry calmly to the demon's ears.

It did appear to settle his nerves and he nodded, "Aye. The union of Central Tribe did not go unnoticed by any of us." He made an amused noise, "The Elders seem to think the time of the tribes has come again. Something about a 'Golden Age returning.'" The demon's expression reflected his incredulity towards such a thought, but he shrugged to dismiss it.

"Where do you come from?" Shikiyoku wanted to know.

"North." The demon answered readily, appearing to stand a little taller in his shoes, "We're the largest tribe left, but-" His eyes shifted to the side as he appeared to deflate a little and he shook his head, "It doesn't matter. We were hoping to gain Iro's favor so that we too might be blessed."

As the demon continued to speak, Shikiyoku's eyes lifted to consider the boy again, her expression a strange one.

"The Northern Tribe becoming united once more would be a grand step, indeed." Uryo commented lightly, not actually looking up, his hand drawing through and around the fire he had at his feet, the flames giving way to his attentions and swirling about softly. 3

Hiei had to restrain himself quite a bit to keep the comment that threatened to be tossed at the other demon from escaping his mouth. Repeating himself had no effect here, and quite frankly it only made him even more impatient.

He was half tempted to toss a small attack, rid himself of the source of annoyance.

But Shikiyoku spoke up, and after a few moments of thought after the silence ensued again, Hiei was thinking. He hesitated for a few moments before suddenly turning his eyes onto Shikiyoku.

He watched her, waiting expressionlessly for her own reaction. If she denied, well….

Too bad. Last time she'd danced for something of the sort, she'd looked…. radiant. Alive. As if it was what she was made to do. Her calling, so to speak.

Her sole purpose, almost.

He wouldn't let her return to the Human World like this, in this somber mood. Not if he had the chance to change it.

~!**!~

Akari continued to stare at Kurama in the darkness, his answer making a small frown form on her face. And it was painstakingly obvious he couldn't see her in the darkness. She didn't reply at first, unsure of what to say to him.

After a moment, she sighed. "Can you move?" she asked, though she was positive she already knew the answer. He had rolled over, but at what cost? "Nevermind." She turned her eyes to Nabu, who had stirred, looked at her, and went back to sleep after stretching, sticking his nose in Kurama's face and huffing once. "I have nothing here to eat. Anything sound…. good?"

She didn't want to leave him alone, but there was no food and, well, they'd have to eat _sometime. __*****_

A humorless laugh left Kurama's lips when Akari retracted her question, but he did consider her question regarding food thoughtfully.

"Ramen." He replied simply before going on, "From the stand you took me to. In your illusion."

~!**!~

"When we pressed Central Tribe about their union, their leader told us Iro had passed through their lands and left for one of the upper levels." The younger demon provided, "I just got wind of someone returning and thought you might know of anyone who came by."

Shikiyoku's gaze lifted slightly to encompass the trees around her.

_News from the forest travels very fast indeed. _They had certainly not been on the Ninth Level for long.

The younger demon looked between the three in the area and frowned, making as if to say something else.

"It is not only up to me where I travel." Shikiyoku finally responded, lifting the veil of her status and feeling the younger demon simultaneously brighten and grow apprehensive at her answer.

"W-who, then shall I ask, Iro?" He faced her and lowered his head slightly in deference.

"Her Champion, of course." Uryo replied with a smile, turning to look at Hiei and defer the younger demon's attention to the second fire demon sitting with them.

The boy blinked at the several revelations hitting him in a row, eyes darting around them once more with a different light in his expression. One of...hope.

He looked to Hiei and lowered his head again.

"Champion." That one word held every question within it that the boy wished to ask. "Will you grace us with your gift?" 3

Hiei's expression did not change when Shikiyoku spoke up, nor did it change when he turned to regard the newcomer again, expressionless but eyes cold as he stared. He considered the demon, or at least, acted as if doing so. He'd made up his mind long before the question had been posed verbally.

Still he acted as if hesitating, as if considering the offer and anything that might come of it.

Hopefully it would do its trick and serve as it should.

"State your name," he said suddenly, deciding he might as well get a move on. Might as well, right? He turned to Shikiyoku and eyed her again. "_One more stop will harm nothing." _

"Don't expect an extended stay."

~!**!~

Akari blinked. _What? _Ramen did sound good, but… What illusion and when did they go eat together? When did _that _happen?

She stayed silent for a few moments before her eyes slid closed, thinking back in an attempt to find any memory abou-

"_At least you finally fell asleep."_

She didn't mean to, but Akari took in a sharp intake of breath.

"_I don't understand you."_

She stood there, silent. Right, Foko had been in that one. And she'd been worried about Kurama and Foko and..

_Ramen shop? _She remembered sitting there, talking to him. But… she'd forgotten it. She suddenly huffed out at the redhead. "Ramen, of all things?" she asked, as if thinking nothing of it. "That's a sit-in thing, Kurama."

"_...know this one absolute truth…" __*****_

"He does take-out." Kurama quickly replied, "He...he did it a lot for me when mom was sick. Just tell him that...ask him if he'll let you do it. For Kurama." He smiled as he thought of the older gentleman that ran the stand and the long talks they'd had, sometimes late into the night after the stand should have been closed.

For whatever reason, the owner-cook seemed to know there was something...different about Kurama, and while the avatar had never explicitly said what exactly made him 'different,' the name his close friends called him had come up and the man had adopted it in place of his more human one, once saying that he thought it 'better suited' the younger male.

~!**!~

"Douji, Champion." The boy replied quickly, words tumbling out of his mouth, "A-and even if she were just to dance a single dance for the one night's celebration, it would be an honor."

Douji turned again to Shikiyoku and for the first time since joining them he smiled, his eyes bright. "You would have our deepest thanks, Iro."

He caught her movements as she played with lur'mog and his smile grew wider.

"You...he..." Douji laughed as if delighted, then made a chortling noise with his throat.

The lur'mog immediately sat up at attention and stared at Shikiyoku.

She raised her eyebrows, but met the gaze of the small creature, who had started wringing his hands on his tail, the spines down his back coming to attention with pent-up excitement.

Shikiyoku nodded to him and the lur'mog slowly waddled in place until he faced Douji, who was grinning at him.

Douji held out his hand as if making a gesture and made the same sound.

The lur'mog appeared on his palm, hopping back and forth from one foot to the other and starting to talk with Douji excitedly.

Douji made another noise and the lur'mog responded with what was likely an affirmative by the way Douji grinned again. The younger demon smoothly transferred the lur'mog to his shoulder as he reached into a pouch that had a strip of leather which circled his thigh to keep it in place. He sat down as he removed a writing tool and a strange bit of ultra-thin fabric which he placed on the ground, scratching something on it with the writing tool with practiced ease as the lur'mog appeared next to the fabric as if reading what Douji wrote.

As Douji started to curl the fabric deftly into a small roll, he spoke briefly to the lur'mog again as the tiny creature held out his paws to delicately take the scroll from Douji.

The lur'mog chirped once and then disappeared, Douji putting away his writing tool as he stood up.

The creature appeared on Hiei's far shoulder, out of sight of the rest of the group with the scroll clutched in one paw as he hopped forward and nudged at Hiei's neck, a low, happy thrum resounding in his throat as he paused to purr at the fire demon for a moment before disappearing again to the North.

"His message will let the tribe know we are coming so they can prepare for the night's celebration. He will arrive much faster than we." Douji's eyes gleamed with the thought. "It will take _us_ the rest of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon before we make it there."

"Then we had best start moving." Uryo stood up and appeared to dust off his pants, his fire going out as he made to leave with them. "And before anyone decides to protest, my original intent was to see the two of you safely around the city at the very least," Here he looked meaningfully at Hiei and Shikiyoku, "As things have yet to really settle down after our escapade."

Douji nodded, thankful the older apparition would be joining them. "We know of the commotion surrounding you in relation to the cities. All the tribes have done their best to keep news of your return under wraps, however." He smiled roguishly, "We do not wish for the cities to steal you away again."

Shikiyoku's smile was grim and did not reach her darkened eyes, but she did not protest Uryo traveling with them either.

"If you all have no further business here, we go North." Douji gestured in their direction, looking to each member for affirmation before he started to lead. 3

Hiei had momentarily glanced to the creature when it landed at his shoulder and nudged at him, but after that moment he was again staring at Douji who continued speaking, obviously taking Hiei's question of his name as the affirmative it had meant to be. He eyed the lanky tribesman for another moment before shifting his weight and standing, finishing off the last of his almost forgotten fish before simply engulfing the stick in fire, destroying evidence of his presence in this clearing.

He saw no problem with Uryo accompanying. In fact, he welcomed the fire demon probably more than he welcomed, say, Kuwabara.

Okay, so he welcomed Uryo's calm presence _much _more than Kuwabara's annoying one.

He let his hands find his cloak pockets as he slowly moved forward, though making sure he still stayed close to Shikiyoku.

He wasn't going to let more than an arm's length distance between them on this trip on _this _level.

~!**!~

Akari's lips pulled down just a bit more at Kurama's words. She really didn't want to leave him here, where Otento had shown up once before. A demon who could go unnoticed was a dangerous one, no matter who you were.

Still, she released a sigh of resignation. "Fine. But you're getting whatever I decide."

She glanced at Nabu, who was now looking at her, awake but not making it obvious that he was. She nodded at the dog, who blinked once at her in what she had learned by now to be understanding.

"I'll be quick." she finished, grabbing a jacket on her way to the door and sliding it over her shoulders even as she pulled it open, revealing what she could now see to be morning light. Still, she didn't know which day of the week it was. _Oh well. It doesn't matter. Either way, I'm going nowhere but to Shyn's and home._

As she shut the door behind her, she made sure the look back, speaking through her energy to the shadows by the doors.

_No entries but me. Any other, alarm me. _

And with that, she was jogging down the sidewalk. _*****_

Kurama only just took notice of the change in light spilling into the room from out of doors, able to make out through the haze of grey a tiny black nose not terribly far from his own face.

As he tried to move his arm to reach for the dog, he grimaced, surprised by how keenly he felt the pain surrounding the cuts on his body. He was just able to get one arm underneath the pillow at his head and managed to reach out and find the fluffy top of Nabu's head to ruffle the fur.

"Your ears have finally stiffened, little one." Kurama murmured, finding the base of one of the ears and feeling that the ear was no longer flopped forward. "When did you grow up so much?"

~!**!~

Douji seemed to know the forest exceedingly well, leading the group along pathways where they were unbothered by any denizens of the forest. The trees and foliage all looked the same until the morning filled out into the light of the afternoon, and the fullness of the plants made them appear heftier, donning deeper shades of red here and there intermixed with the usual bland color that graced most of the rest of the Ninth Level.

Other than the brightening of the filtered light around them that fell between the leaves high above, it was hard to denote the passage of time as they traveled, and little words were passed between them.

Douji seemed eager to lead them on as quickly as possible, Shikiyoku appeared lost in thought, and Uryo remained silent as well, on occasion reaching into his tunic for a drink.

When they could see a break in the trees a distance in front of them, the light of the afternoon just starting to deepen towards evening, Douji started to trot towards their destination, the sounds of preparations ringing clear through the foliage and undergrowth. These were excited sounds, tinging the air with a barely restrained happiness as orders were shouted back and forth.

Stepping past the treeline, it was easy to see this tribe was bigger than Shubou's right off the bat. While the clearing was much the same, the tents similar if made of different fabric, there were many more such tents to their right than there were for the Central Tribe. And it was impossible to see the trunks of the trees farther to the North as the number of the tents and the varying heights prevented it.

Off to the left many demons were busily expanding the clearing outwards-there were no tents in this direction-and yet other demons scurried about with other various jobs. There was the smell of food cooking wafting through the air, and while the merriment was strictly kept to intermittent outbursts of laughter among the business of preparing for the night, there was a buzz about the area that held a promise of things to come.

A shout went up when the group was spotted, and though none of the visible demons stopped their work, the cry echoed through the encampment to the right, occasionally picked up by one or two to the left who happened to be within earshot.

From a tent in the middle of the clearing, almost directly in front of where the group was coming in, an older female demon appeared, stepping out of the tent from a door to the left, facing the clearing that was being expanded, and followed by three others of similar age but varying heights, immediately turning and starting to walk for them.

"The Elders." Douji murmured as he led them to meet these venerated demons that emerge from a tent that was obviously ceremonious in nature as obvious by the decorations-beads, splashes of art, feathers, a few bones and sticks in patterns-that were smattered around the outside and on the fabric of the tent itself.

Douji stepped to the side and tilted his head slightly as these demons approached, revealing Shikiyoku who had been standing right behind him.

The lur'mog was on the shoulder of one of the short male Elders, and upon seeing the group, chittered and appeared on Hiei's shoulder, settling down to watch.

"Iro, you honor us." The first female spoke when they got close enough to be heard, putting her hand to her chest and inclining her head in greeting once they stopped moving. "Even I have only heard tales of your prowess."

Shikiyoku nodded her head slightly in return, "The honor is mine." Was her quiet response.

"If you need to make preparations, we are willing to assist you in any way." She indicated the tent the four of them had come from, "And you may use the middle tent as you please. Will you have need of anything?"

Shikiyoku nodded, "A few things."

"We will see to them." The female turned to Douji, "Well done."

Douji glowed.

"I would offer my assistance," Uryo stepped forward and gestured to the left where demons were clearing trees.

The female met his gaze, looking him eye-to-eye and gauging him before dipping her head in affirmation.

"We have none of your kind among the Northern Tribe. Your flame would be put to great use should you wish to lend us your power." Her eyes glimmered and a faint smile passed over her lips, "We will be needing much more room than we currently have, I think."

Finally, she turned her eyes onto Hiei and made the same gesture to him that she had done for Shikiyoku.

"You have done us a great service, Champion. My deepest thanks." 3

Hiei felt as if he'd simply _blinked _and was standing in a growing clearing, red eyes watching the bustle of demons running about, casting glances at the newcomers even as they continued their work. The fire demon simply watched, only half listening to the female that had appeared, until Uryo was leaving the group. At this point, he turned and made sure he was watching the elders, as Douji had introduced quietly, and met the gaze that was trained on him.

He wasn't sure how to respond. Should he? What was the custom to something like this?

In the end, he merely stared at the four demons, not verbally responding to the situation. He did, however, despite internal reluctance to do such a thing, bowed his head in respect, something he decided necessary.

Might as well start on good terms, right?

He was simply here to follow Shikiyoku's lead and ensure that this mood would lift before they left this world.

~!**!~

Nabu blinked at Kurama as the male moved, catching the grimace with keen, watchful eyes. He didn't know what had happened, but he did know that this person was in pain. And a lot of it. So he even inched forward a bit, resting his chin on the blankets again that were touching where Akari and Kurama had both slept, only a small space between their small pallets making his fur touch the wood floor.

And he waited a moment after Kurama's question before answering.

"_When you and Akari went missing." _He felt his lips twitch, turning into an expression close enough to a frown to be seen as such. "_I was scared."_

~!**!~

Akari moved through the town at a steady pace, arms swinging almost lazily as she kept half of her mind on the energy she'd left behind at the house, the other half focused on her path ahead. She didn't allow herself to stop and think, especially since she wasn't even sure what there was to even think about.

Other than the illusion that she only half remembered. She was sure there were bits, probably unimportant bits, that she couldn't remember, but she didn't care about those.

"_I wish for nothing more than your happiness…."_

Akari shook her head again as she jogged, this time causing her to slow to a walk as she neared the small restaurant Kurama had requested. _I don't understand you._

_Stupid fox._

She stepped inside, stepping into the bright lights that stood out in the early morning sun. She immediately laid eyes on Shyn, who turned up from the dish he was grabbing and met her gaze squarely. For a moment, he just stared, obviously conflicted as it was probably too early for him to be open, but at the same time, she hadn't been by in…

Weeks.

"Well, it's about time." He spoke, his lips suddenly pulling into a wide grin. "It's not even a school day and you're up this early. You sure you're a normal human being?"

"Whoever said I was human? I'm an alien, for all you know." she replied quickly, easily falling into his good-natured banter. Just as quickly, she was switching gears. "I have a favor. I know I haven't stopped by, but I… I really can't stay today. I'm helping out a friend, and-"

"Nope, you have to stay. You can't just pop in and run."

"I will come back soon, when things settle down, but for now… Kurama is-"

His expression changed so swiftly that Akari paused, raising a brow as the man stood up straighter. "I hear you. You just tell him to stop by soon too."

"It's a deal."

"Hell, even stop by together." he added as he busied himself over the stove.

"Sure." _*****_

~!**!~

Kurama closed his eyes, squeezed them shut even, and kept running his fingers through Nabu's fur, feeling-for some reason-better just by doing so.

"Besides likely being worried to death about Akari whenever she has to go off and do something, how have you been?" Any distraction from his pain would be a welcome one, and he didn't really want to exactly _think _about anything at this time.

~!**!~

The female demon's eyes flickered to Shikiyoku, who still hadn't met anyone's gaze, as she spoke to Douji.

"Many of the lur'mog have returned from their work and could use some looking after."

Douji nodded and took that to mean he was dismissed, moving off to the right.

"We have things to do ourselves," She looked to Hiei, "And I do not know what role you play, but we can always use an extra pair of hands." She glanced in the direction Uryo had disappeared as a flare of energy and the smell and sound of fire erupted briefly into the air, "Either with them, or even Douji could use some help. It is up to you." The Elders behind her had started moving off in different directions as well, and she looked to Shikiyoku, "If what you need is not already in the tent, call upon any demon running by and they will assist you."

Shikiyoku nodded once, the female demon turned away to go, and Shikiyoku started for the tent the Elders had come from earlier. 3

Hiei nodded once at the female that addressed him after a moment, and even as she moved away, the fire demon stood, considering his options. While burning down a forest would certainly be fun, there was also the opportunity to see a great mass, possibly, of lur'mogs. That would likely be an amusing sight.

Or…

Annoying. If they all chattered at once, he'd probably just be annoyed by the sound.

So, two options.

After another moment, his eyes found Shikiyoku's back disappearing into the tent that seemed to be the point of the encampment. He frowned and decided that, in the very least, he could learn a bit more about Shikiyoku and her… abilities.

So he followed after her silently, casting a glance in the direction of Uryo in time to see a burst of flame in the air. Then he too was enveloped in the tent's dim lighting, red eyes easily turning to Shikiyoku.

"Your mood is going to make this pointless."

~!**!~

Nabu considered the male for a moment, staring unblinkingly at Kurama for a few moments in silence. He considered various answers, but really, he found himself more attuned to Kurama's emotions than his own thoughts. So, he scooted himself closer, letting his cold, wet nose just touch the other's cheek so that, maybe, it wouldn't take as much effort for the male to reach out for him.

"_I caught a fly yesterday." _he suddenly answered. "_It's been in the house for days, and it ticked my fur. So I ate it."_ He huffed once, very softly, as he scooted again, time time bringing his body close to Kurama's as if to offer warmth and comfort.

"_Also, there's this dog down the street. She's mean. Barks at me every time I leave. She once tried to bite me, so I ran away. I think she's just lonely though. Her owners are mean to her."_

~!**!~

Akari stood in the artificial light of the room, arms crossed over her stomach as Shyn cooked, both of them silent, both in their own thoughts. For a few minutes, it stayed this way. She was left thinking about things she hadn't yet stopped to think about, and for a few moments, she was wrapped up in those thoughts enough that her eyes even slid closed.

Shyn spoke up first.

"I can see you haven't gotten over your own obstacles."

Akari let her eyes slide open, her gaze falling on Shyn's back as he cooked. "Hm?"

He didn't even pause, didn't even glance at her as he sighed. "You know what I mean."

She frowned at him. "What makes you say that?"

"You're still wearing a jacket when it's the middle of summer time. Not most people care, but I'm an observer, as you know."

Akari frowned. "Yes, you are." She glanced down at herself, realizing how absurd it would be to a human for one to wear a jacket in the summer. It didn't matter much to her, it was simply… a habit. One she was not willing to break, even still. "It's nothing really." She said in a small tone, looking behind herself towards the street, where lamps were beginning to turn off and the sun's rays were beginning to shine.

_He helps, I think._

She blinked at herself. That thought had been…. random.

A small laugh suddenly filled the air from Shyn, who had turned to look at her. "I didn't mean to make you overthink. Don't hurt yourself now."

"That's hurtful." she grumbled at him as she reached out, taking the two bowls that were being passed to her.

With his now free hand, the man ruffled her hair. "You'll get past it. You've still got a ways to go, but you'll get by. Especially now that you've got help."

She raised a brow at him in confusion, and he merely smiled knowingly. As if she'd told him about Kurama's efforts that had only just become recognized by her, as if she'd informed him of every detail about her days and how she handled them.

"You better get moving. Your friend's waiting on you." _*****_

~!**!~

"Mm. You have a busy life." Kurama gave the reply into the silence of the room, only able to imagine just what Nabu was telling him.

In reality, he wasn't looking at him.

After stroking down the dog's back a few more times, Kurama steeled himself and began to sit up, pushing himself off the floor steadily and finding a wall to lean up against, collapsing backwards into it.

His entire body hurt, his eyes closing again as he let his head rest on the wall behind him. And there did not appear to be any promise of relief. Not any time soon. No tell-tale hum from his veins where the demonic side of his heritage would be thrilling through him to more quickly heal his injured body.

This time, the spell Otento put on him had been much more thorough. Much more specific. He did not simply lock Kurama's abilities away, lock away Kurama's access to his demonic energy. No, this had targeted Youko and every benefit Kurama received from the union.

For the first time in his life, he was not Kurama, avatar to Youko Kurama. He was only...Shuichi.

~!**!~

When Douji had moved off the lur'mog had followed, leaving Hiei's shoulder bare when he followed Shikiyoku into the Elder's tent.

This tent rose to a peak in the middle, and was obviously outfitted for ceremonious reasons, the inside just as, if not more, colorful and decorated than the outside.

At first, Shikiyoku did not realize Hiei had followed her, did not particularly see the tent around her either.

But when he spoke up, Shikiyoku turned to face him, staring down at the furs that lined the floor with haunted eyes. She blinked and the moment was gone, her eyes clearing as she heaved a sigh.

"I know." She replied with a tinge of sadness, "Or it might not even work. Or it might backfire or-" She stopped suddenly before the fear in her voice crept any farther, turning away from him and the entrance of the tent to go sit more towards the back, turning and facing Hiei again as she settled herself down so that she might see if anyone started to come inside.

Shikiyoku pulled back her hood, which had been placed over her head once they left the riverside with Douji, and let her dark hair free.

"How much do you know about my first Champion?" 3

Hiei stood in front of the tent's entrance, blocking it so that should anyone try to enter, he'd be in their way almost immediately. He watched Shikiyoku calmly, eyes unblinking as she spoke words he'd already considered. Again, he found her sudden panicking state worth very little, and it meant nothing to him other than confusion. He didn't understand her moods and how they came about, what caused them. He only knew that, occasionally, he was able to find a way to get her out of that mood.

Maybe it would happen this time as well.

At her sudden question, he didn't answer. He simply stared, thinking back and almost effortlessly recalling what had been said to him, what he had learned.

"_He was the cruel, jealous sort, hardly worthy of the occupation, and she was allowed no such thing as a lover, not even him. Nor even so much as to be loved by any, outside of that which would let him bask in her glory and reap the benefits."_

He blinked once finally, this time at Shikiyoku as he picked and chose his words.

"He didn't deserve your presence." he said calmly, continuing to stare at her. And that was how he left it.

~!**!~

Akari smiled at Shyn and nodded once before turning to leave, tossing a smile over her shoulder as Shyn again told her to come back soon and visit for a while. She made her way slowly through the streets this time, her mind again checking the steadily pulsing energy in her core that told her all was well at home.

Several things were on her mind, but each and every one she ignored, deciding she'd think about it at a later time, when she had a moment by herself to think and express her thoughts without worry of being watched.

Especially when the subject of such thoughts was currently in her home, and was very, _very _keen.

~!**!~

Nabu moved away enough to allow Kurama the freedom to move without the threat of placing his hand on the dog, his wide eyes keenly taking in each movement, ears twitching as he picked up the air around the male. Once Kurama stilled again, Nabu was moving closer, sitting beside him in much the same way Kurama sat, tail and rear touching the wall, shoulders slumped to make himself appear smaller. He kept his eyes, however, on the redhead.

"_Are you gonna stay here for a while? I think your company will keep Akari from wandering, pacing." _He paused, giving a small sigh. "_I think you calm her subconscious." __*****_

Kurama turned towards the dog, or at least tilted his head and eyes enough to catch sight of him, as the animal gave a tiny huff of air.

Gathering strength again, he lifted the hand closest to Nabu and reached for the dog's soft fur once more, but found he could do little else but rest his fingers just beneath Nabu's shoulders.

After finding Nabu's back, Kurama rested his head against the wall again, letting out a sigh himself, once more thankful that his mother would not be at home to worry.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku found herself smiling at Hiei's frank description. A small smile, one that did nothing to rid her face of the dark shadows underneath her eyes, but a smile nonetheless.

_Kind are your words. To both you and myself._

Shikiyoku began to slowly remove the gloves from either hand as she asked another question, "And what do you know of his-" Her voice hitched and she faltered at grabbing for one of the fingers of a glove, but the hesitation was momentary. "Do you know why I am no longer with him? How our severing came about?" 3

Hiei tilted his head only slightly at Shikiyoku's smile, and he blinked only once at her when she asked her next question. For the moment, he didn't think he knew anything more than what Shubou had said, which…

He hadn't been informed of their union? Not that he remembered immediately. So he stayed silent, choosing to let her continue on with whatever she was going to say without verbally saying he wasn't knowledgeable of her first champion. Part of him didn't want to know, but then again, in order to get anywhere with his own abilities as her Champion, he needed to know the mistakes of her previous ones. *

* * *

><p><span>Sekaiju<span> - Yggdrasil; The World Tree

Kami/Kamis - god/s (I don't know if the plural of 'Kami' is 'Kamis' but I did it anyway)

Junai - pure love

Douji - boy; kid; child

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	56. Episode 140 - Mis- and Understanding

**A/N: **Hello once again, Beloved Yu Yu Hakusho Fans!

I am continuing to do as I mentioned in the last chapter: define romanized Japanese words/terms/names used in the story. Or leave them undefined as the occasional case may be. As of this chapter's posting, I am up to, but not including, Chapter 38. My tentative plan is to still possibly post a compiled version of the words at the end of the chapter at which point I have caught up in aforementioned definitions.

My apologies for not doing so before, but a shoutout here to mk and ChaoticHarmony1991 for the kind reviews you left!

I'm also going to mention this here before you read the chapter as a heads-up: there is a point where Shikiyoku's thoughts repeat themselves with little variation, some like, for example:

_She needs him._

_She needs him._

And while this seems sort of ridiculous, in GoogleDocs one can change the size of the font, and each subsequent (semi-repeated) thought was done in successively smaller fonts until hardly readable, giving the impression that the 'voice' speaking such thoughts was becoming smaller and more drowned out as it went along.

Of course, this does not translate here into FF's docs, so I'm forced to explain it to you.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

The reunion between lur'mog, Uryo, Shikiyoku and Hiei|  
>is cut short by a young demon by the name of Douji,<br>who claims that his tribe is looking for Iro, The Lover,  
>so that she might dance for them.<p>

Everyone makes their way to the Northern Tribe,  
>and they are greeted by the Elders,<br>who give Shikiyoku use of their tent for her preparations.  
>Hiei follows her, curious to learn about such preparations.<p>

Once they are alone, Shikiyoku expresses concerns about dancing,  
>and starts to tell Hiei about how she and her first Champion were separated.<p>

~!**!~

Unsurprisingly, Kurama's demonic energy is still locked away even after he and Akari awake.  
>He feels especially weak, especially <em>human<em>, and knows that his recovery by natural means will take a while.

Akari leaves to get food, ramen, for both her and Kurama from Shyn's ramen stand,  
>and Nabu keeps Kurama company, though something seems a bit off...<p>

* * *

><p>Nabu continued to stare at Kurama, suddenly aware that he'd received no answer. And before, even then, the answer had been… vague. He gave a small whine that held no meaning, suddenly realizing the male wasn't able to understand him. <em>Why?<em> He had before, when they'd first met. Even the last time he'd seen him.

He sniffed at the air, and this time, after his eyes reopened after briefly closing, he realized that _Flowers_ didn't quite look like _Flowers_. He looked… shorter, perhaps. His hair, for sure, wasn't as long. Why hadn't he realized this before?

_His tail is gone. And ears._

But there was no doubt that this was the real deal, unlike the other one. The one he didn't like, the one he didn't trust. The one who played games and tricks and pretended to be someone else. Rather well, actually…

The dog moved, rubbing his head against Kurama's forearm in a loving fashion, eyes closed and ears turned away. "_It's okay." _Really, he didn't know _what _to say.

~!**!~

Akari frowned as she walked, eyes moving around in the morning light and the silence. So it wasn't a school day. Meaning… it was a weekend. Probably a Saturday, considering the fact that no lights were coming on at this hour, where as on Sundays, she noticed some people awoke earlier, to get last minute errands done before the work week.

But still, it was just so _quiet_. No birds. No crickets.

Maybe it was just because she had her own presence magnified, due to her energy streaming from herself to her home.

_You're getting paranoid. _

She huffed at herself and continued on, shifting her hold on the ramen in her hands as she caught sight of her own home. She found it awfully unsettling that she _knew _Kurama was inside, but couldn't _feel _his presence. At all.

So, before entering, she paused outside the door and checked every window, every door that could be an entrance, making sure her own energy would cloak the house entirely, creating her own alarm system. _*****_

~!**!~

At Nabu's nuzzling, Kurama smiled, eyes still closed as he felt how excruciatingly slowly his body was healing in comparison to 'normally.' And he gently scratched at the dog's face, absently petting at his neck.

As soon as he could get up...no as soon as he could walk, he was going directly to Koenma. There were many things he had to discuss with the toddler-prince, and for the first time in a long time he could not predict what exactly the future would hold.

~!**!~

"It was the dance." Shikiyoku answered for him, her voice barely audible.

Shikiyoku examined the now-exposed skin of her arms and hands before resting them in her lap, unsurprised to see the luster she had grown accustomed to hiding behind the gloves was greatly lacking, dulled and muted.

There was no use for it. No purpose.

"He made it, fashioned it. I only executed it. To his specifications. I was very young, and he knew exactly what he wanted." Shikiyoku took a breath and her voice came more strongly when she spoke up again, "In the end, he desired to be the ruler of the Ninth Level. Wished to bring all the demons who lived there under his control. He was...ambitious." _To put it mildly._ "And so, he called everyone together, as many as he could muster, disguising it as a great celebration."

Her eyes appeared lost in another time. "I remember being nervous. Scared. I was not strong, and most of the tribes at the time were not small, living in groups scattered throughout the level. So he…"

Another breath, "He decided to supplement my power with his own. Where before he had been so calculating, this time he seemed to have extra fervor, and convinced me that we needed no practice. After all, we had many times performed other rituals together; he playing his instrument and singing while I danced. We knew that his energy would amplify whatever power I was accessing. But the Odori Iro had always been my own. Done with the tribe playing."

Her voice had steadied the longer she went on, and she did not appear to be near stopping, but she dropped quieter again.

"There were too many this time." She paused. "When our spells, our energy, intermingled together to make up for it… The results were...dire. His desire to rule over so many proved too much for me and the ritual both. It went wrong. Backfired. Killing him and nearly killing me. It drove the demons present into a frenzy and they started to destroy one another. And I..."

Eyes in another place, Shikiyoku appeared to be reliving the past, "I was stuck until the ritual was complete. Stuck there in the middle of the bloodshed, nearly broken myself, forced to finish the spell lest it consume me for stopping as they tore one another apart, decimating one another and setting the clans back millions of years. There were very few who walked away from the celebration that night. And I cannot anymore recall the memories of anything other than collapsing when the ritual finished, and waking up elsewhere many days later." 3

There was no pause between Shikiyoku's words and Hiei's response. "Am I supposed to pity the fool?" His tone was just as level as his stare, which was expressionless in its entirety, giving way nothing of his actual thoughts on the matter. "You did what you thought best. He acted anyway." He finally blinked once at her.

There were many thoughts he held on the situation, on her words and her mood about them, the way she lingered on the past. But he kept them to himself. For now, anyway.

~!**!~

Akari, after circling the house twice, moved to the front door again and tugged at her energy, creating the secure barrier she'd only learned recently she could create. A barrier unseen by any but a demon who utilized shadow creatures.

She wasn't sure of its credibility, despite the rumors and such, but now was as good as any time to try it, right?

She precariously balanced the two bowls of ramen in one arm and grasped the handle in the opposite hand, pushing the door open and looking around the room until she let her eyes fall on Kurama, who had a very gently Nabu leaning against his arm, who didn't even look up at her.

She stared at the scene for a moment before she realized a smile had settled over her lips, at which point she kicked the door closed and continued moving forward, towards the inclining redhead and her companion.

"Shyn said to stop by as soon as you can. He needs an update, apparently." _*****_

"Is that so?" Kurama had flinched at the sound of the door slamming, unaccustomed to being unable to have his other senses warn him of another's approach, but regained his composure in the next instant. "I suppose visiting him with you in our heads can't really be counted."

The light did by this time afford Kurama enough to be able to spy Akari as she moved towards him and he smiled at her as she came closer.

~!**!~

"I did not tell you this for _his_ sake. I both loved and hated him." Shikiyoku felt her lip twitch as if in a growl. "But they…" Her eyes flickered beyond him, to those outside, "I sensed it somehow even within Douji. They wish to be bound together once more. To reclaim their former glory. But there will be so many of them. I can..."

She blinked and for the first time met his gaze, "I can sense their collective desire. It's overwhelming. The Northern Tribe is calling together all of their lost ones, the bandits, the wanderers, all of those within their lands who were once part of the whole. There will be many here." She dropped her gaze and rubbed absently at her neck with a hand. "They will expect to be united and...and I do not think I am strong enough to fulfill their desires with my dance. Not so many. Not all at once."

_And if it goes wrong..._3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku almost imperceptibly, the motion so small that even he was almost unaware of the motion. He thought back to how many he had seen in the clearing when he'd approached. Many, of course, but for there to be more…

That was going to be a rather large crowd. A rather large problem, should it get out of hand.

But still, he thought back.

And with the mental image he found, a sneer colored his expression. It was one that was humored, taunting.

_Still. Even still you don't understand your own power._

"Look at me." he said in a demanding tone, though his voice was no louder than a murmur.

~!**!~

Akari made no indication that she heard Kurama, deciding that she didn't know how to respond to his words and her thoughts over the subject he'd brought up. Instead, she moved until she was sitting crosslegged in front of him, placing the bowls on the floor and pulling the lids from them both, but not sliding one to Kurama. She grabbed one of the pairs of chopsticks that had been given to her and pulled them first from the paper, then apart.

For a moment, she stared at the chopsticks, then turned her eyes up to peer at Kurama thoughtfully.

"_He's in a lot of pain, 'kari. And he doesn't even understand me when I talk anymore. He doesn't even look like __**Flowers**_ _anymore…"_

She didn't even glance at Nabu, who had easily picked up on her conflicted thoughts. She sighed and dipped the chopsticks into the bowl, twisting until a good amount of noodles were presented from the contents. She waited for the excess soup to drip from the noodles before finally turning up to Kurama, offering the noodles to him, but not the chopsticks themselves. "Don't fight, don't complain. Just eat." _*****_

Kurama stared at Akari, lips for the moment unmoving.

"Am I allowed to protest?" It was neither fighting, nor complaining.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku was biting her lip in thought, remembering how open she had been to the desires of those she danced for that last time with her original Champion. How the desires had not been encouraged as was supposed to happen, but how once she realized she would not have the power, once her Champion joined his energy to hers, they all turned to bloodshed and she had quite literally lost herself, her mind, to their darkest-

Hiei's words pulled her out of the past with a jolt and she complied to his request, looking up. 3

The moment Shikiyoku's eyes met his own, his mind bombarded hers in an unwarranted attack that held no hostility in any way, shape, or form. Instead of words or emotions, it was his view of the moment when their energies had mixed before she'd overcome her own mother's power. Their own energy shooting into the sky, enveloping them in a cloud of power so dense, so strong that even The Palace had been aware of it, despite their distance. Creatures had scattered, and quite frankly, Hiei himself had never seen, nor felt, so much power in his life.

Ever.

The image quickly faded, turning to the moment she overcame the other demon, directly after, whose name for the moment he didn't care to remember. It didn't matter much to him. Just another pawn.

And then his mind was abruptly pulling away from hers, and should her eyes focus on his face, she would find an expression of irritation.

"Still think you're useless? _Powerless?"_

Again, he sent an abrupt image of her dance, of how she had affected an entire tribe and brought them together, like nothing he'd never seen. Just as quickly, the image was gone and his mind had retreated from hers again.

"The only limits are the ones you put on yourself, and quite frankly, it's the most irritating thing on this plane of existence."

~!**!~

Akari immediately took to scowling at Kurama, eyes glinting in the dim light of the room. "No," came her simple answer, tone as final as her stare and the simple motion she made with her hand that said _eat._ _*****_

Kurama let out a very tired sounding sigh, "I just want you to know that I'm doing this under great duress as I'm quite sure that I am perfectly capable of feeding myself." He lifted his hand as if to take the utensils from her, but did not actually do so.

~!**!~

Once Hiei pulled away from her and she was left with the image of the tent around her once more and his words fading on the air, Shikiyoku actually laughed.

It was a pleasant sound, not meant to raise ire, and her muscles almost immediately reminded her that she had not done so in a very long time, so the laughter faded away almost as quickly as it had started, but her face held echoes of the emotion.

"To think-" She appeared to be almost talking to herself, her voice fading off. Here she looked back up at Hiei, her eyes holding a little of their former brightness, "Do you know what connects each of those images?" 3

Hiei was, though he didn't show it, rather surprised by her response. But, the sound of her laughter, no matter how brief it was, seemed to lift a bit of weight from his shoulders. As if her mood had directly affected his own.

So when she asked of the connection, he simply raised a brow at her before sneering. It didn't matter the connection, and he didn't actually care of the connection. "Humor me."

~!**!~

Akari immediately, upon seeing his hand reaching for the chopsticks, retracted the utensils and glared harder at the redhead. "And you should know that I could care less what you are _perfectly capable of_." she replied in a grumble.

She again moved the noodles closer to him, glare hardened and focused on the redhead even as she offered the noodles. _*****_

Kurama waited another beat before leaning forward a little and accepting the offering, chewing a little and then speaking around the food.

"Happy?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku slowly stood, starting before Hiei even had a chance to answer.

Still within the safety of the tent, she relaxed and felt a strain at her neck disappear, her hair rustling softly as she cleared it from her face and took a step towards Hiei.

"You," She began, eyes glimmering slightly, "What do _you _desire, Hiei?" 3

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku. _He _was the so called _connection_? The thought was a rather amusing one. He found himself sneering suddenly, a brow still quirked at her. Even at her question, he didn't respond right away.

He suddenly scoffed. Rather loudly. But still, he made a point to think about it for a moment before repeating the sound, eyes meeting hers again.

"Don't be an insolent fool. Do what you're fully capable."

~!**!~

Akari retracted the chopsticks as soon as he had taken the noodles, and without hesitation, repeated the motion of gathering noodles, but this time, instead of offering them to him, she instead took them as her own, eating them without a second thought before twisting more noodles and offering those to him.

She too spoke around her mouthful of ramen. "Ashk me again when yoo've eat'n more." _*****_

He took this bite without protest, but spoke up again, "I could fulfill that faster for the both of us if you would just let me do it myself."

~!**!~

The muscles in Shikiyoku's face twitched briefly into a frown before flickering to neutral.

"And if there are too many? If I begin to drown in their desires and lose focus? What then?" 3

No hesitation, no beat between her question and the shift in his mood. Hiei's eyes darkened and his lips twitched in irritation. "Then you will have failed in fulfilling your Champion's desire." His tone was even, expression almost cold. "Do what you're capable."

~!**!~

Akari huffed once at Kurama, twisting more noodles around and around. "Did I say time was an issue?" she retorted, not looking up at him this time. "Get over it and just _eat_, you jackass." _*****_

Kurama let out a low chuckle, pulling his lips into his mouth slightly to prevent the smile that threatened to overtake them.

"Nabu," he turned to look at the dog, "You've known her longer than I have. Has she always been this way?"

~!**!~

There was no disguising the shudder of finality that overtook Shikiyoku, instantly dropping the semblance of her former self that she had managed to pull together.

The pact within her hummed with his words, for she had gotten an answer.

Without looking at him, she sank back down to the furs, her skin suddenly feeling very cold.

_He will be the death of me._

A strangely comforting thought that steeled her mind like a frozen trap.

_So be it._

"Leave." She said aloud, her own voice devoid of further emotion, loosing her energy in earnest as she closed her eyes against the figure her Champion cut at the front of the tent. The power filled the area to the brim within a beat of her releasing it in the hopes that such a sudden exposure would encourage him to go faster.

This time though, when her energy buzzed along her skin, tingled at her scalp, it was accompanied by the strangest burning sensation that Shikiyoku did not recognize.

_Do what you're capable._

_..._

And if she died?

Then his one, true desire would be fulfilled and she would have done her job.

The energy swirled about her in denser amounts, beginning to roar in her ears, even as she felt her heart hitch once before she regained her path. This time, however, the luster of her skin and the gleaming of her hair seemed...alien. Even the power itself, instead of caressing into existence, slicing across the air.

_What's wrong with me? _3

Hiei stood still in his place, hands finding his pockets in a show that said he didn't plan on leaving, not matter her demand or what she threw at him. His mind quickly focused on the bond that, for the moment, seemed much more prominent than it had been in weeks. It seemed to growl within his mind, angry and protesting… whatever.

He continued to stare at Shikiyoku, blinking once at her.

Finally, he decided to go ahead and say something that he'd held back earlier. "The rest, leave to me." His voice was quiet, but his tone filled with calm resolve, as if he'd made his mind up about some problem or another.

~!**!~

Akari stuffed more noodles in her mouth, choosing to ignore Kurama as he spoke to Nabu, who was sitting at attention nearby with ears trained on their conversation. She'd almost forgotten the dog was even present, as quiet as he was.

But, she did look up when she didn't _hear_ a response.

Nabu was simply staring at Kurama, blinking once before she saw his head move in a motion that was considered human. _No_, he indicated, glancing at her once before again turning calm eyes onto Kurama. But otherwise, he didn't elaborate. _*****_

Kurama smiled at the recognizable gesture.

"Seems you've picked up a few things. Probably a product of being around her too much, hm?" He teased at Akari, but spoke to the dog and ruffled his hand at the top of Nabu's head a little.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's energy rushed in her ears, unleashing more than she remembered being able to before.

It had been a long time since she had allowed the stuff to go free, at least as utterly and completely as she was going now.

While the tent around her did not so much as rustle, the fabric imbued with strong containment meant for confining anything that happened within so that there would be no indication of it outside, Shikiyoku's power intensified and filled the tent several times over, the density causing a haze to settle as the air grew heavy.

As she felt herself reaching the last of her demonic energy, Shikiyoku opened her eyes-which no longer held any of the recognizable green within them and were instead gleaming a bright, harsh yellow-and saw that Hiei had not left yet.

"Leave me." The words almost did not sound in her own voice, tinged with a sharpness that echoed the fierceness of the energy she released. "You are not _needed_."

_Or wanted. _

_Like I am not needed. _

_Or wanted. _3

Hiei's red eyes slowly moved about the room as the energy emitted by Shikiyoku began to form into first a fine mist, then into a thick haze in the tent. There was almost a sort of _weight _in the air that seemed to replace the weight he had previously felt lifted from his mind. It made him frown in thought.

And then her voice rang through the air, unrecognizable to him. It was harsh, sharp as his own blade. And her last word seemed to slice through the silence just as easily as his own blade through skin.

And with that word came more weight from the energy around him. A warning, he could feel.

But that wasn't what really had him turning to leave silently. He didn't look back, didn't even consider glancing back at the she-demon on the floor as he waved the tent flap aside and stepped into the evening light. He didn't pause to let his sight adjust to the sunlight. He didn't pause to let his eyes wander either. He simply turned and left the area of the tent, easily avoiding any demon that rushed by him.

He couldn't care less at the moment of the bustle around him. Still, he turned and headed in the direction he knew Uryo to be.

Not that he was headed to the demon specifically. But, burning a few things would be…. helpful.

Because hearing those words hadn't meant anything to him in decades, but…

But it was different this time, apparently.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at Kurama as she held out chopsticks to him, noodles presented to the redhead again. "All dogs can do it, understand humans, eventually. It just takes… a medium." she said, ignoring the teasing altogether.

Nabu's tail thumped once against the wood floor. "_She's taught me a lot."_

"You learn on your own, Nabu. You've learned more on your little _escapades_ than from my lessons."

"_...yeah but those always became lessons. Lessons I didn't listen to."_

She huffed at him once and looked to Kurama. "He once got lost in town, and when I found him, the dog catcher had him in a net. Who uses nets anymore anyway? I thought that was a human cartoon thing?" _*****_

Kurama listened quietly to Akari, taking bites when they were offered.

"If you wished to prevent those things from happening, a tag with a number to call would suffice." He could, however, understand why doing such a thing would be frowned upon by either party.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku had closed her eyes and did not see the fire demon leave, though she did feel her energy immediately fill the void his body had left.

Her jaw was clenched together. A tightness had settled over her throat similar to the tightness at her brows, and across her neck and shoulders.

It was only when she felt certain she would not be interrupted further that she finally let the tears drop from her eyes, leaving shimmering streams of pent-up anger down her cheeks and dropping off her chin.

She pushed her power farther and farther, feeling as if she were emptying her very soul into the loneliness of the room around her.

It had been such a trifle to dance for Shubou. His clan was small. His intentions pure. But she had also been...happy. When was the last time she had felt happy? It was...difficult to recall.

A strange feeling washed over Shikiyoku as she refused to back down from the outpouring of her energy, and the shift in the air from the light haze deepening made her gasp and open her eyes, head raising a little as the energy she began to access came not from her demonic stores of power...but from her very life force.

And she let it. Let it fill the room fuller than it had been, scrambling to exert it all, and yet finding at the very last that her body refused, snapping off her admittance to the energy and throwing her forward where she caught herself with her hands and watched blearily as salty water left darkened drops in the furs between her palms.

Ironically, without purpose she would not be able to do what had crossed her mind. Her body would not let her.

It would have to wait.

~!**!~

"No, that is quite excellent! Take that one away too!" Uryo gestured for the demons to go ahead and bring the large tree down, turning back to the close set of four he had stepped in front of.

Taking a swig again from the flask just inside his tunic-as he had been since arriving at the encampment-it took little concentration for Uryo to sear the trunks of the trees from the forest floor, slicing the four of them as they fell towards him, creating more firewood that other demons started to carry away, and simultaneously rendering the leaves and branches to ash just as they started to tip in his direction.

He stepped forward and ran his hand along the grass where moments before a tree had stood, and felt satisfied to find that, once again, not a blade had been singed and the earth where the tree had sprung was smooth and would not be tripped over. 3

Hiei moved through the crowd, eyes forward but not really seeing anything. Not at first, anyway. But when he heard demons making a fuss, yelling back and forth, his eyes focused again and his mind immediately became a blank canvas, leaving him able to assess what he was seeing.

Demons scurrying away with wood that appeared almost perfectly chopped. Several of them. And Uryo was inspecting the ground.

He paused a few yards away from the larger fire demon, his eyes turning to assess whatever operation was being run here. He could simply jump in, but it appeared salvaging the wood was necessary, meaning jumping in and simply firing away was out of the question.

He'd have to actually focus here.

His hands withdrew from his pockets, fingers flexing as a flame formed over his palms and his eyes assessed the nearest tree. And without a single sound to indicate he was there, he followed Uryo's lead, throwing the flame in a stream along the grass and towards a tree, causing it to first catch fire and, after another stream of flame followed, the tree to topple.

He didn't find the job amusing or distracting enough, but continued on anyway.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow, chewing at noodles with an unamused expression pointed at Kurama. "No phone, even if I liked the idea." she retorted almost lazily, offering noodles to Kurama again. "It isn't much of a problem anymore anyway. Nabu's learned from that," she shot a glance at the dog, "and has found it smart to stay away from stores."

"_I was only looking for what you wanted!"_

"Was it worth the trouble?"

"_...no."_

She gave a smirk and turned back to Kurama, this time taking to simply watching him, the room falling into silence. _*****_

"Well, I was going to offer a phone number, though I had imagined it wasn't an issue any longer." Kurama shifted slightly where he sat, his shoulders heaving in a silent sigh that left his nose noiselessly.

He flexed muscles here and there, absently testing their strength and responsiveness and knowing before he started that he would not be moving much in the foreseeable future.

He _might _be able to get Botan here to whisk him away on her oar, but being stuck immovable at the offices of Spirit World would likely prove less fruitful than he desired.

~!**!~

Uryo felt Hiei's approach even before the other fire demon threw energy at the next tree.

The older apparition stood up and took in the strange tenseness he could sense in the flames the other emitted, not to mention the fact Hiei's expression felt...odd to the fire demon.

He approached Hiei openly.

"They are in need of that stretch of forest to be eliminated." Uryo motioned to the South, where little work had been done. "At least ten trees in and going all the way over to where we came in." His eyes followed the path to the trees that were parallel to the Elder's tent. A good bit of land.

"No need for restraint there." He added. "They want it completely gone." Uryo started to turn away, "Good way to blow off some steam if you ask me." He walked back to where another set of demons stood prepared to gather more firewood. 3

Hiei didn't even pause at Uryo approached, didn't even glance at the other as he carefully mirrored what he'd seen the other do. Of course, it was nothing compared to Uryo's work, but he supposed it didn't matter what it looked like. It was to be burned anyway, right?

However, he did look up to follow Uryo's gaze as the other spoke about a stretch of land that was very much available for destruction. For complete annihilation.

But was it really _steam _Hiei was letting off, or simply a distraction? Hell, he didn't even know. All he knew was that he didn't want to have time to consider the words that continued to echo in his mind. Because if he did, he'd likely do something he'd regret.

So, without a word, he turned and made to cross the land again, sights set pointedly on the stretch of trees Uryo had indicated. Though, after a few calm steps he decided to cross the distance at a run.

In a blink, he had a great deal of trees aflame, burning slowly, as if he wished nothing more than to watch them burn.

~!**!~

Akari hesitated only a beat before her own amusement got the best of her. She adjusted the hold she had on the chopsticks and leaned forward, poking one of them against his forehead tauntingly. Her lips twitched, but her expression shifted to one of light mischief, teasing.

"Well, I mean, if you _want _to give me your number, no one's _stopping _you." She paused, a sly smirk stretching her lips. "Of course, there's no guarantee I'll get back to you _immediately." __*****_

"I thought it was a clever way to get you the information." Kurama shrugged, appearing unphased by her response. In truth, the thought had not occurred to him as the number would get her the house and likely his own mother, which would probably cause just as many problems for him as it would solve for her and her companion upon reflection. "Without directly coming out and handing you a slip of paper that I would expect you to promptly toss or claim to have forgotten where you placed it when I asked you its whereabouts later."

~!**!~

Uryo could feel the confliction in the fire Hiei wove into the air, smell it in the ashes that started to float about that area of the encampment.

It did not bode well and had Uryo frowning at the logs he sliced with ease and absentmindedness.

If they in some way reflected one another, mirrors after a fashion, and Hiei's core was disturbed enough to affect the emotions within the flames he was able to produce…

Uryo let his eyes shift to the Elder's tent, easily seen as it was in front and tall in the middle of the clearing. He recognized the symbols as ones meant to weave containment upon the fabric and was not surprised to find he could not pierce beyond them to the female he knew to be within their depths.

"Ho! Uryo!"

At his name, the apparition sheathed his sword and turned, beginning to see that other demons were starting to enter the clearing and set up tents along the outside edges of the areas he and the others had already finished with. 3

"_You're not __**needed**__."_

It seemed those words echoed in the air around him whether he was burning trees or simply watching them burn. And it took a few minutes for him to realize that it was not _anger_ he felt at her for those words. _Anger_ was something he knew how to withstand, how to control and how to conceal.

He clenched his jaw and released more than the simple stream of flame. This time, a sound similar to an explosion resounded as trees popped and crackled from the sudden burst of flame, the sheer amount of fire and sound from such flame enough to make more than the simple pop and crackle of fire.

"_You're not __**needed**__." _

"_No one __**cares **__about you."_

Those two meant the same to him. Both had been said. Both had once angered him. He'd moved past it all decades ago.

He felt the stirrings in his core that indicated his energy responding to his thoughts, forming another stream of fire in his hand without his conscious thought of doing so. He played with the flame for a moment before letting it soar, finding its own tree that disintegrated almost as soon as the flames touched it.

Maybe he'd just _leave_ her here.

_That will solve nothing, fool. Running solves nothing._

~!**!~

Akari's smile grew, showing pointed teeth as a glint made her expression seem just that much more sly, mischievous. "Oh boy." she began, rolling her eyes. "You don't know me very well then. I'm not one to simply _misplace _things." she paused, meeting his gaze again. "I'd rip it up in front of you."

Of course, she was kidding.

Or maybe not. Who knows. It wasn't like she'd be put in that position anyway. _*****_

"Well, that makes me feel better." Kurama answered as if the words were truth. "If you tore it up in front of me, at least then I would know where I stood directly. None of this 'he said she said' bit," He waved his hand about complacently, "Better to be rejected immediately."

_And how often have you put those last words into use?_

Quite often, thank you. There was the girl in-

_With __**her. **_

Kurama mentally cleared his throat and turned his thoughts from the subject.

~!**!~

As Uryo assisted in directing some of the foot traffic, he felt himself constantly reaching out to test the flames he knew were in existence on the other side of the clearing, and as he turned to follow another demon of the tribe who had been sent to make sure Uryo started the main bonfire, the apparition stumbled and clutched at the fabric of his tunic above his core.

He waved off any concern from the demon, as if the smell of alcohol might answer any questions, and gestured with his other hand that they should keep moving.

Uryo's eyes wandered to the Elder's tent and he found his paced had slowed, reaching out towards it again and once more being unable to penetrate the defenses.

He rubbed at his chest where the pain had occurred and reached for the flask hidden away, his soberness that fell over him during the stumble needing to be staved off before his body began reacting.

The flames Hiei was using...something was very wrong.

The last time Uryo remembered using those flames, the last time he had felt his core wrench so terribly within himself...had been about a century before, though the memory still haunted him as if it were only seconds ago...

...when he discovered his lover had killed herself.

Uryo shook off the sudden cloud with a great deal of effort, being presented to the fire pit where the bonfire of the night would be flaming, wood piled high within it.

He began weaving his energy delicately, careful that no portion of the flame he meant to light it with would burn the wood any more than necessary so that the fire would last as long as the night required.

And still he found his gaze lifting towards the other side of the clearing, each blast of power sending the slightest of shivers to his toes. 3

~!**!~

Akari fell into silence, her thoughts suddenly transitioning from the fun she was poking at the redhead to the fact that she had taken to feeding him because she thought he was healing too slowly. Because of Otento. And the Pseudo-Youko's lack of control over his own underlings.

The thought was an unsettling one.

But not as unsettling as the fact that _Kurama _had been caught. Almost _killed_.

"Hey," she called out in a whisper, eyes trained on the bowl of soup that she now swirled about with the chopsticks. "What happened, exactly?" she asked, knowing that if the fox could be caught, then they all needed to be on guard…

Suddenly she remembered her own reaction, and the stance she had taken when she'd found Foko. When she'd resigned to a fight.

She'd never done that before: decided to fight for someone else. And the stance… it hadn't been one she'd been taught to assume when presented with a skilled fighter.

Finally, she lifted her eyes to Kurama's face. "How'd he surprise you?" _*****_

"Otento can not only mask his energy signature, but everything else about him as well. He cannot be smelled, his presence cannot be felt. I would wager that he also would not leave tracks or fingerprints, rendering himself unfollowable. He left no room for decision this time, locking away Youko within me. It was a simple matter at that point to overpower me." Kurama paused, "I believe he was...done toying with us at that point."

~!**!~

((The semi-repeated thoughts -starting with 'She needs him.' and going to 'Yes.'- that Shikiyoku has in this segment originally became smaller and smaller in font with each successive one as a representation that the 'voice' is being shoved away or drowned out, but that does not translate to FF, hence the explanation.))

Shikiyoku gasped for air, her eyes flying open and the energy in the room slamming back into her body, causing no small amount of pain as it did so and forcing her forward again to her knees where she barely caught herself before her face hit the floor. She stayed in that position, breathing heavily and seeing nothing.

The emotion had not come from within her that time. She was positive. Her body shook with sobs and her hands clenched at the fur between them.

She did not bother moving this time, instead turning inward and panicking for a moment as she did not immediately grasp at the pact between her and Hiei, searching deeper and barely finding it, giving out erratic pulses that sometimes beat fervently and other times would go almost too long before sounding again.

Shikiyoku slowly sat back up, thinking it appropriate that the pact acted as if it was on its last leg of existence. She wondered if a Champion would feel the sever as she had, and if it would be easier to ignore since it had grow so...weak.

She sighed into the empty room, feeling old and weary and thinking back at how she'd ended up in this predicament, going so far as to push her very own Champion away so that she might be alone to wallow in her inadequacy.

If she were a better seductress, she could have coaxed from him desires to fulfill. If she were a better seductress, she wouldn't have fallen in with him in the first place. If she were a-

"_Then you will have failed in fulfilling your Champion's desire." _

Even now her core felt as though it dropped into her stomach as the cold, cruelness of his words pierced her inner thoughts.

"_Do what you're capable."_

But she couldn't. That was the point. There were so many, too many and-

She needed help.

_**She**_ _needs __**him**__._

**He** did not need **her**. Therefore **her** need is moot.

She would not be able to do this on her own, she would need help.

_**She**_ _needed __**him**__._

Shikiyoku stood up, feeling a great deal of anguish that made each step seem so much heavier than they had ever been, and started to walk towards the entrance of the tent.

Sticking her head out of the tent-flap, her face was back-lighted by the glow that came from within the Elder's tent, and she found that it was almost completely dark outside and she could not see.

"Need something?" A passing demon asked, news that the Iro was to be assisted if it was required having been told to the entire tribe.

_**She**_ _needs __**him**__._

"Fetch me H-the fire demon."

"The Champion." The demon appeared to be recalling where he had seen the Champion last, glancing into the darkness.

Shikiyoku shook her head, "No."

_Yes._

"The other one."

"Is everything okay, Iro?" The demon had caught sight of her face and it appeared ashen, grey...almost sickly.

"Yes."

The demon nodded and turned to go, not even aware of the voice within her that had suddenly, finally, been silenced, its cry going unheard.

~!**!~

Uryo could taste the unhappiness on the air, and even staring into the blaze he had lit that flamed merrily into the sky did nothing to lift his awareness of it.

He could no longer hold himself back and turned to find Hiei, his steps quick and his eyes keen to speak with him. 3

He could feel it. Every pull it gave at him, every erratic thrum in warning at him. The bond was suddenly very active to him, pulling at his every thought and making it _very _hard to make his mind become the blank canvas he desired.

He wasn't angry.

He was recovering.

And he needed time to push away whatever had resurfaced. It was stupid, foolish. He'd been past this. He'd heard it a million times over, both from people he know and from ones he did not.

_But you care about this one._

It was almost as if that single line had come from Kurama, who would have very easily sorted out Hiei's feelings on the matter. A bitter sneer formed on the fire demon's face as he stilled again, staring at the stretch of land he had cleared- much more than Uryo had indicated he thought. Oh well, more room to maneuver.

He looked about himself, expression finally neutral and mind quiet for the time being. He could see the glow of the flames at the camp, could see the outlines of the tents in the darkness. He could still hear the bustle, but it was almost like another world to him. So close, close enough that when the celebrations started he would be able to hear it, to _feel _those merry dancers and their emotions. But at the same time, he was separated from it. In another plane, it seemed.

"_You're not __**needed**__." _

His eyes slid closed and he took in a deep breath as he turned away. Again he considered leaving. After all, if he wasn't needed, then why should he stay?

But each time the thought arose, the bond screamed at him, pounded in his head and created pain in his temple. It was similar to a blade being plunged into his skull at times, but this one… this one felt like an axe to the brain.

Another deep breath.

Another beat of silence.

And then another tree burning, disintegrating on impact.

Another attempt at a blank canvas going wrong.

~!**!~

Akari didn't look up at Kurama as he spoke, taking everything in stride. She knew he couldn't be smelled- she just hadn't said it to anyone yet. He was virtually impossible to sense coming. So, it made sense that he'd used that to his advantage, whereas before, he'd used it for his amusement, played a game of 'who will find me first' before revealing himself.

Like that time in the park, when her energy had been locked away, like Kurama's.

Foko had been able to sense him.

But… that didn't mean anything. Foko had his own energy under wraps as well, and had been over Otento for…. who knows how long. HE'd know how to…

She scowled down at the floor.

"He's losing control." she mumbled, referring to Foko. But, really, she wasn't even sure she was speaking to the redhead, or if she was speaking to herself.

However, she did look up now, expression serious. "Otento's becoming a problem now. Before, he wasn't serious about us being in his way. But now, he is. And he's shown that he's much more powerful than he's been hinting." She paused, eyes sliding closed for a moment.

She found herself thinking of Yusuke and his fighting style, and Kuwabara and Hiei. And after a few moments, she felt as if, maybe, this time…

The team of detectives that Koenma was so proud of… might not be able to handle this.

Otento could hide himself enough to surprise each and every one of them. By himself, he could very likely pick off the entire team. Foko was a very meticulous copy of Youko, meaning he had each and every ability the fox had, and just as much power, if not more.

And she remembered there being others, others who hadn't shown themselves yet.

_We're in serious trouble._

When she opened her eyes again, she was very aware of the way Kurama sat, very still and very stiff, as if any movement would cause a tremendous amount of pain. And the fact that _Youko_ had been locked away… She was sure that meant he wasn't healing the way he usually would.

Meaning he'd be here for a week, at least, unable to do anything but sit here and talk.

_Botan can fix that. He doesn't have to be stuck here like I am._

She rubbed at her face. "We can't just sit around anymore. Waiting isn't an option, and Koenma knows that." Suddenly, she was pushing herself to stand, offering the chopsticks she'd been holding to Kurama, along with the second bowl, in case he was still hungry. She was going to have to make a call. _*****_

Kurama took the food without hesitation, slowly beginning to eat, his lower speed a combination of both his pain, but more so now his mind becoming lost in thought.

Youko was needed to be locked away. Why now when not before? Something triggered the need for the fake Youko to move about freely without fear of Kurama's other half becoming active.

So what did that mean?

They were on the move.

The thought chilled Kurama. On the move for what? _What?_

What was the purpose? What was their goal?

They had unsuccessfully attempted to acquire Tori-err Shikiyoku. Her powers, if Kurama had to guess, would let them...control vast amounts of people? Could she do that?

With Youko locked away, Kurama was unable to prod the demon for reassurance.

But they had not gotten her, assuming Koenma still knew where she was since everyone else was being kept out of the loop on that one.

_So what would Youko have done if his first plan had failed?_

The thought came out of nowhere and Kurama realized very suddenly that _he _was the best one to know what the next step for them would be because _he _had co-existed with the very being their enemies were imitating.

The realization was both freeing and harrowing.

He had to speak with Koenma. And soon.

~!**!~

Uryo made quick steps across to where he knew Hiei would be, where he could _feel _Hiei's flames still occasionally erupting through the air, wrought with emotions that made Uryo's own core sting in response.

Uryo wondered if Hiei had yet discovered that blasting away an entire forest doesn't actually make one feel any better. He would be better off tearing through half a million low level demons. At least then the bloodlust would pound away any other thoughts in his head.

Unphased by the fires that still blazed and lit the sky around him, Uryo walked through any remaining flame that still scattered across the forest floor, kicking up ashes of ruined grass and underbrush.

He noted briefly, somewhere in the back of his head, that the forest here would grow up stronger than before, the ashes fertilizing the new growth, and how ironic it was that such a tantrum would eventually create such beauty.

As he drew closer, he took another drink from the flask though he didn't know how much good it would actually do. Being bombarded by the emotions from the flames he made his way through was very sobering.

He paused in mid-step, caught suddenly by the flickering of a single flame in his peripheral vision, which he let his eyes follow, finding himself staring at the fire created by the energy of the demon less than ten feet from him now.

Something...clicked in his mind as to the very nature of the fire this particular demon wielded and one of his brows raised, but he dismissed the sudden revelation and took another few steps forward, folding his arms over his chest and assessing the newly-burnt, still-heated clearing from a foot behind Hiei.

He grunted.

"Could use a little more off the top." 3

Hiei, truthfully, hadn't been paying any bit of attention to his surroundings other than the parts he burned. But, subconsciously, he was aware of Uryo's approaching presence even as he let his own flames light up the night sky again.

Funny how something so warm could come from someone who felt as if the world were cold.

When Uryo spoke up, Hiei didn't even pause to look at the other male, instead taking to simply igniting more of the area around him, though the action called for no physical movement from the demon who now stood within the circle of his own destruction.

"And what makes you think I care how it looks? It needed cleared, so it's cleared."

~!**!~

Akari moved from the livingroom area and into the kitchen, immediately taking to pulling drawers from the countertop open. The wood rattled in protest from disuse each time, creating a sound she hated each time. A few even rattled with utensils that had been left behind by whoever had once owned this place.

But drawer after drawer, she found herself pouting.

Thanks to the person in the living room and the events that had surrounded him, she found herself unable to remember where she'd put the communication mirror, as Botan had called it.

Maybe…

_Oh, right._

She turned to a small basket she'd found a few days ago, piled high with clothes she had yet to clean. It was easy to find the jacket she'd pulled off earlier and pull the mirror from it with a calm ease, pausing only to consider how the thing worked.

Last time, Yusuke had dialed Koenma, and she'd just… taken over.

So she flipped it open, frowning when no buttons were seen, but giving a start when white noise sounded from the thing. And after a moment, she was seeing the toddler prince. _*****_

~!**!~

"Koenma-sir, I need you to sign this."

"Koenma-sir, we've got problems in the lowest sector!"

The bustle of the office had not died down for the past two days and Koenma was frantically filling orders and giving commands from his desk.

"Koenma-sir…"

Koenma felt the buzz go across his desk that indicated one of the detectives was attempting to reach him and immediately disregarded whatever it was the ogre was going to say, but underneath all the paperwork and stuck in the middle of a rather demanding group of workers, Koenma had a hard time remembering where exactly the button to answer was.

"Koenma-sir, we've just gotten confirmation that-"

"Don't care! Busy!" Koenma shuffled papers to the side, waving a tiny hand to stop the noise coming from the ogre's mouth.

"Koenma-sir, what _are _you doing?" George wanted to know, standing at his customary position just to Koenma's right.

"Trying to find the button for the…" Koenma's voice mumbled off incoherently.

George sighed, feeling the vibrations from the desk as he stepped closer, and moved a particular pile of papers out of the way to jab a clawed, blue finger at the button for which Koenma searched.

"You mean _this _button, sir?"

A screen in front of Koenma popped up from the desk, promptly scattering any papers that had been on top of it willy-nilly about the room.

"Yes, _ogre_." Koenma's expression was a mixture of gratitude and put-out as he gave George a look as the screen fizzled with white noise before presenting him with Akari's face.

"Akari." He seemed a little surprised that she was the one calling, and it was easy to see that his eyes had a bit of a haunted look to them, as if he had seen and heard too many things in the last few days and had not had enough time for sleep to recover from them. The noise of the office did not lessen even when he took the call, the sound of papers shuffling and ogres running amok being picked up by the microphone in the desk near Koenma's face.

~!**!~

"Mm." Uryo grunted again. "And what do you all think?"

He lowered his gaze and looked to the right.

Not three feet from where the two fire demons stood, a small army of lur'mog were seated on their haunches, eyes lit by the flames around them and all wearing similar expressions of fascination with the fire. Every so often a tail here or there would twitch, but they did not respond to Uryo's question.

Or rather, one did. The largest one who sat in front of the others, his gaze solemn and his eyes wide, blinked slowly, once, and looked up at Uryo.

The older apparition recognized this one. He had spent much time with it in the last few weeks or so.

A bit of flame washed over the lur'mogs, but they seemed unaffected by it, only staring after it with that same awed gaze.

"It never really helps, does it?" Uryo murmured, sighing to himself as he let his eyes lift and take in the destruction around them. "And the fact that things will grow back stronger because of it...maddening. Irritating." His voice took on just a bit of an edge and his jaw clenched. 3

Hiei had, for some reason even he didn't know, allowed the last of his flames to die out, leaving himself standing there, watching whatever didn't require his energy to feed burn whatever it clung to. He didn't really see it, though he tried, but it was just..

_That stupid bond._

_Those stupid words._

Nothing left him be. And it was only now he found himself growing irritated, borderline angry. But still, he merely stood there, letting his energy simply taper away and eyes stare ahead.

Might as well stop destroying before the tribe decided he was causing useless damage.

He didn't respond to Uryo, who seemed very keen on whatever was bothering the shorter of the two. It was something he hadn't considered: another being able to feel his emotions like his own. Perhaps it was something only the older could do, or maybe it was something fire apparitions with experience could do. He wasn't sure, and he didn't think about it.

He finally turned his eyes to look at Uryo from the corners, but only for a moment before turning to move away, hands finding his cloak pockets.

He didn't need someone telling him how maddening anything was. He already knew.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at the scene she could see and hear, momentarily distracted by whatever it was that blocked her view of the prince for a second. Paper, she deduced, as she saw several other leaflets of it falling through the air behind Koenma.

She huffed in amusement once before sighing. "Apologies for the interruption. Is Botan busy?" She glanced up, looking to the wall that separated herself from Kurama, still sitting in the next room with Nabu. With her voice a whisper, as before, she sighed and continued, "He's healing about as fast as a human, and I'm sure being locked up here will do no good." _*****_

Koenma's brows furrowed.

Botan had told him little of the incident, though he had been distracted at the time, only saying that Akari insisted on fixing the 'problem.' Whatever that meant. Apparently it meant nursing or something.

He sat quiet for a moment, the noise of the office around him growing no softer before he spoke up.

"Truthfully...we've had to call her in for Reaper duties. We're swamped. There's been a-"

"Koenma-sir." George's voice could be heard over the intercom, though he was not seen.

Koenma gave the blue ogre a glare.

"They _deserve _to know. If I'd had a moment to breathe, I would have told them earlier."

"We are on _strict _lockdown, sir. Ordered from your father himself. You shouldn't even be answering the call."

"Ha! And now they know about the lockdown and it's not my fault!"

George opened and closed his mouth in consternation, his cheeks reddening as he realized what he'd done.

Koenma leaned closer to the screen, speaking much more quietly than before.

"Truth is, we're not supposed to let anyone in or out of Spirit World right now because-" Koenma's gaze lifted suddenly as another yell, louder this time, echoed through the office, and when he looked back to Akari, his words came faster, "There's been threat of an attack. If I can get you out of Human World and _here_, where we need _help_, I will. Promise."

Koenma slammed down the screen just as the ogres parted to let another through, this one wearing the official letters of his father.

"Prince Koenma. Your father wishes to speak to you."

~!**!~

"_Hiei."_

Before Uryo had a chance to say anything else, a tribesdemon approached them, though in truth, for once Uryo didn't know what to say and felt thankful for the reprieve.

The demon seemed hesitant, however. Unsure.

"Th-the Iro is asking for you."

Uryo glanced over to gauge the other fire demon's reaction.

The demon who approached them made a strange noise, as if to speak but then not. It drew Uryo's attention back to him.

"_Hiei." _

"She…" The demon appeared uncomfortable, "She asked for _you_." The demon looked meaningfully at Uryo, "-but...something is wrong. She- I- I think she _tried _to ask for her Champion first." The words came tumbling out, "She looks ill. I do not want her to dance if it means- I don't know. Something's wrong." He repeated.

"_Hiei."_

A strange warmth settled over Hiei's shoulders, spreading across the back of his neck and settling there. Waiting. 3

Hiei didn't pause when Uryo called out, though he wasn't really even sure where he was going. Perhaps back to camp, perhaps away. Either seemed fine to him, though away seemed more… fruitful. He'd be left alone for a bit.

But then again, what had _that _done to help him? Nothing more than create a clearing of ash.

Maybe one of blood would be better.

Again, his name was called, but this time the fire demon realized it wasn't being called _aloud_. Telepathically.

He gave a pause, this time tuning into whatever it was Uryo wanted of him, and realizing another demon had approached, talking to Uryo about… Shikiyoku, from the sound of it. For a moment, Hiei could care less. She wanted to be alone, so she was going to _be _alone. For a while, at least.

His feet moved again, carrying him away even still as his name was said a third time, this time almost more forcefully. At least, to him it sounded forceful. Urgent. While his own name did not stop him, the sudden warmth over his shoulders did, pulling him to a stop and to face Uryo with a blank stare.

Her words again echoed in his mind.

But he still didn't move away.

He blinked once at the pair before suddenly finding himself feeling rather.. worn out. He resigned himself to making the trip back towards the pair, hands still in his pockets, but clouded, shadowed eyes piercing the newcomer.

"Elaborate."

~!**!~

Akari stayed quiet as a voice she didn't recognize filtered through the communication mirror, and she only blinked once when Koenma turned to her again, after she'd heard the second voice speak of _lockdown. _But he didn't give her time to ask, or even try to do so.

He simply went on to elaborate, even after he was momentarily distracted and-

_Hold on. King Enma has them on lockdown? _Her brows furrowed after the word _threat _came through the speakers.

"They're-" she tried to say, but again he continued.

And before she could say anything more, the screen went black and she was staring at her own baffled expression.

_Spirit World under attack? _

She stood there for a minute, letting her mind register everything Koenma had said before she snapped the mirror closed- rather loudly- and stuffed it in her jacket pocket as she shuffled her way into the next room.

She paused in the threshold of the kitchen, staring at Kurama as she opened her mouth to speak, but wasn't sure how to word it.

"Well, as soon as someone appears, you and I are taking a trip to visit Koenma." Her lips twitched into a humorless smirk. "Though, it could be a while." _*****_

Kurama had sinced finished his food, the bowl and utensils set next to him as he absently pet Nabu's head.

Something about Akari's tone had him looking up at her, seeing the grim smile.

"What's wrong?"

~!**!~

The demon Hiei addressed had by this time began wringing his hands together as if the tension of the conversation might prove too much.

"H-her skin it-" He held up his own hand, looking at it, "Like this when she came in, yes? Normal?"

The warmth over Hiei's shoulders seemed to grow...heavier, more weight, but more substantial. And something began gently tapping against the upper portion of his arm like...a tail perhaps. A slow, steady rhythm. Unexcited. A pulse of movement once in a while that was not meant to grab any attention, but spread like a rather contented feeling…

The demon shook his head, "I could not see _exactly, _but I believe her face was…" His eyes caught sight of the destruction around them and he picked up the word, "Ashen. Grey."

Across Hiei's other shoulder, a thrum began resonating, vibrating against him.

"_Hiei."_

"Her voice was…" He appeared at a loss for words, "Perhaps darker?"

"_Do you know from where she gets her strength, Hiei?" _The voice seemed to come from inside his head, but if it had an origin...somewhere it sat...it would have been just above the shoulder that currently had the thrum resonating peacefully. 3

Hiei felt slightly annoyed at the way the demon stuttered and wrung his hands in front of himself as he spoke. It made the fire demon want to just wave him away, tell him to find something better to do than waste his time. But the information the demon gave was something that caught his attention.

He thought about those factors, the things the messenger told him. He thought about the different possibilities. Demons could get sick, from stress or any other factor. Wasn't unheard of in any case, really, but…

Suddenly he wasn't seeing the demon in front of him, or hearing him either. He was within himself, searching for the bond he suddenly realized wasn't screaming at him, wasn't pulling at him. It wasn't thrumming, it wasn't growling, it wasn't… there. At all.

But.. wouldn't he know if it had broken? Wasn't that a thing?

Now Hiei was frowning to himself, only focusing on something other than the bond when a question was aired in his mind. Telepathically. Unrecognized? But the question was one he felt he should know the answer to.

Calmly, he turned his attention to the voice itself, as if it were a manifestation in his mind altogether. He didn't answer with words. He just… waited for an elaboration.

~!**!~

Akari moved further into the room, noting Nabu's curious stare that seemed very identical to Kurama's own questioning one. "They're on lockdown. A threat of an attack." she said slowly as she moved to sit in front of him. "Apparently, the king is very adamant that no communication in or out, likewise with people, is forbidden." _*****_

Was _that _it?

Kurama's mind raced.

Was the fake Youko trying to...to what, attack Spirit World? Ridiculous.

...it would explain why they wanted Shikiyoku so badly, assuming she could catch the attention of multiple denizens at once.

And if they had failed to capture her, what would Youko have immediately done?

_He would have had someone else. A back-up plan. And as soon as he had acquired __**that **__one…_

Kurama sighed, nearly a groan, and reached up to rub a hand against his forehead as if in pain.

"We need to get into Spirit World. The sooner the better."3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	57. Episode 141 - Plans Within Plans

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of FF!

Onwards and upwards!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari makes it back to Kurama with their ramen,  
>and Nabu resting his head on Kurama's knee.<p>

Kurama has managed to sit up but is leaning heavily into the wall behind him,  
>still feeling deeply the affects of having Youko so completely locked away from him.<br>Nabu has realized that Kurama cannot understand him anymore,  
>and the dog also notes that Kurama no longer has any 'ears' or a 'tail.'<p>

Akari insists upon feeding Kurama herself, not taking 'no' for an answer,  
>and Kurama obliges her with only a little protest.<p>

As Akari feeds him, the two banter back and forth,  
>until Akari finally comes around to asking Kurama what happened<br>and how he managed to get so beat up.

This leads to a conversation between the two that ends with Akari getting up,  
>intending to use the compact Botan gave her to call Koenma and ask for Botan's healing.<p>

Akari discovers that Enma has ordered a lock-down of Spirit World  
>because of a threat of an attack, no one allowed in or out of the place.<br>Koenma wants to send someone to get them and bring them to help,  
>but he informs her it might be a while.<p>

She tells all of this to Kurama, who agrees that the sooner they could get to Spirit World, the better.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku reveals how violent the death of her first Champion had been,  
>and how she is concerned the same sort of thing will happen here,<br>given how big the ritual that night for the Northern Tribe will be.  
>When Hiei expresses an ultimatum of her doing the ritual anyway,<br>his desire for it rocks her to the core, and she believes he has given her to death,  
>though he tells her to leave what she cannot handle to him.<p>

Starting preparations for the ritual, she demands he leaves the Elders' Tent,  
>telling him he is not needed, and such a statement throws Hiei into his own turmoil.<br>Finding Uryo, Hiei is assigned to a section of the forest that needs burning without prejudice,  
>and he sets into it furiously.<p>

Internally, Hiei eventually realizes that perhaps her words shook him so much,  
>when others had said such things and he had never thought a second thing about it,<br>because he actually respects and cares for the person who said them this time.

Sensing the emotions in his fire, Uryo comes to watch for a moment,  
>and the two are joined by a third demon who was sent for Uryo by Shikiyoku,<br>but who expresses an unsettling amount of concern for the state he had seen her in.

As this demon is speaking, Hiei realizes someone, or some_thing_,  
>is attempting to speak with him telepathically, a presence coming to rest at his shoulder.<br>The voice in his head asks Hiei if he knows from where it is that Shikiyoku, the Ward, gets her strength...

* * *

><p>The thrum, no the <em>purr<em>, grew louder as something soft and furry that wasn't there butted itself affectionately against the side of Hiei's neck at the bottom of his ear.

And as the fur made contact with his skin, so too did the answer alight into his mind.

"_It is __**you**__, Hiei Jaganshi."_

As the soft fur moved away, the voice went on.

"_**You **__are the source of her strength. She reflects __**you**__, amplifies __**your **__power. She can only be as strong as her Champion will allow, only as strong as he can strive and grow to be. And...because of that..._

_She __**needs **__you. Desperately. With every fiber of her being. But not only that...she __**needs**_ _you to __**need **__her. For something. For __**anything**__. Even if it is only as simple as desiring her presence. Something you can express to her. Tell her. Without purpose from you as her Champion, she is better off dead, for the pact within her causes an isolation that will drive her to do things even the insane would not applaud. And she is no good on her own-she would die-just as you will find yourself so much less when she is gone." _3

Hiei's body stiffened for a moment as recognition hit him like a blow to the gut, the voice suddenly _very _recognizable to him. And the words spoken to him were ones he could _feel _the truth in, as if he should have known the entire time.

Words were recalled in his mind, words he had ignored earlier that day, because they had had nothing to do with him at the time. "_She was not as strong as I first thought. Or perhaps...no, I am for sure that it was actually I who was not as strong as I first thought. She took her own life. And I was not there to stop her." _Hiei blinked, slowly, and his eyes refocused on his surroundings.

Even as Maneshi's voice filled his mind, he was moving, listening but simultaneously acting.

Yes, her words had stung. Perhaps it was for the very reason he'd come to respect her: because she'd refused to call him the _cursed child_ that everyone else deemed him. But for the moment, it didn't matter.

Because he was her Champion, and it was his duty to see to her, keep her safe. And his speed made it very easy to return to the very tent he'd left earlier, entirely forgetting the two he'd left behind. When he was at his destination, Hiei brushed the tent flap aside unceremoniously and stepped into the very dark room, eyes finding the cloaked figure farthest from the entrance to the tent.

He could still taste the last of her energy lingering in the room, telling him it had blanketed it enough to have been a very dangerous thing should anyone had entered.

He stared at her evenly, arms hanging loosely at his sides as he took in her appearance- or what little he could see of it for her cloak.

"_...she needs _you _to need _her_." _

"Do you plan on sitting in this tent forever?" he asked in a calm, even tone.

~!**!`

Akari nodded once, but sighed at Kurama. "If you know of another way to Spirit World that doesn't require Botan, I'm all ears." She paused, assessing him for a moment. "Though, it's hectic, just from what _I _saw and heard."

She glanced at Nabu, who was still curiously looking at her. "_Is this your… boss?"_

She nodded at the dog before turning back to Kurama. "I was trying to get Botan specifically, but she's busy…" _*****_

"We _are_ in Human World." Kurama started, "There are portals from here to both Demon and Spirit World, though I think it would be a matter of finding them, which is our current problem anyway."

Kurama leaned his head back against the wall.

"Something is bothering me though. The fake Youko needed me sealed away. But why now? Is he going to show himself finally? Is that what the attack on Spirit World is about?" It didn't feel right, but it was the closest thing Kurama could come up with. He shifted in place, agitated that he could not place his metaphorical finger on what didn't sit correctly with him about the current situation.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku could feel her entire body tense when it was Hiei's voice and not Uryo's that she heard from the front of the tent.

"Until I am needed." She replied softly without thinking, feeling the dryness of her throat as she tucked her hands into the sleeves of the cloak and ran her fingers along skin that no longer felt enticing.

She found a scar on her left arm that had disappeared sometime before then, the scar from when she fell into the pit near Central Tribe. The imperfection was back now, her fingers tracing the rough patch, and she didn't understand why. 3

Hiei didn't react to her words at first, finding that now he understood the deeper meaning of such a thing to say. Before now, he'd always thought that a creature of desire never felt the need to be… well desired. To him, it didn't really make sense, but that part didn't matter.

"Until you are _needed_?" he repeated, tone almost incredulous. He wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't good at… touchy-feely things. Not in the least. "Perhaps you should try that again."

~!**!~

Akari frowned. Finding one of those portals could take… hours. Days, if one was not within this particular city or the next. Surely Koenma would be able to act quicker than the time it would take for Akari and Kurama to _hunt down a portal themselves. _

Especially with Kurama in as much pain as he was.

When he spoke up again, her frown deepened, leaving her watching the redhead thoughtfully even as his words died away.

_He's right. _

There had to be a reason for Youko to be locked away, and locking him away for the sole purpose of attacking _Spirit World_, who _knew _where the real Youko was at all times anyway, did not seem… _intelligent_. It didn't seem..

Like Foko.

"He's been using that skin for business deals." she suddenly said, blinking once at herself as the words simply fell from her lips. She pursed those lips together, trying to remember what had caused them to say those words.

_Right. _

She suddenly remembered slamming into a tree. A sigh escaped her. "Business deals and keeping his power over other demons, right? So maybe it's a deal he's trying to distract us from." _*****_

Kurama looked at Akari suddenly.

_It fit._

Youko would not use this moment to attack Spirit World. What good would it do him to be so open about it? Subtlety. Manipulation. These were his strongest weapons.

That meant something else was going on instead.

"So...I am in Human World. Unable to be Youko." Kurama began slowly. "Spirit World is attacked. It's a distraction."

_That _felt right.

"But a distraction from..." _From what?_ "...to keep Spirit World's eyes off of Human World. Youko would use the distraction to-" Kurama took a shot in the dark, "Bring more demons into Human World right under Spirit World's notice." Kurama blinked at Akari, the gravity of how sure he felt about that statement settling over him. "I think perhaps it is not Spirit World who needs help...but us."

~!**!~

_Try what again?_

Shikiyoku scratched absently at the scar.

She was simply waiting until...well since Uryo was likely not coming, until she was to dance.

She let out a defeated sigh, attempting to put it as many different ways as she could think of off the top of her head, "What do you wish me to say? I wait until I am called for, until I am necessary, desired." She choked, about to say 'wanted,' but unable to get the word past her lips.

She fell silent again. 3

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest lazily, still blocking the tent flap and not moving any closer to the woman who had done rather well in pushing him away earlier. He still felt reluctance, but he ignored it as best as he could.

"I do not _desire_ anything." he suddenly said, going back to what she'd asked him earlier. He paused, staring at her with a blank stare. "Material things have no value to me." He blinked once at her again. "What I _want _is _you _to do what you know you can do." he paused again, contemplating his words. "Leave the rest to me." Again, he paused.

Should he elaborate?

_What would I elaborate?_

~!**!~

Akari blinked. Did they just figure it out? Did they just _decode _the _unpredictable _enemy?

"Lots of it, I bet." she responded in a mumble. She sat silently for a moment, thinking. If they informed Spirit World, would Foko find out? Would that blow their chances?

"If they've threatened an attack, how long before they begin bringing demons? Are _we _a factor to _their _movements?"

She thought back to Foko, his actions when she was nearby.

_No. _

He'd act regardless. If something happened, he'd deal with it. He'd kill anyone in his way, or anyone who put a hitch in his plans. Even if they just made him _wait_. _*****_

"Why?" Kurama asked suddenly aloud. "Why will there be an influx of demons to Human World? What's the point?" He searched his mind for an answer. "Getting them here is just the first step. Throw Spirit World into chaos, make them think they're in danger. When the dust clears, do they know there are more demons here? Are they allowed to realize what the deception was for? And if so, does that make them feel safer, think that they're safe? And then they attack Spirit World? Or are they just wanting to get _here. _To the humans."

That last part felt off. Something else had to be going on. If it truly was a simple task to transport many demons to Human World, and the end goal was to overtake Human World, then surely they would have done so by now.

It was all about timing. _If _it was all about timing...then why _now_?

~!**!~

"You desire something." Shikiyoku replied in that same defeated tone-_otherwise I would not be here_. "Everyone desires something."

Did he desire to have a desire? Did they pact simply so they could become unpacted?

She had no answers anymore. Merely felt as if she had failed somewhere along the way. And if so, then she deserved the only ending she could foresee occurring that night.

"I will do as you say you want." She added softly, running her thumb over and over the scar. _Or I will at the least die doing so._

She would _not _cry in front of him, tears of joy for fulfilling what she believed he wanted or tears of sorrow for utterly failing him, she did not know...but he was making it very hard. 3

Hiei scowled, deciding he'd say just what Maneshi told him to say. Though the word _desire _was not a word he liked, he decided to use it anyway. After all, Maneshi said it was the only way, so..

"I desire _you. _Your presence." he grumbled, only loud enough that if a human were nearby, they would not have heard him. He continued to stare at her with an even gaze. "I desire for this mood of yours to pass."

He suddenly realized that, maybe, these words rang more truth for him than he'd thought.

~!**!~

Akari frowned. "That's too simple. Just overthrowing Human World…. it's too simple." She let her eyelids slide closed as she thought of each and every encounter with Foko, with Otento. "He wants as little casualties as possible, but he was dead set that Shikiyoku would be one." She thought harder, rubbing her temple with her hand.

Was it something that was obvious, and she was missing it? Or was it something completely absurd to her, something she'd never _dream of?_

Suddenly she was thinking as if she were talking to Sensui, planning elaborately. Keeping up with his seemingly overrated plans and-

"If they wait for the dust to clear, let Spirit World know of their distraction, then attacked… Why would they attack Spirit World? Not for possessions, they've got all they need. Would _every _demon go? If so, that means Shikiyoku would have been needed, or in the very least, another like her who could control such a large group…. Meaning it's something…"

_Something one wouldn't do of their own will. _*****

"So, say they attack Spirit World." Kurama allowed. "Do they really think they're going to over-power King Enma? Did they find themselves another demon like Shikiyoku who is meant to…" Kurama blinked, "Who is meant to take over? Or, would controlling Enma have killed Shikiyoku and done their job for them?" Kurama fell silent again.

~!**!~

In the darkness, Shikiyoku's head lifted, dull eyes finding Hiei's shadowed form across the tent.

For the first time in so many hours, the pact within her stirred and she blinked at him.

_What? _

"I-" She hesitated, confused at the sudden contradiction. "I do not understand." Her eyebrows furrowed together. 3

Hiei scowled at Shikiyoku now, eyes hardening at her slightly. "You're being rather slow." he responded, really not sure he could say it again. He just… he wasn't one for saying such things…. no matter how true he felt them to be.

He stayed quiet another moment before repeating himself. "I _desire your presence."_

~!**!~

Akari rubbed at her temple again. He was asking questions she wasn't sure about. But, if she had a guess… "Foko." It was a one-worded answer, in regards to who would take over. Because, quite frankly, she couldn't see it going any other way. "Otento will go out of control, likely be killed by Foko anyway. Shikiyoku was meant to die by Enma… Why? Why target Spirit World? What's causing their uprising?"

She suddenly sat back, eyes sliding open.

"_If fake Flowers doesn't want casualties, why were you and Stripes attacked that day?"_

Akari sighed. "Demons, Nabu, attack for no reason sometimes. They're mad, they hate this world, and their bloodlust is…" she frowned. "let's just say that you know the nicer demons."

"_Are there a lot of mean demons?"_

"Nabu, now really isn't the time for 20 questions."

The dog huffed and Akari turned to Kurama. "_Why _would they want to take over? _Why_ now, and _why _Spirit World, instead of Human World or Demon World?" _*****_

"There's something Spirit World has that the other two doesn't." Kurama found that his reply came simply, though he hadn't considered it before. He shrugged, "I have no idea what that would be. If it were truly Youko, I would have to say the end result would most certainly _have _to be something shiny, but I'm almost positive our fake Youko has other reasons in mind."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku was taken aback by Hiei's repetition.

She had not misheard him the first time, and once more that same soft pulse reverberated in her soul from the pact, her skin tingling.

"But-" She attempted to rationalize away the obvious with the lies that had been whispering in her head since the day they had first met, "But you _hate _me." The word seemed foreign coming out of her mouth. "Wish to be _rid _of me." Her responses sounded confused, "You don't want me."

This time when Shikiyoku scratched at the scar, it was because her skin had started itching, the pact humming at her in direct contradiction to everything she was saying. 3

Hiei raised a brow, scowl still in place. Her words were odd, and brought back something Kafu had said to him the night they'd been in the Niiro Kaga. His sneer disappeared, his expression turning… soft almost. At least, for him, this neutral expression could be seen as soft for his normal mask.

"I would have killed you myself by now if that were the case." he retorted calmly, shifting his weight enough that his cloak shifted, revealing briefly his sheath in a show of emphasis.

~!**!~

This time, Akari had no thoughts on the matter. She'd shared just about as much as she knew of Foko. And, as it turns out, it was much more than she'd realized. But the information they had gathered for the time being was… enough. Enough to catch up even if just a little.

She sighed, and then smiled at Kurama. A very small smile. "Well, at least we've figured out more." She sat back, resting her palms flat against the wood floor. "If there's going to be more demons, then we're going to need more help." She took a deep breath.

_Well, at least my research into the other's whereabouts will be put to good use. __*****_

"I think I may know of a few we could rally to our cause." Kurama mirrored Akari's smile with one of his own.

For the moment, perhaps they had a chance. At least of being able to _say _they had attempted to put up a front line defense.

~!**!~

A sudden thought, seemingly out of nowhere, stuck Shikiyoku.

_He had no mother._

Where Shikiyoku craved words, craved touch, needed to be told and showed how use_ful_ she was, here stood a demon who seemed capable of doing _none _of those things in the manner she had been raised up with-even outside The Palace as she was-in the manner each of her previous Champions had discovered quickly to their advantage. He did not understand them. Had not been taught them.

Several pieces started to fall into place in Shikiyoku's head all at once. Little things she had realized along the way, but had never gathered together until that moment.

He did not wish for ultimate power, or ultimate riches. For him, it was much simpler than that.

Perhaps he only needed...her.

She blinked at him.

Perhaps just as desperately as she needed him.

The muscles at her neck that had tightened upon Hiei entering the tent suddenly dropped, releasing her shoulders.

"You..." Shikiyoku picked her words carefully, looking back into his face, "You only wish for my presence? For my...companionship? There is nothing else you would ask me to do for you?" The question was important, a genie offering three wishes, more than that, countless desires fulfilled, unconstrained by any liabilities. All of it...for him.

_What do you desire? _3

Hiei was suddenly sneering, completely and utterly amused at her question. He hadn't realized before now that she was simply desperate to fulfill her _Champion's _desires. He released a sound similar to a single dry chuckle. And when his eyes found hers, they were filled with amusement.

"You'll be the first to know should anything else arise." He scratched idly at his face. "For now, your presence is enough."

~!**!~

Akari smiled and nodded at Kurama, "But, alerting Koenma may not be the best idea. Foko's got sources." She shifted until she was standing. And then she remembered Kurama couldn't really move, and promptly sat back down. Finding people could wait for just a bit longer, until Botan or someone with those abilities cou-

_Yukina could heal, right?_

She remembered seeing the female once, when Sensui had briefly taken interest in her. He'd considered an attack, considered picking the team off one by one before he'd decided he enjoyed the chase more than the actual kill.

Or, even better… _Kamiya._

Two birds with one stone, no? She smiled and turned her eyes around and around the room. Shadows responded to her gaze, some stilling, some moving, others moving towards her. In a second's notice, a shadow had moved to her side, only large enough to fit in her palm, and her eyes were locked on it. It moved, changing from a dark blob into a shape similar to a small creature, a mouse with red eyes that chittered once.

And then it was gone and Akari was sitting back again, eyes closed with an expression of calm patience, serenity. _*****_

Kurama nodded in agreement with Akari, becoming lost in thought.

What in the three worlds lie with the Spirits that neither the Demons nor Humans had?

He could think of several things off-hand, but none demanding the level of deception that the fake Youko was employing.

If only he could speak to Koenma in private, pause and pick the Prince's brain. Even Botan might know of something that Kurama would not have been privy to, being only an avatar.

"Akari, what do you wish for more than anything else in the three worlds?" Kurama asked thoughtfully.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku smiled at Hiei from underneath the hood of her cloak, her eyes just starting to glitter again.

"You are...a strange demon." She informed him with amusement. "Has anyone ever told you that?" 3

Hiei sneered even more at Shikiyoku. "Not directly." He went quiet again, watching her carefully. He'd never considered something as simple as _companionship _before. He'd relied on it as a child, with the bandits, but after that, he couldn't have cared less one way or the other. He'd always just done as he pleased.

Now things were different. She depended on him, and in a strange way, Hiei found he'd come to depend on her as well. Her company since arriving in Demon World had become something he was accustomed to, enjoyed even.

As Maneshi said, she reflected his power. But, what did _he _reflect about _her_, because there was no way it was a one-way mirror.

"Now, do what you're capable." he repeated for the umpteenth time this evening. "And leave the rest to me."

~!**!~

Akari was waiting in silence, tracking her own energy through town with closed eyes when Kurama spoke up with a question she found rather random. Random enough to bring her eyelids open and gaze on the redhead.

_Something I want… out of all three worlds? More than anything? _

She didn't know.

"Can I put that aside for a later date?" she inquired, indirectly saying she had no idea.

_How'd that happen? _Before now, had she been asked that question, her answer would have been quick, she wouldn't have hesitated. Before now, she would have wished for her memory to be erased, her skin be clear and her past be nothing more than a dream. Maybe even return home in Demon World, despite the trifles she'd dealt with there. Those troubles had seemed nothing compared to what she'd experienced here.

"What do _you _want?" she reversed to him, curious. _*****_

"Safety." He replied readily. "For my mother and her husband-to-be. But how many demons do you know that would only ask for such a thing?" In truth, Kurama did not have an answer to that question because when he thought about it, there were not many demons with which he had ever sat down and discussed it.

None that weren't trying to kill him in the first place.

~!**!~

"As you wish, my Champion." Shikiyoku's smile stayed in place as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Would you send Uryo in for me? He's been waiting outside the tent for you to leave." 3

Hiei blinked once calmly at Shikiyoku, expression turning neutral again after a moment. He felt… calmer than he had in weeks. Perhaps he reflected her moods, to some degree. The thought made him scoff as he turned to leave.

"Foolish woman."

He swept the tent flap aside and stepped into the darkness of the night, looking about until he spotted Uryo, "Your turn."

~!**!~

Akari watched Kurama calmly as he spoke, finding his answer odd, but at the same time… suitable. He had something to protect, someone to look after. She had Nabu. A dog who could handle himself should it come down to it, because he knew this city like the back of his paw and was smart enough to find the easiest ways to lose a pursuer.

Unless they had a net.

She suddenly laughed once without meaning to, and automatically covered her mouth with a hand and waving the other one in the air in front of her face. "I'm not laughing at you, I promise."

She took a deep breath. "It's good, having something to protect, someone to look after." The mental image of Kurama hanging from a tree bombarded her mind and it took almost all of her effort not to flinch physically. "Having something to fight for makes one very dangerous." _*****_

"That is why a soldier is almost always fiercer than a warrior. One is called upon to protect, while the other only destroys." Kurama sighed, "I asked because I wonder what would drive demons to act in this way, if not to simply rule. Are you and I too few in number? Is most of our kind truly bloodthirsty with desire for little else?"

~!**!~

"They have just started the celebration." Uryo commented as he passed Hiei to reach for the tent flaps. He grinned. "Find us a good place where we can sit and watch."

"Hiei," Shikiyoku's voice called from within the darkness of the Elder's tent, "It will ease my mind to know you are nearby tonight. You are most assuredly needed." As if the pact within her had not confirmed that little fact with its trills. "And wanted."

The pact thrilled once more within her, finding truth in these words were there was not in fact truth in their opposites before.

Uryo raised an eyebrow at the other fire demon, but kept moving into the tent. 3

Hiei paused and turned back to the tent flap for a moment, expression neutral at Shikiyoku's callings. His eyes turned to Uryo as he entered the tent, giving a short nod to the male before he turned and continued on his way. He moved through the night, moving towards the fire he could see and even _feel _dancing nearby, hands in his cloak pockets.

As he passed demons, he nodded a greeting when addressed.

~!**!~

Akari stayed quiet for a moment, thinking back to the days she could remember of her own home. Those memories were clouded, almost entirely forgotten and rather difficult to call forth. It was almost painful to pull them forward, to focus on the unity that had been present there, in the pack of dog demons that had depended upon one another for… everything.

She'd been the daughter of the Alpha, who hadn't really had time to play games. Her mother had been kind, until she'd come of age for..

Didn't matter.

"I don't know much about the rest of Demon World, but my own family, my own home had been filled with serenity. Interdependence. Losing one person meant the whole pack falling apart, scrambling to fill that person's duties. Similar tribes around us lived like that, never bothering us." She took a deep breath. "The fourth level, from what I remember of it, was a simple place. While there were territorial fights, there was also peace, the ability to trade amongst each other should we need it. I often ran those errands."

A small smile formed on her face and she refocused on the present, looking at Kurama. "We all had a duty to fulfill, and someone to return to. I don't think we're few in number, just… quiet. And if we speak up, it's because we've been wronged." Another pause. "I've been on both sides." _*****_

Kurama made a thoughtful noise.

"So...what cause do you think would drive you, would drive your entire clan, to fight for? What could they desire beyond their territory that would make life better for them?"

~!**!~

The Northern Tribe's encampment no longer simply buzzed with excitement, it practically erupted with it.

The merriment that had come with Shubou's tribe celebrating was magnified tenfold, and the area in front of the Elder's tent was very much packed with people. Food and drink were being passed along without discretion, musicians were playing instruments, dancers were stepping about next to the bonfire which had been placed not far from the Elder's tent itself, most of the demons spread farther West into the clearing Uryo had a hand in making for them earlier.

The area Hiei had burned was free of ash and now full to the brim with tents, even what extra space he made being used completely.

The demons spread about the clear area meant for dancing were in varying states of reclining, some sitting on logs, others on the grass, there were groups standing about in pockets of laughter and discussion.

Directly across from the bonfire, and the Elders' tent, with a span of many hundreds of yards between the two, sat the white-haired female demon who had first welcomed Shikiyoku into their encampment, obviously an epicenter of activity with the other Elders sitting on the ground around her, smiles on their faces as they talked together and with other demons who approached. 3

Hiei looked around at the craziness of the area, taking in the sheer numbers of demons here and realizing why Shikiyoku had been so nervous. However, he still had confidence. If she couldn't do it alone, then he would add his own energy to hers. Should that become a problem, then he'd figure it out. That was his job, after all. Watch over her, and if problems arise, handle it.

He moved through the crowds with expert steps, eyes roving over each face he passed momentarily before turning to the bonfire again, sights set on it. She needed him nearby, and quite frankly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

So he moved as close to the fire as he could get, though it wasn't very hard since demons parted to let _the Champion _through.

~!**!~

Akari stared at Kurama as she thought, realizing he was quizzing her, testing her answer to see if it held any semblance to their current situation. And, really, she didn't see any difference between the reactions. What, however, would cause an uprising, a riot?

She thought, staring unblinkingly at him. "Personally, I… I'm not sure. I haven't been home in a few decades. I hardly remember what I shared." Her eyes slid closed again as she thought back. Had they ever actually fought before, that she knew of? "For a group at peace… it would take a lot of wrongdoing. A lot of…" she made a noise of consternation. "Betrayal." _*****_

"It's no secret that many demons are unhappy with Spirit World." Kurama began, "How, or even what, could make them feel betrayed to the point of an outright attack? And what would be the end goal of such a maneuver?"

~!**!~

"Have you eaten yet, Champion?" A voice called over the hub-bub, approaching through the crowds from Hiei's left.

Douji threaded his way through the bodies with a plate in each hand and a portion of food hanging out of his mouth. On one plate was balanced a drink, and on either shoulder sat a lur'mog. The one much bigger than the other chirred a greeting at the fire demon barely heard over the noise of the celebration, and then appeared on Hiei's shoulder, leaning against his neck affectionately. 3

Hiei paused mid step at the voice that stood out, obviously calling to him though Hiei hadn't at first registered the question. He easily spotted Douji coming towards him in the crowd, seeing the plates in his hand and easily figuring the question that had been presented.

"No," he answered plainly, eyes turning away from Douji and to the lur'mog that landed on his shoulder. He moved a hand and prodded at the creature with his index finger in greeting.

~!**!~

"After being pushed for a while, people tend to act when they've had enough. Meaning whatever it is, it's been going on for a while, because it isn't big enough to have reached the state where word passes _between _worlds too. Such as the wars." She thought for a moment, thinking back again.

The only thing she could think of is how her own family would react to her disappearance. That was something she hadn't thought of in a long time, but it had nothing to do with Spirit World. Her own circumstances had been stemmed from, quite simply, _wrong place at the wrong time_.

"Kurama, do you believe _everyone _has something to fight for?" she suddenly asked, something popping to mind. "Everyone, even those driven mad?" _*****_

Kurama considered Akari's first comment. It was little to say that Spirit World's 'oppression' had been going on 'for a while.' Since the beginning of time as far as he knew. Were the demons just now beginning to become fed up with it? Or had this plan been in the works for centuries?

Kurama's eyes pulled back to the present to regard Akari as she spoke.

"I think if someone is fighting, then they certainly have a reason for doing so, however convoluted their reason might be. Otherwise...why would they be fighting?"

~!**!~

"You are welcome to some of mine, then." Douji replied pleasantly, balancing the plates on one arm as he reached for the drink. "Though there will be plenty passed around."

"Don't mind if I do!" An equally good-natured voice called from behind the young demon, reaching over and plucking a handful of meat from the piled plate. "Though, I might advise we move a little to the left." Uryo stuffed his mouth, speaking around it and making a path for himself in the direction he spoke. 3

Hiei blinked once and Uryo was there, stuffing food in his mouth and then moving away. Hiei made to follow, grabbing meat from Douji's plate as he passed and putting it in his mouth, using his finger to very delicately tear off a small piece from the end and offer it to the lur'mog on his shoulder.

As he walked a bit further after Uryo, he plucked a drink from a demon's hand who had smiled and offered it to him, nodding and holding up his own as the fire demon continued on. "I'd forgotten what gatherings like this were like." he grumbled more to himself than anyone in particular.

~!**!~

"Then tell me something," she said slowly, eyes moving to the ground as she hesitated. "What does Yusuke, Kuwabara… What do you guys fight for? I understand the demons that attack humans, but what about those that are just mingling?" She looked up again.

"For instance," she began, tone small and voice quiet, "say _I _hadn't ended up where I am now. Say, somehow, I ended up in the Human World. I've been here a while, but haven't come to light until my energy was spotted by Koenma, who promptly orders my elimination because… I'm a demon in a world where I do not belong. No evidence of killing another, yet… I'm on the hit list." She met his gaze squarely. "It isn't something found often. But, if you saw no evidence of wrongdoing, would you still carry out your mission? Without pause?" _*****_

"You know, I've often wondered why I was spared myself. Koenma knows the greatest thief of Demon World resides within me. And what about Hiei? Why were we simply not done away with?" Kurama shook his head, "No one came after me when I was a child in Human World. Not until I made myself known and stole the mirror. I do not think anything differently would have happened with you. It would not have mattered if Koenma picked your energy signature on a radar unless you started to terrorize innocent humans, which is where our job comes in. You would have never been on a hit list in the first place unless you deserved to be there. And even then...I was spared. As was Hiei. Who is to say the same would not have happened for you? Who is to say that it didn't?" His eyes gleamed with humor.

~!**!~

"Would you prefer a _ballroom_, Champion?" Uryo threw the question over his shoulder at Hiei, tossing him a wicked grin as well. Uryo's eyes glowed in the light of the fire as he turned and stopped moving, halfway between where the Elders were seated and where the fire burned merrily to their right. "I think the atmosphere here is much more welcoming than that stuffy old building." 3

Hiei scowled at Uryo. "Never again." he responded almost immediately. Though, really, he hadn't minded it, other than the fact that he had been _forced _into it. Tossed into it at the last moment and practically learning as he went.

And he had to agree, the ballroom had been very stuffy, and this open air was much, _much _better. And the outfit back then-

He didn't want to think about it.

~!**!~

Akari took in a long breath and let it out through her nostrils. "Okay, fine. Here's this instead." She paused, blinking once as she gathered herself. "You're just gotten word of a demon in the area. There are rumors that they've been… antagonistic. Use your imagination there. But you have no proof. Still, you're ordered to attack. Would Yusuke pause, or simply deal with it? Would you pause, or simply deal with it?"

She didn't give him time to answer.

"You've dealt with it. The demon's dead and now there's ten more of them. They're angry, because someone who was close to them has been taken away from them. They're a small tribe who had been searching for sanctitude. None of them have traces of human blood in their system. You've just killed an innocent _demon. _There's a first for everything, right? Would you fight those who attacked you, or would you flee?"

Again, no time to answer. "Of course, it's all hypothetical." She sat back, rolled her shoulders as if the subject were nothing to her. "Another thing. Why would a demon simply come to Human World only to _kill? _If they're not fighting _for _something, then why are they _fighting?" _Her eyes slid closed as she thought of the Aswang she and Yusuke had killed. She'd killed a child, gutted the poor boy. But, _why? _"What causes one to attack a child?"

She laughed, suddenly remembering her own 'attack' on a child. "What would bring a demon to _gut _and _eat the heart _of a human child?" _*****_

"For an attack to be ordered, to come to us by Koenma himself, then whoever we were to attack had most assuredly done something for Koenma to make such a call." Kurama shrugged, "He has never had us attack anyone who did not deserve it. And from what I can tell, the only ones to get through to Human World are the ones who have some vendetta or another against humans, and are thus those who attack and deserve to be punished for their crimes. Low-level demons are driven by hunger. Higher ones could perhaps be jealous of their state of living when compared to the humans. So, either the demon was hungry and ate the child, or the demon saw the child had something it wanted and so it took the child's life in retaliation."

~!**!~

Uryo gave Hiei another grin at the other fire apparition's answer.

A gasp went up from the dancers nearest to the bonfire, and the heads of other demons began whipping in the direction of the sound outwards from that point, unsure if such a gasp was meant for an injury or something more pleasing.

The music began to change, to fade away only into a few sounds reminiscent of the human's Feudal Era. As if to accentuate this, the dancers all began to back up as a portion of the giant bonfire had taken a humanoid form that slowly started moving forward, a flaming figure holding fiery fans taking a more definite shape.

The form's movements were precise, recalling ancient times when fan dancers had been well-known to the tribes, and so stilling the dancers who watched, transporting them back centuries.

Each wrists' flick was executed with pinpoint accuracy, and each time tongues of fire were released from the flaming fans themselves, swirling up into the air.

Finally free of the bonfire, this dancing portion of the blaze continued to step forward, parting the other dancers as the fans snap out very precisely from the main body each time a foot touched the grass, though the foot left no print behind, did not so much as singe the ground.

A smile was playing at Uryo's lips.

"So, she _can _dance."

Douji's eyes were wide, hand halfway to his mouth with food when he had caught sight of the blazing figure, and he nodded absently without looking away. 3

Hiei's own eyes shifted when the music changed, turning to the bonfire in time to see the emerging figure. He was immediately captured, eyes glued to the person coming into view, the movements fluid and very easy to follow. He didn't say anything to Uryo or Douji, who hadn't seen her dance at the other tribe.

Which was… different than this one was. He felt himself more entranced by it, focused and almost entirely unable to look away. Even if he wanted to.

~!**!~

Akari frowned, still unhappy with Kurama's logic. She'd been trying to have him _ignore _the norm. She gave a sigh and gave up on that, instead frowning with the question that arose. "Has it always been that way, though? Were the younger and/or lower level demons acted out of hunger, out of primal instincts? Anger… it's a basic thing…" She frowned. She herself remembered being temperamental, but… not irrationally so. At least, not to the point of letting her hunger and anger control her. And she'd never met a demon like that until she'd been… _here_… in Human World.

She'd heard stories of demons going insane and simply _falling _into that state after a trauma, but to be that way naturally, she'd never heard of. _*****_

"I have perused some of Koenma's files in his office. To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a moment of 'oops.'" Kurama's face turned grim. "The only moment of such that Koenma ever had documented was in sending Sensui after the portal the Black Black Club was using. In those days, Sensui had been sent to close many such places, and the Prince thought this would be another routine closing. He never would have dreamed _humans _would be using it to acquire _demons_ when every other instances had been just the opposite. And when no such thing has been recorded by Koenma before or since, I have nothing else to draw conclusions from. Though...I'm sure such atrocities have and will continue to happen." The last part was accompanied by Kurama laying his head back against the wall, his face darkened by the thoughts and shallow from his pain.

~!**!~

The dancers had since sat down to watch, leaving the figure easily viewed by anyone who looked from the celebration around it.

As a roll of a chord rose higher, the flames began to thin, and the watchers could see that the figure was cloaked in something similar enough to a kimono-were it not for the hood-the fans nothing more than the long sleeves that now obviously hung towards the ground.

The flames seemed to leave a pattern as the dancer kept moving, a fiery trail along the fabric which swirled with the color of the fire and left the eyes wondering at whether its true dye was red, or maybe orange, or perhaps yellow.

With the fans gone, swirls of yellow energy began to form within the heat of the flames and it was with this that the figure began to weave shapes on the air, around the article of clothing and even with the fire itself.

The music appeared to be just as integral to the spell, both dancer and musicians reacting to one another as if they were the same being.

And as a low rumbling from the drums started to grow-or had they been there the whole time?-the flames at the bottom of the cloak actually began burning away the fabric, licking upwards and rendering the entire clearing dead silent as if everyone present suddenly realized the cloak had been holding something back, and the fire was removing the buffer between them and the dancer beneath.

When the music exploded back into the earthy sounds before, so to did the fire suddenly erupt upwards, taking the outer clothing with it and revealing a form dressed as one of the Northern Tribeswomen-Shikiyoku herself in their garb-that paused only a moment in a pose, laughter in her eyes which gleamed as yellow as the golden glow that enveloped her entire body. It made her appear as if she were still on fire as the energy twirled about her luminescent skin, which expanded outwards into tendrils of power and began to weave about her as she continued to dance.

The other dancers leapt to their feet with so many shouts and whoops to join her as the crowd roared and cheered in excitement with them. The dancers began weaves patterns around her, occasionally hiding her from view occasionally with their own patterns, but they were unable to completely block the yellow glow that emanated from the middle of their midst.

As with the Central Tribe, after a few minutes of dancing, intermittently being watched by the rest of the demons there that night, the innumerous threads of Shikiyoku's energy started to move to loop around those closest to her as she kept the others swirling about herself.

As before, each demon would receive a single loop, which would pull them back to the ground to watch her in awe, though each face would be left with a sadness they did not understand when the tendril of power would move on.

Soon, Shikiyoku was the lone dancer once more, weaving patterns into the air as she easily stepped about those sitting around her.

When the ribbons of her energy had finished looping the dancers, they started moving for those in the circle, and a pulse of power resounded from her into the air like a brief bubble, which appeared to cause more of the threads she danced with to snake forward to join the ones from the dancers and begin to give a single loop to those in the front of the crowd.

Another soft pulse of power. More tendrils. Already a hundred times a hundred more than she had to send out into the Central Tribe.

Shikiyoku could feel the sweat glistening on her body as she felt both her push and the demons' pull of her power that allowed her to make a wreath around each one. With most of them, it would quiet their desires and leave her free to move to the next, but with others, the loop acted as a rod that flung their deepest wishes into her mind where they all started to roll together inside her head.

And with so many, she felt herself beginning to be lost underneath their tide, pulled in every direction, in as many directions as her power now stretched.

And then there came the first one who received more than a single loop, which she felt keenly as the ribbon stiffened and started to snake its way back towards her body. But almost immediately another tendril found a second. And then there was a third.

Instead of instilling in her mind the strength to continue the ritual and find these demons afterwards, it only distracted her-_a fourth, a fifth, how many could there be_-and left her wondering if there would be enough length within the bits of her energy still wandering through the air.

...there were still so many left to go. 3

Hiei himself was utterly entranced, staring much the same as the rest of the demons in the area. His eyes never left the woman moving about.

Her energy colored the area a bright yellow that reminded him of the Human World's sun, and the rays it threw down to the earth. To him, it was warm and inviting, just as those sun rays were. But at the same time, he was separated from it, able to ignore her energy if he so desired and simply watch the source of such power.

And while he was indeed entranced, he was also able to think clearly, assess her state and read her expression. After a few minutes, he could see the sweat glistening in the glow of her energy and the fire, and while her eyes were closed, he could sense the tension behind the lids, see the tension between her brows as she obviously struggled.

Maybe not too much, but this early on…

He glanced about, noticing the stretch of her energy still had quite a ways to go.

When his eyes turned back to the dancing woman, they were glowing slightly, colored their normal hue, but… brighter, as if fire were alight within his irises.

And his own energy slowly, discreetly, began to seep from his body and move through the crowd, unseen, unnoticed, and towards her. It stretched enough to allow it to just brush her skin, inviting and warm should she have need of it soon, but not demanding. Calm, warm and only meant for reassurance. For now.

Should she need it, he would allow her use of it…

However she did it.

~!**!~

There was a small moment of silence as Kurama rested his head back and Akari simply watched him. Surely it wouldn't be too long now… Her eyes stared unblinkingly at Kurama, but not seeing him for the time being as she recalled the files she'd read about her former team mates. Each of them had changed from their days with Sensui, almost as if the male had… as if Sensui had controlled their thoughts altogether. Though, it had taken longer for Akari herself to change.

Probably because her own association with the man had been of her own choice. She hadn't needed to see the Chapter Black tape to be on board. She'd been happy to do whatever he wanted her to do, because… her life had belonged to him. He'd, in her eyes, saved her life.

Though, he hadn't meant to, she knew. Had he seen her on the floor that day, he'd likely have killed her as well. Instead, Itsuki had found her, helped her just enough to give her the freedom to move away from that place and do as she desired. She'd _chosen _to hunt him down, and somehow, for some reason she didn't understand even still, he had taken her in. Taught her the ways of the Human World and…

Well, everything else. How to fight, which had been forbidden to her in her homeland. He'd taught her how to weed out the enemy, how to overpower them with sheer emotion, intimidation. And then how to kick them when they were down.

He'd taught her how to harness the energy her father hadn't agreed with. And then, when his plan blossomed, she stayed by his side- watched the tape and laughed at the bitterness. She'd given herself to him and done everything he'd wanted her to do- short of killing another, though she'd been ready to do so.

So when he'd tossed her at Yusuke, and then kicked her aside.. She'd been ready to die.

The others hadn't had a clue, and at the time, she hadn't cared. She'd let them fall into Sensui's plans. Hadn't warned them in the least. Yes, she'd regretted it. It had been part of the reason she'd welcomed death.

So when she'd awoken to Botan…

She'd been angry. She'd thought her own self pity and suffering was over, that she wouldn't have the chance to repeat that mistake. Instead, in her eyes, Koenma had robbed her of her only chance at peace.

Only now did she realize that he'd not _robbed _her, but _given _her a chance. And while the others had changed immediately after Sensui's disappearance, Akari herself had remained bitter. She'd had no regard for herself, even attempted to anger one of them enough to attack.

And then when he did, she'd been… confused.

A smile formed on her lips.

_What a team. _

And for the first time in her life, she'd put her life before another's. She'd been worried about someone other than herself. And she'd changed entirely in that moment, her fighting stance, her thinking…

When she'd seen Kurama strung up like-

_My thinking…. _She blinked. _I'd actually…. looked for his movements, tried to predict his attack. _She'd become, for an instant, an actual fighter, not someone just trying to _survive. _

_I need to figure out how I did that. _

Suddenly, her energy hummed within her in warning, and she was moving to stand. She stretched her arms over her head and moved towards the door, energy testing the presence that stood outside and finding it to be human.

_He's here. _

She paused at the door and glanced back at Kurama, a hand clasping around the doorknob. Still she gave no warning, and turned back to the door to reveal a man she hadn't seen in over half a year. A man who didn't look even remotely similar to the one she knew.

"You called?" He asked, lips twitching into a wry grin. "Back from the dead so soon?"

"I don't stay still for too long." she replied good-naturedly before sighing. "Glad you're well, Doctor."

"_Kamiya." _he enunciated. "As you are not the Ace, I am not the Doctor. Not the one you knew." _*****_

From the time his head found the wall behind him again, Kurama had grow lost, wandering within himself alone and dazed in a flurry of pain that did not appear to have lessened, and in a cloud of darkness that had yet to fade.

"_Youko…"_

~!**!~

For the first time since she had started, Shikiyoku could feel her brows attempting to draw together as she once more gave a _push_, and another pulse of energy bubbled out into the clearing, releasing another wave of her ribbons.

This time, she could feel the sweat roll down from her hairline at the back of her neck and her breath faltered as she forced her movements smooth and measured.

The tendrils left about her body looped sensuously about her as she continued to move through them, with them, even the ribbons that extended beyond her body still twisting lazily in the air.

_Another. Was that six now? _

Each time her energy stiffened and started to return to her, Shikiyoku could feel her legs wanting to give out.

_Sure. Central Tribe I don't find a single one of them. _

She almost grunted with effort as she continued to feed her spell with her energy, feeling like she was too little butter trying to spread over too much bread.

Just as she nearly faltered in her steps again, the brush of what felt like a finger made her open her eyes to confirm that she was the only one dancing still, but there was no mistaking the sudden warmth that hovered just at her cheek before she could feel that it had covered the portions of her skin that were revealed by the Northern Tribe's garb.

It was the same warmth she always felt when he invaded her mind with his, and she felt her muscles actually relax into its greeting, even when she had to send another pulse of energy outwards to release more tendrils, which were this time thinner than the ones before. She was reaching the end of her power, scraping now almost up against her life energy.

_Seven._

This time her eyes clenched back together as another tendril stiffened and began to return.

Uryo found that he could not look away from her, found that he was actually smiling at her in an expression he had not worn in a very long time.

He was certain that each pulse of her energy was sobering him, and yet he felt no need to hurry to dull his senses, felt no buzzing of his core that made him feel as if he might die if he did not move.

He did not notice the ribbon that snaked its way through the air to him, pausing a moment when it realized he was not a member of the tribe, pulsing once and becoming a deeper gold before looping twice about his left ankle and starting to head back to its mistress.

For Douji, he would come later to realize that he did not blink the entire time Shikiyoku danced, but when the yellow bit of energy wrapped up his arm two times, he found his eyes drawn to it, his core humming excitedly. He felt the urge to step forward, to get past those at the edge of the circle of dancers so that he could stand where she might see him, and where he might see her with no obstructions. 3

Hiei could _feel _her strain now, as his energy touched her, brushed her and offered her some comfort, some help. He could feel how her energy was stretched, and for a moment, he thought he could feel pain as if it were his own energy being spent, when he knew it was not.

He could see her eyes were squeezed shut with concentration, her face now covered with sweat that seemed to make the glow about her a bit more prominent. So he let his energy thicken around her, and he even stepped closer, so that maybe she would feel his presence and know that he was offering assistance, and all she had to do was accept.

His eyes were trained on her, his mind recalling what she'd said about her first Champion who had died during a union for something similar to this. How she'd said she'd nearly killed herself in the process as well. He took three steps closer, and when he noted her eyes did not open, did not turn to him, he gently pulsed his energy to her again.

"_Breathe." _

He didn't wish to interrupt her, distract her, but she was tense. Too tense, in his opinion.

On some level he knew her energy had wrapped around him in two loops just as it had at the Central Tribe, but her comfort superseded such a realization.

~!**!~

Akari nodded once to Kamiya, smile still in place for the moment's notice. "I have a few things I'd like to ask of you."

"For old time's sake?"

Akari gave a humorless laugh. "How about not. Neither of us are those people."

"I see that. And I also feel…" His eyes wandered from Akari and landed on Kurama across the room. He made a small sound of confirmation, then gave a sigh. He moved by her, already having guessed what it was that she was to ask of him. "He's had quite the number done on him. I'm surprised he's even alive." Akari didn't respond, only closing the door with a soft click and following the male who crouched in front of Kurama, who, for the most part, didn't appear aware of Kamiya's presence. "Nice to see you again," Kamiya spoke in a low voice, as if testing Kurama's awareness and willingness to let the once-crazy man near him. _*****_

"Kamiya." Kurama replied, his lips allowing themselves a small smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kurama opened his eyes, unsurprised to see a face he did not recognize peering at him, but he _did _somehow see the same soul resided behind the dark eyes that peered back at him from the changed façade.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku smiled, eyes opening again, and as she made a turn, she scanned the edges of the much quieter crowd, seeing on her next turn the glimmering crimson gaze that pierced through the darkness to her.

She did as his suggested, steadying her lungs into a simple rhythm as much as the music around her wished for her to do the opposite.

When she felt his energy blooming around her, she hesitated in her own mind to reach out for it, remembering how to do so...or how it was supposed to go. But would the knowledge be enough?

She swallowed nervously, pushing her energy father and knowing that soon she might not have a choice. It would be either accept his help, or shorten her life span. 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	58. Episode 142 - Companionship and Movement

**A/N: **Hello once again, Fellow Ningen!

To the next chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari and Kurama continued to speak about the closing of Spirit World,  
>and what such a thing might mean in relation to the fake Youko and what moves he might be making.<p>

Kurama makes the conjecture that the threat on Spirit World is only a distraction,  
>and that the true move is the fake Youko bringing in more demons to Human World.<p>

They think that perhaps after such an action, with Spirit World then thinking it is safe,  
>the fake Youko and the others then invade Spirit World to maybe dethrone Enma.<br>They think it is possible Shikiyoku was meant to make the job that much easier for them.

With such knowledge, they believe rallying the others in Human World is their best bet,  
>to make some semblance of a stand when the invaders come, and to be ready when Koenma calls for them.<p>

As they are sitting there, Akari sends out a message for Kamiya, intending to have the psychic heal Kurama.  
>After a time, Kamiya arrives and approaches the nearly incapacitated redhead...<p>

~!**!~

Brief, inexplicable contact with Maneshi leads to Hiei returning to Shikiyoku in the Elders' Tent  
>and informing her that he desires nothing other than her presence.<p>

Such a proclamation seems to dismiss her mood entirely, and when he leaves her to finish preparations  
>he is met by Douji, who shares his food, and then Uryo,<br>who tells them they ought to move closer to the bonfire for the best view.

While there are already dancers out in the cleared, circular space around which everyone is mingling,  
>a kimono-cloaked and hooded figures steps out of the bonfire, seemingly on fire,<br>and begins a fan-dance that eventually ends with the flames incinerating the kimono,  
>revealing Shikiyoku dressed as one of the Northern Tribe.<p>

She starts dancing the Odori Iro much as she did for the Central Tribe,  
>but much as she had conjectured, there are too many for her and eventually<br>the tendrils of her energy begin to thin out.  
>Hiei responds to this by extending his own energy invisibly towards her,<br>intending to both comfort and ease her stress as well as offer it up to her for use.  
>It does such, but Shikiyoku hesitates even so to use it,<br>soon realizing that it would be either accept his help or shorten her life span...

* * *

><p>Hiei's eyes connected with the glowing orbs of Shikiyoku's gaze as she turned, and he felt his own muscles lose the small amount of tension he'd felt beforehand. And this time, when he blinked, he was watching the dance, taking in her fluid motions and how they seemed to relax, even if just a little more.<p>

He turned to the bond momentarily, finding that it calmly thrummed at him, but seemed as if it were… waiting. And so too was he, because now he was certain she wouldn't be able to do this without his help. She did, however, do as he said and had done what she could, giving him enough time to prepare for her to invite his energy to join hers.

He was fully confident that she could do whatever it was she was hesitating to do. And if something happened, again, he was here and ready, energy already surrounding her. He wasn't worried, and neither should she be.

~!**!~

"It's a wonder you're even conscious," the man mused, stretching a single hand out to touch Kurama's shoulder with an index finger. Kamiya sat in silence for a moment, staring at his own finger, and Akari turned her eyes to Kurama with a lopsided smile of _sorry. _She was glad he didn't seem opposed to this person's presence, but somewhere, she still felt as if it were… wrong… to have his old enemy here and… well… assessing damage that had been done.

She wondered if Yusuke would be as good-natured about the alliance as Kurama seemed to be, as this was her own way of introducing her own form of help. The more the merrier, right?

Kamiya was suddenly sitting back, rocking to his heels and balancing himself with his elbows on his knees, eyes on Kurama's face now. "You've got nerve damage, but other than that, it's not too bad. This person knew what to avoid in order to make sure your death came by blood, not by the actual attack itself." He turned to Akari with an even gaze. "How eager are you to get out and about? Or are you going to use another mouse for them as well?"

"Mmm… It can wait just a bit longer."

The man nodded and turned to Kurama again, seeming to completely ignore Akari now. "I apologize for any extra pain or discomfort." With that, Akari felt her hair stand on end with Kamiya's energy, which he presented to Kurama in the palm of his hand to give warning before resting his palm on the other's shoulder. _*****_

While pain was certainly nothing new to the avatar, this particular pain swept through his body like wildfire and did have him closing his eyes in discomfort, jaw clenching together as he felt keenly aware, not of the energy itself of which he found he had no awareness whatsoever, but instead of the forcing of his body to rapidly regenerate, at a much faster pace than his human side would ever have been allowed normally.

As for his thoughts on Kamiya?

Mostly lost into the cloud of pain that swirled more heavily about in his head now, but who was he to deny help when he felt help was going to be very severely needed in the near future. And with no contact to Spirit World, they were likely on their own for this one.

~!**!~

There would be no 'easy does it' with this. It would either be all or nothing.

And even so, Shikiyoku felt no sense of worry within the red energy that surrounded her, no minute hesitation from the other party out in the crowd of demons.

Shikiyoku took a deep breath and her lips parted, beginning to softly murmur the words her first Champion's unsuccessful spell had required, one that would deepen her pool of energy and allow her to merge her power with the other, to take it on as her own.

For a moment, a single word shimmered excitedly up from the pact inside her head and blossomed into her mind as she began to draw strength from Hiei's steadiness nearby.

_Companion._

At the last of the spell leaving her lips, Shikiyoku found herself releasing a laugh that made her already brightened eyes shine with newly orange-appearing power.

_Something searched for so long being right under my nose._

Hiei's energy around her suddenly influxed into her body in a silent implosion, and then erupted outwards mixed with her own, the red and yellow intermingling so deeply that upon first glance the threads about her appeared orange, as a final pulse of energy pushed the last threads needed into the crowd and urged the others onward to loop the final demons the ritual required.

And in that same moment, the energy that licked about her skin also did the same with Hiei, leaving him-under no other demon's notice-also looking like a tongue of orange flame that swirled upwards into the sky. 3

Hiei felt it almost immediately, the change in his energy from being his own to being united with Shikiyoku's. Even before the explosion of flame-hued light, he felt the change in the air. It became charged, and even he himself felt as if he had more power than before.

And when the energy was billowing around them, his eyes were following it, each tendril moving like silk ribbons and wrapping around demons before moving to the next. He felt the pull of that energy and how it affected the other demons nearby, as if it were a calming factor in himself and the crowd both simultaneously.

And it had his eyes turning to Shikiyoku, shining the very color of the energy that moved through the crowd as if the energy _made _him. As if his entire being were filled to the brim with the united energy. It was a very… uplifting feeling. As if he were flying, running as fast as he could with no obstacles in his way and only the wind in his ears.

And her presence beside him.

It was all he needed, he was sure.

~!**!~

Kamiya worked silently, and Akari simply watched. Nabu was quick to scurry out of the way, moving to sit at Akari's feet and watch in much the same manner Akari was. She crouched down after a few minutes and patted the dog's head, who didn't take his eyes off of the working man and the pained redhead.

Kamiya, however, was concentrated, eyes following a trail of energy that only he could see, mind on each wound that he felt. Here and there his energy paused, centering on a wound that was worse than the others before moving on. He started at the shoulders, close to the heart to ensure nothing had been close enough to cause enough damage there to prove fatal later, should something go wrong.

And when he found the darkness within the redhead, Kamiya bypassed it, not recognizing it as a wound or anything he could help with. It was simply… there. And testing it with his energy didn't seem like the best choice here. So he moved on, healing cuts and gashes on almost every inch of the male's body.

And the closer to the stomach or chest the wounds were, the deeper the damage. In his back, there were nerves that were distraught, tense and pleading for release. Pleading for healing that, naturally, would not have come for several weeks.

Kamiya could feel it, the pain. It was only vestiges of it, nothing like what the redhead was feeling, but it was enough to have the man sitting back after all was said and done, sweat on his forehead and heartbeat erratic.

He hadn't healed someone like that in ages.

Or, maybe ever, now that he thought of it.

"My advice is to not move for a bit. My energy is still there, checking for any other lesions and anything… _extra_." He stared at Kurama, his breathing under control for the most part. "There will be soreness, as if you slept wrong, but other than that, you should be…. normal." Of course, the word wasn't right to him, as he felt the offness of this person, the dark energy within him alien compared to the energy he'd once felt from this one.

Energy that was now lacking. _*****_

When the psychic had finally pulled away, Kurama's eyes had come open, their green color no longer flecked with the torments of pain that Otento had bestowed upon him.

"I would protest," Kurama began, "And say that we should get moving as soon as possible, but I'm afraid I don't even know to _where _we are to get moving."

He did, however, begin to slowly flex the muscles throughout his body to test their strength, finding that they felt strange to him, different without the power of Youko's core flowing through him. Weaker.

He supposed he should just be thankful he hadn't lost his mind.

~!**!~

The music stopped in a last triumphant chord, but Shikiyoku had finished weaving her, no, _their_ ritual the moment before and while the final notes still rang on the air-just before the mass of demons began cheering and exclaiming their appreciation-Shikiyoku was already moving, her eyes bright, the orange energy only barely letting their true emerald color shine through, and locked on her Champion where he stood, beyond the edge of the crowd and nestled back behind those in the very front.

Her energy began to unweave from around those caught in its loops as soon as she started to move to step around the demons cheering at her from the grass, snaking its way back into her body. As it did so, the demons in the giant crowd who had received two swirls about them began to be drawn towards her, pulled with the energy, all of which had been colored orange with their combined power.

When she reached the edge of those gathered about the ground that had been cleared for the dancing, the cheering still continued, eyes on her, but the demons parted to either side to give her a clear path, one that led her straight up to her Champion.

The demons being drawn to her were converging on her position, and one or two of them were close enough to call her name, one even reaching out to touch her arm as she passed, but she ignored each and every one of them, having only eyes for her Champion.

When she stopped in front of Hiei, less than a foot from his face-aware offhand that both Douji _and _Uryo were very close by-she found that no longer was she eye-to-eye with him as they had been when they first landed in the Ninth Level-a time what seemed like ages ago-but that she actually had to raise her chin several inches to gaze up into his crimson irises. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered when he had grown and how she had not noticed until that moment.

"Prince of Fire." Shikiyoku began, her voice clear and full of restrained happiness as she kept her gaze steadily looking into Hiei's face, knowing that only the two of them could see how their energy still mingled together, licking upwards off their skin.

Those around her got a little quieter, sensing the sort of pronouncement, proclamation even, that their Iro was about to make.

Suddenly, Shikiyoku dropped to one knee in a bow before him, throwing the sensibilities of those watching into shock and surprise and wonderment at her as she knelt, resting one arm across her thigh, and tilted her head down in deference to Hiei.

"Would you allow me the great honor of being in your presence this evening?" Her head remained lowered and she did not otherwise move, her question also floating between them on another level that they shared.

_Partner. Confidant. Strength._

_Companion. _

All she was asking was to be close by his side for that night.

The other demons who had been drawn to her waited with bated breath, her energy still enrapturing them in paired loops even as the rest of her power continued drawing away from the other demons gathered that evening.. Even Uryo, standing next to Hiei with his own wreaths of her power about his left ankle, looked between them and waited patiently for the answer. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku with an unblinking gaze as she approached him, moving in a straight line in his direction specifically, gaze meeting his still. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but he felt no need to back away. In fact, he was almost positive that the bond was trying to coax him forward, to meet her halfway. But before he could even move, she was in front of him.

And then she was kneeling, and he was looking down at her with a raised brow of curiosity and confusion coloring his irises, shining with the orange glow that still overlapped his normal ruby color.

And with her question, he was almost… confused. Wasn't that how this worked?

But in his soul, he _felt _the question as if it were her own spirit touching his. Before now, she'd been in his presence because it had been almost required. But now, she was not only _asking_ for his _presence_, but for him _specifically_. Perhaps that meant no others, he didn't know.

But it made him recall what Shubou had told him.

Without a beat's hesitation, Hiei reached down and took Shikiyoku by the arm, gently pulling her from the ground to stand.

"You need only ask." he responded calmly, and when she was on her feet, he was shifting his weight, turning so that his side was close to her, and he presented an arm to her much like she had made him do at the palace.

Despite the rather… odd gesture… his expression was one of sneering amusement. "Better than a ballroom."

~!**!~

Akari looked to Kurama, noting the absolute change in his sitting position even as Kamiya sat back and nodded once at the other. "Well, I'm sure moving alone isn't a good idea, since _my _presence was necessary. I'm sure Yusuke will _adore _that."

Akari blinked. _He didn't know yet. Oops. _"I know where to look for what _I _have in mind, but it's only to find the others…" she said, giving a shrug. "Mitari is likely home right about now. Doesn't like mornings much."

Kamiya laughed. "Neither does Hagiri. But he's with his sister."

"Sister?"

"Oh, something you _didn't _know. Good." Akari glared at the man who laughed good-naturedly. "I've found nothing else," he suddenly spoke, turning to Kurama as his energy tapered away. "Now you can move as you please." Again, he turned to Akari. "Have a specific place in mind to reconvene? Or should I be listening for squeaking mice?"

Akari turned to Kurama this time. "What first, Yusuke's?" _*****_

Kurama slowly started to rise, testing the strength in his limbs.

"While I admire your willingness to throw ourselves into battle, what I meant was that we don't have any idea _when _or _where _this is going to happen." He did smile. "And neither do we have a way of seeking out such information with any sort of speed."

~!**!~

Even as the demons around them began to murmur their approval, there was a distinct sense of disappointment from those who were now finally having the double loops of energy about them removed.

Shikiyoku's eyes reflected her delight as she gracefully accepted his arm with a wide grin.

Where she touched him, their energy sparked between them before merging and making one mass of power around them that no one else appeared able to see.

"I don't think that is how it's supposed to work, lady." Uryo admonished with a teasing frown. "It felt to me as if _I _was the one who was supposed to ask _you _for your company. Not the other way around."

There were other murmurs around them now, ones of agreement sprinkled with wistfulness that each had not been allowed a chance to approach her.

Shikiyoku appeared briefly startled, as if only just now realizing that the older apparition was among those she felt her energy drawing her to. It meant many things as she searched his blood-red eyes with her own, but her arm remained steady where it had woven into Hiei's. 3

Hiei raised a brow at Uryo, momentarily unamused. But then a smirk came to play on his features, making light dance in his eyes as Shikiyoku remained silent. "Well, next time put that speed to use." he said almost loftily, though he was only taunting.

Shikiyoku was not a prize to be won, but… for some reason, he felt as if this moment would probably be the rarest thing to have happen in his life. And he wasn't going to pass up her request. She asked, and as her Champion, he agreed.

And..

As her companion, he'd stick to it.

~!**!~

Akari took in a deep breath, then released it in a very loud sigh, eyes looking up to the ceiling. "Remind me not to be your bedside nurse again," she taunted, tone exasperated. "I didn't say we were going to jump into battle. I'm saying it would be good to update _your friends _of what we discussed and then prepare for anything that follows, because Spirit World is not of use right now."

She took another deep breath and turned her eyes to meet his. "I'd rather be prepared _before _stuff starts happening, because for all we know, they're already moving and we're behind again. I don't know about you but I don't like being the prey here."

Kamiya sat to the side, watching quietly, amused. Nabu approached, sitting at his knee where his legs crossed beneath him. _A lot's changed, hasn't it? _*****

"Then we will just have to _agree _to _disagree _on our order of methods." Kurama teased, "But for this I will concede that informing others is definitely high on the priority list. At the very least, we do have a few on our side who would make for good eyes and ears."

_Genkai for one. Yusuke and Kuwabara do go without saying. I think we have many allies, but the others who come to mind as being the most useful are likely in Demon World and of no use. Touya and Jin. Chu and Rinku. ...assuming they aren't a part of the ones who will be crossing over. _

"If the point is for this operation to go by unnoticed, as I believe, then I doubt the assembling point will be near the city, but I do think it will be near _our _city." Kurama's eyes grew far away as he considered what Youko might do.

~!**!~

Uryo let out a good-natured laugh at the fiery demon's rejoin.

"Ha! Well put." His eyes sparkled. "But I would like to see _you _make use of your speed while under the enchantment of your lovely partner's dancing."

"Maybe next time, Uryo." Shikiyoku let the tip of her tongue stick out at him impishly.

Uryo's eyes flickered swiftly between the image of the pair. "Pardon my saying so, but I think I'm old enough to know when I've lost a fight before it's begun, lady."

Shikiyoku did not reply, but some time in their banter her other hand had risen to rest lightly across her body on the upper part of Hiei's arm, and she felt a great deal of contentment wash over her.

And in the same moment, a great deal of exhaustion. 3

Hiei's sneer stayed in place, amusement bright in his eyes at Uryo's counter. True, had he been where Uryo had been, he likely wouldn't have moved very quickly either. It was certainly very easy to see how he'd be delayed in reaction, should it be him under her power. She was rather… enchanting, to say the least.

He said nothing though, to counter Uryo's reply. He was still amused though by the other's points.

He glanced at Shikiyoku, this time taking in her face and the glow in her eyes. He was keenly aware of the air about her.

"_Where do you wish to be?"_

~!**!~

Akari crossed her arms over her chest and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the redhead, though it went unable to be resisted and she ended up sticking it out at him anyway. And then Kamiya was moving, grabbing her attention because she'd forgotten he was there. He brushed himself off and met her gaze.

"Well, don't hesitate should you need me again. You know where I'll be."

"I appreciate it."

"Don't fill me in until I'm needed. For now, I'll keep my nose clean." He paused during his turn to leave. "If you see Hagiri, tell him to stop by some time." He turned to Kurama. "Always a pleasure," he said in farewell before turning to leave. _*****_

Kurama only caught the last of Akari's tongue snaking back into her mouth before Kamiya was getting up to leave. He nodded his thanks to the other male, then met Akari's eyes again.

"So, shall we raise an army?" His eyes sparkled at her.

~!**!~

The demons around them, including the ones drawn towards her by her energy, had taken to beginning conversations and Shikiyoku did not let her ears rest into any of them, instead feeling Hiei's eyes on her and then hearing his inquiry, feeling the warmth of his mind brush against her own and remain there, awaiting her answer..

_With you._

_By your side._

_Wherever you wish me to be._

"_Right here." _She finally settled on as a reply, pressing her fingers lightly into his arm to indicate what, or rather _who_, exactly 'here' meant. 3

Hiei waited patiently for her reply, and when she finally graced him with one, he wasn't surprised. He continued to stare unblinkingly at her for a moment before deciding she at least decided to eat and drink _something _after her dance for these demons. His eyes lifted from her and took to glancing around at the demons around him, at first finding no food or drink within immediate sight.

And then he spotted a few demons passing it around again, even caught the eye of a few of them, who quickly nodded at him once and began gathering meat on a plate, a drink in each hand, and was making their way through the crowds and towards him.

He tugged lightly at his arm and took to leading Shikiyoku in that direction, not surprised that the demons in the path parted for them.

"_Then eat, at least."_

~!**!~

Akari waved at Kamiya as the door shut behind him before turning back to Kurama, catching his glance and the question he aimed at her. She felt her lips twitch and form into a smirk that mirrored his glinting eyes, turning her body to motion for him to take the lead.

"It's a Saturday, so there's going to be people getting up and about now. Except, I'm sure, Yusuke." She grinned still at him. "But, lead the way, sir." _*****_

"Well, I'm sure we can _quickly _remedy that little problem. Such a travesty to be missing out on such a beautiful day. The dawn of the end of civilization as we know it and all." Kurama moved for the door. "I think we would be wise to gather not only Kuwabara, but also his sister. If there is something to go wrong in the near future, she would be the first to know about it."

~!**!~

"_As you wish. Though, I will be more famished in the morning." _The thought of her scarfing down meat in Shubou's camp passed over her mind's eye. And that had only been with a small ritual. "_And I will need to at least sit very soon. If not rest." _3

Hiei had already thought of that, even searched for a spot to at least sit. However, he felt that actually _resting _would prove best for her, as he was entirely sure she'd be growing even more tired as the time went on. She'd used a lot of energy and-

Hiei was suddenly _very _aware of the eyes on him and Shikiyoku. He blinked once, expression neutral suddenly as he took in the stares, stares that were pointed at _him _now. For a moment, he remembered the ballroom, the way those demons had glared, had tried to separate him from her.

And in the same instant, he realized that _these _stares were different in almost every imaginable way. Demons weren't glaring at him, but smiling, nodding at him, even giving various forms of approval ranging from a nod of their head to a thumb's up.

He realized _these _demons were watching him, not to plot ways to separate him from Shikiyoku, but _because _he was with her, and no one else could be.

Was it… respect he saw here and there?

The difference was so _vast _that, for a moment, he didn't really register it. So when his eyes again moved to the parting crowd and the two demons coming at him through said pathway, he became very aware of the _friendly _atmosphere. The _warm _atmosphere. The welcoming party that grinned at him.

His free hand reached out to take the plate now offered to him, turning and offering it to Shikiyoku while he gestured for the other demon to place his drink in the hand that was close to his torso, that being the arm Shikiyoku claimed.

"_Definitely…. better than a ballroom."_ he repeated, this time in awe almost.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small laugh. "Wouldn't want to miss _that_, would we?" she mused, following after him out the door and onto the streets that were now lit with the rising sun's rays. There was already a cool breeze slipping by, and when she looked to a nearby tree, she became aware of their dulled color.

Autumn was just around the corner now. Her favorite time of year was getting closer.

Maybe by the time snow touched the ground, this would all be over and she'd be free to enjoy it.

She looked to Kurama again, watching him quietly for a moment. The sight of him up and moving was much better than seeing him stuck on the floor.. pain riddling him. _*****_

Kurama could feel the stiffness in his limbs as he moved down the street. But it was what he couldn't feel that affected him more.

The breeze was not as noticeable, his sense of smell was dull, and he could not feel Akari walking next to him. Not even when he glanced over to make sure, as he felt he should know, that she was still there.

"Yusuke. Kuwabara. Shizuru." He started rattling off names, "Genkai. Kido. Yanagisawa. Kaito. And Yukina and Keiko should at least be made aware. Did I miss anyone?"

~!**!~

"_But you handled yourself so well!" _Shikiyoku countered with a teasing air, as she relinquished the plate from his grasp, "_You would make an excellent courtier with a little training." _Shikiyoku recalled his suave manner once he had lifted the dance steps from her mind and the thought pleased her.

"_Out here, though...out here I am not a curse for you to bear upon your arm." _Her Northern skirts whispered around her legs as she walked with him, "_And you are not a pawn to be sold to the highest bidder. Even so...there are many things I miss about court life." _Her words sounded wistful.

Even as she recalled such things, Shikiyoku took note of the way those around her regarded her and the fire demon she walked next to. She felt surprised on some level as to their reactions to her specifically, as they seemed more genuine than any interactions her and Hiei had with outsiders up to this point.

At that moment, a swathe of nearly orange energy from her arm caught her attention and as she stared at it, hardly able to distinguish her energy from Hiei's, realization dawned: up to this point her and Hiei had no way of communicating to the layperson that they belonged together, that Hiei was her protector.

All her other Champions had gotten to mark her at the moment of pact creation as a part of the ritual, which resulted in a portion of their energy taking a shape similar to a mate's marking-and done in a similar fashion as to how such a mark was acquired-in a visible place somewhere on her body.

With her first Champion, that mark had been what he told her was an 'eighth note' in the middle of her forehead a few inches above her nose. Such a marking allowed his energy to mingle with hers-she recalled vividly the strange burning ache of a sensation that swept through her veins as his fangs injected a small portion of his energy via his bite-and would glow with his energy when another demon was about to be entranced accidentally by her without her knowing. It would warn the other away, or at the very least break them out of it. It let her function with some semblance of normalcy in everyday life. The bit of energy from him that flowed constantly throughout her body muted her own energy and thus made her capable of interacting with other demons without fear of immediate attraction.

Not having the mark often placed both her and Hiei in situations like what happened when they arrived in the first city they came to at the beginning of their journey and the snake demon wished to claim her as his own after the first sniff.

Now, however, with Hiei's energy mixed in and muting her own as it was now, it was the first time in over fifteen years that anyone was able to see her for who she was, and not for what power she held.

_It's too bad the effect will wear off and that the spell is so exhausting._ 3

Hiei cautiously accepted both food and drink with a nod of thanks to the demon who smiled widely, gave a bow of respect and then scurried away, returning to his chattering friends. The noise in the area seemed amplified now, strengthened by the excitement that had stemmed from Shikiyoku's dance.

"_I never cared for royalty," _he admitted, though his tone was an amused one. "_Too much politics, all of which I could care less about."_

He continued to move through the path of demons. They seemed to know exactly where he was going, because without any trouble, he was easily able to make it to the logs that had been positioned for sitting about, some for large groups and others for small families, perhaps. He didn't hesitate to make himself comfortable, making sure Shikiyoku got the message that she should do the same.

"_Bandits and tribesmen always know how to host a party."_

~!**!~

Akari turned her own eyes away when Kurama turned to look at her, though she nodded when he began rattling off names. Each one would be of help to some degree, and given the circumstances, the more the merrier in her opinion.

Because who knew how many were being brought over.

The thought of Spirit World currently being in chaos had her expanding her senses, her eyes wandering about the area both in front of and behind her. "Hagiri will be of great use, since he can fire long-range. He wouldn't even be in the way, should a large-scale fight happen." Her lips twitched. "It's always good to have a sniper nearby."

She went quiet again, thinking of the others.

Really, only Sniper and Doctor could be of use here. Mitari needed pristine conditions, and Game Master… well, he wouldn't be of much help. Gourmet was… gone, so no thoughts there.

Itsuki would have been a great help, if he had stayed. But he hadn't, and that was that.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, a memory playing briefly in her mind's eye, and she had to tell herself to keep moving. But, for now… the thought was not a probable one…. _I need to get into Spirit World…. __*****_

There was something else, Kurama felt. Something that he was missing.

It was the motive.

Why?

What had happened to this fake Youko to cause him to establish such an elaborate ruse? And what was it about Spirit World that was so important?

Kurama wished for an easy way to Spirit World, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last. Surely he could have a talk with Koenma after this was all over about such things.

Assuming they lived through this.

Kurama absently led the way to Yusuke's apartment as he rolled over in his head reasons a demon would want to get into Spirit World besides to overthrow the King.

Other than the artifacts of the Vault of which Kurama knew everything about and could name nothing useful to Youko. Of course, the fact that this was not truly Youko could make all the difference.

Kurama sighed.

~!**!~

"_Mm, but __**subverting **__said royalty. __**That's **__where the fun comes in." _Shikiyoku replied with a mischievous tone. "_Manipulation and subtlety in the courtroom are key. And make for exciting momemnts."_

Shikiyoku sat next to Hiei gratefully, staring at the food in her plate and unable to remember the last time she ate, and at the same time feeling no need.

She picked up a few pieces anyway.

At Hiei's words, she raised her eyes to look around at the revelers.

"_Even though these are greater numbers, the merriment of old far surpasses it. You should have seen them then." _Her eyes flashed with the thought. 3

Hiei could certainly imagine how such a thing could be _fun_, but really, he wasn't one for it. While telling others what to do, how to do it, and when to do it could prove useful here and there…

It was simply too much for him. Royalty, in general. He could care less about _the people_.

Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku's counter of older parties, older gatherings and how they far surpassed this one. Truthfully, he couldn't quite imagine such a thing. Sure, if he wanted to, he could lift those memories from her mind but…

What was the fun in that anyway?

"_Perhaps you'll show me one day."_

He knew there was a way to share memories, just as they shared power now, but it was something he didn't know how to do yet. And, quite frankly, it seemed easier than sifting through another's brain for such memories he wished to acquire.

Though, from what he understood, it normally happened with demons who'd been in one another's companies for several decades, at the least.

Perhaps it was something that came with time.

~!**!~

Akari stayed silent as she walked, eyes now fully taking in her surroundings, each detail down to the last blade of grass. She didn't like the idea that Kurama wouldn't be able to sense someone coming before she, because it meant that she would _never _be able to sense someone coming. Until it was too late.

The thought had her wishing she were in Spirit World at that very moment, in the gym. Working on her energy and the many ways it could develop.

Because, really, she didn't feel much like a fighter. More of a distraction, because that's all her energy was capable of providing at the moment.

Mice and distractions.

She gritted her teeth for a moment before relaxing her jaw and mirroring Kurama's small sound with her own sigh of discontent.

She turned to the redhead to say something, but her lips merely parted, releasing no sound. Her eyes, however, took very keen notice, suddenly, of the dirt on his skin from her home.

And then the fact that his outfit was… tattered, to say the least.

"Uh," she began, taking a moment to find her voice, but not really able to make the words form on her tongue. _*****_

"Hm?" Kurama heard Akari start to speak, glancing over at her when she didn't continue at his intoned murmur.

Seeing her eyes looking him up and down, Kurama followed her gaze in an attempt to catch what exactly was making her look at him that way, and for once he let out a pleasant laugh.

"It seems I am in no condition to make any house calls." He felt strange that he hadn't been aware of his appearance when usually he was rather proud of it. Was that actually something the fox had a hand in as well? "Tell you what. I'll go and make myself look presentable while you rally Yusuke to our cause. Sound good?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave Hiei a sidelong look out of the corner of her eyes.

Out of all the things so far she'd met in the fire demon, she found somehow that his expressing to share in a mind-meld with her to be the most surprising gesture yet.

Especially when she _knew _he had a Jagan.

"_You could simply see for yourself." _She nudged him with her shoulder impishly, her eyes flickering up to the bandana around his forehead. 3

Hiei didn't respond immediately, didn't even need to look at her to know Shikiyoku was gesturing to the Jagan. He considered giving a shrug, but with her hold on his arm and the drink in his hand, he decided against it altogether.

He considered the demons around them for a moment before turning to meet Shikiyoku's gaze again, watching unblinkingly. "_That requires a lot of energy." _It was an excuse, and a very weak one, but really he didn't want to sift through memories, because even if she thought of one specifically, it wouldn't be as sharp as it would be if he plucked it from her mind without her notice.

Plus, minds converging… that could be something rather amusing to try at some point. And likely very useful, if done right.

Likely entertaining too.

He suddenly scoffed at that thought and the possibilities that such a thing could prove, completely amused.

~!**!~

A single strawberry brow raised at the sound Kurama released, wondering why it was so funny to him. He looked like absolute hell, now that she looked at him, and he was _laughing _about it? She sighed and turned her eyes to the path ahead. _I don't understand you._

When Kurama spoke up, she listened, but his offer was one she didn't agree with. "No," she responded easily, tone flat. She didn't look at him, only looking ahead as if something interested her there. _*****_

"Suit yourself." Kurama shrugged and turned away from the direction they had been heading-Yusuke's apartment-towards his own home. "But I plan on taking my time. And it would be faster if we split up. I'm sure Nabu could watch after me just fine."

~!**!~

A bit of a frown fell over Shikiyoku's face and she wondered if the younger fire demon next to her actually knew what he was suggesting they do.

She had a little experience with the process as it had been something one of her champions-_which one was it?_-and her had tried briefly.

They had found their bond would allow them such intertwined contact, at least enough that Shikiyoku had been able to show him-as Hiei had just asked-of earlier, more primal times in the Ninth Level.

But at the time they were each still very private with their thoughts, and to be completely exposed, wrapped up in, another like that had been both disconcerting and unnerving.

A total mind-meld would have allowed them to see what the other saw-useful for their line of work-but it also meant the other was there _all the time_, that their memories were passed between them effortlessly and would overwhelm the one with less memories to share until they became lost in the older one's past.

And such double vision gave one a numbing headache after too much use. It would have proven useful in a fight, though. Not that they ever really got into one of those.

Curiously, Shikiyoku's gaze turned introspective as she reached within herself to the half-pact she could access.

It hummed happily at her, wavelengths in tune with the apparition sitting next to her, though the hums were always cut short halfway up or down depending on the direction.

"_We could try. If you like." _She gave the pact a nudge to see how it would react to her, feeding it with a specific memory of the Northern Tribe the last time she'd been here to see if it would accept and transfer it. "_But only if you're willing." _3

Hiei felt the flex of the bond, and his eyes focused on Shikiyoku, mind pulled from his thoughts that he hadn't realized he'd been wrapped up in. Thoughts that were, truthfully, inconsequential. That meant nothing, unlike his normal thoughts that consisted of things dire, things to come, or even things already happening.

And Shikiyoku's words had him raising a brow, then clamping down on the bond, not allowing such access as he even blocked his mind for the moment. When the bond returned to the normal pulsing hum, he let his mind brush hers again.

"_Now's not the time." _he stated calmly, blinking once at her as he took in the way she sat, the way her shoulders were beginning to slump from tiredness. She'd used a lot of energy, and it could tip the balance.

He'd heard of things like that going wrong as well. Never good.

Then again, when was a mistake in Demon World easily able to be recovered from?

"_It was just a thought." _He paused. "_Though, remind me when your energy returns."_

~!**!~

Akari turned a calm gaze onto Kurama, watching him for a moment before her lips twitched. "What, not happy with baby pictures being hung on the walls?" she teased. "While getting the others is necessary, I don't feel like splitting up is an option anymore." she admitted, turning her eyes forward again as she rubbed her palms against her jeans, as if to rub away the feeling of his blood on her hands. _*****_

"There aren't as many as you would think." Kurama let one of his brows raise, "I was a...difficult child."

He let the subject of her coming with him drop, though he figured were he at home, he could just as easily call and talk to Shizuru-the person he wished to get in contact with first anyway. Once he had her in on the situation, he would feel better knowing she could sense if something was going wrong.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku let her hold on the pact drop, feeling indifferent at the moment to Hiei's reaction, but sending a sense of affirmation that she would mention it to him later into his head.

She hadn't ever felt this _tired _after performing the ritual before. Hiei had probably been wise not to let her try. _Heh._ Usually, she was charged by the dance and spent the night among the others in their time of revelry.

As Shikiyoku thought back, her eyelids beginning to struggle to stay open, other companions came to mind like the ones who had tried to approach her tonight. Other encampments, other ballrooms, even other interrogations courtesy of her third Champion, all muddled and tired, playing back into her head just for a moment, and yet-

...a-and yet-

She found no person, no place that she would rather be-

"_Nowhere else, but right...here...with you..."_

As the final word passed over her mind, said with a sense of warmth and contentment, Shikiyoku finished the slumping that had started as the memories played back, her cheek closing the last few inches between her and the shoulder of the arm she held that was Hiei's as she came to rest gently against him.

"_...fire-prince." _3

Hiei watched the heavy eyelids of the demon next to him slide closed, and for a few minutes, he stayed that way, only moving to catch the plate she nearly dropped. He considered leaving, considered letting the party around him continue on without a chance to disturb Shikiyoku, but really, he didn't see it much of a possibility at the moment.

Instead, his eyes moved up, searching for the faces in the crowd he knew he'd have to address sooner or later. They were likely the center of attention, being as high on the totem pole as they were. It shouldn't be-

His mind picked up on words _just _barely whispered between them and the warmth that seemed to radiate from them. Calmness. Content.

_Happiness._

That same warmth became a physical aspect as her cheek rested on his shoulder, her hand pulling only slightly at his arm as if to keep him right where he was.

And for the first time, when he thought about how separated he felt from the rest of the world around him, he didn't view it as much of a bad thing.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at Kurama - sensing a sort of.. shame? Was that it? - and considered his expression for a moment. She gave a small hum of thought before turning her eyes away, linking her fingers in front of her as she walked.

She didn't have anything to say about that. She felt that she _should _say something, but really, she didn't know _what _to say. Everything that came to mind was… Ridiculous. And were she to say them, she felt that she'd be discussing a topic she knew nothing about.

Because, really, she didn't know how a human's mind worked. Their sentimentality was… different. What they felt empathy towards, she herself felt nothing about. What they got angry over, she simply brushed away.

Or, at least, that's how she used to view it. Now, she didn't know. On some level, she felt that maybe she'd formed into a being rather similar to a human when some aspects came up. She'd changed on some degree, but how, she wasn't really sure.

She wasn't as blindly aggressive, that was for sure. She'd dealt with difficult situations and…

"I don't think it matters how difficult you were." she suddenly commented, shrugging. "But, that's just my opinion." _*****_

Kurama chuckled, "Well, it _does _matter when the child won't allow the parent to take any pictures. Hence why there aren't really any of myself up around the house."

The discussion revolving around his childhood brought his mind back to-as most things did-his mother. He hoped her vacation was going well. The wedding was coming up soon, but it was going to be rather small and he had insisted she get away from things for a while and her fiancé had readily agreed.

~!**!~

The white-haired Elder who had greeted them when they first came into the encampment paused in her steps when she saw Shikiyoku fall to sleep on her Champion's arm. So, when she continued to approach the pair, it was for a different reason now.

"I was going to offer her my gratitude," The Elder murmured, standing just on the other side of Hiei, "And inquire as to how she danced inside the flames like that, but I see like everything else it will have to wait for morning." She wore an amused expression as her eyes alighted on Shikiyoku's form, breathing even and slow.

"She will be busy enough as it is tomorrow I would imagine." The Elder looked out over the innumerous heads of the demons gathered in the clearing. "You all may make use of the tent of the Elders tonight. Whenever you wish." She added as an afterthought, clearly in no hurry for the pair to move as she herself stepped away on silent feet. 3

Hiei was pulled from his thoughts as a calm, even voice spoke near him, obviously directed for the fire demon specifically despite no formal address. His eyes moved calmly from the peaceful face of Shikiyoku and up at the demoness standing nearby, a light in the white-haired woman's eyes dancing with mirth.

It was almost as if she'd heard Hiei's thoughts on seeking her out for refuge, as she answered his question without him having asked of it. He nodded once at her in quiet thanks and appreciation for not disturbing Shikiyoku.

While he _did _consider staying just a _bit _longer, he decided, in the end, that Shikiyoku's need for peaceful rest came first. So with calm, smooth motions, the fire demon shifted until he was able to slide his free arm underneath Shikiyoku's legs and calmly detach her hands from his other arm to provide support for her shoulders. Without pause, he was moving away from the loud area and towards the tents, not for the first time appreciating the path that was parted for him as he moved.

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes, but otherwise gave no reaction to Kurama's amusing words. "But, seems you haven't changed much," she commented, turning glittering eyes onto him from the corners. _Still difficult._

Though, really, she didn't mind one way or the other. She was stubborn enough to argue as long as necessary, should the subject call for it. Though, knowing the redhead, he'd simply resort to using his entire vocabulary against her, using words she didn't know to have her unknowingly agreeing to.. whatever cause he fought for.

_That _would be funny, no matter _who _he used his mental dictionary against.

"You know, not being in school makes me realize how boring it actually is when I _do _go. How do you stand it?" she suddenly asked, the question coming to mind when she'd seen a classmate rather far ahead. "Sitting in a crowded room and listening to a teacher drone on and on… sometimes I imagine myself jumping from the window just to go find some real amusement." _*****_

"You didn't grow up doing so." Kurama replied. "And my body is actually growing at the normal rate for humans, so I've been in school since I was young. Unlike most demons."

Kurama walked with his head high as if he _wasn't _wearing clothing that hung about him in tatters. And ignored anyone who gave him a strange look as he went by.

Hopefully he, uh, wouldn't see anybody he knew.

~!**!~

"What is that expression for, youngling?"

Douji scratched absently at the cheek of the lur'mog in his lap, his expression reserved even when faced with the utter joy the creature had in his attentions.

Uryo belched and reclined back on the log as he waited for the boy to speak up, setting his empty plate next to him.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Douji asked quietly, not looking up.

Uryo ran his tongue over his teeth, crimson eyes catching sight of the Champion lifting Shikiyoku away, presumably to bed. He watched the crowd make way for Hiei almost without the fire demon's direct notice and huffed a breath out of his noise.

"You had to feel it. I saw her energy around your ankle." Douji insisted, falling silent again. "What did it mean?" The question came almost muttered from Douji's lips.

"It was nothing to be so _concerned _about." Uryo grinned. "It was…" Uryo searched for the right word, his eyes roving around for a moment. "A compliment." Yes, that seemed close enough. "You're special." He added.

Douji frowned, not quite understanding exactly what it meant.

"It's difficult to explain." Uryo murmured, his gaze settling upon the bonfire and immediately pulling him back into the image of Shikiyoku and her flaming fan-dance, how he had manipulated the bonfire itself to allow her to be within it, using his energy to burn the outer kimono away and reveal her. _An excellent dancer indeed. _3

~!**!~

Akari sighed to herself. While she liked the learning, getting to know the world she was currently stuck in, she didn't enjoy the cramped rooms, the snide students and the petty fights that seem to brew between the students over… words. It was all ridiculous and-

Akari's eyes caught sight of a shop as she passed, and while her steps never faltered, her gaze did linger for a bit. _That one_.

It was a clothing store, one she had yet to visit. One she had made a mental note of, and then forgotten where it was located. She took note of the opening time, even glanced at the wall clock inside to gauge how long until it was open for business before turning forward again.

She'd made up her mind now, despite her earlier reluctance to move on her own. _Just for a bit wouldn't hurt…_

She stayed silent the rest of the way to Kurama's house, eyes taking in each detail around her, taking extra note of the scent on the breeze that hinted a chillier day to come.

A cold front, as called here.

The thought had her smiling. It wouldn't be too cold, as she wished it would be, but it would be a rather cool day later. Maybe that meant the seasons were _finally _changing. And maybe she'd actually get to be in the snow this time, unlike the years with Sensui… _*****_

Kurama didn't even have to reach into his pocket to know that the key to his house was lost somewhere between here and wherever Otento had taken him.

If having his energy locked away last time taught him anything, it was to have a spare key nearby.

He reached behind the back of some foliage in a ceramic pot on the porch for the toothy-looking plant in the back and pricked his finger on one of the spines. The hinges parted and he plucked the housekey from the mouth before it began to close again, unlocking the door and slipping off his shoes before moving beyond the threshold farther inside.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes opened to the muted darkness of the Elder's tent, and as quietly as she was able, she slipped outside into the reddish-grey of the very early morning.

The bonfire she had emerged from the night before blazed in a much-reduced form, and there were a few of the older demons that had come last night sitting nearby it, looking up to give her welcoming glances as she approached and providing for her a large plate of food which she graciously accepted and sat down among them with, beginning to ravenously tear her way through it.

The old demons chuckled and exchanged glances before starting to drill Shikiyoku with various questions she found only vaguely related to her abilities. She wondered what exactly the type of rumors that had been passed around the night before consisted of, since their questions ranged from birthing of demonic babies to debating the existence of a love spell outside of her manipulative powers.

None of them seemed to care that she talked with her mouth full or rarely answered questions at all when it meant eating more food was possible.

"Iro."

Shikiyoku dropped her head back to see the white-haired Elder-woman standing over her with a slight smile.

"Yesh?"

"There are a few things we have here that we could use your help with."

"Of coursh." Shikiyoku swallowed what was in fact the last of her food and stood.

The next few hours before true dawn consisted of such tasks as the Elder required, though in the middle of completing one a demon approached her and asked if he could speak with her, to which she agreed, allowing the male to lead her a distance away from any others.

Upon her brain catching up, she recognized immediately that this slender demon was not a member of the Northern Tribe, his clothing reminding her vaguely of a level of Demon World which had been obsessed with the period of time that occurred in Human World known as 'Victorian.' He stood out from the rustic appearance of the tribe to say the least.

When he stopped and turned to face her, Shikiyoku stood dutifully nearby, allowing his calculating gaze to meet her own guarded one.

"You are strong, 'Iro.'" The demon gave her a dazzling smile, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth.

Shikiyoku only tilted her head slightly, waiting for more.

"Very strong. You would make any demon proud to call themselves your mate."

Shikiyoku blinked in an expression of '_really?'_

As if there wasn't a demon among the entirety of the Nine Levels who did not prize strength and power-especially in a female as a prospective bearer of the next generation. Especially a demon like _this_.

"Need I say more?" He gestured with a flourish of a laced-sleeve of a hand.

"No. No, there is no need." Shikiyoku frowned, unsure as to whether to take this demon seriously or not.

He took her momentary silence as hesitation.

"Is it truly that difficult of a decision?" He wanted to know loftily.

There was a word for this type of demon, and it was on the tip of her tongue…

"Is there really any need for a delay? You can sense, I'm sure, that I am just as powerful as yourself. We would make a good match."

They called demons like this _something_. _What was it again?_

"I...have a Champion." Shikiyoku provided, frown still in place as she fished in her brain for the word.

"Is that all?" The demon replied with a laugh.

Something...the other demons called these Victorian impersonators. With their frilly waistcoats and perfect hair-dos.

"He is not your _mate_," The demon emphasized as he went on, "Otherwise I hardly would have approached you at all, now would I? It's obvious to _anyone _paying the least bit of attention."

"I would _hardly _make such a...decision without my Champion's express permission." Shikiyoku blinked, a blank look on her face. "Surely you understand."

_Convoluted? No, that's not quite right. Complacent? No, that's not what I mean._

"No, I'm not exactly sure that I do." The demon pursed his lips at her beautifically. "Of course, I can't exactly say that I truly understand-"

"Conceited!" Shikiyoku exclaimed, her expression clearing up as her eyes brightened when she remembered the word.

"I beg your pardon?" The demon raised an artful eyebrow at her. 3

~!**!~

He'd been up and around for quite some time now, and rather busy since… well, he wasn't really sure. He did know, however, that this _creature _was rather elusive. Hiei, however, was bound and determined, because it had been the one that had, one, attacked him first and, two, been on the hit list he'd been given by the other demons he had parted from about an hour ago.

It moved just as swiftly, just as quietly as the fire demon himself did, and quite frankly, he found this more of a game than an actual _hunt_, which had kept Hiei rather occupied for the early morning hours. Happily so, even. Killing both creatures _and _time! It was better than nothing, which is what he'd done almost all night long while Shikiyoku slept and he himself found he was unable to do the same, for whatever reason.

He moved through the trees, stalking the very elusive creature that, somehow, could not be tracked via Jagan, but only by scent and sound. Perhaps it was a Ninth Level thing.

He suddenly paused, coming to a halt in the darkened limbs of the treetop he had been silently moving through. He kept his weapon at the ready, held in his left hand and tucked close to his stomach, other hand grasping at string and arrow as he listened.

It had stopped moving, but _where_, he wasn't sure.

He focused harder, listening for-

_There._

He moved, calling on old memories to help him as he slid silently, back against the bark of the tree, around to the next branch. When he peered down, his keen eyes could make out the large, scaled creature that leaned forward, snout to the ground and forked tongue just touching the grass of the forest floor. It's six eyes were focused down at its feet, its four ears twitching frantically for any sign of danger.

Once Hiei knew he was not known to be in the area, he shifted, lifted the bow and pulled the arrow back.

The screech that filled the air moments later sent creatures scattering, making the area come alive and arrows fly.

And to think he'd almost forgotten how this felt.

~!**!~

"You're more skilled than you let on, Champion!"

Hiei turned his eyes to the corners, catching the wide grin aimed at him from the largest of the twelve that had found him. The bow Hiei had used was in this demon's hand, held as if it were his prized treasure. In his other hand was four small creatures, each the same, each able to feed, at most, two demons.

"A swordsman _and _an archer. Would have been helpful during the wars."

Hiei turned away from the conversation that turned to older times, times that had long since passed. History, to him. Nothing more than stories.

He shifted his hold on the rope he had slung over his shoulder, the five medium-sized creatures thumping against his back. His other hand shifted its grip on the largest creature, a creature as large as he was. He walked as head of the chattering group of demons, only doing so because they'd insisted he do as such. And he'd been too lazy to argue.

His eyes, once he reached the encampment, searched for the person whose energy he could feel moving about, doing things here and there. While he couldn't see her for the moment, he decided to leave her be, let her do… whatever it was she'd been asked to do.

Until her energy paused, then moved further away from the encampment. At this point, Hiei himself changed directions, deciding that he'd at least pass by, see what she was doing.

It didn't take long to find her, though he was approaching from behind the male that had very obviously pulled her aside. The little snippet of the conversation he heard told him all he needed to know: the male was interested, Shikiyoku was not.

So he approached, coming to stand just a little ways behind the male. "Obnoxious works just as well." he intoned, adding to Shikiyoku's word choice. "Or _pestiferous."_ *

* * *

><p><span>Kido<span> - **1: **wicket gate; wooden door; **2: **entrance to an entertainment venue (i.e. sumo arena, etc.)

Yanagisawa - Place name, Family or surname

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	59. Episode 143 - Busyness

**A/N: **Hello once again, Dearest Readers!

I meant to say something a while back (in fact I meant to say something when we reached Episode 113 which was Chapter Twenty-Eight so at this point it seems a little silly) about the fact that we have surpassed how many episodes the anime itself actually has, heheh. The last episode of the anime is 112, and while the manga does actually go past the point the anime reaches, we're admittedly basing our YYH world more on the universe from the anime that the manga, though there are a few things we borrow form the manga on occasion.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Using the same spell that her first Champion had once taught her,  
>Shikiyoku successfully merges Hiei's energy with her own,<br>using it to supplement and spread hers farther so that she can finish the ritual.

Almost before she even finishes, Shikiyoku goes directly up to Hiei  
>and kneels before him, asking if he would allow her to be in his presence that evening,<br>to which he answers affirmatively, leaving the other demons who had also received double loops from her  
>in a slightly disappointed mood.<p>

Both Hiei and Shikiyoku take note of the different way in which the demons of the tribe regard them,  
>Hiei mentioning that it was 'better than a ballroom' as the demons here appear to respect them,<br>and Shikiyoku realizes that it is the intertwining of their energy that is dampening her own usual, provocative aura.

Exhausted from the ritual, Shikiyoku falls asleep against Hiei, and at the Elder's behest,  
>Hiei carries her off to the Elders' Tent for the night.<p>

They are both kept busy the next day, though by the time Shikiyoku and Hiei cross paths again,  
>it is Hiei walking up to Shikiyoku who is being propositioned by an outsider to become his mate.<p>

~!**!~

Akari calls on Kamiya, who arrives at her home and subsequently heals Kurama of his physical ailments.

Akari is eager to get things moving at that point, but Kurama points out that they don't have much to go on.  
>Akari counters by saying they need to get ahead while they can, as their enemy is likely still moving,<br>and that they should at least, if not gather the others, inform them as to the going-ons.

They leave her place with the intentions of calling on all the others that they can,  
>but Akari takes notice of the state of Kurama's clothing, which is ripped and torn,<br>and their destination changes to that of Kurama's home so he can make himself presentable.

Having lost his key during the interaction with Otento,  
>Kurama accesses a small, carnivorous plant in a pot outside his front door with his blood,<br>relinquishing it of the key he placed in its mouth in order to let them in,  
>a precaution he took since the last time he lost touch with his energy<br>and couldn't just "pick the lock" and get inside...

* * *

><p>Akari waited for Kurama to get the door open, ignoring the scent of his blood, figuring it was of his own doing. She moved after him into the house, looking around for the first time at the cozy home that she had run from the last time she'd been here. The memory of her last visit had her glancing at Kurama, even running a hand through her bangs before she turned away from him and wandered further inside, towards the kitchen.<p>

"Cozy," she commented, eyeing the well-kept dining area, the spotless kitchen, the clean couches. Everything her own _home _lacked. Cleanliness, organization, even basic furniture and utilities. It reminded her that she needed to find a way to work on her current place of residence, find a way to make it… cleaner. More like a home than a run-down, abandoned building.

_I'll get on that…. when this is over. __*****_

"I get my cleanliness from my mother." Kurama replied with his nose sticking slightly in the air. He immediately was reminded of the condition of his clothes and glanced downward, "Which is why this is going to be taken care of _now_." He moved towards the stairs, waving a hand lazily to Akari. "Don't wait up!"

~!**!~

"Ah, Champion!" The demon turned with a flourish and it was difficult to tell if he had simply decided to ignore the slights upon his person or if he had not actually understood them. "You have an excellent head on your shoulders, I'm sure. Do you not agree that the 'Iro,' as I have heard the natives here call her, would make an exquisite mate for any demon she deems worthy enough to share in her presence?"

Shikiyoku regarded the back of the demon's head with an amused expression. 3

Hiei was unsurprised by the flourished motion of this one. He'd met one such demon before. Ended his life in a second. This situation, while similar, had stark differences. For instance, this one irritated him more.

The expression that crossed the fire demon's face was, originally, one of incredulity. However, it transitioned to an even gaze, not a single muscle twitching, not even his brow that wished so dearly to turn up at this demon's question.

"And you just so happen to… decide you're _worthy?" _he said slowly, tone even and almost… bored sounding. "It seems that out of the three here, only two of us have brains that function properly." He paused for a second to glance at Shikiyoku before turning again to the male. "And you're not one of them."

~!**!~

Akari's brow shot up faster than it ever had in her life at Kurama's words, but she didn't turn to the male. She didn't have to look to know his chin had lifted higher. His tone had implied the motion. However, she did turn to look at him when he dismissed her with a wave. She frowned at the place where he left her eyesight, momentarily unhappy with his wording. She wasn't waiting _up _for him. She was simply… waiting.

She turned and continued surveying the room, glancing at pictures here and there, hands behind her back to refuse touching the trinkets and such. However, she did pause at a picture of a woman and a man, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, warm smiles on their faces and gleams in their eyes. Even from the simple picture, she could see that they were happy, probably the happiest they'd been in their life, and they were as close to each other as they could get.

After a moment, she noted their intertwined hands between their hips, and she stood upright again, leaning away as she took in the picture a bit more.

Itsuki had told her of such an emotion that made these two faces glow. But to her, it was alien.

_Love, hm?_

She moved away from that picture, easily stepping around the dog that had silently sat at her feet. She wandered a bit more, looking at pictures that seemed very similar to the one she'd looked at before. And then she was bored.

"_They look happy." _Akari turned her eyes to Nabu, who wasn't looking at her, but at the picture she'd first paused at. She glanced at it again, and again found herself staring at it. "_I bet you could be that happy one day. I mean, you're happy now, but not as happy as they are."_

"Their happiness is different, Nabu."

"_I know. It's the same happiness I feel when I'm around you!"_

"No, not quite I don't think."

"_But I love you! You're my family!" _Akari sighed. "_Don't you love me too?"_

She didn't reply. "You stay here, okay?"

"_But I thought we were waiting?"_

"You're waiting. I'm going to the store."

"_Steak!"_

"Nope. Wrong kind of store." she replied as she pulled the door open. "Just stay here. If you need me… bark I guess. I'll be listening." With that, she closed the door behind herself and walked back the way she'd come, down the busy sidewalk and towards the shop she'd seen earlier. _*****_

Kurama immediately made his way to the bathroom to turn on the water and strip off his ruined clothes before thinking he might call Shizuru _before _he took a luxurious shower-just in case-and wrapped a towel around his waist to head back downstairs.

The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Shizuru? It's Kurama. We've got a slight problem…"

~!**!~

"Hm. That's funny." Shikiyoku put a thoughtful finger to her chin as the demon turned back to her with a slightly irritated expression, "I don't really see _any _demons worthy enough to-oh wait there's one."

She pointed directly at Hiei, getting the demon to whip back around as if he didn't know who she pointed at, and she immediately stepped around the demon while he turned, up to Hiei's side where she gave him a quick, poignant kiss on the cheek in front of the other demon and linked arms with Hiei like they had last night, turning her back on the demon and beginning to pull Hiei to walk off before appearing to change her mind, and pausing to toss her next words over her shoulder.

Shikiyoku picked up on the demon's slight accent and imitated it, "You're amusing, darling, you really are, but you're just a little too...foppish for me." She wiggled her fingers on the word 'foppish' and kept going, leading Hiei _away_. To anywhere but _here_.

The demon just smiled royally and shook his head a little.

"Your rejection only makes me want you more, Iro!" He spread his arms out to either side.

"I know!" She called back with a sing-song tone, "But that doesn't make the rejection any less permanent!" 3

Hiei didn't react to Shikiyoku's words of his... candidacy… for a potential mate. To him, it was her excuse to get away from the other demon, and quite frankly, he couldn't care less. However, when she practically skipped his way, he shifted his hold on the rope that tied the dead creatures together for easy haul, letting the rope rest higher on his shoulder as Shikiyoku's small hand grabbed hold of that particular arm. Her lips to his cheek was unexpected, but the only way he gave that away was with a glance at her from the corner of his eye before they turned to leave.

At which point he entirely ignored the other demon, shifting his right hand's hold on the spiked tail of the largest creature he'd killed. Maybe he'd go hunting more often-

Wait, they were returning to Human World.

_Damn._

~!**!~

Akari moved through the crowds expertly, only pausing between Kurama's house and her destination when she caught sight of a bank- one she hadn't known had been in the area. Instead of going inside like she normally would, she stopped at the ATM, used the numbers she had memorized of Sensui's information, and then was, just as quickly, moving away from the machine with a good amount of money in her pocket.

Minutes later, she was inside the shop, the only customer in the building due to the early hour, and the fact that she'd arrived as soon as the doors had opened. Her hands roved over fabrics of shirts, pulled on hangers so she could see such articles better, and then put the item back.

She did this several times before finding a jacket, very similar to the simple grey one she wore now, and a couple of shirts that… weren't so bad.

After a bit more browsing, Akari found herself leaving the store with a single new outfit and a new destination in mind. She again maneuvered around the crowds, eyes searching for the building she knew to be near.

~!**!~

Being clean felt so much better. Her hair was still wet despite her efforts to dry it, but as Akari moved back towards Kurama's house, she felt certain it'd be dry by the time she got back. That was one of the perks of her breed of demon: Hair dried just as fast as, well, fur, no matter the thickness. This was mainly due to…

Well, what did it matter?

She slung the plastic bag that now held her dirty clothes over her shoulder as she marched up the steps to Kurama's door, hesitating none as she pushed it open and stepped inside, first looking to the stairs and wondering what she'd do with her other outfit.

After all, the new one felt so much more comfortable… _*****_

"No, Genkai was the _second_ person I called." Kurama said patiently into the phone.

He was partially leaning over the counter in the kitchen, one hand pressed down onto the countertop, the other at his ear with the phone. His long red hair was pulled over one shoulder and still dripping down his bare chest, though he had enough sense of mind to wrap a towel around his waist again when the phone rang in the middle of his shower.

"Because, Yusuke, both she _and _Shizuru are more likely to sense something before either you or I. Especially since Otento-" Kurama waited as Yusuke went on. "You'll have to talk to them about it." Another pause. "She said she would get back to me on that, and I explicitly trust her judgement, as should you."

Kurama didn't even look up when the front door opened.

~!**!~

"We need to go soon." Shikiyoku said wistfully after they were out of earshot of the other demon as she dropped her arm from Hiei's to clasp her hands together behind her back. She started to grin, "Or never go at all, I suppose." 3

Hiei, on some level or another, was a bit surprised Shikiyoku had stepped away from him so quickly, but he wrote it off. Ignored it, because he still had things to do. For instance, return his kills to the others, help gutting if necessary, and-

Shikiyoku's last words caught his attention, entirely pulling him from his thoughts and his eyes down to her. "Do not tempt me, woman." he said in a low tone, though his gaze was not one of threat. He'd already talked himself out of it once.

~!**!~

Akari paused with the door only half-closed, hearing Kurama's voice and, for a moment, thinking she'd missed someone's energy signature. After listening for a second, however, she was aware that the person he was talking to was not _here_, but at home, using the same device the redhead surely had to his ear to speak through. So she let the door shut on its own and moved through the living area, mouth opening to ask the male a question.

That is, until she caught sight of him. With her head peering around the corner, she noted first that the male's hair was still wet. All fine and good, except so was his back. Wouldn't that cause sickness after a while, if one didn't have the immunity for it? Such as, _demon energy?_

Next, her eyes found a particular line across Kurama's back, obviously rougher than the rest of his skin, but made by, say, a blade. There were others similar to this one, some smaller, some less noticeable. Some of them even looked identical to ones she herself had, which were very obviously made by the same type of weapon.

The one that stood out the most was one that went the length of the arm that was extended, that hand propped on the counter to provide support as he leaned against the countertop. It was… newer, she could tell. She assumed it was one from a fight he'd had with the Spirit Detective team, likely the tournament they'd been tossed into. The one Sensui had kept tabs on.

This scar was, in a word…. grotesque. Its edges were jagged, as if the skin there had simply been _ripped _open and hadn't healed the way it should have. And while the scar itself was smooth, it also appeared rough, not just around the edges, but all over.

A frown settled over her lips and she glanced down at her own arms, hidden beneath the half rolled-up sleeve of the white button up shirt she'd bought. From the elbows to her wrists, there were no visible markings. However, the elbow and up…

_How'd he get the confidence to show them? Why did he not care if others saw those marks?_

She took a deep breath and looked up, again preparing to speak.

But this time, her eyes caught the _whole _scene. Not just the bits that stood out at first. She blinked, and then promptly turned her eyes away from the male who wore nothing more than the white towel around his waist. After a moment, she turned and left the area that would give her the ability to see the male, instead taking to sitting on the couch while Nabu sat curled on the floor, looking up at her curiously.

"_What's wrong?"_

She didn't reply. Instead, she made herself comfortable on the couch, leaning back and putting her bag on the cushion beside her. _*****_

"Yes. You can call him." Kurama shook his head, smiling a little. "I'll leave it to you then."

He hung up the phone and moved towards the front door, peering at it curiously.

He'd _thought _he heard someone come in, which would be disconcerting if he didn't think it was probably-

When he turned around he caught sight of Akari, moving closer and then nodding approval at her new clothing.

"You look lovely. Allow me to go finish getting ready and then I'll tell you what I've heard." Kurama moved past to head back up the stairs.

~!**!~

Both of Shikiyoku's eyebrows raised at Hiei's choice of words, her expression turning sultry as she looked up at him through her eyelashes from his side, her next words low and seductive.

"Oh, but that's what I _do_, Hiei." Her lips curled into a mysterious smile, "I'm not called the _temptress _for _nothing_." 3

The fire demon chose to ignore the words Shikiyoku purred at him, his eyes only momentarily looking over at her before turning away again. His lips were tempted to twitch at her retort, but his expression remained as neutral as before as he approached the demon who had, earlier, allowed Hiei use of his bow for hunting the particular creature he'd wanted so dearly to kill.

"Ah, there he is!" the demon's booming voice echoed, chest moving with laughter that followed suit. "We'd thought you ran away."

"I don't _run away." _he retorted as he offered his kills to the demon.

"Of course not!"

~!**!~

Akari heard Kurama's approach and made a point to let her eyelids slide shut and her head lay back on the cushion of the couch, face turned away from the direction he'd be coming from, just in case. Nabu made an inquiring sound just before Kurama spoke up.

It took a great amount of self control to appear as if she hadn't noticed a thing. "You-" she began, about to say _you go do that, _but instead, "aren't allowed to say that. Now go… away." _*****_

Kurama stopped, curious expression on his face at first.

"I'm...not allowed to say I'm going to get ready?" He appeared to consider it and shrugged, "I could just tell you now, I suppose, but I didn't really uncover anything terribly urgent."

~!**!~

_Of course, if he __**did**__, it's not like __**you'd **__notice_. Shikiyoku thought wryly about the demon who addressed her Champion.

It felt...strange. If they really _did _want to stay, there was nothing holding them back from staying _here_. In fact, the Elders would probably welcome them with open arms. 3

Hiei looked about at the different carcasses that were being skinned and gutted, several demons sitting with two or three creatures in front of them as they chattered and got through their work. It was obvious these demons were skilled at this, likely the normal hunting group while the rest did whatever other duties needed to be fulfilled. Though, for as many demons as were here, there sure weren't a lot of them.

"Well, we've got plenty here if you'd like to join us. The other groups are just now heading out."

_Ah. Waves._

Hiei glanced at Shikiyoku, catching her thoughts about him running. His lips twitched before he moved to sit on the only available log, catching a blade tossed at him by the demon across from him. "Make sure to keep the skins and furs of all of them. They'll be put to use soon." The demon turned to Shikiyoku, offering her a knife as well, a smirk of amusement on his face. "Wanna help your Champion? You're welcome to."

~!**!~

Akari's eyelids slid open and she turned an almost bored gaze onto Kurama, meeting his gaze pointedly with her own. "No," she responded in an even tone. "You're not… you don't _compliment someone _when you're…" she paused, not sure how to say it, "...unclothed." She promptly turned her back to him again. _*****_

Kurama's head tilted slightly to the side as if in consideration of her statement and he lifted a finger to his cheek thoughtfully.

"That's strange. I've always been told that's the _perfect _time to be throwing compliments around. In various states of undress of both parties, of course."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took the offered knife with a blasé expression, moving her hand up and down a fraction to test the balance before meeting the eyes of the demon who handed it to her dead-on.

"I really don't think it's a very good idea." Her face may have appeared bored, but her tone was anything _but_. Almost absently, she began weaving it dextrously through her fingers, "Hand me a knife and demons tend to have this bad habit of becoming, shall we say..._distracted_. From whatever they're supposed to be doing." She easily caught the knife on the flat of her palm and gave the edge of the blade a flick with her finger, letting it twirl twice before catching it at the hilt, then flipping it around with a quick motion to pass it hilt-first back to the demon with a slightly lewd expression on her face. 3

Hiei seemed to be ignoring the banter around him, both from Shikiyoku and the demon who addressed her and the others who spoke amongst themselves. His hands made quick work of untying his own creatures from the length of rope he'd been carrying, and then he was busy first drawing the knife over the underbelly, and then easily, with practice that he'd learned decades ago, began skinning the furs first.

"Suit yourself," the demon responded with a wicked grin, taking the knife from Shikiyoku and using it with his own work. "Though, nothing bonds demons more than skinning a good hunt."

Hiei paused briefly and glanced up with a raised brow before turning back to his work.

"That only applies in the battlefield." he retorted, tone even but lips forming a sneer. "I suppose this is… similar."

"He's a fighter, not a lover. Good to know!"

~!**!~

Akari was momentarily taken aback by Kurama's straightforward retort, and for a minute she wasn't able to think of anything to _counter _him. Except..

"But _we _are not…" she paused, again searching for better vocabulary, and coming up short, "in such a situation. Thus, you are not allowed, and should _get ready _so we can go. oh I dunno, visit your friends." _*****_

Kurama made it a point to stand for a moment longer smiling down at Akari.

"First of all, we don't _have _to go anywhere yet. And secondly, there's no need for that look. I'm sure you'll learn how to outfox a fox _someday._"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku felt her eyebrow, no her entire body, quirk at the last comment the demon made.

_You're telling me._

She chose to address his first comment.

"Am I _really _one you need to lecture about _bonding _with, love?" Shikiyoku lazily reached her hand out, palm up like she had when she'd taken the knife, and ribbons of her yellow energy sensuously extended seemingly out of nowhere from along her arm upper arm below the elbow, wrapping about it like living snakes before twirling away from her skin and twisting through the air to caress gently at the demon's cheek and neck before Shikiyoku moved her fingers towards her palm and then moved her hand and arm back towards her torso, the ribbons reluctantly pulling away, uncurling back towards her before disappearing as they moved up her arm from where they came. 3

For a moment, Hiei wasn't paying attention, only skinning the creature before him. So, when Shikiyoku's energy wove into the air about him, he briefly glanced up to see why, then turned back down to his work, deciding to let her do as she wished. It wasn't like he could stop her anyway, even if he so desired to do so.

The other, however, grinned even wider at Shikiyoku as her energy snaked across the way to him, just touching his cheek and leaving behind remnants of warmth and the scent of her being. His eyes stayed trained on hers, and despite the spell she seemed to weave about him, his mouth moved with the words he'd been about to say. "Even if you wanted _me_ as your love, it simply wouldn't happen." His lips twitched again, almost knowingly at her, and he turned his eyes to the coils of energy that disappeared again.

"Though, I'm sure you could change that, but it would not be what either of us really _desire_, now would it?" He met her gaze again, this time to wink at her and turn his eyes down to the pile of small creatures near him.

~!**!~

There were several things that popped into Akari's mind at that moment, but they all seemed to jumble together and she found herself momentarily scowling at Kurama. She sorted through her thoughts with a huff before opening her mouth again.

"First off, _no_," she said, though she wasn't sure why. "Second," she paused, sensing a bit of hesitation within herself but choosing to ignore it altogether, "you _yourself_, at this very moment, are not a fox. Simply a redheaded boy with a smart mouth." _*****_

"Fox or not at this exact moment, I _have _learned from the best." Kurama grin wickedly, "There's no denying my heritage, currently able to manifest or not." He dropped the expression and shrugged, "But if that's the best you can do, we'll simply have to train you better."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's face remained in the expression she'd had the whole time, with one eyebrow raised archly and a half-smile on her lips.

"'It simply _wouldn't_ happen?'" Shikiyoku repeated skeptically, "I'm afraid you simply can't _imagine _what I desire. And I could easily _convince _you to desire whatever _I _wished." Her sparkling eyes belied her apparent eagerness to mold him to her will. 3

The demon paused, again looking up to meet Shikiyoku's gaze, this time with a calm, thoughtful stare as he considered her words, her expression, and even what he could _feel _from her. He blinked slowly at her once before turning his eyes to the Champion, who appeared deaf to the subject at hand, and then turned his eyes meaningfully back at Shikiyoku.

"I'm sure you could. I don't doubt your abilities, _Lover_." The emphasis on the word was, quite frankly, meant to contradict what he'd said earlier about her Champion, the _fighter_.

_Two sides of one coin at times._

"I hope you have no place to be. We plan on putting together an actual feast today, in your honor and for our gratitude."

~!**!~

Akari's jaw flexed a bit, her teeth grinding at Kurama's words as she turned to look at him again. And then her expression shifted to a neutral one and she was shrugging. For a moment, she had nothing to say since the facade was rather difficult to keep up. "I bet _that _would be fun." she said, tone sarcastic, "Spending several hours with one person, reading a dictionary for a warm up and making sexual jokes as the first exercise." _*****_

Kurama blanched, "A _dictionary_? Oh _no_. That sounds _terribly _tedious. Not to mention the fact that the _point _of innuendo is that you _aren't _directly coming out and saying something. No, not just _studying,_ that simply won't do. It would definitely be more of a _hands-on _experience."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku couldn't help what she knew was a visible flinch that time, making a slight noise of protest through her nose. The demon's eyes passing from her to Hiei and back was not wasted on her and her jaw snapped shut, teeth clenching together as this time her eyebrow really did quirk. The right one.

She worked her tongue around in her mouth, but refused to so much as glance at the fire demon who sat diligently working nearby.

"Tch," She finally scoffed, her voice very low in a mutter as she finally turned away, "As _if _anyone cares what I do."

_As if __**he **__cares what I do._

She stalked for the white-haired Elder she knew to be on the other side of the encampment. 3

The demon raised a single bronze brow at Shikiyoku's flinch, before resettling back into place and even pulling downwards into a silent apology that was, truthfully, only half serious. He couldn't feel their bond, as he knew there was one, but what he _could _feel was the underlying trust they had in one another, the underlying _dependence _upon the other.

And it seemed only one of them knew they depended on the other.

"You'd be surprised, Iro." he responded to her before turning back to his work, allowing her to take her leave without his protest. He didn't glance up when the curiosity of the Champion made the red-eyed demon check the area, eyes obviously following the seductress before turning down again.

"Hey, Kitseki, you still have that extra blade?" someone called to him from a few yards away.

~!**!~

The sound Akari made broke all forms of her facade, making her eyes narrow at Kurama and her jaw flex again from… several different emotions. Ire was the first to be registered, and the first to be acted upon. She stood abruptly, hand grabbing her bag of clothes, and she moved around the couch.

As she passed Kurama, she tossed the bag at him, aimed for his face and not tossed very lightly, before continuing on without pause.

Out the door, slamming it as she went, at which point she took to pacing the sidewalk outside. "Stupid, irritating," a few more words came to mind, but wouldn't leave her lips, "_fox!" __*****_

"Oh dear." Kurama easily caught the bag, "Was that too far? I can never tell with you." His expression never faltered until she had left the building, at which his free hand came up to cover his lips lightly with his fingers in the tiniest of smiles.

"I like you too, Akari!" He called, louder after the door was shut, finally losing it and biting his lips to keep from laughing so hard that she might hear. He glanced down at the dog still in the room.

"I haven't the faintest idea what could have _possibly _made her storm out like that." He told Nabu innocently, "She has such irrational moods."

Kurama glanced in the bag, seeing that these clothes were at least salvageable-unlike his own-and tossed them in the direction of the washer and dryer units before finally turning to go upstairs and actually get dressed.

...as amusing as it would be to just follow her outside.

Kurama paused on the steps.

A smile spread across his lips, but he shook his head.

_I'll save that one for next time._

~!**!~

Shikiyoku nearly threw her hands up in the air.

Of course, she also nearly made a grab for the nearest attractive male demon-of which she passed three in Northern garb along her path.

Neither happened of course.

_The foppish demon's offer doesn't sound quite so bad anymore, does it, __**lover**__? _She thought to herself ruefully, even going so far as to glance about and see if she spotted him.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily as her mood stipulated at that exact moment, she did not in fact see him in the immediate area, otherwise she might have marched right up to him and taken him for herself. And then run away with him.

Her skin twinged at that last part.

_Okay, __**maybe **__not run away with him._

_..._

"_I desire your presence."_

_..._

Shikiyoku grumbled nonsensically to herself.

_Fine, fine. __**Not**_ _run away with him._

But nine levels did that offer sound amazing right about now.

"Ah, Iro. Good." The white-haired Elder said as Shikiyoku approached. "A few of us were hoping you would demonstrate the fire dance you did for us last night."

"You gotta fire demon on yah?" Shikiyoku rumbled, still in her previous mood.

The Elder either did not notice or chose to ignore her.

"At your shervish, lady!" Uryo grinned, stepping up from somewhere behind the Elder.

Shikiyoku gave Uryo a dry look.

"Are you sure this is a good idea for you right now?"

"When have I ever shteared you wrong, my lady?"

The flushed across Uryo's face was impossible to ignore, but Shikiyoku only lifted an eyebrow and said nothing.

"That's settled then." The Elder began walking back towards the bonfire from the night before and Shikiyoku held out a hand to stop her and shook her head.

"Oooh no, I'm not going to be paraded around for the entire village here." She folded her arms over her chest obstinately. "You want a lesson with a few of the tribe present, sure. But I start dancing for everyone and you'll never let me stop."

"Fair enough." The Elder conceded mildly, as if she had expected Shikiyoku to say as much, and turned to lead them away from the main tents.

Uryo fell back to walk alongside Shikiyoku, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Shomething's bothering you."

"Oh really." Shikiyoku replied blandly.

"Yesh." Uryo scratched his head. "Want to talk about it?"

Shikiyoku stared up at him and for once the fire apparition felt a trifle uncomfortable under her gaze, shifting his shoulders about absently as he broke the eye-contact first.

"You don't want to know." Shikiyoku said darkly, finally turning away.

"I don't?" Uryo looked up at the sky a little, pondering the question. "Then why'd I ask?"

"Over fifteen _**years **_now." Shikiyoku seethed at him from between her teeth as they walked, almost causing the words to come out like a hiss. "_That's _how long it's been, Uryo."

_And getting an offer like that demon just gave me seems to have reminded my body of that._

She nearly twitched.

He mouthed 'fifteen years' with a puzzled look as if he didn't understand what it meant at first, a little slow on the uptake, and then his head began to nod and his mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"But what about your Ch-" He interrupted himself before he went any farther, his eyes growing big, his brows drawing together tightly a moment after, and his mouth forming the 'O' as if he had just seen someone get smacked across the face with a ton of bricks.

Shikiyoku didn't really know how much Uryo actually understood in that moment, and frankly, neither did she _want _to know. Suffice it to say that it appeared to stop him before he questioned her about it into his own grave. Or possibly into her bed. One of the two.

A few demons from the tribe had gathered together for the demonstration, all of which Shikiyoku was fairly sure she recognized as among those dancing the night before.

If she did it right, this would be a fantastic way to let off some steam.

"Do you require some sort of outer covering, Iro?" A dancer asked of her.

Shikiyoku shook her head slightly, face frowning as she walked through the would-be onlookers and stretched her neck to either side.

As much as she may have made it seem that Uryo being drunk would be a hindrance, in truth she figured his focus was likely _better _in such a state than it had been when they did this previously.

"What we did last night, Uryo, if you please." Shikiyoku faced them and closed her eyes, taking a relatively relaxed stand as the dancers moved to sit down several feet away in front of her, all the tension across her forehead vanishing. She took a deep breath. "Fans as well." She added.

There was a moment of held breath as they saw her shoulders relax, and then Shikiyoku's arms began to move meticulously, wrists leading the motion, the left rising straight towards the onlookers and moving to stretch above her head, the right at the same speed extending out perpendicular with her body.

Just as they reached the peak of their movement, several things happened at once. Shikiyoku's wrists snapped into position, finishing their pose, her head whipped with exact timing to look over her right shoulder, and in that same instant, her entire body was set aflame with roiling red and orange and yellow fire, little tongues leaping out from her blazing face and wrists when she snapped them, the same fiery fans from the night before whooshing into existence as if held in her fingers.

Her movements after that were measured with pinpoint accuracy, first her arms coming back to the middle with the fans as well as her profile turning forward so they could see her burning countenance, eyes shut calmly.

Her feet started next as she deliberately began taking steps, heel to toe curving delicately upon the grass mere inches at a time before lifting again, never singing a single blade despite the inferno. Her back would arch, flames encasing her entirely as from the beginning, licking along her skin, but never appearing to cause pain or sear her flesh as their intensity might suggest.

Each time she would snap the fans into position when required, flutters of fire would wave off the ends of them into the air, and the heat around her made for a hazy aura to the eye.

Her audience sat mesmerized, even though her eyes remained closed and she released no power, all of them able to hear in their heads the ancient music she followed from an era long past, the sound nearly floating in the air about them as they looked on.

As Uryo watched, his eyes lost a bit of their drunken glaze, a portion of him concentrating almost without his direct influence upon the fire that did not just _hover _above her skin, but was actually in full contact with it.

His soberness grew out of the realization that he _knew _the steps she was taking, knew what was coming next.

Her dance was a double-sword technique he had not seen used in ages-modified to be used with fans, but still, all the steps were there-but one he had been trained in, and his eyes followed her zen-like motions, taking appreciative note of exactly how precise she made each movement of the deadly art.

Her skill was...unmatched.

This was most definitely _not _the dance he, his fire, had done with her the night before, and upon reflection he felt no surprise at her choice of the meditative style which she had decided to perform.

After all...fifteen years was a, uh, long time for such a thing, to put it mildly. Especially since it was _her_. He had no idea how _she _of all demons had managed that one. And keeping in mind all the things he had come to realize of her Champion last night...he found himself unable to quantify just how much longer it would be, if her circumstances did not change.

Suffice it to say he thought she might be using this routine a lot more in the future, if she had not been doing so already. 3

~!**!~

Hiei glanced up briefly when he felt eyes on him, meeting the gaze of the demon across from him. He didn't blink, and neither did Hiei, though there was no tension between the red gaze and the grey one. There was curiosity from the other, while Hiei merely waited for a moment, waiting for whatever he seemed to be calculating, before giving up and turning down again. This time when his eyes followed his hand's movement, he wasn't consumed by his work.

He was aware of his surroundings again, listening for whatever-

"I don't think we've formally introduced ourselves, Champion." Again, Hiei glanced up, though his hands continued working slowly, peeling skin away from meat and bone. "I'm Kiseki, leader of the hunts in the Northern Tribe." From there, he went about naming demons, who either nodded and waved at him when they noticed, or simply continued their offhand banter with one another.

"Hiei." came his lone, even response as he, for the third time, turned his eyes down.

"I bet being referred to only as _Champion_ gets a bit…. monotonous from time to time, hm?" When the fire demon didn't respond, Kiseki gave a chuckle. "Then again, you seem indifferent to both." There was a pause, a lull in the one-sided conversation where they both continued skinning and gutting, tossing away unnecessary bits of the creatures and piling up the meats and skins that would be of use.

"I had expected you two to be gone by dawn."

Truthfully, Hiei had _planned _on being gone by then. But… whether he _wanted _to be gone or not… that was a different story. He actually enjoyed this group, as he had the last, and it brought back older memories of times long past for him. Times he'd almost forgotten while in Human World.

And the thought of staying was becoming much more than a simple thought, turning into a dangerous temptation that he was having trouble talking himself out of.

_They can handle a few rogues. They aren't the first, nor last to provide a challenge._

"What has you staying here, when you could be elsewhere?"

"Business, I suppose."

"Isn't it always, with your line of work?"

Hiei glanced up briefly. "_Line of work _isn't how I'd put it."

"Oh?" Kiseki waited, quietly working but with a curious air, for the fire demon to continue. And after a few moments of silence, he gave a chuckle. "Don't talk much, do you?"

Again, Hiei gave no answer.

~!**!~

AKari paced for a bit outside the house, grumbling nonsensically to herself with a hand occasionally rubbing roughly at her face, over her lips and chin. And then she huffed once, turned back to face the house with crossed arms at the shout she heard, and considered yelling back. But she didn't.

Instead, she moved to sit on the porch steps, her elbows finding her knees and her chin resting in her hands, her body leaning forward as she sighed.

_Okay, so I did that to myself. You win._

Her eyes took to watching the crowds move in front of her, a couple of people glancing in her direction from the sidewalk as they passed, but otherwise paying her no mind whatsoever. And she did just the same to the passersby. _*****_

Kurama came out of the house dressed in mundane, normal clothes with Nabu at his heels.

"There isn't particularly anyplace that _I _need to go." Kurama told Akari as he stood in the doorway. "Though if we are going to leave, I would rather head to Kuwabara's because I told Shizuru to call me if she got wind of anything."

~!**!~

When Shikiyoku came to the last steps, her mind had stilled like a glass lake undisturbed by ripples of thought.

She finished, and the fire peeled away from her skin into nothingness and she finally reopened her eyes, blinking twice in the light of the day before they cleared to look beyond those gathered relatively near her feet.

The Elder and Uryo stood still, for a moment entranced until Shikiyoku gave a small smile that broke the moment and the other demons at her feet took a collective breath before bursting up onto their feet and rushing for her, all talking excitedly as they gathered around.

The Elder finally came back to herself and let out a long, silent woosh of air as if she'd been holding it back the whole time.

Her eyes flickered to Uryo, who was still gazing thoughtfully at the demon in their midst.

"Quite an enchanting display, Iro." The Elder took her eyes off of Uryo and the demons around Shikiyoku quieted a trifle.

Shikiyoku's small smile was a calm one, her green eyes reflecting that same peace, "You should have seen the form I cut as a true demon." Her eyes grew wickedly self-assured.

"A sight to experience, I'm sure." 3

~!**!~

Hiei tossed aside the last of the small creatures, the fur to his right and the salvageable meats to the left, the meat slapping onto a pile that had been growing for a while now. He gathered the intestines, the unneeded insides and tossed those too into a growing pile, the same sound as before floating through the air. Then he stretched his back and reached to the side, grabbing the larger, lizard-like creature and dragging it towards himself, just as quickly taking the knife in his hand and beginning to scrape the scales away.

The sound was one he hadn't been expecting, the sound of blade on scale. Instead of the normal sound he had been accustomed to, even expected from such a creature, the sound was more like…. dragging claws down a board, but… a bit less severe.

He paused and glared at the creature, ignoring the laughter from a few demons nearby as he shifted the body, testing the stroke this time and finding that there was no sound when the knife was dragged the opposite direction than normal.

"Tell me, Ch- Hiei. Which level are you from?"

"Doesn't mean much, does it?"

There was a chuckle from Kiseki. "You're right. Though, it would be easier to describe the creatures around here with other creatures to refer to."

"No need."

Another chuckle and the demon was turning to the others, saying something or another about some subject Hiei didn't listen in to.

"Tell you what," Kiseki said suddenly, voice loud to gain Hiei's attention. "Since you killed that one, it is reserved specifically for you and your… partner. It's a rarity around these woods, so you'll be eating better than anyone else here. It's part of our thanks."

_What does __**that **__matter?_

~!**!~

Akari didn't look back at Kurama when she heard the door open, nor did she open her eyes that had, at some point, slid closed as he spoke. She didn't move from her spot either, momentarily confused. "I thought the point of leaving was to find Yusuke and the others? I mean, you _called _him, but I figured you'd want to _see _them as well."

Her eyes finally slid open and she shifted, turning her head so that she could peer over her shoulder at the redhead. "It's… whatever you wish to do, quite frankly." _*****_

Kurama said nothing at first, moving to sit down next to her and recline on the steps, leaving the door open behind him so that he might hear if the phone were to ring.

"I'm satisfied for the moment that notifying the correct people has been enough. I really don't see much point in doing anything else when we don't know more."

~!**!~

"Alright, you've had your fun." The Elder said in a no-nonsense sort of way, clapping her hands together twice at the demons who had scrambled to start speaking to Shikiyoku again. They grew quiet, if a little sullen that she was breaking them up. "I would like to speak with the Iro. Alone." Her eyes gleamed meaningfully at the others.

"But you hadn't even _asked _her yet!" One of the dancers complained.

"We want to know!"

"We want the answer to be _yes_." A third pointed out with a grin.

Shikiyoku looked at the Elder as if waiting.

The Elder sniffed derisively, "They wish you to give lessons."

The demons clamored to correct her, but Shikiyoku could make no sense of their arguments.

The Elder held a hand up and the demons hushed.

"On dancing."

"It's been done before." Shikiyoku allowed, the demons around her growing excited again.

"But not right _now_." The Elder insisted, voice loud enough to cut through the demons.

They grumbled and dispersed when she gave them another grave look.

"Uh, might I exchange a quick word with Shikiyoku first?" Uryo turned to the Elder for permission and she nodded.

Uryo closed the distance between them and put a hand at Shikiyoku's back to lead her a little bit further before turning to her.

"I'm growing restless here." His eyes darted about the clearing, "And it would ease my mind to know what Rae is up to, so I'm going to take my leave for the moment." He turned back to Shikiyoku. "If I get word of anything I'll likely come myself rather than sending a message along."

Shikiyoku nodded. "You are greatly appreciated, Uryo."

Uryo gave her a lopsided grin, a portion of his dark bangs falling over his eyes.

"If you happen to see Ryou...tell him I've been looking for him."

"Will do."

The fire demon nodded farewell and took a step to the left to get clear of Shikiyoku before he disappeared completely, disturbing not so much as the wind near her as he left.

The Elder stepped forward and gestured for Shikiyoku to join her in a walk.

"Shall we?" 3

~!**!~

AKari let one of her hands fall from her chin, that elbow still lazily draped over her knee and her hand hanging lazily in the space between her knees. Her eyes followed Kurama as he sat, inclining back almost as lazily as Akari suddenly felt. She nodded once at the redhead before turning her eyes to the moving crowds at the sidewalk again, watching humans pass by, some in a hurry and others sauntering by.

"I have… nothing in mind for the day." she finally replied, feeling a bit reluctant after the scene a few minutes ago. "Or rather, what I _want _to do is out of the question, because _where _I want to be is currently locked to all patrons, in and out." _*****_

"Agreed." Kurama appeared slightly irked at the remembrance. "We simply don't have the capacity or the...'technology' at our disposal. Neither do we have a way of contacting them."

He fell silent for a moment.

"You know, Spirit World was already backed up. Behind. Can you imagine what this is doing to their quota? I'm thankful I'm not dead right now, that's all I have to say about it."

~!**!~

The Elder did not speak until they had reached the treeline of the forest that surrounded the clearing, and then she turned so that her and Shikiyoku would be walking along it.

"You cannot stay long."

It was not a question, but neither was it a statement meant to say they were not wanted. Simply a fact.

Shikiyoku nodded, "For now it would seem my presence is of little consequence, but while you may wish it otherwise, due to the circumstances of my current Champion and I's relationship, the dampening effect currently reducing my aura will not last."

It was the Elder's turn to nod. She had thought as much.

"You do not seem in a hurry to leave at least."

Shikiyoku felt...conflicted about the observation. And for the first time wondered if she would ever be able to find a home among others, or if she would be forced to stay on the move, perhaps wandering from dance to dance once more as in the past. If for slightly different reasons.

"The other tribes will be clamoring for an audience with you. News that the North is on the rise has already traveled to the borders of the level."

"I do not know if returning to the old days is an option for me." There would be many complications for such, the least of which being the pending return to Human, or rather Spirit World. Shikiyoku thought that if she provided Koenma with all the information she knew of Otento, plus that which they gathered from Gekijou, that perhaps she could garner her own return to Demon World, warrant be damned, along with Hiei's.

They could figure things out together from there.

"It is something to consider." The Elder's eyes turned in towards the encampment as they traversed the circumference of it. "Our lands will always be open to you. As I'm sure Central Tribe has said the same and so would the others were they here to speak with you."

"Well, for that at least, you all have my thanks."

The Elder smiled, "Strange. For it is truly _us _who should be thanking _you_."

Shikiyoku did not reply. 3

~!**!~

Akari gave no response to Kurama for a minute, taking to considering the amount of paperwork and such piling up. Quite frankly, being dead at this moment couldn't be near as bad as being _Koenma _at this moment. The thought made her release a single snicker at the thought, one she tried to keep within by pursing her lips together.

Akari's eyes moved, pointing towards an area of the crowd she'd thought she'd seen one of her own shadows move, but saw nothing out of the norm and turned to Kurama calmly. "It wouldn't be so bad, I'm sure, if _we _didn't know what was going on and know the cause of it. I think that makes it more… pressing." she released a long breath through her nostrils. "Because we have nothing to do but _wait, _and I don't know about you, but I feel like it's getting close to time for waiting to not be a possibility anymore." _*****_

Kurama wasn't sure about _feeling _since he wasn't feeling much of anything at that exact moment, but he could rationalize that her words held much truth to them.

And yet he still couldn't figure out what the point of it all was. Okay, sure, they bring demons to Human World to attack Spirit World, but to overthrow Enma? Was that really possible?

Not to mention the fact that he for some reason kept coming back to his 'shiny' idea; Youko would only make such an elaborate ruse in the event that a shiny object might be obtained as a reward.

But what on earth-perhaps, 'what in Spirit World'-would drive someone to gather an entire army? 3

A long sigh was released from Akari's lungs and her eyelids slid shut for a moment as she listened to the area around her, to the sound of humans moving by and the breeze beginning to pick up. She could hear, some distance away, a fire engine blaring its sirens down the road as it moved towards whatever catastrophe had struck the world of Humans.

She could smell the cold front coming closer, feel the minute changes in the air as it began to cool down. And she could feel the sun's rays beginning to fade, hiding behind clouds that rolled through.

When her eyes opened again, she was searching for the shadow she had thought she'd seen earlier, eyes roving the crowd for a dark mass of nothingness, and finding no such thing. And yet she felt watched.

Akari shifted and pushed herself to stand, turning her head to Kurama. She thought of various places to go that wouldn't be _here_, and then turned again towards the street. _Where are you? _"You know, I liked a few of the shops we passed earlier." she said nonchalantly, though not looking at Kurama as she again searched for the shadow she was now _sure _was moving about freely, without her consent. Yet, it wasn't requiring her energy to do so… _*****_

Kurama hesitated, reluctant to _go _anywhere when they could be called and needed at a moments notice from the phone inside the house.

He stood up anyway, choosing his words carefully, "If they're on the way to Kuwabara's apartment, I suppose I wouldn't object." 3

Akari didn't object, only nodded to Kurama and waved for him to lead the way, not exactly remembering where Kuwabara's apartment actually _was_. At the time, she hadn't made note of its location, but really, the point was not to _shop_, but for her to weed out the alien shadow that-

_No, I would have felt another presence._

So, it didn't belong to another Shadow Wielder. But then, _what _had the creatures of darkness moving? Watching? If they left the area, and she no longer felt watched, then she'd know that it was Kurama's _home _being watched, and that could mean something completely different.

If it lingered with her and Kurama, then… She'd simply figure out why it was interested. _*****_

Kurama went back into the house to grab the spare key, as well as an extra set up in the drawer in his room, and put on his shoes, Nabu following him out the front door when he went past it again.

He put the spare key back in the plant-pod, locked the door with the extra set, and then turned to lead the way down the sidewalk, crossing the street to where he knew the shops would be and meandering down that side of the road, waiting for Akari to indicate which one she wished to explore. 3

Quietly, Akari meandered down the sidewalk, eyes roving over the shops but entire mind consumed with the presence she could still feel. Meaning it wasn't locked on Kurama's home and was not a potential danger to his family. Her eyes found a shop that smelled of a fresh bakery within when the doors opened, and without pause, she turned and headed inside, deciding that she'd kill two birds with one stone here: grab Nabu his favorite non-meaty treat and see just how far the shadow was willing to follow.

She moved inside through the automatic doors, pausing only to take in the fresh smell of rolls and donuts and fresh-baked loaves of bread. She didn't know why, but Nabu's favorite just so happened to mirror her own: the buttery, cheesy bread that was normally fresh baked whenever she found it. Never stale, always steaming when she tore it apart.

Of course, Nabu sat outside, knowing that he wasn't allowed inside such a store due to all of the open produce areas and such.

As she approached the counter at the back of the store, she pointed, finger just touching the glass casing that separated her from the mouthwatering varieties. "Two of those, please." She asked, then turned to Kurama with a curious gaze of _do you want anything?_

And behind him she saw the shadow creature dissipate altogether when her eyes found it. "I'm paying, if you want anything." _*****_

Kurama absently followed Akari, lost in his intertwining thoughts which were leading him nowhere nearer to an answer as to _why _the fake Youko wanted to get in Spirit World.

He missed Akari's expression completely, only giving her a mild, "Hm?" When she finally spoke.

He shook his head slightly once his brain played back her question which took a beat, eyes still turned inward and musing upon the possibilities, ignoring entirely the grumbling sound his stomach made as if unaware of it. 3

* * *

><p><span>Kiseki<span> - miracle; wonder; marvel

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	60. Episode 144 - Contentment, Kuwabara(s)

**A/N: **Hello once again, FanFiction Dot Net Users and Anonymous Readers alike!

Sixty Chapters. Good grief, what were we thinking. xD

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari escorts Kurama to his home so that he might be able to get cleaned up,  
>and before he gets into the shower, he calls on Shizuru to get her feel on the situation.<p>

Akari leaves Nabu to watch over Kurama and goes to get new clothes and clean up herself,  
>and when she returns its to Kurama standing over a counter in the kitchen,<br>towel around his waist and hair dripping as if he had been interrupted by the phone.

Kurama is talking with Yusuke, and doesn't appear to notice Akari,  
>who has gotten caught up in examining from a distance the scars covering his skin.<p>

Approaching her after finishing his conversation, Kurama spends a bit of time  
>'torturing' Akari with some 'innocent' wordplay before going upstairs to change.<p>

The two of them decide to make the trek to Kuwabara's apartment.

~!**!~

After being 'propositioned' by a demon wishing to take her as his mate,  
>and subsequently denying him and using Hiei as an escape route,<br>Shikiyoku follows Hiei over to where the demons are gutting their prey,  
>but she gets called over by the Elder who asks her if she would do a demonstration of her dancing.<p>

Uryo assists her, and the dance calms her body down from the agitation it had gained  
>from the other demon reminding her how long she has gone without any mating at all.<p>

After the dance, the Elder takes Shikiyoku aside and lets her know that she and Hiei are welcome  
>for as long as they wish to stay around, and may use the Elders' Tent for the duration of their stay.<p>

And before either Shikiyoku or Hiei realize it, a week passes...

* * *

><p>There was a lot of hustle and bustle, demons moving around, some taking tents down as they left for other places to be, breaking away despite any reluctance they felt towards leaving. Each demon had things to do, and with so many demons around, there were times when Hiei was gone all day long, giving a helping hand with anything asked, merely to elongate his time in this world, on this level.<p>

He'd decided a few days ago to stay, whether that meant in this encampment or traveling the levels, avoiding the first and second altogether. And quite frankly, he felt it had been the best decision he'd made in a while.

He felt like he was… at home. As if he belonged. The tribe here welcomed him and Shikiyoku with open arms, even so much as assigning specific tasks to the pair while they stayed.

For instance, Hiei was currently directing flow of traffic in an area that had been asked to be cleared, the trees being taken for firewood. A demon would ask which would be easiest to chop down, he'd burn away excess leaves and such, and then use his energy to break the tree away from the soil, causing it to fall, at which point other demons would use various means of attack to break the bark into smaller logs, others catching and hauling away the log.

It had been something he'd taken from Uryo, that first night of their stay.

Occasionally, a demon would shout at him about some creature or another moving towards camp, and he'd add it to the pile of trespassing creatures after catching it.

Really, he was rather entertained.*

The days began early and ended late for Shikiyoku.

Shikiyoku hardly had her cheek hit the furs in the Elders' Tent-gracious accommodations that remained open freely for her and Hiei's use-but to have her eyes close almost immediately and then find herself opening them again for the next day feeling almost as if she'd never slept at all.

There was no time for thinking about returning to Human World, her Champion did not make any indications as such and so she did not ask, and truthfully the farther away the encounter with the demon-who-would-be-her-mate got, the easier it was for her to forget it, and for her body to forget it as well. She did spend the very next night forced to get up when her dreams turned...graphic, but after skirting the edge of the encampment and dancing that same meditative dance as she had done the previous day until her mind rid itself of such things, she had come back to bed and not been awakened until morning.

The near-franticness of her days also meant she never got a chance to think about the last time she'd gotten to exchange two words with Hiei privately, but she always felt him nearby and had no quiet second to grow concerned or to truly come to miss him. The spell she had woven over the both of them to combine their energy had not even lasted that one night, but the effects of that closeness lingered.

A large portion of those she had bonded ended up permanently taking up residence with the Northern tribe, a few heading off to make smaller pockets of safety, but still remaining relatively near to what was now considered the main encampment. This slight change in numbers did little to relieve how much work was needed to maintain the new size, and for the first few days everyone was scrambling around to keep up with the work, though those few days also consisted of long nights of feasting and that of course did nothing to help. There was talk of eventually merging all the Northerners into one large encampment, but no one particularly wanted to turn into a village or town, so the thought was merely passed around as amusement, with the realization that the main encampment as it was now would likely be broken into smaller parts before too long.

The demons seemed to think Shikiyoku knew much more than she actually did, and there were many one-on-one conferences with members of the tribe on a vast range of subjects, many of which did revolve around _desire_-usually how to snag the demon of their liking or various seduction techniques-but there were other questions posed at her that she had to wonder what made them think _she _was any more of an expert than they. Which roots for healing, when was the best time to capture a certain beast...that sort of thing. All of which were completely out of her realm of typical activity.

Probably the strangest task was actually assisting in two separate births that occurred within the week that passed by before she had a moment to lift her head and check her surroundings.

She did in fact end up teaching a few of the more precocious demons some simpler dances they could do at feast-times, and after that the lessons were always packed with eager faces.

After running around during the lit hours for such things as these, not an evening went by when she was not asked to perform. Oftentimes they asked for dance while the fires blazed merrily with eating and drinking all around, but once in a while they wanted stories.

It was during one such late night when Hiei was assisting with clearing away lumber and the occasional creature passing by that Shikiyoku had both told a tale and danced at least twice, and then had been dragged away to the other side of the fire by a handful of the tribesmen where she sat next to Douji on one of the logs pulled up as a part of the giant circle of demons surrounding the blaze, one hand holding a drink of some sort, playing with one of Douji's lur'mogs while the arm of the demon on her other side had been thrown over her shoulders as he laughed and joked with her and the other demons who had gathered around, a few sitting close at her feet, another three or so crowded behind her.

Her smile was genuine as she teased the lur'mog with a finger, her skin glistening with the sweat of her recent exertions, bits of her straight, black hair having come loose from the intricate braidings at the back of her head and the escapees were plastered to her small neck and shoulders which the garb of the Northerners left bare. She had taken to wearing their style quickly after realizing she would not be leaving with any sort of haste, and it seemed like each day a different demon approached her asking if they might weave her hair. Tonight it had beads and ribbons as adornment.

Shikiyoku's eyes were bright with the shine of the fire reflected in them as her merry laughter joined in with the demons around her, grinning and tossing in a comment of her own to them which set them all going again. 3

Demons scattered for a moment as the tree he'd burned through fell the wrong way, taking another tree with it. Hiei made quick work of the leaves in both trees, and even quicker work of the creatures that scattered from the collateral damage as more trees began to fall. After the initial scattering of the demons on hand, each demon who had been helping began working at the trees again, and before more than three trees could fall, Hiei and the others had cut through the bark of each tree and had stopped the domino-effect.

And with that amount of timber, the fire demon decided he'd done enough and sheathed his sword, recalling his energy and extinguishing any flames in the area simultaneously. While other demons gathered logs, Hiei gathered the carcasses of the creatures that had made a run for the camp, and made his way with the ten others who had asked his assistance.

"I think this'll hold us for the next three days, if used wisely." Kiseki commented to Hiei as he caught up. "You've been an immeasurable amount of help."

Hiei glanced at Kiseki from the corner of his eye, a sneer forming on his features. He would have thought this level to be _home _to fire demons such as himself.

"And those meats will do well for the next two days as well."

Hiei turned forward again as he approached the camp, lazily tossing the carcasses into the tent Kiseki had shown him earlier that week, designated _specifically _for the meats and pelts of nearby creatures. The loud laughter of the rest of the group passing by drowned out the sound of the rest of the tribe, but only for a minute as Hiei took a moment to breathe, finding that this was probably the first moment since that first night that he'd been able to do so.

And he decided now would be as good as any time to sit around, take a while to relax. "I'm done for the night," he informed Kiseki, who nodded once at him with a grin.

"I thought so."

With that, the fire demon turned and sauntered away from the older male, hands finding his cloak pockets as he followed the energy signature he hadn't had a chance to be around much recently. By the time he was standing nearby, watching her laugh will full intensity, he had realized just how much he enjoyed this. How much he- no _they _needed this.

It was so much better than being _stuck _in Human World, under the thumb of _Spirit World_. Here, they were free to do what they wished, free of any influence from unwanted parties.

And Shikiyoku was happier than he'd _ever _seen her, hoking with the group as she was. And all he could do was simply _watch _her laughter. Her pure, genuine laughter.

~!**!~

Akari sighed and held up three fingers to the girl behind the glass, who smiled kindly, nodded, and added a third roll to the bag, despite Kurama's verbal negatory. She took the brown paper bag from the girl, exchanging it for the proper amount of currency before turning to leave the area, saying a quiet thank you as she walked away.

Without hesitation, she passed Kurama a roll anyway, then pulled out a second one and stuck it between her teeth, letting it hang there as she reached in the bag for the last one, Nabu's. She let herself look for the shadow again, but it seemed she'd scared it off.

"T' Kuwawara'sh?" she asked around the roll as she stepped outside, stopped briefly to pass Nabu his own roll, who barked his thanks and accepted the treat with a wagging tail. _*****_

"Sure." Kurama replied absently, unaware until they started down the street that he had somehow ended up with a piece of bread in his hand.

He stared at it blankly for a second as they moved along towards Kuwabara's apartment before finally feeling the heat from it warming his palm and fingers and smelling the mixture of butter on the roll, which instantly had his stomach protesting at him for not consuming it.

With a small smile, he lifted it to his lips and took a bite, surprised at how flavorful he found it to be.

"Thank you." He gave Akari that same smile after swallowing, not realizing until that moment that he had actually been hungry.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku could feel him approaching, and she looked up over her shoulder at him, leaning back a little and her smile growing wider when she finally saw him and caught his red-eyed gaze.

The demons around her continued talking and laughing, having given the lur'mog some of the drink from their mugs and watching it hiccup and grow flushed while it smiled.

She appeared as if she were about to say something to him, her hand slipping behind the demon next to her to reach out towards him, but before she got very far, said demon leaned heavily into her and Shikiyoku shifted back in surprise, bumping shoulders with Douji.

"Give us a kiss, Iro." He kept coming, a bundle of good-humor, and Shikiyoku pulled her hands up to press gently into his chest and keep enough distance between them that he could not reach her.

She let out a laugh as she turned her face back forward so he could not get to her lips when he advanced on her still, "You're drunk, Zareru."

"And you're pretty," He grinned and shrugged, still leaning into her, "What's your point?"

The other demons did not stop their conversation, but they each had an eye on the pair, or rather on the less sober of the pair.

Douji stood, passing the lur'mog to Shikiyoku's lap and grabbing for the arm over her shoulders to get it off of her.

"Aaaaand that's when we take you to bed, Zareru. Here, help me out." He reached out and grasped at another of the demons at Shikiyoku's feet to pull him up and three or four of the other demons stood to help get Zareru off as well, though he blew a kiss at Shikiyoku as he was dragged away, the other demons around her beginning to separate off as well until she sat alone.

Shikiyoku took a drink from her mug as she grinned and shook her head, watching, and held her other hand at the back of the tipsy lur'mog so that it would not topple off her lap. 3

Red eyes had considered the arm around Shikiyoku's shoulder, and at first hadn't cared. He'd considered the hand she stretched to him, and frowned when she'd been stopped. His eyes watched as the other demons were quick to remedy the situation, and before he knew it he was standing there by himself and Shikiyoku was sitting as if she hadn't been with any others.

He eyed her a bit more before moving to stand in front of her, the warmth of the open flame behind him seeping through his cloak and reaching his skin beneath, making his muscles relax. Muscles that he hadn't realized were tense and tired.

"They're rather welcoming." he stated nonchalantly, as if he'd only just noticed. "and despite their numbers, not very bothersome."

~!**!~

Akari pulled away a piece of the bread, using her teeth to tear just enough away that she could eat and speak at the same time, though she didn't dare ignore the buttery, slightly garlic-y, very wonderful taste in her mouth. "It's Nabu's favorite, so I grab it when I can." She rolled the bread away from the inside of her cheek to chew now, eyes glancing down at the dog prancing very happily at her feet, roll still between his chops.

She smiled and swallowed her mouthful before speaking again, this time on the more serious matter. "You know, I can't come up with much of anything." She began with a small sigh. "I mean, for a reason. They don't seem the type to be doing this for a treasure of any sort, y'know?" When finished speaking, she tore another portion of the cheesy bread away and popped it into her mouth. _*****_

As Kurama listened, he bit through more of the bread.

"I agree." He added once he mouth was no longer full, sighing, "I sincerely wish we were able to at least _speak_ with Spirit World. I'm afraid we simply don't have enough insight into how the system works, and everything I've thought of as a possibility just doesn't ring true."

He took another bite, appearing thoughtful and brooding once again.

~!**~!

Shikiyoku's eyes followed Hiei as he moved, appreciating for the first time the fact that she had not been given a quiet moment to exchange so many words with her Champion in roughly a week.

She chose her statement carefully, "They are indeed...grateful."

Her eyes flickered over to see the last of the group hauling off Zareru around the corner of the tents and found that a frown had settled over her brows.

While she had experienced much camaraderie as the tribe enfolded her into their midst, for some reason the request for a kiss almost felt like a warning instead of a innocent flirtation.

She took another drink. 3

Hiei's eyes followed Shikiyoku's, watching the group until they were out of his sight, at which point he again turned to Shikiyoku, noting the tension in her forehead, the thoughts turning for a moment behind her eyes. And for some reason or another, he felt as if they needed to travel soon, away from this encampment despite the fact that he rather… enjoyed it.

"Your friend-" he began, referring to Shubou, "How far is his camp from here?" He considered stopping by, merely to say hello before they continued on to explore, because really, Hiei wanted to see the _whole _level. Not just the parts they had seen during their beeline for the information they required, and then their beeline to the first level.

Maybe she'd show him her clearing again, the place she'd referred to as 'home' when they'd first arrived in this level a few months ago.

Had it really been a few months? It certainly didn't feel like it.

"Hn," he hummed out thoughtfully as he turned his eyes around to the flames behind him. There could be _other _places she could show him, should she desire to do so. "Or any other place you wish to visit?" Because, at this point, he was almost convinced he'd be staying in Demon World for…. quite some time.

~!**!~

Akari nodded at Kurama absently, eyes taking in his expression before turning to her surroundings. She'd completely forgotten her real reason for wandering about at this point, and now she was simply taking in the route to Kuwabara's, making sure she remembered it should she require the knowledge later.

And the breeze was cooler now. _Much _cooler, and the air was moving enough to cause her bangs to occasionally slide into her view, which she remedied with a small toss of her head from time to time.

"What if.. they're trying to do what we don't think is possible?" she murmured, half thinking he wouldn't hear her musings. _*** **_

"The only thing I have considered to be 'impossible' out of all the options would be actually succeeding in overthrowing King Enma and taking over Spirit World." Kurama pointed out, "But _why_? What would actually be gained for doing it? What would drive any demon to such drastic measures?" Kurama pulled back from his roll as another thought occurred to him, "What could King Enma have done?"

~!**!~

"Shubou is behind us. To the Southeast." Shikiyoku provided, thoughtfully musing upon revisiting Central Tribe. "Though...that puts us within what is also considered Rae's territory."

Shikiyoku considered Hiei with that same thoughtful expression, "Where is it _you_ wish to go, fire-prince? What would you like to see?" 3

Hiei frowned at that revelation; he'd forgotten how close to that place the tribe had been. And it was _much _too close for his liking. Plus, it would cause unnecessary trouble for the peaceful tribe as well, he was sure. And that was simply… too bothersome. Best to stay away from that area for a while.

So he thought for a moment, until something else popped into mind, very similar to his earlier thought. His mouth reacted as if he'd bitten into the fruit, and he actually had to swallow a bit before letting his lips turn into a smirk and he gave his answer. "Your home." he said calmly, eyes flashing as he thought of the many fruit trees in that area, and just how calm it had been there. "And anything along the way."

~!**!~

A frown pulled Akari's lips downward as she chewed slowly, thoughtfully on the bread between her teeth. _If _that were the case, someone being dumb enough to go after Enma, then _what _would have caused such an uprising? It would make sense that it would put herself, Kurama, and the others _against _Foko and his crew, considering their employment with King Enma's son, but..

_Surely no one is __**that **__stupid._

But, if there was one thing she knew, it was that Foko and Otento were anything _but _stupid.

So that would mean they _wouldn't_, right?

…_.._

"Surely not." she said after a moment, eyes narrowing as her thoughts churned. _What would cause someone to have enough willpower to go against the strongest in all three worlds? Not the power, because Foko doesn't have to _take down _the big man in order to _become _the big man. _

_So what's the underlying reason?_

"_Akari?"_

She turned her eyes to Nabu, frowning. He'd interrupted her thoughts. "What?"

"_Why would someone with ill intentions be _good _to someone else?"_

"...They wouldn't, Nabu."

"_So why would fake Flowers be nice to you?"_

She made a sound of irritation. "I don't know, Nabu."

"_I mean, he didn't kill you. And even though I didn't like him, he was never mean to me. He even played actual _games _Akari."_

Another groan. Her head was starting to hurt. "I don't think anyone could take down King Enma, no matter _what _he did in the past or does in the future. So wouldn't that be a moot point? A lost cause?" _*****_

"Mm." Kurama intoned, unaware of the bits of conversation that occurred between Akari and Nabu. "Unless they know something we don't. So...say, by some twist of fate, they _do _manage to remove King Enma from power. My instincts tell me that _isn't _the point, that whatever is in it for those involved doesn't revolve around Enma being gone, though that will certainly be a perk for them. There's...something else. Something I can't put my finger on."

~!**!~

"Anything along the way…" Shikiyoku echoed, considering the statement as her eyes drew back to the fire.

She had the strangest sense as she did so and she blinked, seeing that on the other side of the fire, where others demons were gathered together in small groups, that occasionally one would be gazing back at her for no readily explained reason.

Shikiyoku sighed, her eyes growing a little sadder, and lowered her face to take another drink.

"We should leave sooner rather than later." She sounded wistful, a little melancholy slipping into her tone as if this had happened many times before where she would, as she came to put it, 'wear out her welcome.' Granted, with a visible mark of her Champion, things did not tend to happen quite this quickly. Not that said Champion ever _let _her stay longer than he wanted.

With her head down, she could see that her skin gleamed in the firelight, and not just with the sweat only now drying across her arms. 3

Hiei frowned slightly now at Shikiyoku, though he didn't turn around to see the cause. He figured it was due to their departure, though really, he himself didn't see it as much of a bad thing. Then again, he didn't know these lands, hadn't seen them all a million times or lived here for… who knew how long. He was curious, whereas she was not.

Still, he felt as if moving on were best at this point. Why, he didn't know. However, he'd learned long ago to trust his instincts.

"Then we'll part," he said calmly, watching her unblinkingly. "There's always time for another visit." After all, demons had much longer lifespans than other beings. And, quite frankly, he felt as if they'd overstayed their welcome, despite the hospitality and cheer they'd been given.

~!**!~

"What if they want to unite the three worlds?" Akari suddenly said, tone thoughtful and eyes distant. It was… closer than Foko taking the power out of mere greed. He wasn't…

_He isn't greedy. Not for possessions, I don't think. He's actually rather.._

_Caring._

"_You and I are enemies….. you'd do well to remember that."_

He'd said that, and yet…. He'd also once said they were _not _enemies. So which one was it? Why would a demon who had been so calm before, suddenly declare they were enemies- despite the obvious of Akari's own threat towards him.

_He could have killed me then. Why didn't he? _

"He's not…" she began, not realizing she was speaking aloud. "greedy by any aspect. He's actually… warm, in his own way." She made a thoughtful noise. _If only I knew his real name, then I could…_

_Then I could research him, find files in Spirit World of him._

_Then again, it'd be over by now if that were the case. Right? _

She rubbed at her face with her hand, suddenly forgetting the roll in her other hand. _*****_

Kurama's mind froze for a moment, stuck on Akari's observation. He waited for a dismissal of the idea, but it never came. Neither, however, did he feel affirmation that she was correct, exactly.

"So, the fake Youko wishes to unite the three worlds. How exactly would removing King Enma from power allow him to do that? There is still something missing, a puzzle piece we haven't yet." He did send her a smile, "I think that's more on track though. Maybe Genkai would have a suggestion."

~!**!~

"I have not trekked through the Ninth Level in many ages." Shikiyoku found the thought pleased her, considering who her company would be _this _time.

She grew silent for another moment as she finished off her drink and then sat idly running her fingers over the rim, the lur'mog having fallen asleep in her lap.

"I am..." She hesitated, voice quieter than before as she slowly continued, "Sorry we must keep moving." It was her fault, after all. "I have grown fond of this place. I could be content here…"

Given the circumstances of their pact, of the ritual, Hiei would be forced to wander for as long as he was her Champion, never able to stay long in one place among other demons. Never able to call such a place 'home.' 3

Hiei raised a single, thin brow at Shikiyoku before releasing a scoff at her. As _if _he'd become troubled with traveling. Did she _not _pay attention and realize he'd been _stuck _in one world? Traveling would be a welcomed aspect of his life, to say the least.

"Leaving does not mean you will not return." he countered, turning as if to walk away, but not moving any further than turning his side to her. "If you're fond, then we'll be back." Of course, it wouldn't be right away, but he didn't care. He knew the nomadic life well, after all.

They'd keep moving as much as she needed, and he wouldn't care. Why? Because he hadn't before, why would he now?

~!**!~

Akari made a sound of confusion. "I thought we were going to _Kuwabara's?" _She asked, suddenly very, very lost. Who was Genkai, and why hadn't she heard of this one?

_Great, _her thought process had been lost. She sighed and stuffed the remaining piece of bread in her mouth, turning a slightly grumpy look onto Kurama, as if saying he'd lied to her.

"Ma'e up yo' min'." she grumbled around the bread. _*****_

Kurama regarded Akari with amusement. "We're most certainly going to Kuwabara's. I don't think either of us would particularly _want _to make the trek out to her lands at the moment. I was merely saying that it might be good to run some of these ideas by her. Her wisdom is vast, and she has likely had more interaction with Spirit World in the past than either of us have up to this point."

~!**!~

"Yes, but not _having _to leave for once would be nice." Shikiyoku sighed again.

She gave Hiei a side-long glance, before voicing her thoughts, "You...do not mind being a wanderer? Even if it is not by choice?" 3

Hiei didn't look at Shikiyoku. He considered her words for a moment before giving a small hum similar to the one he'd made earlier. "If I minded, I would not have suggested a destination." he retorted, finally turning his eyes to her out of the corners.

Quite frankly, he didn't care either way, though he thought he'd probably end up bored sitting in one place for too long, no matter where it was.

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Kurama, accidentally spitting out some of her bread at him, though she merely accentuated the act with her tongue sticking out at him as well. She swallowed the bite of cheesy goodness and wiped the remaining bits of the saliva-encased bread from her chin, turning away as if nothing had happened.

"Maybe next time you should _clarify_, fox." _*****_

Kurama calmly reached over and flicked off a large bread crumb that had landed on his shoulder when she huffed at him.

"Well, I didn't change our trajectory, did I? So, I'm not exactly sure why you thought we would be going anywhere _except _Kuwabara's."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made to stand, scooping up the lur'mog in her lap and placing it gently on the log where she had been sitting, putting her mug beside it.

"Should we leave tomorrow then?" She smoothed her hands down the front of her skirt as she waited for his answer. 3

Hiei gave a small nod to Shikiyoku after turning his eyes onto her, deciding that staying _this _last night wouldn't hurt much of anything. Plus, they'd both been busy, and likely _needed _the rest before trekking around the level at various speeds for various amounts of time.

He moved closer to her, looking over her shoulder at the lur'mog asleep on the log. That reminded him… he hadn't seen Ryou, and hadn't really been looking around for the creature either. The creature that was very obviously a close companion to the other fire demon, who he hadn't seen in a week just about.

He figured the demon was off doing business… and it wasn't any of _Hiei's _business, so he didn't question aloud. Instead, he stood up straight again and looked at Shikiyoku, meeting her gaze squarely. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut it again.

It didn't matter anyways. Eventually, they'd return to the place with the fruits. He'd just be patient.

~!**!~

Again, Akari huffed at Kurama's matter-of-fact tone. "I wasn't paying attention." she grumbled at him, still not turning to look at him. _I can't believe I did that. _"So, if you had desired to change the course, I wouldn't have noticed. Thus, in my mind, I thought you _had _changed course. Because, as I said, I wasn't paying attention."

"_You're babbling, Akari." __*****_

"Perhaps you should learn to be more aware of your surroundings, then." Kurama replied mildly, reaching over and plucking a large crumb of bread from the front of her shoulder before going back to his roll for another bite.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku looked up at Hiei just in time to see him close his mouth as if he had been about to say something and then changed his mind. She let her head tilt to the side, blinking questioningly at him in a silent 'What?' 3

Hiei blinked at Shikiyoku as she turned her head curiously. After a second, Hiei turned away and glanced at the area around him, more to keep his gaze from Shikiyoku's than to observe his surroundings. He had a craving, but wasn't sure it was for something they'd find just _anywhere_. After all, he hadn't seen them since…

Well, since the area where he'd plucked them from. Months ago. Had that been the first night they'd been in Demon World? He wasn't exactly sure anymore.

Finally, he opened his mouth anyway. "Those fruits.." he began, thinking back to the sweet ones he'd enjoyed the most. "...are there any near here?"

~!**!~

AKari mocked Kurama's words in a quiet tone, saying them in an odd voice that was meant to make fun of his own, though not particularly loud enough for him to hear should he not be listening to her. Then she huffed at him again. "Perhaps _you _should _shut up_." she grumbled at him, this time loud enough for him to hear regardless of intentionally listening or not. She _was _going to say something else, but decided against it, since it wouldn't do much good.

Not like anything else served a good purpose either, but whatever. _*****_

Kurama let out a low chuckle, finishing off his roll as they turned the corner to Kuwabara and his sister's apartment, starting to make his way up the stairs, but choosing to refraining from egging Akari on any further.

His thoughts darkened and he hoped Shizuru hadn't gotten any of her 'feelings' since he talked with her last. Perhaps they all _should _gather together. Just in case.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes grew kinder, but she had to shake her head, "Not unless any have popped up since the last time I was here."

Which, granted, was several hundred years ago. Ever since she left the Ninth Level and ended up with Youko Kurama. Given how enclosed the blackened mountains were, she doubted any seeds had left their home.

It was Shikiyoku's turn to open her mouth as her eyes brightened with a sudden thought, but she held her breath just as she was about to say something, growing hesitant and releasing the air silently. 3

Hiei turned calm eyes onto Shikiyoku now, having figured as much. As he'd thought earlier, he'd just have to be patient. Wait until he could find some, or until they returned to that area. He was patient enough as it was. What would it be to him to wait a while?

However long that would be.

It didn't matter, he decided.

However, he did catch the brightening of Shikiyoku's eyes and the opening of her mouth, followed by hesitation, then release of whatever words she'd been about to say. He raised a brow at her curiously, mirroring her earlier curious expression, but with his own silent curiosity.

~!**!~

Akari was actually surprised a bit by the silence that followed Kurama's chuckle, but didn't dare make any indication of it as she followed him up the stairs, eyes on his back. Suddenly, she found herself envisioning the scars she'd seen earlier, her eyes tracking the spots she'd traced earlier, despite the shirt he wore hiding them.

Her expression shifted to a neutral one, her mind going blank.

And then she remembered that she'd only seen them because he'd been in a _towel_, and her eyes turned to the side, though her suddenly somber mood did not change. _*****_

Kurama reached up to knock politely on the door only to have it open with Kuwabara standing grinning on the other side.

"Hey Kurama! Sis said you guys were coming over." He explained as he stepped back to let him in, nodding greetings at Akari.

"I don't seem to recall telling her that." Kurama mirrored Kuwabara's smile as he passed over the threshold into the apartment.

"It's kinda funny, you know," Kuwabara shoot the door behind them as Kurama slipped his shoes off his feet in the entryway, "She's gotten a lot keener on that sort of thing lately. I've stopped being surprised at this point."

"Hey guys!" Shizuru called, coming out of the kitchen with her usual cigarette in her mouth and a tray of tea and snacks, "Right on schedule."

"Anything yet?" Kurama asked her, face momentarily serious.

Shizuru put the tray down on the coffee table as Kuwabara led the others over to the couch. She sat down across from them on the floor, crossing her legs and leaning an elbow on her knee, resting her face it in.

"You know, I've had this weird feeling for the past week about _something _about to go down, but since it hasn't changed, I'd say we're good for now."

~!**!~

"I...it's, well, nothing much." She lowered her gaze and put a hand to the back of her neck, unsure what suddenly made her feel so shy, "I just didn't know if you still wanted to see what a _real _party was like back in the old days. You probably don't care, it's not a big deal." She ran through the last few words as if dismissing the entire idea. 3

Hiei's brow rose further at Shikiyoku's first words, half thinking she wouldn't tell him despite his curiosity. But when she did, at first, he didn't recall what she was talking about. His brow resettled into place as he pondered, until he remembered that he'd _asked _her to remind him at some point. And now that he had, he'd almost forgotten about it.

And now that the question was posed again, his lips twitched in amusement at the idea of it. "I _am _rather curious."

~!**!~

Akari followed Kurama absentmindedly, only pausing to step out of her shoes when he did, mind now stuck on thoughts of scars, both hers and Kurama's. But, really, she wasn't sure what to think at the moment. He'd let her see his. Twice, actually, and then offered to have hers _removed altogether. _

She'd forgotten until now.

She moved to sit beside Kurama, legs crossed underneath her, her hands falling in her lap and eyes focused on Shizuru, but not really seeing the female for the moment. _He said until it healed, right? I don't have an answer yet, and he hasn't asked me…_

_A good thing, really. __*****_

"I haven't been getting anything myself." Kuwabara frowned, "And, I mean, I know sis is better at this sort of stuff than me, but if it really _was _bad, I'm pretty sure I would pick up on _something_, you know?"

Kurama didn't say anything, reaching for a cup of tea before sitting back in the couch and crossing his legs, taking a thoughtful sip.

"I just got off the phone with Genkai a little bit ago." Shizuru added. "She says she hasn't heard anything herself." Her brown eyes flickered over to Kurama. "I went ahead and asked her to come over. Had a feeling you might want to speak with her in person."

Kurama nodded, "I'm hoping she might have some insight into the situation. Maybe something I've overlooked."

~!**!~

"It wouldn't be as intimate as a mind-meld," Shikiyoku hurriedly clarified, "You'd just get to see how things used to go. Just the one memory." She seemed excited at the prospect of sharing such a moment with Hiei. 3

Hiei nodded once in understanding, his lips twitching only slightly in amusement at her hurried words and excited tone. He turned to her again, this time with his whole body, and moved to stand over her. "And how do you propose doing such a thing?"

Of course, he'd never done anything like this, so…. he'd have to play along.

~!**!~

Akari blinked once at herself, considering her options and weighing her own feelings about the offer. If she agreed when he asked, and he was _bound _to ask, then what would happen after that? If she disagreed, what would happen?

_Either way it doesn't seem like…. much of a change. _Because he couldn't give her back what Kamiya had already attempted to do. She'd be without ears and tail either way.

_Heh. If I had ears and a tail, Koenma wouldn't be able to keep me here. _

Her amusement faded. _If I agree, my skin would be free, but would my mind? If I disagree, I'd have to handle it all as I am now. It's not so bad right now, but… there are still days where…_

Where she could **feel **each one.

_Maybe… maybe he'll give me more time, if I ask. __*****_

"What is it, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked calmly after taking another drink of the tea.

"Huh? What?"

"You've been staring at me since I came in."

"Oh. Uh, well," Kuwabara shifted his eyes away and wouldn't look at Kurama directly, "You just...you feel different, man."

Kurama said nothing at first.

"Like, almost a completely different person."

"I did warn you about what happened." Kurama replied evenly.

"Yeah, but..." Kuwabara winced, "I didn't think it would be...like _this_."

Shizuru mirrored Kurama's reserved expression as she looked at him, though she appeared thoughtful as she pulled the cigarette out of her mouth, but said nothing.

~!**!~

"Well, I-" Shikiyoku blinked up at Hiei, taking into account once more how much taller he'd gotten over the past couple of months and being momentarily distracted, "That is, when you feel like you're about to step inside of me, just close your eyes and let it happen."

She reached inwardly for the portion of their pact that she had access to and gave it a little mental tug, keeping her eyes on Hiei to gauge his reaction and see if this was even going to work at all. 3

Hiei raised a brow curiously, not understanding what she meant when she said _step into her_. Physically? DId that mean he needed to be closer? _What good would that do? _But his confusion remained contained, his eyes calmly watching her as she stared at him just as evenly.

And then there was an odd sensation from the bond, though it wasn't directly noticeable at first. He quirked a brow, mainly to himself than to Shikiyoku, wondering if the bond had reacted to something he wasn't aware of at this moment.

~!**!~

_More time, that's what I'll ask for. He can't do anything if I don't have an answer, especially in the state he's in and-_

With the tail end of that thought, Akari's eyes focused on the room around her suddenly, bringing her back to the actual moment and the possible conversation she'd been ignoring for a while. Her eyes found the cups of tea and snacks, and before thinking much about it, she reached forward and took hold of the hot cup, moving carefully so that she wouldn't spill it as she sat back again, feet still on the couch and legs still crossed beneath her.

She took a careful sip, not minding the taste but not finding it a favorite either while her ears listened to the lull in conversation, not sure what she'd missed. _*****_

"It did not last long in previous manifestation. I'm sure this is only another minor setback as well. I believe the fake Youko wished to make sure the actual Youko would be unable to be seen."

Shizuru nodded, "Makes sense."

In spite of the reassurances, Kuwabara still couldn't shake off the weird chills he got when he looked at his friend.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku rapidly sifted through memories of nights long ago spent dancing the ritual, finding one appropriate to her desires and beginning to feed it into pact that had started to hum inside of her head.

She could feel her own vision closing in, the darkness of the air around them starting to shimmer, and she shut her eyes as she began to recall that night so long ago, where there had been feasting and dancing and drinking and fighting like nothing that had been equaled since... ...

_The light of the ballroom around her sparkled on the jeweled bracelet that sat on Shikiyoku's wrist, over the top of the white gloves covering her arms up nearly to her shoulder. She lifted her hand up towards her face to inspect it closer, the hands that had been placing the jewelry on her wrist pulling back as she did so. _

_The bright blue of the stone in the middle sparkled and brought a smile to her face as she turned her eyes to the demon before her, his two differently colored eyes-one white, one pink-gleaming at her._

"_My thanks, Derrin. Rae. It's gorgeous."_

_The prince, in his white tuxedo, merely let a small smile grace his lips and he pulled away from her as his platinum blonde-haired mate with her amethyst eyes wove her hands back into the crook of Derrin's arm, her eyes much more mild and kind than Shikiyoku remembered._

_The strangest sensation was perhaps the realization that despite both Derrin and Rae's tall and slender forms, Shikiyoku was in fact looking the pair almost in the eye, even though the shoes on her feet did not have a heel taller than an inch or two._

"_They're playing our song, m'lady." A bass-timbred voice murmured into her ear, slipping her hand into a hold on his arm and leading her away._

"_Your timing is impeccable." Shikiyoku mumbled as soon as they were safely out of earshot, allowing herself to be led away to the dance floor where the music had just changed rhythm and tune._

"_Did you expect anything different of me, Yoku?"_

_Shikiyoku closed her eyes as she felt herself released save for her hand, led gracefully in a circle until she faced her own partner, settling into his frame._

"_Ready?" The voice murmured at her again._

"_Always."_

_Shikiyoku opened her eyes and would have stumbled were this not a memory in which she was swept off into the dance with as much poise as ever._

_Her partner had no face._

_There was...supposed to be one, but instead of where she expected a rakish smile and roguish lips, the image was fuzzy and incomplete. In fact, the entire body of the one she had placed herself into was hardly there, though she felt it firmly underneath her hands._

_There was no...no hair color, no indication of skin type or eyes or...well, anything._

_She could remember nothing...but to make it even worse, she couldn't even remember who it was __**supposed **__to be, who it was she had even forgotten…_

Shikiyoku flinched as if she had been hit and suddenly the night rushed back in around her as her eyes flew open, wide and staring forward at Hiei but seeing nothing.

She blinked a couple of times, opened her mouth as if to speak, but did no such thing as her eyebrows drew together in a cloud over her face. 3

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but after a few moments, Hiei understood what Shikiyoku had meant by _stepping into _her. He felt the bond hum, move, flex almost in his mind before he himself felt as if he were being pulled forward, coaxed into…

Into a room he recognized, into the eyes of someone staring at a jewel. He himself admired it and the way it glinted, before his eyes moved upwards and a voice seemed to float on the dreamy air about him. He recognized the face he looked up into as well, recognizing it as the companion of the female he'd escaped during the first week or so of his stay in Demon World.

He didn't understand why she was showing him a scene similar to the one he'd experienced, but he watched anyway, half expecting things to get crazy, or something.

And then he felt as if _he himself _had been pulled away from the conversation, and his eyes found… something that he assumed was meant to resemble some_one_.

He frowned slightly, suddenly feeling… uncomfortable as he was pulled into the dancer's embrace.

And then the scene was fading away, and a moment later, he was staring at Shikiyoku, feeling slightly confused but not saying anything about it.

He noticed she made as if to speak, but when she didn't, he raised a brow at her curiously, suddenly very amused that she didn't seem to have pulled forth the memory she meant to show him.

Though, the faceless, formless person still had him curious.

~!**!~

Akari sipped, looking over at Kuwabara and catching the smallest muscle movement from him, but ignored it since it seemed nothing more than… a shiver at most. She lifted the cup to her lips again, using both hands to hold the cup and look at the two sitting opposite herself and Kurama.

Another moment passed and she was glancing curiously at Kurama, as if waiting for him to say something because, truthfully, the silence felt awkward to her.

Maybe it was because she'd been wrapped in her own thoughts, hadn't been paying attention…. _*****_

"Shizuru, have you ever done any training with Genkai?" Kurama asked suddenly.

She shook her head, "Nah. Haven't had time. The old lady said she could teach me a few things, but between work and looking out for this block-head I've never gotten to."

"Hey!" Kuwabara protested.

Kurama just nodded, "I think you would be a prime candidate to master Reikibuki."

"Reki-what-ee?" Kuwabara repeated.

"Your sword, numbskull." Shizuru whacked her brother upside the back of his head.

~!**!~

"Sorry." Shikiyoku said after a moment of opening and closing her mouth, "I guess I didn't really think having only a part of the bond to work with would make any difference, but that's not the memory I meant to show you in any case."

Shikiyoku's eyes squeezed shut and she put the back of her hand up between her eyebrows as if she could press the remembrance of who she had been dancing with back into her memory.

When had she forgotten? _How _could she have forgotten? She seemed to have the impression that the male had been very important, but how in the three worlds was she supposed to know when she couldn't remember who he was or what he looked like.

The loss of such a thing left Shikiyoku feeling disconcerted. And almost...afraid. 3

Hiei felt his brow twitch upwards just a fraction more than before as Shikiyoku spoke, though he said nothing as he'd suspected as much. However, the level of disturbance she seemed to feel about that memory and the lack of facial features of the main subject drew _her _brows downwards even further before her hand hid them from his view.

He remained quiet a few moments longer before he moved to make way for the tent in which they'd inhabited for the past week. "Dwelling on it will do nothing," he said calmly as he moved away, though not glancing back at her as he moved.

~!**!~

Akari's brow raised a little at Kurama's question to the woman across from them, though she could certainly see why he had asked such a question once he explained. Shizuru seemed to have quite a high level of intuition, and quite frankly, there was something about the brunette that struck Akari as appropriate for such a technique.

It would be a curious thing, to have Kuwabara's sister using the same technique, and even more amusing if she ended up being better at it than he. The thought made her lip twitch at the male she hadn't realized she'd turned her eyes to.

It took a moment for it to register, but Akari became aware on some level that she could just hear soft footsteps outside, closer than any of the traffic down on the sidewalk, heading, she presumed, to this very apartment. However, curious as she was, she made no indication and simply shifted the way she sat, uncrossing her legs and planting her feet on the floor as her eyes turned to Shizuru again, wondering if the woman was also aware of the approaching person. _*****_

Kuwabara reached over for his own cup of tea, his eyes suddenly taking note of how many drinks there were and he scratched at his head, about to ask Shizuru why there were more drinks than people when she suddenly got up without a word and went over to the door, opening it to reveal Genkai about to knock.

The short old lady nodded approvingly in greeting.

"The offer still stands, you know." Her gravelly voice was met with a grin from Kuwabara when he saw who was at the door. "I would take you on as an apprentice in an instant if you so much as said that word."

Shizuru backed up to let the door open further inward, putting a nervous hand up to the back of her head as she smiled sheepishly while Genkai came inside.

Genkai waved away whatever Shizuru was about to say, "I know, I know. You 'don't have time.' Pity."

Without further ceremony, the woman moved over to the couch, hands clasped together behind her back, and hopped up inbetween Akari and Kurama, reaching forward for the last cup of tea and taking a drink before she visibly relaxed, eyes closed as she appreciated the flavor.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku found her feet following after Hiei as she grimaced again and rubbed some more at her forehead, finding now that she looked several instances of this...person whom she felt to be the same one each time, throughout her memories. In an unsettlingly large amount, in fact.

Hiei's apparent unruffled reaction did ease her concern, but her frown did not disappear.

"Yes, but..." Shikiyoku squeezed her eyes shut again, scrambling for something she could equate it with that he would understand, "What if...what if you found one day that you suddenly couldn't remember your sister. That...you knew you had one, or something, but you had no memory of her. Every time she _should _be in your mind's eye...she's just...not." Shikiyoku finally opened her eyes again, shifting them to the left to look at the ground. "Would you not also find your spirit unsettled? When you cannot place a cause or reason to it?" 3

Hiei didn't even glance back as Shikiyoku spoke to him, her words floating between the distance from herself to him until they reached his ears in a question he wasn't sure how to answer. If he'd somehow forgotten Yukina, but still had memories where she was supposed to be…

Unsettled as he might be, he wasn't sure what he himself would do. Likely tear Demon World apart looking for such an important puzzle piece, as he had then, but… Shikiyoku was not him.

He chose not to respond, instead taking to thinking over different causes of such a thing. It could have been purposely done, he knew, by that party. Or, it could have been done by Shikiyoku herself, if that particular person had lead her to a situation she'd rather not remember.

Sure, there were other reasons, other causes to such a thing happening, but really he didn't think many of them over at this point.

~!**!~

Akari found herself unsurprised when Shizuru suddenly stood and made for the door, all eyes in the room seeming to follow her as she opened the door to meet the older woman on the other side. Needless to say, she was a bit impressed, as this woman did not rely on hearing or smelling as a demon like herself would, but only…. instincts.

And then in the next moment, she recognized the smaller, older woman who moved into the room and even made herself comfortable in the space between Akari and Kurama, at which the demoness responded to by giving more room by leaning against the armrest of the couch.

The last time she'd seen this woman was a couple of months ago, when Sensui had attacked the apartment the entire detective team had been gathered in. And instead of leaning further away as she would have a few weeks ago, she instead found herself fighting a twitch of her lips.

_A lot's changed, I think. __*****_

"What are you all staring at?" Genkai pronounced suddenly in a grumble, opening her eyes to see, as she had felt, the faces of everyone in the room looking at her.

Shizuru had moved to sit back down next to Kuwabara on the other side of the coffee table. Genkai reached forward to grab for one of the cakes on the tray.

"Can't an old lady enjoy some tea in peace?" She briefly took stock of those in the room, "And where's Yusuke? Isn't he supposed to be the leader of this sorry outfit?"

"He, uh," Kuwabara laughed perhaps a little nervously, "He said he had something important to do."

"More important than the end of the world?" Genkai asked grouchily.

"He said it's _always _the end of the world around here." Kuwabara provided. "And that Keiko would kill him if he didn't go shopping with her today."

"Heh." Genkai smirked and pulled her tea up to her face. "He's more scared of her than anything Spirit or Demon World could ever throw at him."

"For good reason." Kuwabara piped up.

~!**!~

"He was...important. I can't shake that feeling." Shikiyoku said softly aloud, mostly to herself if it would help her sort through the mystery. "I don't even really care _why_." She let out a frustrated sigh and decided to leave it alone. "I'd much rather have forgotten Taka." 3

Hiei released a scoff before turning amused eyes back at Shikiyoku. "That can be arranged."

Of course, he wasn't sure he _could _do such a thing as thoroughly as Shikiyoku seemed to indicate, even if he _were _fully serious. Though, the thought of the other demon being wiped away was… appealing, to say the least. He turned forward again, waving away the tent flap and pausing to glance at the demons moving by, both watching his surroundings and allowing Shikiyoku to go first, though he wasn't quite sure why he was doing as such.

"Perhaps it's something that must be triggered." he mused aloud, not really meaning to do so.

~!**!~

Akari turned away from Genkai when the older woman spoke up about being watched, amused for a moment as she again lifted her cup to her lips, finishing off her own tea and watching the people who spoke as the conversation turned to Yusuke.

Who wasn't here because of a girl.

She made a small sound of amusement to herself before speaking for the first time since she'd entered the apartment. "Of all things… Well, I guess _someone _has to keep him in line, hm?" _*****_

"She's certainly well-equipped for the task." Kurama replied mildly.

"You should see the back-swing that girl's got." Shizuru chuckled, "I've never seen anyone else able to take that boy down a notch with a single hit."

Genkai smiled into her tea cup as she took another sip. "So. What kind of end of the world situation are we dealing with _this _time? I know we've all had our separate briefings, but making sure we're all on the same page would be a good place to start."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku just stuck her tongue out at Hiei as she passed by him when he let her inside the dark tent.

"What are we if not a series of memories? Take our experiences away and we are nothing." She answered his first comment loftily.

She stepped further into the tent to let him inside as well, making a thoughtful noise.

Shikiyoku huffed, "I don't know. I don't remember the last time I tried to actually think about my time in the cities." She reached up to rub at her forehead again. "Who am I missing?" She mumbled. 3

Hiei raised a brow as he followed Shikiyoku inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the complete darkness of the tent. She had a point, really. Every being was simply growing on experiences, which turned to memories, which turned to… well, a certain aspect of one's personality, he supposed.

He was of no help here, it seemed.

"If it's that important," he began calmly as he made himself comfortable among the furs on the ground, lounging lazily with his hands linked behind his head and legs crossed at the ankles, "then it will come to you." His eyes slid shut, though for the moment he didn't plan on sleeping. Merely…. relaxing. He hadn't had a chance to do that in a week now, and he felt a calm moment was in order.

~!**!~

AKari leaned forward, setting her empty cup on the table and sending a small look to Kurama, as if asking where to start. However, when she leaned back, she gave a small sigh. "As I'm sure you know, there's an impersonator of Youko running about, gathering demons and causing… trouble, to say the least." She paused, unsure if she should start from the beginning or simply go on with what she and Kurama had discovered in the past two days. _*****_

"His right-hand man is called Otento," Kurama picked up, "And their main target appeared to be Toriko for a while, going so far as to kidnap her with the help of a demon with abilities to teleport. As far as I know, she was titular in their plans, but would not work with them and was tossed aside." 3

* * *

><p><span>Zareru<span> - ****1**: **to be playful; to gambol; to be amused (with something); to play; to sport; to frolic; to joke; ****2**: **to flirt with

Reikibuki - "Spiritual weaponry arts" or "Art of spiritual weaponry"

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	61. Episode 145 - Expositions

**A/N: **Hello once again, Lovers of Yu Yu Hakusho!

It's surreal for me at times to go back and edit things like this. At this point in the story I just feel like it goes and goes and goes and I catch myself reading way too far ahead for what the current chapter is to be and then I have to go back and be all, okay, where was I again?

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Kurama and Akari arrive at the Kuwabara apartment,  
>and they were apparently expected as Kuwabara, Kazuma tells them<br>Shizuru knew they were on their way and she says she also invited Genkai to join them.

Akari is musing on Kurama's offer to remove all of her scars,  
>realizing that she doesn't really have a straight answer for him yet.<p>

When Genkai arrives, the group decides to start at the beginning  
>to bring everyone up to speed on the current situation.<p>

Akari starts by speaking of the demon running around under Youko's name,  
>Kurama picking it up by mentioning Otento and the fact that Toriko had,<br>at one time, appeared to be their main focus.

~!**!~

A week passed for Hiei and Shikiyoku among the Northern Tribe before they knew it,  
>though Hiei had decided he would rather they stay in Demon World.<p>

However, Shikiyoku sees the beginning signs that the aftereffects of the ritual,  
>which wove her and Hiei's energies together and helped mute her powers,<br>are wearing off and the two of them will need to get moving again soon.

Shikiyoku accesses the bond between them, intending to show Hiei of revelries past,  
>but instead he experiences a moment where Shikiyoku was with Rae and Derrin at their palace.<br>For Shikiyoku, the memory is unsettling as the demon who pulls her away from that encounter  
>to dance with her is without face or features, only a voice echoing in her mind's ear.<p>

After pulling away from the bond, and blaming her only having access to half of the pact,  
>Shikiyoku sifts through her memories to find that the demon is missing from <em>all <em>of them,  
>only that same fuzzy shape where she knows he should be.<p>

Hiei states rather simplistically that if the demon was important to her, then she will recall him.

* * *

><p>"You make it sound so easy." Shikiyoku mumbled, still standing near the entrance to the tent with her face pursed in concentration as she continued to sift through old memories. 3<p>

Hiei scoffed quietly to himself. "You should know, nothing comes _easy _with me." he retorted, amused with her words. Nothing was easy where the fire demon was concerned, and he would have figured she would have found that out by now.

~!**!~

Akari interjected almost as soon as Kurama was done talking, "Otento had tried recruiting me, saying they had use for me if I had decided to help, which is how we followed Otento to help Toriko. While there, Hiei killed one of their numbers, but there were four others, Otento and Youko included, and one I believe was the teleporting and the other…" she paused, realizing she'd only seen those other two that one time. "I'm not sure, really. I think he was projecting their images to the warehouse, because they weren't really _there_."

She gave another pause to think, giving a sigh as the next thing that came to mind happened to be that same night. Or maybe it was the night after? She felt a bit hazy on that part. "Pretty soon after, they managed to kidnap Kurama, to presumably lock away the real Youko, and myself, simply because I'd been there." She blinked once. "That's when they'd brought in a new demon, I think. He wasn't one of the ones I saw in the warehouse." _*****_

"I remember that guy." Kuwabara interjected. "He did something to make us real sad."

"I believe he was meant as a sort of replacement for Toriko." Kurama noted.

When he got looks from Kuwabara and the others, he went on.

"Toriko is actually just a front for a demon named Shikiyoku who is on some level able to manipulate the desires of others. This other demon is essentially able to do the same thing, but deals specifically with 'sadness.'" He summed up, moving along, "The most recent bit of activity is Otento completely sealing away Youko within me and the news that Spirit World has shut down, closing its doors because there has been a threat of an attack. And I imagine the threat is very real otherwise King Enma would not have resorted to such measures."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku gave him a withering look, eyes narrowed, a breath slowly releasing from her nose that had it actually been given sound would have most definitely been a growl.

As _if _she didn't know he wasn't _easy_. That had been established rather early on.

"That's putting it a bit _mildly_, don't you think?" She asked archly. "I might suggest you're the most _difficult _demon in the nine levels. In the three worlds." 3

Hiei slid one eye open to regard Shikiyoku silently for a moment, his lips twitching into a sneer at her words. He considered his various responses before letting his eyelids slide shut again and nestling further into the rather comfortable furs.

"I wasn't aware. I figured my presence was about as bothersome as a lur'mog's." he commented, smirk disappearing after another moment, but his amusement everlasting.

~!**!~

"I tried to get in touch with Koenma this morning," she picked up easily, "and he _did _answer, but he was rushed, quiet. No calls in or out, no visitors, nothing. Total lockdown because of the threat." She paused this time, turning inward for a moment as she considered her words. "But the threat… it doesn't seem like much more than a distraction, when I think about it."

She paused again, thinking about what had made her consider that as an option, and wondering if telling the others that she'd been in the company of the false Youko for a while would be a good idea. It made her hesitant, because she knew…

Wait, why hadn't _Kurama _been angry about it? Her eyes turned to him almost curiously, but she didn't voice her sudden thought. _*****_

"A distraction for Spirit World would seem to indicate an actual threat to Human World." Kurama went on.

Genkai made an affirming noise, "The only problem is, unlike with Sensui, we don't know when or where."

"And without access to Spirit World and Koenma, we're left to our own devices." Kurama pointed out. "I am also left wondering _why_."

"I think finding the answer to _that _will also answer more questions we have." Genkai agreed.

Shizuru shook her head, "I don't know _why_, but I can tell you the feelings I get aren't..._bad_. I can't explain it. Except that with Sensui, it really did feel like the end of the world to me, and this is…" She shrugged, at a loss for words.

Genkai raised an eyebrow, "If you'd let me help you refine that talent, we might have a better chance." Her expression appeared to suggest _now_.

"How much do you really think you can do?" Kuwabara wanted to know, "We don't know how much time we have."

"Time isn't important otherwise your sister would know it. If there really _is _something happening to Human World, but it's not life-ending, then how can we objectively pronounce it to be _bad_?" Genkai pointed out.

~!**!~

"What, you mean like all teeth and no bite?" Shikiyoku retorted quickly, turning away from him to stare at the tent walls with her arms crossed. "At least I can stick the lur'mog down my shirt and he shuts up. I can't say the same for _you_." She stuck her tongue out at him again over her shoulder, tossing him an impetuous look. 3

There was a moment where Hiei wasn't sure how to respond, though several different retorts _did _fly by the forefront of his mind. His eyelids slid open and he turned his head to look at Shikiyoku with a serious look, gaze even and calm as he opened his mouth, intending to say one thing but saying something entirely different.

"Wouldn't me being down your shirt be counterproductive?"

~!**!~

Akari blinked once. "_If it really __**is **__something happening to Human World…"_

Why did that stand out to her? Her eyes turned down and her mind suddenly began churning, thinking about what she knew of Foko. _He doesn't want to kill unless necessary. He's said that __**we**__, specifically, are not his enemy, but that Otento was out of hand. _She ground her teeth together. _He wasn't attacking Kurama, he was __**helping **__Kurama. I just… didn't see that. I saw what I had expected to happen, and that resulted in the declaration of enemies._

_But…_

_Is he really after Human World at all? I know earlier I said uniting the worlds,... Is that actually closer than anything else?_

"Kurama and I were talking earlier," she suddenly spoke up, thoughts churning, "and we agree that the threat would most likely be a front, to bring more demons here." She looked over at Kurama. "When the dust clears, it's probably going to be the most opportune time for them to actually attack Spirit World, right? Well, if their intentions aren't _bad_, then why would they want to unite the worlds?" she asked, lips twitching downwards. "Because I'm certain it isn't a prize _in _Spirit World they want. It isn't worth this much planning. Like you asked earlier, what would King Enma have done to warrant an attack?" _*****_

"Unite the worlds?" Genkai repeated, her face looking far away for a moment before she came back to the present, "King Enma is not without fault, and I think viewing him in a similar manner to how Sensui used to view humans and demons, one the ultimate good and the other the ultimate bad, will back us into a very similar corner that the former Spirit Detective found himself. Demons are not _inherently _bad, and neither, would I venture to say, is Spirit World inherently _good_."

_Though whether it was, or was supposed to be, at one time or another is something...is something that we cannot say for sure._

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's mouth opened, but no sound came out as if the words were strangled in her throat before getting very far, and for what was probably the first time in her life she could _feel _what it would be like to blush.

Not that she did so.

She refused to turn around to look at Hiei, but managed to state rather matter-of-factly: "The counterproductivity of you being down my shirt would be directly related as to _why _you were down there in the first place." 3

The sound Hiei released was uncannily similar to a chuckle, but not quite falling under that category as Shikiyoku turned away from him. He stared at her with a toothy smirk of amusement aimed in her direction. "I suppose that 'stuffing' me down your shirt to… as you said, silence me, would prove to be quite counterproductive. Closed spaces do not sit well with fire demons."

Still, he was showing the utmost level of amusement at her.

~!**!~

Akari turned a curious gaze to Genkai, a brow raised. It was true that Spirit World had been lacking here and there, often gaining ire from Demon World, but what would be considered _bad_ from Spirit World? "Sensui's point of view was driven that way because he'd been _told _demons were bad, and then saw for himself that demons attacked humans. And we assume Spirit world is _good _because they mobilize against the ones doing wrong, right?" she tilted her head slightly in curiosity. Where was she going with this, exactly? _*****_

"Ah, but who was it that _told _Sensui demons were bad?" Genkai eyed Akari out of the corner of her eye before turning her head slightly to look at the girl. "The very same who wished him to think that _they _were the ultimate good, no?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's arm flinched with the desire to pull it out from where she had crossed it to raise a finger which would emphasize what she was about to say, and while she resisted the first, her mouth did still come open as if to immediately send him a retort, one that she quickly bit back even as the muscles in her throat and torso tightened to deny her whatever it was she had been about to say.

Managing not to make any sort of strangled noise leak out from her throat, Shikiyoku also thankfully did not groan as she unwove one arm from the other still firmly against her chest to let the ends of her fingers rest against her mouth.

There was no way he had done that on purpose.

The amount of confliction on her face went unnoticed since she faced away from Hiei, most of her facial muscles twitching as she shut her eyes.

She kept opening her mouth to say something, but every time another reply popped into her head she would let her lips close behind her fingers, refusing to take the unintentional bait that Hiei had laid out for himself.

_I blame this on Youko for being the __**worst **__demon at turning everything I said into an innuendo when we were together. Who cares if I actually meant it that way or not. He wasn't __**supposed **__to know. Cheeky fox." _

"I'll...be sure to keep that in mind." Shikiyoku finally got out between clenched teeth, managing not to snort or otherwise comment on his wording. 3

Hiei raised a brow calmly at Shikiyoku, but otherwise gave no reply as his lips twitched one more time at her before he turned away. His eyelids slid closed again as his muscles seemed to _finally _relax completely into the furs.

"Are you going to stand all night?"

~!**!~

A frown pulled the corners of Akari's lips down and her brows over her eyes. Sure, it made sense that if one wanted the other to _believe _they were good, then they'd _tell _another, even find ways to _convince _others that it was the truth. But, Spirit World?

She didn't see it as Koenma, since he'd allowed her to live, but…

"You're suggesting King Enma, the most _powerful _being in the three worlds, is… bored and causing enough trouble to raise a rebellion?" _*****_

"Not exactly." Genkai tilted her head, "But I _am _suggesting that it is an option which should not be overlooked." She turned back forward and took another bite of the cake in her hand, not bothering to swallow when she continued speaking around it. "I am also suggesting that perhaps Enma is not as powerful as everyone seems to think, and these demons coming to attack are just the first of those who have been made aware."

~!**!~

"Possibly." Shikiyoku's teeth were still almost clenched together, "I might see if I am capable of sleeping on my feet."

Shikiyoku knew Hiei wasn't _intentionally_ stirring her up, as he likely had no frame of reference for what that actually meant anyway. Or if he did, she could just see him being appalled in some manner or another should he find out.

_Were I __**you**_ _in __**my **__position, I'd go out and kill a few things to blow off some steam. That is not, however, an option for me._

Even just the slightest indulgence of her mind in seducing the fire demon behind her had the pact pulse warningly at her.

_But he's making it so difficult, _She whined silently at it, knowing her words would mean nothing to it. 3

"Suit yourself." Hiei replied nonchalantly, moving his hands out from underneath his head and rolling over onto his side, effectively turning his back to Shikiyoku and settling for sleep. Though, he was certain sleep wouldn't become an ally for a while, as he was simply too amused. Too aware at the moment.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and let his eyes close again, feeling more comfortable than he had in a while, and he took a moment to release a contented sigh.

Staying in Demon World… seemed so much better than returning to Human World, something he hadn't thought about in a while. And now that he _did_, he was sure that he wouldn't return if he had a say in the matter.

And, they just so happened to be on the level furthest from Spirit World's reach.

~!**!~

Akari leaned back into the cushion of the couch and remained quiet, taking in Genkai's words. It could be a very real possibility, now that she thought of it. She herself had even thought of that point- Spirit World convincing others of demons being bad- but hadn't really taken herself seriously, it seemed. Or, at least, she hadn't thought it could lead to being the reason.

_If that's the case, then what's Spirit World doing, if not simply degrading demons as a whole? _That obviously wasn't enough to explain Foko's doing, but… it was closer.

_How would they _prove _demons to be the bad guys?_

She frowned. The only way to do that was to manipulate demons into acting out, which… wasn't actually a difficult thing to do…

And she was a prime example, in several ways. _*****_

Kurama had let the conversation between demon and human go on uninterrupted though Shizuru and Kuwabara expressed the same desire to only listen, wheels turning in their heads as they watched the pair.

It still led Kurama back to his same-old question of _why_, though Genkai's commentary did alleviate a portion of his frustration.

If they meant to dethrone Enma-which...would _not _be cause for the end of the world?-then what would happen next? Does Koenma take over the throne? It seemed unlikely, especially if this 'first wave' of demons as Genkai appeared to suggest had other plans in mind. Would they raise their own up to power? ...wouldn't _that _be world-ending?

Kurama found that his eyes had fallen onto Shizuru, though he was unable to read anything behind her browns eyes with their neutral expression as she attentively took in what Akari and Genkai exchanged words about.

"So, then," Genkai spoke up, "I think the real question becomes: who do _we _side with?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku threw a glance over her shoulder to see Hiei had turned away, and she quickly averted her eyes back forward.

She grumbled, "I'm...gonna go...kill something." She made as if to leave the tent. 3

Hiei's eyes slid open at Shikiyoku's words, finding himself surprised by them. As far as he knew, she'd never killed anything in her lifetime. So, her sudden words had him turning his head to peer at her over his shoulder curiously, though not rolling over to face her.

"You're going to go… _kill something?" _he repeated, tone curious and amused. "If so, try doing so without the use of your energy. Take a blade… or something." he suggested, suddenly finding himself not liking the idea of her using her energy to reel something in. Sure, if something happened, he could be there in a moment's notice, but he really didn't want to take that chance.

~!**!~

A frown twitched at Akari's lips as she considered the thought of manipulation being how King Enma was… uh… making himself the good guy, to put it simply. It wouldn't be very hard, with or without the amount of power he had. All one had to do was push a demon over the edge, and..

Like herself, they'd do whatever asked if it included their own interest, the same way she had with Sensui. In the beginning, she'd been on board with his idea, loving the idea of actually punishing the race and/or species that had done her wrong, but at the same time, she'd been reluctant. He'd twisted his words and fashioned his ideals in a way to void her concerns and create a blind follower.

However, in the same way, Akari herself could likely manipulate another, if she learned. Shadows could seep into one's blood, she knew, but the damage would be extensive to the brain and nerves. However, the ability to create _illusions… _was a powerful one. If she so desired, she could likely make a person believe another had done them wrong, even likely twist the way they thought of the world until…

Until they lived on nothing but anger. Until they killed innocent people for the joy of it, or because they believed it to be a way of life.

Akari suddenly sat back, blinking once as she thought about the Aswang she and Yusuke had killed last month. The lore of such creatures had always pitted them as cruel, bloodthirsty, heart/liver-eating beings, but she'd only met one before that day. She'd seen another attacked by such a creature, and die within seconds because of the poisons, the toxins in their weapons, their blood, their claws. But the person who'd been attacked hadn't been _gutted_.

In fact, she didn't recall ever hearing of a creature being gutted, except for in _Human World. Human children. _

And suddenly, Genkai's question seemed to have an obvious answer to her, despite the blame she placed on the demon she would prefer to side with. _*****_

"I think a more realistic question would be to examine exactly what sides exist." Kurama pointed out.

"I am _not _working with that blonde-dude." Kuwabara said emphatically. "I don't _care _what anyone else thinks Enma's done wrong. He-" Kuwabara screwed up his face, and then spoke more quietly, "You all saw what he did to Toriko. I won't side with someone who does that."

Kurama knew the determined look in his friend's eyes, and truth be told, he felt the same way. He'd been called a traitor by demons already, it wouldn't be anything new. However…

"Do we really think Koenma is in on all of this?" Kurama wanted to know. "Are our only choices to side with _Otento _or _Enma_."

"I'll just side with _humanity_, thanks." Kuwabara grumbled. "No offence."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku paused, half in and half out of the tent when Hiei talked.

"Yeah, yeah. Right." She mumbled, dismissing him with a wave of her hand as she stepped into the darkness of the night, "Or _something_."

She stalked away from the Elders' Tent and towards the treeline, about a hundred paces to the South near the edge of the clearing Hiei had burned away a week ago. She met no others along her way and had no trouble seeing, her skin almost seemed to hold its own luminosity despite there being no moon in Demon World.

Nonsensical mumbles were said under her breath as she moved, determined to get out of sight of the encampment.

When she'd gotten a league or so away, and could hear nothing from the camp any longer, she stopped among the dark trees, lacking color without light, and found a space that left her ten feet or so to work with.

Of _course _she wasn't actually going to kill anything. And she didn't know how to use a blade properly in the first place. Aside from 'don't hold the pointy end.'

There was one thing she could do that was just as good.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drinking in the smells of the woods around her before taking the first position of the fan dance she had done after that one demon propositioned her and beginning to meticulously flow her way through. One would have almost been able to see the swords in her hands as she slowly blocked and parried invisible enemies, though her mind held nothing but absolute peace. 3

Hiei watched Shikiyoku disappear behind the tent flap and turned his head again until his cheek found the soft, smooth furs all over again. His eyelids slid closed and he took in a slow, deep breath before releasing it just as slowly through his nose.

And that was enough to put him in a small lull, where the only thing he remained aware of was the being moving away from the encampment, the being who stopped a good distance away from the tent, and stayed in one spot.

He wouldn't sleep yet. And even if he did, his mind was locked on Shikiyoku and her energy, just in case.

~!**!~

Akari focused on the conversation in front of her suddenly, just in time to hear Kurama talking about Koenma. Honestly, she didn't think the prince was a part of it, but at the moment, there was no telling. She didn't know the King's son well enough to make such a judgement call, but she felt she _did _know Foko enough to say that attacking Enma for a reason such as what she'd just considered was very much in character.

Which means he _had _to have known someone who had been manipulated, and then killed. By Yusuke and/or his friends. Or, even her, maybe.

But she wasn't sure. At least, not 100%. _I could track him down and-_

The mental image of Kurama hanging from a tree hit her like a ton of bricks, and inwardly, she shied away. She flinched, blinking rapidly two or three times before recovering and turning inward again, not privy to the conversation in reality anymore.

_It doesn't matter. Foko didn't do it. Otento did. Foko was helping, and I know that now. While he didn't stop the attack, he… he kept Kurama from dying. And I need to know, because if I say it aloud, and I'm wrong…_

_We could __**all **__die. _

Akari sighed quietly to herself, eyes finally focusing on the room for good this time after making a mental note to find Foko later. As _if _she'd forget.

"I think Otento is his own side, in a way. While he is under the false Youko's rule, he also does whatever he wants, no matter what Youko has to say. It's been displayed several times. So, for all we know, the group could likely fall apart- except the fake Youko would kill anyone who betrays him just as quickly as… well, Youko would. Just a thought." _*****_

It was no news to Kurama that someone impersonating Youko would be quick to remove any obstacles in his way. If memory served, Youko had done just that when his lieutenant had stepped out of line.

...why then had the fake Youko not gotten rid of Otento?

Another question he didn't feel would be answered any time soon.

"That fake Youko person was a part of Toriko being hurt." Kuwabara remained stubborn.

"So, if the activity you feel is going to occur," Genkai shifted a glance at Kurama, "Does not in fact adversely affect Human World in any way, you would simply do nothing?" She turned back to Kuwabara.

"Well. Yes." Kuwabara replied.

"Even if by doing nothing you cause Koenma to lose his life? The very person who brought Yusuke back from the dead?"

Kuwabara appeared torn.

"I don't see any harm in us closely following whatever the other demons are up to." Kurama chimed in. "If we see or hear of something we don't like, then we act."

"And in what way would you act?" Genkai asked again, "If you were the dimwit, I'd know you would just jump in guns blazing without a second thought. You, however, must have _some _plan stirring in that mind."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku ran through the steps at least twice before feeling any sort of actual calm, though by that time the sky had darkened entirely into the deepest part of the night and her skin glistened with sweat, drops of which fell down the back of her neck.

She stopped, breath coming heavy as she collapsed with crossed legs onto the forest floor with a clear mind, her eyes still closed.

"Thatsh a pretty dansh, lady."

Shikiyokuk's eyes flew open to see Uryo leaning over her, his red eyes gleaming. She'd been so absorbed she hadn't even noticed him approaching, though he wasn't broadcasting his presence like she was used to, either. And he only smelled vaguely of alcohol, as if he'd only just started drink.

As if to emphasize her silent point, Uryo took a step back to get a long draught from the flask he always carried, Shikiyoku noticing that it had been in his hand the whole time.

"I have newsh."

Shikiyoku only nodded.

A frown darkened Uryo's face, "I had hoped...hic...that you all would have left by now."

When Shikiyoku didn't answer, Uryo continued.

"Rae knowsh you're here."

Shikiyoku's eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet before Uryo reached out a put a hand on her shoulder.

"Not _here_," He waved his other hand around to indicate the air about them, "But here." He pointed down. "Back on the Ninth Level." Another drink, a thoughtful look as he swallowed, "She doesh know you're in the North, though. Thing ish," He kept going before Shikiyoku could interject, "Apparently Shpirit World hash shut down." Uryo wobbled a little on his feet and appeared to attempt to remedy it with another drink. "Nobody goesh in, nobody goesh out. And demonsh are thinking they're gonna try to shut down all exits and entranches...hic...everywhere!"

Shikiyoku opened her mouth to speak before she caught a whiff of how much more potent the alcohol had become and almost gagged.

"And before you shay otherwish," He held his finger up in front of her nose, "Demonsh are thinking Shpirit World can do that if there'sh a crishish. Like, no way from Shpirit World to Demon World, or Shpirit World to Human World," He held up two fingers for that one, "And no way from Human World to Demon World. ...hic." Three fingers came up and Uryo squinted at them as if he wasn't sure they were there. "Or any other way around that you can think of!" Uryo's hand finally lifted from Shikiyoku's shoulder and he waved it around again. "Vish-a-versha. And shtuff."

Shikiyoku hadn't really even been given a chance to get a word in edgewise, and she continued to not get a chance as Uryo went on.

"Sho, if you and that hybrid are shtill gonna leave Demon World...hic...you gotta do it yeshterday." He finished by taking a finger and tapping Shikiyoku on the nose with it with his last word, standing up 'straight' to gauge her reaction.

Before she got a minute to collect any words, Uryo had blinked twice at her, seeing the density of the power around her and thinking it had this _pink_ color before he took an experimental sniff.

"You're really pretty. Everybody shays sho."

Shikiyoku finally laughed at him, "You know, I'm not even sure if we were planning on going _back _to Human World."

Uryo blinked again before he heard her words and came up with a reply.

"I thought thatsh why you were here in the firsht plashe. Sho you could go back." 3

~!**!~

For a moment, Akari said nothing, but as soon as there was a lull, she found herself speaking up, eyes set on Kuwabara. "Actually, I feel like you should know this, but he- the fake Youko- actually saved two of our lives this month." she paused, holding a finger up. "Two lives in one week, actually." She glanced at Kurama. She hadn't told him about her own experience yet, but..

"Actually, one of us had been saved _twice," _she was ashamed to admit it, really, but it was the truth. She'd been saved more often than she'd _done _the saving. More often than she'd done any good around here.

She needed to remedy that soon.

"Oh, yeah, and I forgot to mention," she suddenly piped again, giving no room for another to speak up just yet. "He isn't just _impersonating _Youko. He's actually _becoming_ Youko, memories and all." _*****_

Kuwabara's eyes narrowed, "Wasn't he trying to get you to join him in the first place?"

Shizuru and Genkai both turned to look at Akari.

"I'd like to know where you've been getting so much information about this fake Youko." Kuwabara's gaze did not soften.

_Becoming Youko_. That wasn't a power Kurama had come across yet. But it didn't seem like a spell that would be too far out of the realm of possibility. But he would expect it would mean completely severing oneself from their former personality.

And having an actual Youko, should he be as the original Youko sans the human boy's soul, walking around free in Human World could very quickly become world-ending indeed.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku shrugged and Uryo gave her another half-drunken stare.

"You got the informashion you needed...hic...right?"

She nodded, "I guess."

"And the people who need that informashion aren't in Demon World...right?"

Another nod.

Uryo considered Shikiyoku through glazed eyes that appeared to be quickly sobering, "Then why...are you still here?"

Shikiyoku didn't have an exact answer for him.

"You were hired for a job, and you're _not _going to finish the job?" He scoffed as if slightly disgusted. "What happened to 'honor among demons?'"

"We weren't _hired _by demons, if you'll recall." Shikiyoku finally rejoined, "And what if I happen to like my head right where it is?" She blurted out.

Uryo's eyebrows raised and Shikiyoku sighed.

"There's a warrant out for my arrest. From Spirit World. Someone hired me promising me the warrant would be voided, but it's out of the realm of his power." Shikiyoku pulled one hand over to rub absently at her elbow as she refused to meet Uryo's piercing stare.

"But you haven't taken the information back, so you don't actually know if that's the case or not."

"And you'd rather I risked my life trying to find out?"

Uryo gave a half-hearted shrug, "There are worse things than death."

Shikiyoku let out a short, dry laugh, thinking briefly of what she had let drive her out into the forest in the first place.

"It's not just up to me, you know." Shikiyoku spoke after a moment of silence.

"Then, I suppose if _he _says no, then there's no point in worrying about it, hm?" Uryo's eyes flickered off into the distance, "That's going to be up to you to take care of, lady. My advice is to get out of Demon World. I don't know if Rae is really going to let this just blow over, and she's had someone following me ever since I left the city, so I won't dare tarry any longer." He looked back down at her. "I'll lead them on a bit of a wild chase, as I'm sure Rae thinks I'll lead her back to you."

"She was right." Shikiyoku said archly.

Uryo just laughed, bouncing on his toes.

"Be careful." Shikiyoku warned, "If Rae has decided to turn her wrath upon you, you're in for a rough century."

"No one's caught me yet." Uryo winked, then appeared to take it back. "Well...there was that one woman. But-" He shrugged, "I let her _think_ she caught me."

"Wise."

"I thought so." He replied with his nose in the air a little. His expression grew more withdrawn. "You be careful."

"No one's caught me yet." Shikiyoku replied with just as much loftiness as Uryo had.

"Now, how come I don't believe you?"

"Because you're drunk."

Uryo laughed, "I can think of one demon who has you quite firmly in his grasp."

Shikiyoku growled, making as if to take a swipe at him, which just made Uryo laugh harder as he disappeared, leaving Shikiyoku standing with a smirk in the woods by herself. 3

There was no disturbance in the air, but he woke anyway. He shifted, stretching. He could tell he hadn't slept long, but he felt just as rested as if he had. Odd, how time worked here, and how the smell of his home world changed how he felt about things at times.

Hiei shifted some more until he was laying on his stomach, head turned so that when he opened his eyes, he could see the tent flap. His cheek dug into the furs, though it wasn't uncomfortable, and he realized Shikiyoku hadn't yet returned. Curious, he continued to stare at the tent flap, mind blank aside from the impression of curiosity, eyelids half closed as he took in another deep breath.

When she _did _suddenly come into view, stepping from the darkness outside to the darkness inside the tent, he watched her with half-lidded eyes and a small sense of curiosity.

And when he spoke, his words were slightly muffled by the pressure of his cheek on the furs. "Did ya' kill somefin?"

~!**!~

Akari met Kuwabara's narrowed gaze with a calm one, not surprised by his sudden accusation. "Before you get huffy, I'm not… _in league _with them. Once you've been targeted a certain amount of times, you tend to figure out ways to learn about your enemy. It's something Sensui taught me." She paused, sighing. "I also have loads of free time on my hands, and sitting around isn't really my thing."

She raised a brow. "Though, _if _I were to join them, you would have known by now, because I am terrible at keeping myself out of trouble. I thought you knew that by now."

Here, she decided to shut up, though her gaze never parted from Kuwabara's. _*****_

"Stop being stupid." Shizuru whacked Kuwabara in the back of the head again. "You know as well as I do that she doesn't give off any bad vibes."

Kuwabara had let out an exclamation of pain, reaching up to rub at the place she'd hit him, but neither did he protest at her words.

"Shizuru...how..._good _would you say you are at reading people?" Kurama wanted to know.

"You mean people besides you?" Shizuru replied, cigarette in her mouth once more. She shrugged. "Depends."

~!**!~

Shikiyoku made her way towards the darker shape among the furs and dropped to her knees, crawling up next to Hiei as he voiced his question.

She plopped down on her side, facing him as she answered, "Yes. Lots of things. All the things." Just before she settled back, she leaned forward and pressed her lips briefly to his nose with a light kiss, "Just for you." She snuggled down into the furs and pulled her hands up to her chest to bury her face in them. 3

Hiei blinked sleepily at Shikiyoku as he saw her shadowy form move closer, her voice floating on the air in an almost dream-like way as he felt half sure he wasn't really even awake. His lips twitched slightly at her words, his eyes sliding shut as he contemplating going right back to sleep.

He took a deep breath in as he listened to her shuffling about, that being the only sound he was privy to at the moment. When he felt odd contact with his face, his eyes slid open again to regard the demoness now laying next to him curiously. There was a beat of silence before he spoke up, "What wa-sh tha' for?" He paused to fight back a yawn and shifted a bit more, "Yoo make no sensh to me." He shifted only enough to pull his chin a bit closer to his chest, his eyes sliding shut again as he fought off sleep for the second time.

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at the display between brother and sister, her outward reaction nothing more than slight amusement, despite her inward relief. Really, she didn't like being cornered into situations like that. She hadn't done much wrong, except… you know… lay around with the person deemed their enemy. Play games. Take naps in the sun and-

_Okay, so really, I should be dead. Whatever. They'll get over it. ...Eventually._

When the conversation picked up via Kurama, she turned to him curiously, wondering what he had in mind and displaying that curiosity with a raised brow as she waited. _*****_

Kurama fell silent, lost in his thoughts, and when it didn't seem like he would speak up again, Kuwabara and Shizuru exchanged glances as Genkai calmly continued to sip at her tea.

"I feel like we should do _something _to help Koenma." Kuwabara finally said. "He's our friend after all."

"And what exactly do you propose we do, little brother?"

"I dunno. Rescue him?"

~!**!~

"Because I'm rather _fond _of you, Hiei." Shikiyoku inched closer to him as she felt the warmth radiating off his body, "I do these things because I _like_ you. Does _that_ 'make sense' to you?" She lifted her head just enough to let the tip of her tongue stick out at him, sleepily impetuous. 3

There was a moment where Hiei seemed to be thinking over what Shikiyoku said, pondering her words as if they had another meaning behind them. And, after that moment, he merely blinked at her once before his eyes slid shut all the way.

"Do you want to lose tha' tongue?" he grumbled at her, his threat countered by the twitch of his lips.

~!**!~

"Rescue the _prince _of Spirit world… from _Spirit World?" _Akari's brows disappeared into her bangs now. "That would require _getting into _Spirit World, first off, because alarming him with any sort of technology _made _by Spirit World is… stupid, to say the least. And, honestly, do you think he'd readily believe that his own father was the _cause _of all of his troubles- aside from the usual way?"

Akari frowned slightly. It was true, though, that really, they had no _proof _that it was of Enma's doing. Only hunches and guesses and… puzzles.

Though, despite lack of proof, Akari still felt sure of what she'd thought about earlier, still felt sure that she needed to find Foko and make for _certain _she was right before doing anything else. Now, _how _she was going to find the false fox demon, that was another question.

A question she suddenly realized was going to be difficult to answer for a while. _*****_

"Well, I wouldn't want anything to happen to him." Kuwabara made a face, "And I don't see him as being the type to just go along with whatever his dad says. Not on something like this." He looked at both Kurama and Akari pointedly. "He already has a different opinion of demons, don't you think?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku bit back a rather inappropriate reply, settling for a milder, "Only to you."

A smiled danced over her lips as she closed her eyes again, immediately becoming bothered by Uryo's words.

"_Sho, if you and that hybrid are shtill gonna leave Demon World...hic...you gotta do it yeshterday."_

Shikiyoku could feel her brows drawing together with the thought. 3

Hiei made a hum of acknowledgement at Shikiyoku to show he'd heard her, but otherwise made no indication of even a possibility for a reply. He took in another deep breath that turned into a brief yawn, pulling his right arm up and under his head when he felt the furs beneath tickling his face and neck.

"Shi'," Hiei suddenly grumbled out, only half awake causing the shortening of her name, "you're not so bad."

~!**!~

Akari drew in a deep breath and met Kuwabara's gaze squarely when he interrupted her thoughts. "While I'm sure Koenma is _very _different from his father, there's still that family bond thing. And telling him his own father is causing mayhem without any _proof _could either go very well, or very bad, depending on the specific situation."

She paused to rub at her temples with her index finger and thumb, her mind split on several different thoughts and creating a mild headache. "But, he _does _need to be warned. It's just going about it that needs thinking over." Another pause to take in a sigh. She suddenly found herself wanting to be up and moving, instead of _sitting _here where her thoughts could be interrupted. _*****_

"For what it's worth, I think I'll stay here awhile, if that's alright with you." Genkai looked between Kuwabara and Shizuru. "I think having me close at hand wouldn't hurt anything. And it'll give me a chance to pin you down, girl."

Shizuru seemed pleased that Genkai would offer and nodded.

"If you'll stay here, sis, I think I'm gonna go see about finding Urameshi. At least letting him know what we know, even if we aren't going to do anything about it right now." Kuwabara started to get up and clear away a few of the dirty dishes on the coffee table.

~!**!~

Hiei's words almost startled Shikiyoku from her deep thoughts, her eyes flying open at his words when the tent had been so quiet. It took another moment for her brain to play back what he'd even said, but upon hearing him she actually smiled, her expression soft and grateful though he surely couldn't see it in the darkness.

"You're not so terrible yourself, Hiei." 3

"That can be arranged," he countered suddenly, though his eyes never opened as he shifted some more until he lay on his side instead of his stomach. He was so close to sleep that he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be awake now.

His mind was blank, his body relaxed, and after a few more minutes, his breathing started to even out, his lips parted slightly due to the pressure of his cheek on his arm. He was just so darn _comfortable…_

~!**!~

Akari noticed that the others were beginning to disband, and jumped all over the idea. She turned to Kurama and sighed. "I think I'm gonna go home soon." she informed as she stood, stretching her arms over her head as if she'd been sitting too long.

And then she remembered earlier thoughts about his offer and a frown pulled her lips down again. She was going to get that out of the way as soon as they were out of earshot. _*****_

Kurama felt torn about whether or not he should leave. On the one hand, he felt as if Akari speaking directly _to _him indicated she wished to speak with him away from the others.

On the other hand, Genkai would likely be able to shed some light onto his energy being locked away and getting a chance to speak with her while she was around would be invaluable. Plus, the more of them that were together, the less difficult it would be to contact one another should something happen.

It was in the middle of his musings that Shizuru and Genkai began exchanging small talk as Kuwabara grabbed a light jacket and said farewell as he went out the door.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku wasn't sure exactly _what _Hiei was going to arrange. Being more terrible or being less so.

She didn't press the issue, instead simply maintaining the same expression, her eyes open to where she could barely make out the darker portion of air in front of her where he lay.

Getting lost in her silent arguments about leaving Demon World or staying, she absently scooted closer again and buried her face into the upper part of Hiei's arm, squeezing her eyes shut, but quickly releasing the tension when she was suddenly overwhelmed in her next breath by that fiery cinnamon and cloves scent she had long ago associated with him.

She let out an audible sigh.

_I guess it can just wait until morning. _

_...if he wakes up again in the meantime, I'll tell him._3

He was sure he heard movement, but at the same time, Hiei wasn't sure he'd really heard anything at all as his mind delved further into sleep mode, his senses only portionally aware of his surroundings. At least, only aware enough that should danger approach, he'd know it and be prepared before the threat was close enough to strike.

And in an instant, the darkness of the world around him shifted to the light of dreams.

~!**!~

Akari took note of Kurama's hesitation and gave a small sigh. If he didn't want to leave, she had two choices: Go home and let the subject be on hold for a while, or stay until he was willing to leave and get it out of the way. If she waited, who knew how long he'd be here, depending on what held him here. If she left, it could be at least another few hours before she saw him again…

_Then it's settled. _

She took a deep breath and moved to sit again, indirectly saying she wasn't letting him leave without her, and vice versa, for more than one reason. _*****_

"Well, how about right now? It's not as if we don't have the time." Genkai said.

Shizuru shrugged, though the brightness that came to her eyes at the suggestion belied her indecisiveness.

Genkai hopped off the couch and went to go sit in the middle of the room, Shizuru shifting and scooting over until she was opposite.

"Give me your hands." Genkai sat cross-legged, a movement which Shizuru mirrored, and put her hands out into the air between them, Shizuru taking them when offered. "Now close your eyes…"

"If we need to speak privately, I can always walk you home." Kurama murmured once the older teacher had moved. 3

Akari leaned into the cushion behind her, throwing an arm up to rest across the back of the couch as Nabu suddenly joined her, taking the spot Genkai had vacated and laying as close to her as he could be. His chin rested on her thigh after she crossed the leg closest to him over the other, resting her ankle on her opposite knee.

She pulled her eyes away from Genkai when Kurama spoke up, turning a calm gaze to him as she nodded. "I'm patient enough." _*****_

Kurama's eyes flickered towards the training session that had started in the middle of the living room.

"It seems that my entire reason for staying has decided to become engaged in other activities, so if you wished, we could certainly leave now." 3

Akari gave a brief shrug at Kurama with the shoulder of the arm that was resting on the back of the couch. "It's up to _you_." Her eyes turned to the two on the floor for a moment, only slightly curious as to what was going on. Like she had said, she was patient enough to wait.

Especially since now she wasn't really sure how to bring up the topic. _*****_

Kurama made a small shrug as if to indicate that he did not particularly care either way, but at Akari not immediately acting upon his offer, he leaned forward and retrieved the cup of tea he had been sipping from off the table.

"What side would you wish to be on, all things aside?" Kurama murmured to her in the same low tone. 3

For a moment, Akari wasn't sure if Kurama's question was rhetorical, or if she was _meant _to give a serious answer. She didn't look at him, but she didn't hesitate in her answer either. "Whichever doesn't get us killed." She did pause for a moment after though, staring unblinkingly at the pair on the floor, but not seeing them at this moment. "Kuwabra's right, though. Otento… needs to go. No matter how _useful _he is to the cause that Foko has going. But, if you take into account that _Koenma _isn't with his father on this, then… there's not really much of a choice there. Foko may have a reason for what he's doing, but Koenma seems like the better choice, in my opinion." _*****_

The next question was of course, if it came down to a fight between Koenma and Enma, which Kurama could ses as an entirely possible situation...who would actually come out the victor?

There was no doubt in Kurama's mind that Koenma would prove to be a perfectly capable ruler, though going so far as to say that this entire situation had been originated from the toddler-prince seemed a little far-fetched to Kurama.

In the end, as with most of his choices, Kurama would choose whatever would lead to his mother's safety.

Excepting that it be the fake Youko's side. He'd never hear the end of it if he went with something like _that_, no matter what the cost. 3

There was a moment of silence in the entire room, leaving Akari to realize that she hadn't said whatever didn't get _her _killed, but whatever didn't get '_us' _killed. With that thought again came the scene she'd run into, and every moment after. Her eyes looked down at the hand in her lap, almost expecting to still see the blood there, but unsurprised to find none.

When had she gone from thinking about herself to thinking about everyone else first?

Her eyes again turned to Kurama, this time from the corners. She had the vague sense of deja vu as her thoughts turned to the redhead being the first to create such changes, and she sighed quietly to herself before turning her eyes from him again.

"For so little seeming to be a threat these days, I feel as if there's even more of a threat than ever, now that Enma's a factor." _*****_

"I wonder...if Enma is as strong as we've always believed. If he is not as...good as we've been led to believe, then what's to say there are not other things in the myths surrounding him which have been stretched far from the truth?

"What is his job, really? To maintain peace and order? Who gave him that mandate?" 3

Akari gave another one-shoulder shrug at Kurama. "When you rise to power, as he did, then you're free to do whatever you want, because there's no one to stop you from doing so. You're free to give yourself your own title, your own duties, and to control another as you please. It's something Sensui prided in himself for a while, the way he rose from what he saw as nothing more than a guinea pig to a human with the strength of an S class and complete control over the Sacred Energy."

Her eyes took on a faraway gleam as she thought about it, remembering the training he'd put himself through, the absolute _hell _he'd given himself. "Some people earn their power through hard work, others simply end up there. Which one, might I ask, is Enma? The 'privileged', or the 'hard worker'?" She gave another thoughtful pause, accompanied with a sound to match. "The only way to find out, I suppose, is to see for ourselves." _*****_

As Akari worked her way through her perspective, Kurama came to the realization that he really had no idea particularly _anything_ about Enma. About how he came to power. How long he had been there. And for the first time he thought about how much more useful it would be to have _that _insight rather than his insight into how the fake Youko might act.

...but the only one he could think of to ask about that, the only one he thought might have some insider information that no one else would be able to provide...

...was currently stuck in Spirit World undergoing whatever _hell_-_heh_-was being thrown his way.

"I do not know." Was Kurama's reply. "And that is a question that I feel as if we desperately need to have answered." 3

Akari turned her eyes onto Kurama again, several thoughts distracting her for a moment before they reordered themselves and she was able to speak. "The thing about that is, there's only one way to get such information, because anything _we_, as in demons and Spiritual beings alike I'm sure, know about him is what has been passed down by talk, by bedtime stories. Meaning, as I'm sure you've noticed, Koenma is likely the only one to shed any sort of light."

_Except someone who has already searched into it. Except someone who already __**knows **__the answer from a first-hand experience, or even their own research. Someone like Foko. _

She turned forward again with a small frown. "And as you said, we're left to our own devices. On our own for the time being, and quite frankly, after we _can _get hold of Koenma, it might be too late to warn him at all." She gave a half-hearted smile, "That's the beauty of being in power: you're viewed by others as you _want _them to view you." _*****_

Kurama did not look at Akari, watching Genkai and Shizuru interact, though hearing nothing of what they were saying, but he said quietly, "The very same is to be said of the fake Youko himself."

He slowly lifted his eyes and turned his head to look at her, expression neutral. 3

"Mmm," Akari hummed out, choosing not to give an actual reply to the redhead who turned to her. Nor did she look at him, for a moment, anyway. Her eyes were focused forward, but not really seeing the room as she considered her response carefully, even weighed if responding was a good idea.

In the end, she gave no reply, simply turning to meet the unreadable gaze with her own unblinking one, as if she'd just been given a warning, and taken it into account. _I know, I know. __*****_

Kurama said nothing, gauging Akari silently in that moment before he broke his piercing stare to relieve her of it, shifting in his seat and switching which leg was crossed over the other, leaning his elbow on the arm of the couch and resting his chin across the top of his hand.

He didn't feel as if anything needed to be said. She would do as she wished. Only this time...he would not be there to save her. 3

When Kurama turned away, breaking the heavy moment entirely, she too turned away, her eyes turning down to Nabu sleeping quietly with his head on her thigh. Her arm dropped from the back of the couch, her hand gently running along Nabu's head and down his back.

_I'll be careful. I have to be. There's too much going on to not be paying attention. _

Nabu's eyes opened half-way to look up at her as she disturbed his sleep, causing her to pause as he shifted a bit, kicking his legs against her thigh until he was laying a bit further, head still on her thigh and eyes now watching her curiously.

"_What now?"_

She shook her head lightly at the pup and pet him once again, giving a soft smile.

_When I find him- and I'm going to- I'll need to make sure Otento isn't around first. Then…_

_I'll just have to figure it out after that. But first… Before that… I can't forget to talk to Kurama. Foko can wait just a bit longer. __*****_

"Do you...wish to go now?" Kurama murmured, sensing as if there would be such a thing as a 'good time' for her to see about getting a hold of the fake Youko, it would be better served to be sooner rather than later. 3

Hazel eyes turned from Nabu and up to Kurama, half surprised that he asked. Whatever it was he wished to speak with Genkai about, it seemed he felt it could wait, if just a bit longer. So, she nodded once, simultaneously giving Nabu a gentle pat that said 'lets go'. As soon as the dog was lifting his chin from her thigh, she was standing and brushing off her jeans, eyes down at the action as she realized she hadn't thought of a way to bring up the conversation.

Oh well. Easy does it, right?

...Or maybe not. Either way. _*****_

Kurama stood smoothly as Akari did, glancing over at Genkai and Shizuru before deciding that leaving them uninterrupted would likely be of more use to them here than announcing their exit, which they would probably be aware of on some level anyway, and he turned to head for the door, slipping his shoes on calmly as he reached for the knob and stepped out into the open air. 3

Akari took a bit longer than Kurama did to slide into her shoes, and then she too was stepping into the cool, crisp air that had, during their time inside, blown through the town and made the temperature drop several degrees. She glanced down at Nabu, assuring herself he was outside before she shut the door quietly behind herself and turned away. Her hands slowly stuffed themselves into her jean pockets as she moved down the stairs, still quiet as she considered several ways to go about this conversation.

She waited a bit longer than she'd originally planned, not sure if Genkai would have better hearing due to her high amounts of spiritual energy or not. _*****_

Kurama strolled easily down the sidewalk, realizing after a moment that he wasn't as impervious to the chill in the air as usual, with one hand nonchalantly in his pocket as he turned over in his mind all the things that had happened in the past few months.

It was hard to believe that he was in his last year at Meiou High, as his perception of time had slowed-_or was it quickened?_-with his human body, even with the Youko's spirit as intertwined as it had become with that of Minamino, Shuichi. His thoughts began turning towards the future, beyond just the year, into the next five, even ten, and musing at the possibilities. 3

For a few minutes, Akari allowed silence to stray on the air between Kurama and herself, her eyes calmly pointed forward and ears picking up the smallest of sounds- from Nabu's claws on the concrete behind her to the loud engines of the vehicles several blocks away.

And after those few minutes, she decided she'd stalled long enough, yet she still wasn't sure how to _ease into _the topic.

So, she dove right in instead.

"I need more time to… consider a few things." _*****_

Kurama only glanced at Akari out of the corner of his eye instead of fully turning his head towards her.

"Oh?" 3

She didn't look over at him. "I haven't had a chance to sit and think since we talked about it last." she continued, making a small sound before speaking up again. "Or, rather, _you _talked about it last. Assuming the offer still stands." _*****_

Kurama let out an amused breath through his nose, "Well, you certainly _have _time to think about it, as I'm afraid I am currently incapable of living up to my promise. So, it's good that you have not decided as of yet." 3

A small hum resounded from Akari's chest, as if his amusement meant nothing to her and hardly called for her acknowledgement. Her eyes remained forward as she thought about the first time he'd offered, and the _fashion _in which he'd given the offer. A single brow raised calmly at the recollection before she sighed.

"Glad you find it so amusing." _*****_

"I apologize. I did not mean it condescendingly. Perhaps more..._thankful _that you have not decided for it right at this moment, as it means I have not failed to keep a promise I made to you as of yet." 3

Akari raised a brow in slight amusement. "I was talking about your energy. Not… the offer… being amusing." she clarified, turning to glance at him finally. "Though, I do appreciate the sincerity there. Quite touching, might I say." she teased, though her eyes didn't sparkle nor did her lips twitch with amusement. _*****_

Kurama let out a low chuckle this time, "Well, I could take it all back if you'd prefer." 3

"Mmm, nah." she replied, her lips finally twitching. "I mean, unless you have something _better." _Her eyes turned away from him and up to the grey clouds that moved over their heads, carrying the colder breeze through the city and to the next.

"Tell you what: When I have an answer, _I'll _come to _you." __*****_

"It's rare for there to _be _anything better." Kurama said a bit loftily, just as Youko would have.

He glanced at her again, "As you wish." 3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	62. Episode 146 - Scars and Separation

**A/N: **Hello once again, Denizens of this FanFiction Realm!

Whew, this chapter was hard for me. I knew it was coming, but I had entire sections of my things to edit on this one and while I had all the changes up in my head, it still took longer than I thought it would.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Uryo appears to Shikiyoku and informs her that not only does Rae know Shikiyoku is back on the Ninth Level,  
>but Spirit World has apparently gone into crisis mode, completely shutting down,<br>and is closing all portals inbetween _anywhere_, including Demon and Human Worlds.

When she returns to the Elders' Tent, it's to a rather sleepy Hiei,  
>who informs her she's 'not so bad,'<br>but she waits to tell him anything until he's more coherent.

~!**!~

Akari and Kurama continue bringing Shizuru, Kuwabara, and Genaki up to speed,  
>explaining how Spirit World closed after a serious threat of attack.<br>Shizuru seems to get the feeling that whatever is going on,  
>demons being snuck into Human World or not,<br>it doesn't feel _bad _for Human World,  
>in any case not 'bad' like it did when they were dealing with Sensui.<p>

Their plan seems to be 'mobilization with intention to gather more information,'  
>and Akari and Kurama part from Kuwabara's apartment<br>just as Genkai begins to sit with Shizuru to attempt to help the girl hone her power.

Akari has remembered Kurama's offer to remove her scars,  
>but tells him she needs more time to consider his offer,<br>ending up telling him that _she _would find _him _when she has an answer...

* * *

><p>She relapsed into silence again, her eyes finding random things about their surroundings to note, such as the leaves on the trees, the people she passed, the dogs in closed fences or cats in windows. Shops. Food stands. Etcetera, etcetera… Whatever grabbed at her attention as her mind thought over his offer again.<p>

_If the scars are taken away, I'll look just as normal as I want to be. I'll look just as close to the person I was before. It's something I wanted for… a long time. _

_So why am I hesitating? Because of a couple of stupid ears and a damn tail? So what? __*****_

Akari's mentioning of his offer led Kurama's mind to the procedure he would have to do in order to remove the scars as he promised.

...which lead his eyes absently over to Akari's head where he could just imagine the ears she once wore flicking at each sound they heard, analyzing and likely dismissing them without her direct notice.

Removing scars was one thing. One thing he researched heavily in to once his...mother...received hers from...him.

As to the restoration of long-forgotten limbs...

...it was something Kurama did not find himself surprised to be considering searching for a method to do. And something he felt would not be outside his realm of ability.

...once he and Youko were one again, of course. 3

_It isn't like…_

_It isn't like I'm going to go _home _anytime in the near future. Or, likely ever, really. If I stay in this world, then the absence of such things would mean nothing to anyone except me. I've lived without them for this long, why do I need them now anyway?_

Again, she wondered why she was still hesitating, what it was that she had to _think _about. The memories she could deal with, given the right moment. They were manageable, as was having no ears and no tail. She could still _hear _like a dog demon. She still had each ability that she'd been born with.

She absently looked down at herself, as if seeing the skin beneath the shirts she wore. The skin that itched here and there when she thought of the marks that colored her torso and various other places. The marks that sometimes _stung _when she thought of the weapons, the utensils that had been used against her.

She also thought of the fact that she hid them, despite the fact that others had told her not to. But, really, it wasn't a story she wanted to tell, a story she wanted others to see. It was a story she wasn't proud of, wasn't glad she'd made through. It was a story that used to leave her crippled for days on end, leave her unable to function for that same amount of time, sometimes longer. Even now, a decade later, she sometimes felt as if she wanted nothing more than to shut herself away and hide herself from this world.

So why would she show a story like that to someone who wouldn't understand? _*****_

"Is living through it not reason enough to be proud?" Kurama wondered aloud, having caught Akari's glance and taken a guess at her thoughts, "Or is it that you wished you _hadn't_?" His second question was tinged with an innocent curiosity, thinking back to the complete and utter change of mind his mother saving him had bestowed upon his psyche. And how guilty he felt, over a _decade _later, each time he saw her scars.

...and recalling that as being the reason he did not remove them from her even once he discovered how. As if it were punishment for him to be forced to watch her live with those scars and the unending guilt he harbored for having been the cause of them. 3

Akari's eyes moved away from her torso when Kurama spoke up, but she didn't look at him. Her expression turned unreadable, if it hadn't already been as such, and her shoulders straightened just a little, not realizing she'd been hunching over just a bit from her own thoughts.

Truthfully, she used to wish she _hadn't_, as he asked. But admitting such a thing made her feel even worse about it. So, she didn't say that aloud. In fact, she didn't answer at all, because really, she didn't have one for him. At least, not one that wouldn't lead to a conversation she didn't want to venture into. _*****_

He saw out of the corner of his eye that Akari had straightened up next to him at his question, leaving it unanswered and on the air between them.

He thought about how he had, at one time, attempted to transfer his mother's wounds to himself-so that the reminder would be forever upon himself as the scars he had known then she would receive from the injuries-and found out at the time that it was beyond his means, beyond his abilities; how he had knocked himself out for three days and caused her more worry than if he had just left them alone.

He hadn't tried it again after that, though it led his precocious mind to seeking out alternatives, and to unlocking the secret he now offered to Akari.

_It had been more painful to leave the scars, and so that's what I did. What will Akari finally decide upon, I wonder._ 3

She had half a mind at that exact moment to tell Kurama she wanted them gone, because the more Akari thought about it, the more reasons she found to accept his offer. Simultaneously, though, she seemed to find that the same reasons to get rid of her marks were also things she'd been ignoring for a long time. Working her way through slowly. Almost _too _slowly, she felt.

But, again, she hesitated. She thought of Foko and the way he didn't _compliment _them, but seem to accept them altogether. She thought about the way Kurama offered her a way out, first by adding another to the pile and then…

Lecturing her, it seemed. She couldn't decide, really, but a part of her almost wanted to deem it as _pity_, which was another reason she kept her scars hidden.

And the mere thought suddenly had her frowning at the sidewalk ahead of her.

_I'm not pitiful. He has no room to lecture. __*****_

He remembered how self-conscious she had been of her scars that day in the gym. How he could tell the age of the scars just by looking at them, and wondering why exactly she was still brooding over them, why she hadn't gotten past it yet.

He..._assumed _she only needed a kick in the pants, that those she had been around had likely nurtured her into the inability to move on and had not done such a thing.

Mentally he made a scoffing noise at himself.

_We all know what it is to 'assume,' don't we?_

It makes an 'ass' out of 'u and me.' 3

"I know I've said this," Akari suddenly spoke up, eyes turning to Kurama from the corners again, "but I _really _don't need a lecture from anyone." she grumbled at him, her gaze even and not betraying her own thoughts over the matter. "I've also said that it's my problem, and that I'll get over it."

She turned her eyes forward again, her hands digging deeper into her pockets as she shifted out of a man's way as he rushed by her. "So, needless to say, repeating myself isn't something I enjoy doing." _*****_

Kurama felt his tongue sharpen and he bit back a scathing reply, settling on a calmer, "If I was ever to actually _lecture _you, I assure you that you would be aware of it immediately without question." 3

Akari chose not to reply, deciding that restraint was going to be her ally here, and likely get her through this without creating a toxic moment for the both of them. Sure, there were several things she wanted to say, but she felt that for the sake of both of their sanity, it'd be best to keep them to herself.

And, she noted somewhere in the back of her mind, for the sake of the odd relationship that had formed, she wouldn't push his buttons further. No matter the point. _*****_

If Kurama had been less of a demon, he would have chalked up her silence as a 'win,' but the thought did not even cross his mind, as he felt at first a tension from her that denoted a desire to counter his words, and actually found himself surprised when she elected to remain silent, and he let said silence grow between them. 3

Akari stayed quiet for a few minutes as she bit back each and every word that threatened to move past her lips and into the air between herself and Kurama. And, really, it wasn't hard to keep the slight ire held back enough to keep herself at bay, to keep herself from saying something that he'd easily counter, as he _always _did.

Now _that _was more irritating than anything else, that he had a counter for _every single thing _she said, and ended up getting the last word _every time_.

She took in a deep breath and released it through her nose.

"Your ability to counter is annoying." she grumbled, stating it as calmly as if she were observing the color of his hair. "There's no winning with you." _*****_

"Come back to me when you have a few more centuries under your belt." Kurama replied mildly, "I'm _ahead of the game_, as it were." 3

"Though the game isn't an enjoyable one. Not really worth playing." she grumbled on, his words irritating her more. He was taunting her because she was _young_. Wasn't that supposed to be a good thing in this world? _*****_

"That's because you seem to think I always _win_. We're not keeping score." At least, not out loud. 3

"It's especially no fun when the other does the exact thing the first does." she suddenly pointed out, this time cutting her eyes at him out of the corners. "Makes a sore loser even more irate." _*****_

Kurama only raised an eyebrow at Akari questioningly, actually unsure what she was talking about and waiting for her to elaborate. 3

Akari caught the silent question sent her way and turned her eyes forward again, her cheek twitching a bit as she chose her words… okay, maybe she _didn't _choose her words carefully.

"I mean, if _I _hide my marks, I'm ashamed of them. If _you _do so, it's perfectly fine. Quite the hypocrisy, hm?" _*****_

"Do you really think I hide my many scars because I'm ashamed of them?" Kurama asked, his eyebrow remaining arched just as it had been, though its purpose seemed to convey a different emotion now than before. 3

"Did I say that?" she countered easily. She was sure he wasn't.. _ashamed _of them, per se. But perhaps… _not proud _of them. Maybe the reason she pointed it out was because she herself wished she were that far, not ashamed, but not proud either. _*****_

"If I were ashamed of them, then your accusation of my hypocrisy would be well-placed. As it were, there is not an ounce of shame within me in regards to the scars scattered across my skin, rendering your indictment against me a moot point." 3

"The _point_ was not _shame," _she said carefully. "It's simply what _you _locked onto." Her hands pulled out of her pockets and she pulled to a stop, turning to him as her fingers wrapped around the open button-up shirt she wore and pulled it outwards a bit, to indicate the subject. "The _point _was that people keep telling me that I shouldn't _hide them_, but those very same people do the very same thing, and I'm losing what little patience I have." _*****_

"Give me a single, _**good**_, reason as to why you should hide your scars." Kurama allowed none of the edge he felt spike across his mind into his words, letting the sentence roll from his tongue calmly, with patience. 3

Akari felt the change in her core that hinted at the slightest bit of adrenaline at the challenge he'd issued calmly, at the fact that she'd _just _thought about another asking this very question. She had to fight not to toss her hands in the air in frustration, in anger almost. She huffed out a very short breath from her nose, and were she a dragon, it would have been fire instead of simple air.

"Because it _hurts!" _she growled at him. "It isn't the _shame _that keeps them hidden," she continued, voice low and barely restrained. "I _feel _the cause almost every time I look at them. Even your stupid whip stings from time to time, so to keep from feeling it again, I don't look at them! If I _see _them, I _feel _them. And in case you don't recall, the feeling of being _cut open _and _lashed at _is not an enjoyable feeling!" _*****_

"And you sincerely, honestly believe that keeping them _hidden _behind clothing is helping? Have you ever _tried _looking at them? Not all at once, not for a significant amount of time, but actually _seeing _them for what they are? Pieces of skin drawn together in order for the body to survive? Have you considered that perhaps in order for their healing to begin, for the pain to stop, that you might have to allow them to breathe once in a while?" Kurama shook his head, "Medically, once dire blood flow has stopped, do you not give a wound access to oxygen to quicken the healing process?

"If after all this time you have felt no improvement in your condition, would it not be prudent to consider a different course of action than the one that isn't helping? The one that might, in fact, be _hindering_ progress instead?" His voice never rose, remaining that steady volume he always seemed capable of using. 3

Akari suddenly stood up straight, smoothing down the sides of the shirt she'd bought earlier that morning and letting her eyes follow the action. This time, when she spoke, her voice was even, controlled. "You think I haven't tried?" Her eyes turned up to him again, blank as if not seeing him for who he was. "The only thing I _haven't _tried is getting a damn shrink, all of which you are not. And, before you say so, I will not be doing that." She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the very, very quiet sound of Nabu making a noise of concern at her feet.

"I've done everything I can imagine, just short of accepting _your _offer, which I did _not _ask for. _You _chose to jump in. Why, I don't know, because you hide your own scars. It isn't like _you _don't have something you haven't moved past yet, and don't you tell me otherwise because _everyone _has something they would rather not share with the world. Let this one be mine, and I won't press you about yours. Capiche?" With that, she turned and made to continue on. _*****_

Kurama stopped and let her move on a pace or two before speaking up again in reply.

"I am **for certain **you haven't tried. I'm **positive** you haven't. Not really. Because I _know_ you. I know how **exceptionally **stubborn you are, as I've been on the receiving end of that stubbornness many a time, and the thought of you allowing bits of flesh to **own **and **consume **your entire mind, is unfathomable to me.

"You wear chains of your own devising, and it is only _you _who will be able to break yourself free of them, no matter what outside assistance there may be offered, no matter what strength another may wish to allow you to lean upon should you deem them worthy enough to help you, should you truly find yourself in need of help." He did not appear to suggest an answer for her in either direction.

"The difference between you and I, your scars and mine, is that you _haven't moved __**passed**_ _yours_, and I never had anything to move pass in the first place. You remain stuck, wallowing in them, using them as a crutch to hide a beautiful demonic figure, while I keep mine from my mother's view because she simply _cannot handle them_. The mental strain, the worry, the absolute _anguish _it caused her to see her child with something so simple as a banged up knee...all of that because she wanted to take the injury on herself to spare her selfish boy from a cut-that for me healed within seconds-and _couldn't._" Kurama ruefully considered how his mother had dove to 'save' him from the broken glass he had caused, another injury he would have had no trouble healing; how she had 'gotten her wish' in the most aimless, fruitless, meaningless manner possible.

"_**That **_and _only _that, is the reason why mine are kept out of sight. For _her_. Because I _am _in fact a _selfish_ boy and wish her to have as fearless a life as possible; a life _without _fear, without concern, without apprehension for where I am and what I am doing.

"However, I would agree: I am absolutely _certain_ you have done everything you could have ever imagined, because I highly doubt you've ever taken it upon yourself to walk around your house _naked _until the pain _stops_." And with that he turned, leaving Akari to walk the rest of the way to her home by herself, heading back to Genkai's apartment.

_Which is where __**I **__come in. To suggest things you could never dream up on your own. _He smirked to himself as he moved, unable to prevent the mental image he'd just suggested to her from popping into his mind and finding that such a picture pleased him, even if he immediately dismissed it for her sake.

...for once it was as if Youko were there in his head still, and Kurama wondered at how intertwined their spirits had become. It was as if he still channeled the fox even though the fox was not there. 3

Akari pulled to a stop when Kurama spoke up again, keeping her back to him as she listened, but didn't even deem a glance worth sending him. But as he continued on, at first she wanted to say that he didn't _know _her. Then he continued on by making her feel as if he'd struck her. Her eyes turned to the sky, as if it would help her keep her calm in the sudden onslaught of Kurama, whom she now knew to be _actually _lecturing her.

_He hadn't been lying when he said I'd know it. _

She didn't react to his words about his mother- she'd already considered that, already assumed it to be the reason he hid his, because of his human mother. She hadn't seen the woman, had no idea what she looked like, how she acted, knew nothing about her, but from what she knew of _human _mothers, she hadn't found it hard to guess that he was-

_What a funny way to say one was selfish. _

"Stupid." she grumbled, almost not catching the last part. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as if he were slapping her with his words, as if he were actually _attacking_, his words sharp as his whip, though not from his tone. She opened her mouth to say something, turning to even look at him.

And then she registered what he'd said, and her mouth simply hung there, open as it had been, no words falling out. She blinked, not sure what to say, if anything. For a moment, she only managed to stare after him incredulously, arms still crossed over her chest.

There was something, just sitting, on the end of her tongue for a moment, but by the time she was able to remember how to speak, whatever had been ready to fly had been forgotten. Her jaw snapped shut, her lips pressing into a thin line as she watched Kurama continue back the way they'd come.

And instead of yelling at him- what she wanted to yell, she didn't know- she simply turned and continued on her way home instead, head down as she moved through the crowd that had parted around her and Kurama during their moment.

And then she remembered taking note earlier of tracking down Foko. She paused only a moment before deciding it could wait long enough for her to recover from… whatever had just happened. _*****_

~!**!~

As Shikiyoku ran in Hiei's wake, she took note for what seemed like the first time of the invisible haze of energy that flowed behind and around her. Over the last couple of days she had gotten to feel it slowly seeping back into existence as the aftereffects of supplementing her energy with Hiei's during the Odori Iro wore off.

Her eyes flickered to the pocket she had found within Hiei's cloak two days ago the last time they had fallen asleep together in the Elders' Tent. He had yet to notice-or comment if he knew-that she had slipped the Koorime tear-jewel within that pocket once he had fallen into deep sleep, and with him in the lead she hoped he would not question it.

Once Shikiyoku spoke with Hiei about all Uryo had told her, he had made no hesitation in deciding that the time for them to return to Human World was, as Uryo had put it, "yesterday," and it was with full speed that the two of them made for the mountainside they first emerged from all those months ago.3

For the past two days, Hiei hadn't been able to think of much more than the fact that Spirit World had been shut down. Of all things, he hadn't considered Spirit World shutting down, because to him, that meant that all hell was going to be released soon, if it hadn't already. It meant that Kurama and the others would need an extra hand, that if he didn't return, a lot could happen and he'd never live it down.

So his feet carried him just as fast as Shikiyoku could go, eyes trained ahead and searching for the portal in the side of the mountain he vaguely remembered exiting through. Once he and Shikiyoku were back, they'd be able to fill in the others, get a step ahead of whatever was going on and end this ridiculous 'mission'.

And for the first time, he felt that Koenma had no hand in this, because why would the Prince, who had spared multiple demon lives, set up the death of numerous other demons?

As he pondered this, Hiei's fiery red eyes caught sight of the mountains, and the area from which they had come and he shifted gears a little, changing his course just enough to take the shorter route towards where the portal would be..

Before much time had passed, he was moving through the portal, not looking back as he crossed into the darkness of the portal, feet moving until he crossed the Kekkai Barrier and-

Something within him seemed to falter, deaden, and he pulled to an immediate stop and spun to face the Kekkai, seeing it flare up briefly before a sort of darkness took its place. There was the distinct feeling of a solid wall where once there had only been the shining yellow net of energy. His Jagan reached out, finding the bond he could only find a _bit _of and pulling on it, accessing it to create a moment where he could speak to the person he could no longer see, no longer hear, and no longer feel nearby, though he, for the moment, said nothing. _*****_

There had been few words exchanged between the pair since they left the Northern Tribe, for which Shikiyoku found herself thankful. It was difficult enough to keep her reservations to herself, and had they not spent the last two days constantly on the run, she feared Hiei might notice her newly acquired solemnness that she tried desperately to hide, though without much success.

Shikiyoku had not thought about the Kekkai Barrier since she first passed through it, but now that they were heading back, her thoughts were consumed by it.

She remembered distinctly the tug it gave at her when she tried to pass through the first time, and while at the time she dismissed the sensation, it now alarmed her.

...because now...she was stronger. Stronger than her mother. And if the barrier _had _tugged at her before because of her power, if it _had _been directly related to how close she was to the 'A Class' Hiei told her about...

Shikiyoku let her feet mechanically follow the directional change Hiei made and she swallowed nervously, glad not for the first time that he had taken it upon himself to be in the lead. If he looked back at her, she was not certain she would be able to smile reassuringly, as if everything was going to be okay.

With him in the lead, and with the portal-opening tear in his pocket, Shikiyoku was sure he would get through. She _wasn't _sure how she was going to convince him to go on once he realized she got stuck. She could just see him marching right back up to the golden net with that scowl on his face, glaring at the poor thing as if he could intimidate it into letting her through.

She actually smiled a little at the image.

He _had _to go back, had to go help his comrades, go help Spirit World. Whatever mess he would emerge to would be one he would assist in fixing, she just knew it. They needed him.

_You need him._

No, it...well, _yes_, but...

Shikiyoku held back a sigh and her vision suddenly cut off, pulling her from her thoughts as she dashed into the mountainside and into darkness where Hiei had just disappeared.

She caught sight of his back as they approached the Kekkai, looming brilliantly before them, and for a split second she let her speed slow so that Hiei might gain a bit of distance on her. When he did not appear to notice, she slowed further, unsure what the Barrier might do once she approached it and intending to _not _run headlong into it.

As she expected, Hiei passed by without trouble, and while she was only a second or two behind him, she pulled herself to a stop just short of the net, looking up at it and taking a deep breath before reaching out timidly, much like she had done the first time they approached it.

As soon as her skin came in contact with the energy, the Kekkai crackled at her, confirming her fears as she jerked her hand away to look at her fingers, seeing how they appeared singed.

Shikiyoku took a second breath and looked up, prepared to attempt _something_ in the way of convincing Hiei to go on without her, only to find herself suddenly and completely alone in the dark.

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion, desperately trying to see, and she clenched her slightly burnt hand into a fist briefly before reaching up with it again and without hesitation moving her hand forward until her palm hit something solid and smooth.

She felt the half of the pact she had active within her head suddenly flooded with the warmth of Hiei's mind, feeling that he reached out to her in some strange manner through the pact with the Jagan as well.

Shikiyoku opened her mouth as if to say something, her mind suddenly strangely blank and uncomprehending of what exactly was going on.

_This isn't...normal. I can't even feel the passageway in front of me anymore. _

Something within her lurched and she shivered.

"_Hiei, what's happening?" _

Shikiyoku could _feel _somehow that parts of her sentence did not get through to him and a sudden rush of adrenaline made her core start pumping faster.

_No...not like this..._

"_Don't-" _Don't what? Don't leave?

She lurched again and it felt as if something behind her had grabbed a hold of her body and was about to fling her back out of the passageway.

She pressed her hand harder up against the wall of darkness as if she searched for some purchase that she might be able to hold onto, but at the third lurch even her feet slipped backwards and a strange sort of calm overtook her, even in the midst of the Jagan's fury.

"_...don't forget me." _

She took another breath and let her forehead rest against the wall as if she could feel him through it, letting her eyes close as even the warmth of Hiei's mind touching hers began to fade, though she could feel him struggle against it, trying to stay in contact with her.

Even the pact started to go mute, and Shikiyoku's hand closed into a fist again, her teeth clenching together as her throat went stiff and she bit back an angry sob.

_We were supposed to talk. You were supposed to be stubborn. You were going to glare at me when I told you to leave without me, and I was going to smile at you and imagine leaping through to hug you and having you hug me back-_

_..._

_...not like this._

...

"_...I love you." _3

Hiei felt her communicating through the Jagan, and waited for her to continue on after saying his name. There seemed to be a hesitation, or perhaps a lag from the barrier as he waited, because there was a beat of silence.

"_...forget me."_

Hiei blinked as a few more words seemed to make an attempt to filter through the sudden buzz in his mind, though they were disjointed, fuzzy, and held no meaning to him before the connection was cut off entirely. He hadn't even had a chance to say anything to her, and now he simply stood there, at the edge of the barrier, teeth grinding together. _Why _hadn't she gone through?

His fingers twitched before he suddenly felt as if a vacuum had opened up in the space behind him, pulling him away from both the barrier and Shikiyoku all at once, and throwing him out into the sunlight of Human World, where he sat on the sand in the middle of nowhere, staring ahead at the vast desert void of mountains and void of any and all portals that had recently been there.

~!**!~

Three days, and still, nothing. Three days of wandering with her nose in the air, and Akari had yet to find any sign of Foko, or any activity that might even _hint _that the demon was anywhere near the city _at all_. It was clear that the city itself was clean of any demonic activity, aside from those Spirit World had assigned specifically- such as herself and Kurama- but other than that, nothing out of the norm.

Though, she'd dealt with a small group of trespassers yesterday, who'd not seen her wandering by when they'd made to corner a camper some miles away from the city lights. It had reminded her why she was out there in the first place, because the demons seemed to know nothing but pure anger and murderous intent.

The human had gotten away, though only because she'd been able to use her illusions on the male to hide the actual scene and steer him clear of danger.

It hadn't been an easy task, but she'd done it. With minimal time loss and minimal injury, might she add.

Actually, the only reason she'd gotten the scratch was _because _the human had wandered too close.

After that, it'd been back to aimless walking and constant sniffing of the colder air, her breath coming out as puffs in front of her face now that the _actual _cold front had hit. Even now, as she stood in the middle of a bundle of trees and stared at her own breath, she wasn't sure where to go.

_If they're bringing more demons, then surely I could feel their presence. _

Her energy stretched out further around her, searching the immediate area and even a good distance away, and finding nothing as she probed the air. So, she adjusted her t-shirt, stuffed her hands in her back jean pockets, and continued walking again, eyes continuing to move about as she wandered, mentally keeping track of where she'd already been and where she _hadn't _been.

After about a half hour longer of simple wandering, she considered calling it quits for a while and returning home to Nabu, to a warm bed where she could nap after being out almost all night and all day, and back to… as much as she didn't like saying it… doing as Kurama had suggested and simply sitting around, fighting herself and actually sitting around in a simple t-shirt and shorts, allowing herself to stare at scars for a while before finding something to keep herself busy.

Which was why the shirt she wore now hung off her shoulder slightly, her hair pulled up into a ponytail to ensure that when she occasionally looked down, she'd be facing her own self. It seemed to work, though there were points where-

_What was that? _

Akari paused suddenly, feet planting in place and nose raising high into the air as she took in a long, deep breath of the crisp air. _There, again. _It was only a small whiff, but it was so much more than she'd gotten in the past two days that she turned and made way towards the source of the rotten flesh, the smell of a place she hadn't been to in over a decade.

_Found you, Foko. __*****_

~!**!~

If his sources were correct, and his sources were _always _correct, the Youko-who-was-not-Youko knew that the timing of this final influx of demons was going to be _quite _difficult to pull off.

It only made him smile that icy smile he had found himself using much more often these days.

He stood back from the wide mouth of the cave, arms crossed over his chest in waiting and not in response to the chill of the air, and could feel the fluctuations from within, his second lieutenant standing at his side and watching, _feeling_, the changes that were occurring on both sides of the barrier, changes that were being helped along by others of the gang, no, the _army_.

Youko pondered briefly upon Gekijou's unintentional betrayal. He had guessed as much when the demon of anger had so readily accepted the invitation, able to smell and even _sense _the power of the one they had 'lost' upon her. Calculating such a thing into their intentions had been of little consequence.

_Plans within plans._

"Here they come."

Youko's lieutenant pulled the fox's attention away from his inner musings and to the mouth of the cave. The demons were beginning to pour through now, and Youko nodded to the demon at his side. The demon moved forward to begin greeting those that were just now marching out of the cave, a mass of demons that would increase the size of the army twofold, doubling their current numbers.

Pleased, Youko started to gracefully slip away on silent feet until a movement, and an energy, piqued his mind. He kept moving, getting beyond the nearby trees to hide his presence, and watched as demons started to go by before stalking into their midst, grabbing the arm of the female demon he'd seen attempt to merge herself with the others, and drag her away, only receiving mild looks from the other demons in the crowd as he did so.

"_What _do you think you're _doing?_" Youko growled at her as they broke free of the other demons. He led her without pause farther into the treeline until they would not be seen by prying eyes before releasing her roughly across from him, taking to glaring at her dangerously, arms folding over his chest once more.

~!**!~

Though she did not know it, Shikiyoku had gotten flung away from the wall in much the same manner as Hiei on the other side of it, and she currently sat staring blankly at the mountainside from the ground where she had been flung.

She didn't even hear the noises of the Ninth Level around her anymore, didn't particularly see the deep reds of her home-level.

All she could feel was the complete silence of the pact within her, unbroken, still intact, but dead and unresponsive.

As she finally blinked, Shikiyoku knew if she sat there long enough, the realization, the utter finality of her situation, would dawn on her and tears and grief would come. She wanted nothing more than to curl up on the forest floor right there and give up.

But at the same time, other emotions stirred deep within her.

_Not like this._

This is not how things were supposed to go.

That damn wall wasn't supposed to be there.

She didn't get to see him, to say a proper goodbye.

_Not. Like. This._

And it all made her very angry.

Her teeth clenched together as the muscles in her arms tightened violently when her hands formed into fists and she finally stood up with a growl resonating deep within her chest.

The mountain before her did not even so much as have the dark opening where one might begin passing through to the other side, but that didn't stop Shikiyoku when her vision tunneled in and she began attacking it.

It took three cycles of day and night, of Shikiyoku hurling her energy at the unyielding mountainside in a fury unmatched, before she finally collapsed to the ground, completely spent and feeling no better off than when she started.

Just...

...more alone. 3

Hiei sat there for a while, until the sun was hidden behind clouds and he became aware of the chill on the air, though not really feeling it. After a span of time he wasn't sure of, he shifted to stand, glaring harshly at the place where he knew he'd been tossed from before turning away and heading towards the direction he knew to be of the town Kurama and the others would be in.

His energy expanded, his Jagan searching first for Kurama, and when he couldn't find his comrade right away, he searched for Yusuke. Of course, it was an automatic thing, to find the detective's energy, which would be enough to ensure he _was _indeed on the right path towards town.

And he ran, his feet moving just as fast as if he were moving through Demon World all over again, his eyes dead set forward until he was just where he wanted to be. He only stopped when he was standing outside Kurama's home, hands in his pockets and eyes on the house, searching for any sign of Kurama's energy.

And found none.

But he also found no signs of a human inside, so he simply moved forward until he stood right at the door, a hand grabbing the knob, turning it and finding it locked. He glared at the mechanism as if it did this purposely to him, before turning and marching around the house, until he found a window that seemed to be ajar just enough to indicate it being unlocked.

He quietly slipped through the window, shutting it behind himself before he turned and meandered his way up the stairs and towards the room he knew to be Kurama's- he'd done this many times in the past, after all- and not hesitating even a blink when he reached the bedroom door, pushing it open calmly and simply stepping inside as if it were his own room.

~!**!~

After locking onto the scent, it hadn't taken Akari long at all to reach the place she needed to be, finding that there was a small cave that seemed overflowing with demons. She hadn't hesitated in the least to move in amongst the ranks, sending a coy smile to the demons who noticed and tossing her hair slightly to rid her vision of her bangs.

Her eyes had seen Foko moving away, but lost him only until he was pulling her from the grouping, which didn't surprise her a bit. She allowed him to pull her along, positively growling at her as he hauled her away.

"Mm." she hummed out with a shrug. "Just.. popping in to say hello." she said casually before releasing her, almost tossing her a little away from him- something she'd also expected. She turned to face him, expression turning serious, but calm as she watched his every move.

"You're going after Enma, aren't you?" she asked him without hesitation, not even so much as blinking at him. "And before you ask, no, I haven't said anything about it to anyone." _*****_

Besides his obvious ire, which he found himself unable to mask, Youko allowed nothing else to pass over his face as Akari spoke.

"This does _not _concern you."

~!**!~

It took seven days for Shikiyoku to stand back up.

When she had no tears left, when they had dried, shriveled away somewhere inside her, when they no longer stained her cheeks, she slowly pulled herself from the ground.

Feeling as if she were a husk, not truly a living being, missing whatever it was that used to make her whole, Shikiyoku turned her empty eyes upon the red forest around her...and started to wander, her mind made up, her destination chosen, but her path far from that of a sane one.

She felt...nothing.

~!**!~

"Well, that's quite an excellent feat, then." Kurama replied into the receiver of the phone, "I look forward to seeing it."

He sat at his desk, phone to his ear as he reclined with his back to the door, one leg crossed casually over the other.

"Naturally." He answered to the voice on the other end, "But did you expect any less of me?" 3

Hiei paused only after he slid the door back to its original position to being _almost _completely closed, no sound coming from the wooden object as he turned his red eyes onto Kurama's back. He raised a brow slightly before resettling back into place, only a small sense of patience left within him right now.

So, realizing the fox didn't seem to know Hiei was there, the fire demon continued to move, using his speed to disappear from one place and appear at his windowsill, lounging almost lazily as he normally would have, except every single muscle was drawn taut with the fatigue he felt over the separation of himself from Shikiyoku.

How the hell was he supposed to protect someone who wasn't even nearby?

~!**!~

Akari shrugged nonchalantly, gaze unwavering from the male in front of her as she took a calm breath inward before releasing it through her lips. "I figured you'd say that." She moved, stretching her arms over her head and glancing briefly down at the scars she could see on her left shoulder, fighting the cringe she felt and turning to Foko again.

"Before you decide to kill me for being in the way, at least answer my questions." she said, as if she fully expected him to do just that: slaughter her. "You had someone manipulated by Enma and dumped here to die, didn't you?" Her voice was small, her expression calm as she asked, but eyes kind as if she already knew the answer. "Because that's how he keeps his power, by making others believe he's in control of the three worlds, isn't it?" _*****_

"Ha," Youko's laugh was dry, "Is that what you think you've got figured out?" He shook his head, his smile that same icy expression he'd worn earlier. His eyes had not changed, the same hard anger that he had begun to feel upon seeing her once more.

"Allow me to make myself clear: you understand _nothing_." His voice was as crisp as his expression. "Thinking that this is something as simple as an act of revenge is too innocent a reason for what it is our goal to do." His eyes narrowed, "And it does not concern _you_."

~!**!~

Kurama blinked, and suddenly found himself staring not out the window, but at Hiei.

He immediately took in the haunted look in the fire demon's eyes, and it unnerved him. So much so that he missed whatever Kuwabara said and found that the human had repeated himself, calling Kurama's name.

"Of course. I'll do that." He said farewell and hung up the phone, sitting back and waiting expectantly for whatever reason Hiei had decided to grace Kurama with his presence. 3

The fire demon didn't turn to look at Kurama when there was sudden silence in the room, not having taken notice of his friend hanging up with the oaf on the other line- not that he'd cared much in the first place anyway.

"Enma is plucking demons from the first level, wiping their memory and then sending them here to die. By our hands." His voice was even and expression, he thought, neutral when he turned to look at Kurama. "Spirit World shut down all portals an hour ago."

~!**!~

"I never said it was simply revenge." she said calmly, arms crossing over her chest to mirror Foko's stance, only… calmer. She met his hard gaze squarely with her own open one, so that should he choose to do so, he'd note that she was not there to invoke him.

Not that it mattered. Her mere presence seemed to do just that. Not surprising in the least.

"But, you didn't deny my claim of Enma simply having demons needlessly killed." she pointed out. "You may believe it's none of my concern, but I have a job to do, and that job includes making sure _innocents _aren't targeted. Not _humans. _And quite frankly, I couldn't care less on what your _big picture _is."

She gave a pause, shifting her weight as her eyes noted a muscle twitch. She took in a deep breath. "Also… I owe you both an apology, and a thanks. You didn't have to, but… you saved a friend's life and I jumped to conclusions." _*****_

"I knew no demon stolen from their home, mind-wiped and exported to Human World." Youko almost spat it out at her, barely reigning in the aggravation he had at her presence that he could not rightly explain, "Though these are all true things that have happened."

Youko narrowed his eyes at her as he went on, "Overthrowing Enma is not our goal. It never was. Our fight is not with you. It's not even with the humans. We merely wish to reclaim what was once _ours_, and breaking the system apart will simply be a by-product of what we will do.

"If you are truly _thankful_," He went on, mocking her tone, "Then you will leave before you die. Run back to your little friends. Tell them what you have learned."

His eyes flashed dangerously, "Perhaps I intended for you to come here, to see what army we have begun to amass, and to tell them every single word I have uttered to you today. There are plans within plans at work, wheels inside of wheels that have been turning for longer than you have been _alive_. You cannot even _begin _to comprehend what there is in store, _dog_. But I would _dare _you to try."

His grin all wicked, all Youko, and he turned from her, rejoining the others at a pace Akari would not be able to track with her eyes.

~!**!~

"Unsurprising." Kurama replied, "But passing that news along is not why you've sought me out, is it?"

~!**!~

She didn't know how much time had passed between when she stood up and when she found herself inside The Palace of the Ninth Level.

Years? Decades? ...Centuries?

It didn't matter anyway.

As Shikiyoku walked up the deep crimson rugs that led from the huge ornate doors she had without ceremony entered, she took in the two thrones that sat just at the top of a few steps at the other side of the Throne Room of her former home.

While the path her feet took through The Palace had been without hesitation and without misstep, led by distant memories of the giant building in which she had once resided, the memories did not so much as stir behind her lifeless eyes.

The air was heavy, hazy, as if to lull one to sleep with its strange warmth, and somewhere within her Shikiyoku recognized the haze as if it were her own, permeating completely each nook and cranny of the room.

There were several demons spread about those steps beneath the thrones, languidly laying about all mixed together, a single body difficult to separate from another.

In the left throne sat a male demon who made her core stop for a single moment when she placed her eyes upon him.

His eyes were a piercing, bright blue, his black hair as deeply rich as a raven's wing, cut short, but shaggy about his pointed ears with a ponytail gathered at the base of his neck and bits of stubble here and there along his chiseled jaw.

He sat lazy across the throne, sideways with one leg over the arm, his cheek resting idly in his hand as he leaned his elbow on the other arm of the magnificent chair.

"Ah, she _comes_." His voice was rich, sensuous, able to make a weaker demon fall to their knees.

But she felt nothing anymore.

He took in her blank eyes, noted how gorgeously her skin reflected and refracted the light of the room, sensed the fully-scented aroma about her, how she too would be able to make even the most sensible of demons swoon with a mere look...were it not for that haunted expression on her face.

"What can I do for you, dear heir apparent? Abdicate my throne?"

There was laughter from the demons near his feet, but it garnered no reaction from the female demon that stood before them, her tiny frame cutting quite the figure even behind the dismal, dark clothing that she wore, obviously dirty and worn much like her appearance.

"It's _me _she wants, isn't it?" She said very quietly, eyes looking far away.

"So, you're giving yourself up? Just like that? How amusing." His blue eyes gleamed.

Shikiyoku found herself staring at him.

"Where _is _she? Your mate? ...The demon of pain?"

The demon male before her made a thoughtful noise, noncommittal.

"She is..._somewhere_." He waved a hand vaguely about.

"I am the one she needs. She would not sacrifice _you_ to bring the three worlds back into one, to usher in the new era of Sekaiju."

"So, you figured that out, did you? About how she wishes to return things to the old ways? For demons to once more rule? For Human and Demon and Spirit Worlds to once again be one and the same like in days of yore? About how beings like _us_ have that power, the power to bind them, when combined with what is hidden away, coveted away, by Spirit World? But it would destroy us to do so?" He seemed to grow excited, "Can you feel it inside you? How the purity of your ability to love like no other before or since would grant you the power to do such a seemingly impossible task? To bind three _entire __**worlds**_ back together by sacrificing yourself in return?

"Tell me, what was it that gave it away? Spirit World shutting down? The Youko impersonator?" He smiled a dazzling smile, "I truly wish to know."

Shikiyoku said nothing.

"Oh, come now. Surely it can't be as bad as you're making it out to be. I find it simply _hilarious _that she could not break you, bend you to her will. Tell me, how was her torture? Was it as riveting as ever? Did she make you scream?"

For an instant, Shikiyoku recalled the moments after Otento and Terepo had kidnapped, had whisked, her away from her Human World home. Remembered only now, as if from some distant dream that cut through an overwhelming pain, the eyes that peered down at her as she felt her body being ripped to shreds. Or at least, feeling as if it were ripped to shreds, though the healing of Youko afterwards did seem to reinforce that there _had _been her blood split.

He took a sniff of the air.

"I can still smell your Champion on you. Though by the looks of things...no one else can." He smiled with a secret understand of the visible mark that should have been obvious on her skin, the symbol of their union that she somehow did not have.

Shikiyoku did not react.

"Where is he?"

Nothing.

The demon finally frowned, though his face seemed just as beautiful for it.

"Ah." The truth dawned on him. "That...that is most unfortunate." He actually sounded upset, allowing the silence of the room to engulf them both for a minute or so.

"She could not use me, anyway." He said quietly, his eyes flickering to the floor. "Because I no longer have any need for a Champion. I am a being of pure desire no more."

At that, Shikiyoku finally _looked _at the demon, finally saw him.

"You think it strange, demon of pleasure?" He caught her gaze, a light smile peppering his lips. "She may be my mate, she may have once been my Champion, but she is now my Consort. She is who taught me," A beat of silence. "And if you desire, I will teach you. I will teach you all of it. But- There is one thing you should know. Without a Consort, you will be forever stuck within your pain, for the Consort holds the key to your true nature. ...you will have no need of a pact anymore. This will lift it from you. From the both of you. It will free you from the ability to make a pact ever again. Do you understand what that means?"

She did not answer, still staring at him and almost unable to comprehend what he suggested.

"Why would you do this?" She asked after the silence.

He tilted his head, a roguish grin spreading over his face. "Simply for the amusement. For the frustration and anguish it will bring upon my mate. You will be rendered truly useless to her, and it shall confound her most deliciously." He gave a happy little sigh at the thought. "My apology for it and the making up I'll have to do will make it all worth it."

Shikiyoku did not reply this time and it appeared to take a moment for the demon on the throne to come back to the present.

He regarded her with a gorgeous solemnity.

"The secret, my love, is to know pain." His voice was even softer than before. "Do you know pain?"

The question echoed over and over in Shikiyoku's mind, throwing memory after memory at her of how much pain she had endured in her life, how like a trifle each bit of pain had seemed until she awoke from Toriko's grasp, and how the human-side coveted that power and from then on pain had been unendurable. Her high tolerance for pain, her close connection to pain...

...the pain she felt now. The pain within her chest that felt tight as if bound by an iron band.

A different sort of pain.

She did not need to say anything, as the demon before her knew her answer.

"Then you will come to know pain as you have never experienced before." He rose from his throne, the picture of perfection, of desire, and regally waded his way down the stairs, through the bodies of the lounging demons-his children. "You shall become acquainted with pain, friends with pain, even lovers with pain." Upon reaching Shikiyoku he held out a hand, palm up, and bowing slightly.

"Do you desire to join me, my love?"

Shikiyoku's green eyes lifted, and she found no mesmer in his solid, blue gaze, and knew that this choice would be hers and hers alone.

In her future, she could see nothingness. Should she become the catalyst required to unify the three worlds, she would cease to exist. She would...never again look upon the face of the prince of fire.

She knew somehow that this demon would not allow her to give herself up to his mate in any case.

She was dead now anyway. Even _either_ way; attempt to join his mate and he would kill her, but join the mate and she would die.

So, she picked the third option.

She placed her small hand within his.

"Yes." 3

~!**!~

Hiei shifted where he sat, pulling one leg up in the windowsill with the rest of his body and resting his right elbow on his knee. His ruby eyes stared down at his black pants, the ones that were not of his norm and thus were not fireproof. The material was slightly irritating.

Or perhaps it was just him. Irritated about everything under the sun and simply unhappy in general.

"The impersonator has also found a replacement for Shikiyoku. The replacement is one of a pair of twins, the other not having joined her brother's team until recently- after Shikiyoku ordered her to do so." he informed, still, in a roundabout way, avoiding the topic that he knew the fox was waiting for. "She, the twin, works with anger."

He paused again, eyes turning to the outside world almost casually, as if he'd heard an interesting sound.

"Shikiyoku's power was more than the Kekkai would allow to pass through to Human World. But the portals closed between us in any case." he finally admitted, going silent for a moment afterwards. His eyes searched for something amusing, something enticing in the outside world, but truthfully he wasn't sure there was such a thing at this moment.

So, he instead concentrated on his friend's energy. Or, rather, the lackthereof.

He turned to Kurama finally, a neutral expression on his face. "How long has Youko been sealed away?"

~!**!~

Akari's mouth moved to call after Foko when he disappeared, but shut immediately after when she realized it wouldn't matter. It wasn't hard for her to realize that he was completely channeling the fox demon's personality altogether now, likely not even thinking like the person he _truly _was, other than for his cause.

Then again, what did _she _know?

He hadn't really helped her much, other than the fact that they were _taking back _something. That was the only thing she hadn't considered- she had already known that Enma being dethroned was _not _the point.

She blew out air through her lips, around her clenched teeth. _You're of no help. _She turned and moved away quietly, calmly despite his threat. Normally, were circumstances different, she would have followed. However, today…

Today, she was feeling.. sluggish. While her senses were alert, her brain was only functioning at half-capacity, it felt like. She rolled her shoulder, effectively pulling up the collar of the loose shirt and hiding the bare skin entirely.

_This is ridiculous. I skipped school for… nothing, it seems._

Her feet carried her calmly away from the area that smelled very much like home, very much like the place she suddenly wished she could be, very much like the place where her only duty was to oversee the trade between packs and-

_Too bad. You have other things to worry about. Other things to do._

So she headed home, her mind no longer on hunting down Foko, but on words that had, at the time, stung a little. Now, they merely irritated her.

"_...I know how __**exceptionally **__stubborn you are, as I've been on the receiving end of that stubbornness many a time, and the thought of you allowing bits of flesh to __**own **__and __**consume **__your entire mind, is unfathomable to me."_

_Irritating Fox. _

But, really, she couldn't help but feel that he'd-

"_However, I would agree: I am absolutely certain you have done everything you could have ever imagined, because I highly doubt you've ever taken it upon yourself to walk around your house __**naked **__until the pain __**stops**__."_

…._Jackass. Stupid fox. _*****

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	63. Ep 147 - In Which Many Things Happen

**A/N:** Hello once again, Audience!

Okay, so, first of all **GORE WARNING** for this chapter. If you get queasy, there's a bit of a nasty section in here.

Secondly, there is actually quite a lot of time-skippage that occurs in this chapter, as we're hitting on the 'high points' of various important moments in the timeline as everyone is preparing for what Foko and his army are supposedly going to do. If anyone finds themselves confused, feel free to speak up and I'll start putting up a timeline for events at the ends of the next few? chapters. Just keep in mind that when the ~!**!~ symbol appears that not only is it a scene switch, but in this chapter it is definitely denoting the passage of time.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari calls Kurama out on him hiding his scars while pointing out it is bad that she does the same,  
>but he counters by saying he has nothing to fear from his, and only does so for the sake of his mother's mind.<p>

This leads to a scathing lecture from Kurama at how Akari has never  
>honestly and truly tried to rid herself of the power her scars exercise over her,<br>and leads to the two of them parting ways, Akari appalled at Kurama's suggestion,  
>wherein she is to walk around naked to get used to herself,<br>and attempting to rid herself of the thought by tracking down Foko to get some answers.

Eventually, Akari finds herself at Ground Zero where Foko is ushering in the largest group of demons yet,  
>just before Spirit World can close all portals, but she gets little in the way of answers from him,<br>save that they 'wish to reclaim what is theirs,' and that Enma being overthrown is simply a by-product.

Akari then heads to Sensui's old apartment to attempt some variation of what Kurama suggested...

~!**!~

As Shikiyoku and Hiei leave Demon World, they are separated by the Kekkai Barrier,  
>which prevents Shikiyoku-now an A Class demon-from passing through.<p>

However, in the moment Hiei realizes she is stuck, Spirit World shuts down all passageways  
>between all three worlds, and the resulting shockwave flings Hiei out into Human World,<br>and Shikiyoku out into Demon World.

After Shikiyoku exhausts herself attempting to break through the mountain to the portal,  
>and with a quickly unraveling psyche, she wanders the Ninth Level until she somehow finds herself at The Palace.<p>

Shikiyoku has figured out that it is the demon of pain who has been behind it all  
>from the very beginning: the fake Youko, Otento kidnapping her, and above everything else<br>the push for the three worlds to become one.

Where a demon of pain once ripped Sekaiju apart, only a demon of pleasure can return it whole once more,  
>and it is Shikiyoku's intention-with nothing left to live for-to offer herself up as the sacrifice for the ritual.<p>

Simply because he wishes to cause his mate, the demon of pain, consternation,  
>the demon-king at The Palace offers Shikiyoku the option of "learning pain" as he did,<br>and ridding herself of the need of a pact and the need of a Champion  
>as well as rendering herself completely useless for the ritual for which his mate might use her.<p>

Knowing that this demon-king would not let her live long enough for his mate to get her anyway,  
>and with little mental faculties left to her any longer, Shikiyoku accepts his offer.<p>

~!**!~

After recovering, Hiei immediately gets up and runs to find Kurama, telling the redhead of Enma's actions,  
>and the portals closing with Shikiyoku left behind in Demon World.<br>He then questions Kurama on how long Youko has been locked away inside of him...

* * *

><p>Kurama did not let any of his thoughts penetrate the level expression with which he regarded Hiei.<p>

"It has been three days, twenty hours, four minutes and counting." Kurama replied, letting a bit of his ire at the situation slip through his façade as he worked his jaw around the words. He let the emotion slide away, concerned for the comrade who was obviously shaken by whatever had occurred in Demon World between he and Toriko's true form.

"You went missing thirteen days ago." He said mildly, "Though I know Demon World time does not often sync with Human World. Any idea how long it's been for you?" 3

Hiei frowned slightly, lips twitching at Kurama's words. Otento had sealed away the fox demon rather well, he could tell by the lack in energy about the room. And quite frankly, the absolute absence of Kurama's presence was pretty unnerving. If something were to happen soon, he'd have no way to help out other than hand-to-hand and whatever tricks he _had _to have come up with. After all, he wasn't one to go unprepared for a _second _time.

Kurama's question pulled the fire demon from his thoughts, a brow raising as he thought for a moment.

He hadn't really kept track of the days, to be honest. At least, not at the forefront of his mind. But, when he sat and thought about it, it'd been quite a while. Much longer than Human World time.

"Seventy-seven days." he answered, his response absolute and unquestionable. "Perhaps a few hours longer than that." _*****_

_Ah._

That explained the withdrawn expression Hiei now wore quite effectively. Since the fire demon had already attached himself to her before the pair even left, and then getting to spend that much time in their homeworld in one another's company…

Kurama wondered briefly if Hiei even realized why he felt the way he did, protection duties aside.

"We have reason to believe the fake Youko is attempting to get into Spirit World, hence the portals shutting down. Though, we also think it is a distraction and he's actually ushered in an army of demons to Human World under the guise of the threat, since it's easier to get them to Spirit World once here. As to their goal… honestly, if this Youko really is in some capacity or another changing into the fox, I can't say I understand _why _he would be doing all of this." 3

Hiei didn't have a response for Kurama. He didn't have an answer as to _why_, because, quite frankly, he hadn't had any time to come up with any reasonable guesses, especially since he hadn't been aware of the demons being carted from Demon World to this world. It made sense, to have an army when attacking Spirit World- if that was indeed the plan.

And there was no reason to doubt that plan.

"Hn." _*****_

"The question I would ask you to consider, if you have not formulated an answer already, is if it comes down to a fight what side you would be taking." 3

Hiei turned a calm stare onto Kurama, as if he could only half believe the question that had been asked of him. "My own." he said calmly, not even so much as blinking at Kurama. "The fools can handle Spirit World without my hand. And if they can't, then they've learned nothing of their own past experiences. You and the dog can handle the impersonator, as you're fully capable." He paused to turn away, eyes training on the smooth wood of the windowsill. "I have my own agenda." _*****_

Kurama felt no surprise at Hiei's answer. Were Spirit World to fall, were Enma to be dethroned, the fire demon would be a free soul once more.

"To tell you the truth," Kurama began, lifting one hand to his chin thoughtfully, "I think I've come to a point where I'm prepared to just sit back and see what happens."

He went on in an effort to explain, "We have some very spiritually aware people, namely Kuwabara's sister Shizuru, who is honestly not picking up anything world-ending from future events. And with Sensui's plan she was definitely in the know of how badly it could turn out for Human World. I find myself feeling that as long as Koenma is able to take care of himself, Botan as well since she is stuck too, that perhaps this 'war' the fake Youko is attempting to start might not have any affect on Human World whatsoever. Or at least nothing it can't handle." 3

There was a moment where the room became silent, save for the clock that ticked away on the opposite wall and the sounds that he could hear from outside the house. For some reason, Hiei wasn't particularly surprised by the revelation of Kurama's thoughts on the matter. After all, the only person who seemed to be causing trouble outside of Spirit World matters was the only person Hiei would _love _to see laying in a pool of his own crimson life force. The purple-eyed demon was the only one causing mayhem, from the looks of it, while his _leader _seemed to be doing nothing more than ordering for the true Youko to be hidden away, which he took as a successful attempt seeing as the only indication that Kurama was even _remotely _nearby was the sound of his breathing and the sound of a human heartbeat.

It was odd, not being able to feel the presence of the fox demon despite the act that he _knew _the redhead was in the room, sitting in a chair a few feet from Hiei himself.

"I couldn't care less what you do." _*****_

"Is that so?" Kurama countered, "And if I suddenly decided my services would be better put to use by this fake Youko...or say, _Otento_?" 3

"Assuming _Youko _allowed for such a thing?" he retorted, fighting a physical reaction to the name that Kurama had enunciated. There was a part of him that wished to issue the very same threat he would issue to any other, but quite frankly, he didn't truly, deep down, _want to. _Circumstantial or not.

So he settled for a level stare, as if the thought were nothing more than such a thing: a thought. Not even a mere possibility. _*****_

"Just asserting that you didn't really mean what you said." Kurama's eyes gleamed knowingly. "Though, no. I don't think the fox would let me assist either the faker _or _the man responsible for the state we've found Youko's former Ward in on occasion. If he had his way, I'm fairly certain the both of them would be dead on the floor at this very moment." 3

Hiei continued to stare at Kurama unblinkingly, his irises gleaming with the irritated thoughts churning in his mind. After a few more silent beats from the fire demon, he sat back and turned back to facing the outside world almost curiously, his eyes seeing none of it and mind picturing the mess Kurama had spoke of.

It would be a very amusing thing to see, sure, but…

He was sure the fox knew that Hiei fully intended to take Otento himself, no matter how things 'shook out' around Human World. He couldn't care less about the humans and their 'fate', or even of Spirit World's.

Just so long as Otento was erased from the entire picture. By Hiei's own blade. _*****_

"My only problem with simply sitting back and doing nothing is the fact that _inaction _could very well be synonymous with _assisting _both the fake Youko and Otento," Kurama pointed out slyly, finally getting to his point and gauging Hiei's reaction, "And only acting against them or taking preventative measures towards whatever they hope to accomplish would truly be a hindrance to their cause. Something I very much feel Youko would wish to do regardless of Spirit World's involvement." 3

Hiei sneered at the window he was facing, his reflection seeming to sneer right back at him, the red eyes in that reflection flashing slightly with a gleam that seemed to have manifested out of nowhere. He'd never once said that he was going to simply sit back. He had no reason to do so. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind….

Except for when he'd decided to stay in Demon World.

"While you decide, I've already thought it out. You're getting slow, fox." _*****_

Kurama chuckled, "You've had several more months than I, mind."

He let out a reserved sigh, "Unfortunately, all I can see in the near future for myself is waiting, though-"

The phone rang and Kurama stared at it for a second, frowning, "Something I've been neglecting what with the current...issues, but when you pass by would you mind sweeping around Toriko's home for Maneshi? He's been missing."

Kurama reached for the phone, and without giving any greeting of any sort, as he had gotten in the habit of doing given that the caller lately had been one or the other from a particular apartment, answered with, "Any word?"

His expression immediately shifted into a kinder one, "It _has _been a long time, Yukina."

A pause.

"If it would ease your mind to attempt something to assist me, I certainly will." Kurama smiled. 3

Hiei looked at Kurama through the reflection on the window, ears taking to promptly ignoring the sound that rang through the entire room at an annoying volume. He raised a brow at the prospect of Maneshi being gone. Surely not, as the cat…

Well, actually, it made a bit of sense. Maybe?

He didn't know. He'd simply look when he was done rifling through the demonic relics hidden within the home of Toriko. It wasn't like he had any other plans at this very moment anyway…

Other than searching for a way to get back into Demon World, which he had already assumed to be impossible.

With that thought, the fire demon shifted, readying a hand against the window after unlocking the latch, readying to take his leave when a name caught his attention. He paused, listening with his back still to the fox instead of turning around. It wasn't like she was _there_. But, he realized he hadn't thought about his sister in a long while, hadn't even considered checking on her.

Maybe…. Maybe he'd wait to see what she was up to. _*****_

Kurama said nothing nor made any movement to wish Hiei a farewell as Kurama fully expected the fire demon to come and go as he pleased as he always had.

"We have actually been meeting once a day, though it's mostly just for sake of appearances. I'm sure any of the others have filled you in? Right. No, I will definitely make sure I am there tonight." 3

Hiei stayed in the windowsill for a few moments, listening to the calm, quiet voice of his sister on the other end of the call. A part of him felt odd that he hadn't thought about checking in on her recently, even before he'd left for Demon World. Which, he realized, was not near as long of a time to the others as it had been for himself.

Thirteen days compared to seventy-seven was quite the difference in time.

And the thought of Shikiyoku still stuck there, for much longer in that world than he would be in _this one_, had him silently removing himself from Kurama's home by slipping through the window, not even bothering to shut it as he moved at full speed across town.

His sister could wait; he could visit her at any time.

Shikiyoku, however… was without protection. And _that _was more important at the moment. _*****_

Kurama watched Hiei slip out the window, wondering if the demon would visit his sister first to make sure Kuwabara hadn't tried anything-unlikely anyway-or if he would drop by Toriko's as Kurama originally assumed anyway.

"I'll make sure I come early this time then. She's fine, still on vacation. I just talked with her earlier today. I'm actually considering testing out. Mm. I have this strange feeling it'd be better to finish _sooner _rather than later. Who knows what state things will be in, and if my soon-to-be step-father does want me to come work for him, it would be nice to simply get it out of the way." 3

Hiei moved quick enough that his presence to the humans would have been nothing more than a slight breeze as he passed by, had he chosen to take the streets instead of the alleyways and rooftops to Toriko's home. It wasn't long before he was actually _inside _the house, every window having been unlocked making it very easy to slip inside unseen.

As he moved from one room to the next, he took stock of everything inside, searching for signs of Maneshi as he made his way to the closed he knew to be dedicated solely to Demon World relics. And as Kurama had said, there was no sign of the cat anywhere, from Toriko's room to the closet he began to rifle through. _*****_

~!**!~

Since Kurama had no way of testing the energy that lay beyond the door to Kuwabara's apartment, it was the voices instead that revealed the usual crew had a few additions when the avatar let himself inside as had become customary.

"I don't see how yah coulda na' missed me boyo!"

Kurama smiled to see Jin with Yusuke in a chokehold, the black-haired boy laughing and obviously not trying very hard to escape. The fox slipped into the room quietly and sat down on the couch after leaving his shoes next to the multiple pairs at the door.

Shizuru came out of the kitchen and gave Kurama a smile through a cigarette and a nod, carrying the tray with drinks and snacks to the coffee table, but no one else appeared to notice him at first save for Genkai who lifted her eyes when she felt his presence. Or his lack thereof.

He found himself next to Yukina, who after a moment realized he'd sat down and looked at him with wide-eyes.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry, Kurama." She knew without any further indication from the other that his loss was deep-set. She pulled her feet up underneath her on the couch as she turned towards him. "Just sit still for a moment and let me feel it out."

She closed her crimson eyes as she faced him and held her hands over his closest arm, a glow beginning to gleam between them.

"As I was sayin' before me words was tackled outta me," Jin appeared to have been speaking before Kurama came in, but didn't let go of Yusuke who was still laughing, "Touya and me be ready for anythin'. Thought you might need a bit of help for the go-around, and we're feelin' a bit ants-in-the-pants about the way this guy Otento likes to shimmy around the block."

"Not to mention the fact that we were pretty sure _Youko_ wasn't the head of _any_ gang of demons anymore."

Kurama saw that Rinku was also in the room, on the other side of Yukina, and the boy reached forward for a snack.

"We weren't sure," He spoke with his mouth full, "If we could get all of us away without anyone noticing, but we wanted to at least find you guys to let you know what was going on, so we decided the two of us would have to be enough."

"And how many of you are there?" Kurama finally interjected.

The entire room went silent, Jin releasing Yusuke who appeared about as nervous as Kuwabara at that moment.

"Blimey! They weren't just a'tanglin' our knickers!" Jin breathed, "It really _is _impossible to feel yah."

"So-" Rinku's brow furrowed, "Is that Youko-guy...the real thing?"

Kurama shook his head, "I do not know how much you have been told, but Otento is able to use his energy to lock away the energy of others."

The pair continued to stare at him wide-eyed.

"That's a' real shame, Kurama." Jin shook his head. "I get tah feelin' we be needin' your planty-mojo soon."

"Has much been said about _why_ they are going to invade Spirit World?" Kurama wanted to know.

"Yah know Spirit World closed all portals. I don't know how they're going to get through anyway." Kuwabara pointed out.

Rinku frowned, "There's been a lot of talk about 'taking back what is ours.' Which everyone seems to get all gung-ho about and then fail to explain it to the rest of us."

"'Taking back what is ours?'" Yusuke repeated with a confused expression. "What would Spirit World have taken from Demon World?"

Kurama felt as if he knew the answer to that question, but as he sat with Yukina while she continued to diagnose him, he came up with no answer. Just that...he _knew _and couldn't remember.

_Youko. _The avatar thought to himself wryly. The fox probably had an inkling.

"There...is an old legend." Genkai started, hushing the others in the room, "And I considered it before only to dismiss it, but if that is truly the word being passed around-" She looked at Shizuru and frowned, "I'm not sure what to make of it."

"What legend?" Kuwabara prompted.

"A long time ago, when man was still very young, there was not three worlds, but one world, and only a sort of flimsy veil of the afterlife to separate the living from the dead. It is said this land was known as Sekaiju. More often back then did spirits walk among the living, and there were less differences between man and demon back then, namely the type of energy they wielded for spells as is true today, but in any case demons terrorized and ruled over the humans, who lived in fear of their stronger counterparts. Supposedly, that's what drove the Kamis to divide the world, to allow man to flourish, and it is possible that these demons wish for the three worlds to be one again. The legend goes that the humans got to stay _here_, in what we call Human World, and that the demons were cast out into what became Demon World. In uniting the three worlds, the demons would essentially be 'taking back what was theirs.'" Genkai finished with a bit of a shrug.

Kuwabara's eyes got wide, "B-but aren't demons- wouldn't that-" He looked desperately over at his sister.

Shizuru took a puff of her cigarette and pulled it from her lips to speak, giving Kuwabara a shrug that mirrored Genkai's, "You know as well as I do, little brother, that this is different then what Sensui was planning. Something _this _time feels almost...as much as I hate to admit it what with that fake Youko and that nasty Otento being involved..._**right**_." 3

~!**!~

Hiei had rummaged. And rummaged. And rummaged. It seemed like he'd sifted through demonic relics for several hours, his hands always picking up an object and then replacing it just as quickly when he realized that the object would be of no help to his cause. There were several things that had been interesting, but useless. There were some things he only vaguely recognized from tales. And there were things, many things he realized, that he had no idea what they were. Objects unfamiliar to him entirely, objects that hummed with old power unutilized in likely decades.

But nothing that would help him find a way back to Demon World.

And he hated to admit it, but he hadn't expected to find anything of use to him here. So, as the fire demon stood in the darkness of the small, stuffy, cramped closet with eyes turning around and around, he released a half-hearted growl of disappointment.

Perhaps if he _did _find Maneshi, he'd have a chance. At least, he hoped so.

With silent, deft steps, Hiei maneuvered around the many demonic items and out of the closet, shutting the door behind himself just as quietly before he continued moving, energy expanding to envelop the house and every room within as he searched for Maneshi first with his own energy, then with his eyes as he scoured the entire house.

And, as Kurama had said a few hours ago, there was no sign of Maneshi anywhere in or around the house.

~!**!~

"_Are we going to live here from now on?"_

"No, just for a while."

"_I don't think he liked me."_

"That's because you're not supposed to be indoors. Not here, anyway.."

"_Then why did he let me pass?"_

"I asked nicely."

"_No you didn't."_

Akari sighed and pushed open the door to a very familiar penthouse, the walls a simple white color and furniture to match. Even the coffee tables still had white-painted wood with glass surfaces, just as she'd remembered them to have.

It was odd, walking into the very same flat that had once been home to three people and finding it _very _empty, very quiet. No greeting, no energy to test her presence to ensure she was not a threat.

No Sensui. No Itsuki.

"_Why are you just standing there?"_

Akari blinked away images of the two men sitting on the couch and moved away from the door, pushing it shut with a gentle nudge from her fingers. "Nabu, don't get on the couch, okay?"

"_Mkay!"_

"The bed, however, is all yours."

"_What about you?"_

"I have my own." _But I won't need it. _

Akari's eyes moved around the room again, taking in the closed curtains of the wide glass windows, taking in the threshold to the kitchen that opened up on her right, taking in the large flatscreen television in front of the three-seater couch and two single recliners.

One of which had a glass sitting on the floor next to it, filled with what she could only assume to be water. If there had been ice in it, it had melted some time ago.

She paid it no mind and simply tossed her duffel bag onto the soft cushions of the couch, earning a small pouf from the contact before she herself followed suit, staring forward at the black screen of the television.

_It's so odd… I'm not sure how I feel about this. _*****

~!**!~

"So, you're really gonna do it, huh? Testing out and everything?" Yusuke's eyes were looking out the window of the café, absently pulling his hand up to his face to take a drink from the cup he held.

Kurama nodded, reclined at the table with the fingers of one hand wrapped around his own mug in front of him.

Shooting him a knowing grin, Yusuke turned back to face the red-haired avatar.

"I never _really _thought you'd finish-"

Kurama made a noise of amusement.

"-at least not conventionally." Yusuke leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, frowning, "What's going to be done about Toriko?"

Kurama hesitated to reveal his plan, deciding to raise and lower one shoulder in a shrug.

"I'm not even sure if Toriko _exists _anymore."

"Oh yeah?" The dark-haired youth met Kurama's gaze and raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?" 3

~!**!~

Several hours had passed. Or, hell, several days for all she knew at this point, and Akari cared very little for the time being. After getting over the initial reminiscing over the flat she'd taken over for a while, she'd gotten down to business, to the sole reason she'd come here.

And it left her just as she'd thought it would: curled into a ball on the floor, eyes squeezed shut and chest moving with her rapid, short breaths. Her knees were touching her chest, her elbows tucked against her stomach and fingers tangled in her bangs and the hair on the very top of her head. She was only vaguely aware of Nabu sitting close by, but other than that, she didn't really make any sense of the world going on around her.

The curtains were closed, making it hard to discern day from night- not that it mattered anyway. She was sure there had been knocks on the door several times- likely cleaning services- but she hadn't bothered to actually get up and see if she'd _actually _heard anyone else nearby.

And she was only just getting over the first wave of pain, of memories, when she made to move and the skin of her bare stomach and shoulders, arms and legs pulled at the carpet beneath, the sweat that had made her skin feel disgusting causing a slight itch that turned to a pang, and ended up delving her straight into memories again.

And this cycle would prove to be never ending for what felt an eternity. _*****_

~!**!~

"_Such a high tolerance for pain." The demon mused, his eyes wandering over the battered and bruised body of the female before him. She did not answer, lungs heaving just to take the next breath. "It's a wonder you weren't a demon of pain in the first place. You seem to have the predisposition for it."_

_Her eyes flew open and regarded the demon coldly._

"_Careful, my love." He appeared amused, "A look like that could kill."_

_The green color of her irises were dulled, her ashen skin already having lost its sheen months ago, but still she glared._

_After several more cycles of inhalation and exhalation, she finally spoke, voice hoarse and raspy. As if from overuse._

"_You...should be careful...Renai. You may...get more...than what you bargained-"_

_Renai lifted his arm and slammed the point of the blade he held between two ribs, just missing her heart._

"_I don't think I like the way you're looking at me, my love." He commented mildly as she screamed, her head thrown back and her eyes shutting. _

_Watching for a moment, the faintest of smiles played across his lips._

"_Better." _

_He removed the weapon and made a wicked, jagged slash down her arm, a wound to join the countless others he'd given her since starting. How long ago had it been? He supposed it didn't really matter._

"_But how about this?" Flipping his hold on the dagger, he let the tip sink in past the first few layers of her flesh, ignoring her continued vocalized agony which sounded raw as if she might start bleeding at the throat at any moment and changed pitches as he began carving absently into her skin._

"_You know what will stop this." Renai sighed as he kept going, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not really sure why you keep refusing to try." _

_He finally pulled the blade away and leaned over onto the table, elbow resting on the cold, hard metal and face in his hand as his eyes roved over his handiwork. There were scars on top of other scars at this point. _

"_Amusingly enough, the longer you allow this to go on-"_

_A creaking sound had Renai raising his eyebrows, watching as Shikiyoku's cries started to fade, the arm just in front of his face straining against the leather that held her wrist to the table as she writhed._

"_Feeling anything yet?" He asked with ironic intentions and that same light tone, giving her a beatific smile as he stayed leaning on the table._

_Shikiyoku's eyes flew open and several things happened at once._

_She whipped her head to get Renai in her sights. The male started back at the hollow, haunting deepness to her gaze, seeing the darkness within them that had its own sort of depth in direct opposition to the power their kind usually employed, and he found himself unable to so much as congratulate her on her transformation as he crumpled to his knees next to the metal table._

_The tips of Renai's fingers barely managed to grasp at the edge of the table to prevent his complete collapse as his other hand clutched at his chest, the dagger it once held clattering free of his grip onto the table._

_He could practically __**feel **__the blood pouring out of a wound made from a sharp edge that plunged between two ribs and just missed his heart, the same wound that moments ago he inflicted upon her person._

_When her energy struck him again from the inside, he scrambled backwards from the table, any thoughts scattered while he desperately put distance between him and the demon on the table._

_Slouching against the wall with one hand at his heart and the other at his head, Renai watched through pain-riddled vision as she slowly sat up, her gaze still locked on him and her own eyes pulsing with darkened yellow power._

_Her onslaught lessened briefly as she glanced down at the dagger he left behind. She managed to take a hold of the hilt, turning it about and slipping the flat of the blade underneath her wrist where with a quick tug to the side she cut herself free, easily doing the same to the other restraints at her second wrist and both her ankles._

_Just as Renai had caught his breath, mind beginning to piece together, she turned on him once more and this time it was his voice and not hers that filled the room with anguish as he clutched at his head, where he knew the true origin of the pain he felt lay._

_As she shifted around and began to slip off the table, eyes flashing at Renai, blood trickled down her skin from every imaginable source possible and left tiny rivulets atop the metal wherever she paused for too long._

_Favoring her right leg as she finally reached the floor, it was easy to see the multiple breaks where the limb contorted unnaturally, a portion of the bone at her thigh visible, if only barely, through the blood streaming down her knee._

_Staggering forward, her leg dragging uselessly behind her, she clutched at her ribs where several had not mended, but seemed to ignore them as her vision tunneled in with sheer unadulterated determination blazing dangerously in her eyes._

_After several shufflingly agonized moments interspersed with her labored steps and his strained cries, she finally stood over him, lungs desperately trying to pull air into themselves as the blood pooled around her feet, but a sort of demented, frenzied exultation in her eyes as she watched him writhe beneath her in helplessness._

_The strain on her body proved too much however, and as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her legs gave out from underneath her._

_Renai instantly banished her control as he knew her power like his own and caught her before she fell to the floor, grinning instantly at her fainted, exhausted body._

"_Well done, my love. Well done, indeed." _3

~!**!~

For several days, Hiei had searched for a way to get back to the Ninth Level, a way to get back to Shikiyoku. And for several days, he continued to come up with absolutely _nothing_. He'd searched up and down for Maneshi, then searched even more rigorously for a portal to Demon World that _hadn't _been sealed off completely. Not surprisingly, he'd come up empty handed there as well.

So, to reassure himself, he'd regularly checked the bond within, only to find himself more than slightly perturbed when he found the bond itself to be dull within his mind, occasionally giving a twinge with some sort of disturbance or another. A disturbance he could only guess at. The energy there skipped and had no absolute rhythm, no happy hum as it once had, before the separation.

And it was at such time when confusion roiled over Hiei. He sat in utter silence, half of his mind listening to the words being said to him from Kurama, the other half focused on the bond, checking on Shikiyoku in the only way he could, and finding it agitated still. It hadn't changed _once _within the past few days.

And as he thought of this, all words even uttered by Kurama became lost, falling on deaf ears as the fire demon again tried to think of a way to get back.

And after a moment, he found it hard to concentrate on the bond, an odd mental image passing by the forefront of his mind's eye consisting of a small black dragon, akin to Ryou but more like a picture of him than the actual being, a dragon that seemed to fade both in color and existence until it was gone.

And then, it seemed, so was the bond. It wasn't muted, like it had done previously. He could tell now that when he searched for the bond, it was simply… nonexistent. No big to-do about it either.

Simply gone. And that feeling, the odd feeling of his mind being so silent, had the fire demon's eyes sliding shut, completely forgetting where he currently sat.*

"Hiei?" Kurama called for the third time, his expression just beginning to be concerned, "Hiei, what's wrong?" 3

Dimly, the fire demon was aware of his name being said, and it took another moment for the fire demon to recover from… whatever had just happened.. and turn a neutral stare up at Kurama, a brow raised as if to say 'go on'. _*****_

~!**!~

Weeks had passed, she was sure. Many, _many _weeks, because every time Akari opened her eyes, they burned, stung, watered despite the amount of tears she had shed, and then she would close them again and force herself to delve deeper, into memories she'd long since filed away and almost forgotten. She would leave no stone left unturned.

But, she was worn out. And after a while, she realized she'd circled the same memories, the same visions, several times. They still hurt, they still left her entire being shaking with the echoes of pain from those times as if the slices on her skin were new, as if the wetness on her skin was a mix of her own blood and sweat, instead of simply being the sweat from her own mental exertion.

She'd fallen asleep here and there, only getting enough to keep her wits about her when necessary before she became lost to the real world all over again. And she repeated this process. Over, and over, and over again until, finally, she was left laying in a loose ball on the floor, hands near her face and legs loosely extended away from her torso now.

She didn't want to move. If she moved, she hurt. And, well… she already _hurt_. Her shoulder was numb from laying on the same side of her body for who knows how long, and her eyes burned against the dull light of the night that filtered only slightly through the closed curtains of the room.

After another short while, she realized she was staring straight ahead of her, looking at the door but not seeing it. Not seeing Nabu sitting nearby, nor seeing anything else, really.

Because she still saw faces and weapons, blood and death and… Other things.

_Why am I doing this again? Why am I laying here? _

She'd forgotten what had provoked her to do this to herself. She'd forgotten what had made her _want _to relive each and every moment, one by one, over and over again. Had Sensui been here, he would have pulled her from the floor and given her an objective to fill.

But he wasn't here. And she was doing this to herself because…

Because…

_The lights were unnaturally bright for her sore eyes, though they did nothing to deter her from seeing the male standing in front of her, nor the whip that encircled her wrists. She knew that in the moment, she'd glared at the redhead, but here, Akari merely stared up at Kurama, expression a frown and eyes darkened. Her energy, just as it had done then, wrapped around the whip, making as if to deaden the weapon, but being unable to do so. _

_Her growled demand to be let go floated on the hazy air, only to be countered with a strike that stung ten times more than the strikes she'd recently been enduring over and over again. Perhaps it was her own imagination, but __**this **__whip seemed sharper, meant only to leave the impression of pain right where it struck and doing so very, very well. It echoed throughout her body, and while she growled, there was a part of her that stung at the attack.._

_And even now, it was hard to look away from the stare the green eyes pierced her with, hard to ignore his close proximity, as if it had been a simple way to say that he was a type of support. _

"_Now. That's deep enough to leave its own scar. f you want to be rid of it, I can take it away, but if I do so, all of your other scars will be removed in the process. Is that what you wish?"_

_**No.**_

_She'd panicked then. Now, however, no such emotion bloomed or bubbled to the surface. _

"_I will wait for your answer until after the mark I gave you sets in." A pause floated on the dreamy air. "Until then, I sincerely hope every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you will first see my scar. And that instead of thinking back to past moments belonging to those underneath it, you'll instead be reminded of this moment."_

_And that had been when he'd leaned forward, ending his speech with a gesture that had, for a very long time before then, been a type of threat to her. And the gesture was warm in its own way, despite the lingering emotions she had felt that day, the anger and the surprise by his see-sawing actions and words. Despite everything she'd thought afterwards, every moment she'd told herself she hated that moment, that person… _

When her eyes slid open again, she was admitting to herself that he was the very reason she hadn't simply bailed, and ended up dead by this point in time. And while she half thought she was doing this _for _the person who'd pushed her into doing such a thing, she realized she was pushing herself _because _of this person, when no one else had done such a thing.

And she'd done nothing but nip and pick at every flaw she could find about Kurama.

_Well… that's rather silly of me._

She gave a short, dry huff intended to be a sound of amusement, but it turned into a small cough that jerked her body. Her tired, shaking body that didn't hurt save for the one mark she'd just remembered. And despite her shaking muscles, her protesting arms and legs, she shifted herself around on the floor until she was on her rear, a hand on the floor to help push herself to stand.

_First, a shower. _

Then… then she'd venture as she wished, because staying inside was _not _going to help the progress she could already feel she was making. _*****_

~!**!~

A few more days passed.

As Shizuru aptly put it at one of their weekly gatherings: it felt as if all three worlds were holding their breath, waiting for something either too fantastical or utterly terrible to happen. _What _exactly, she couldn't say, but the air was charged with _something_.

They only began to get nervous when the visits from Jin and Rinku or Chuu or Touya stopped completely, unsure of what that could mean, and concerned for the demons who had so willingly decided to play the double agents.

Kurama made no further progress with the Youko within, but it was heartening to see how far along Shizuru had come in her training, and even Kuwabara finally admitted it would be great to be alongside her when it came time to fight. 3

~!**!~

He wasn't sure when he'd stopped looking, but after a while, Hiei gave up on the possibility of getting back to Demon World and had taken to simply looking for the source of his agitation. And, just as it had been with getting himself back into Demon World, his efforts had proved more than simple fruitlessness.

The purple-eyed demon was no easy catch.

And it made his temper very, very short, even as he slid into Toriko's home again, taking to once more searching for Maneshi, though at this point he knew that too would be just as useless.

Nothing at all had changed since he'd arrived in Human World, and he didn't see why-

In the midst of this thought, the fire demon paused and flared his nostrils at the air, picking up the smallest hint of a scent that was… new, to say the least. Not as stale as the air that hadn't been stirred by any other than himself and...

Whoever else had been here.

He slid through the house on silent feet, ruby eyes searching for any signs of the person still inside, and instead finding something that left him… surprised, to say the least. Relieved, because a part of him had thought...

Well, whatever he'd thought, the material he now stared down at, accompanied by the glittering of a very decorative sword in the light of the room, was now completely washed away and replaced with the knowledge that Shikiyoku was alive, and in good enough shape to send along his belongings and a small, folded sheet of parchment.

Without pause, Hiei took the clothing in his hands and with a flourish simultaneously incinerated his current outfit and replaced it within half a minute with the newly returned articles. He took absent note that everything fit perfectly, despite knowing he had grown taller somewhere along the way, and as he swung his old cloak over his shoulders-finding accurate adjustments had been made to it as well-the stirring of the air made the scent of the person who must have kept it in her possession for quite some time permeate the immediate area. And while one hand held his sword, the other held open the note that confirmed what he already knew.

_With all my love_

_-S_

Without further ado, the fire demon turned and made a very quiet exit from the house, turning now to join the others, something he had yet to do, and check on his sister with his very eyes.

Now that his mind had been settled, even if just a little, there was no reason not to step in for a _moment. _

~!**!~

"So... you wouldn't mind giving a hand, should it come down to it?"

There was a pause that was interrupted only by the thoughtful noise Hagiri made as he sat forward on the park bench, elbows resting on his knees and his chin in his hands. "It isn't like I've got anything better to do. And, this will…" his sentence trailed off, his eyes taking on a faraway gleam.

Akari understood without his saying. "Honestly, I'm hoping I won't have to ask you to come in. But, if things go south and we need the help… I won't hesitate to call on your abilities. Especially since you will be out of harm's way, for the most part."

He gave a dry laugh. "I can handle myself."

The silence stretched on and Akari's ankle bounced slightly, as if in time with a tune she had stuck in her head. Her arms both rested along the back of the bench, her eyes on her former team member. "You've changed."

"Haven't we all?" He turned to her for a moment, sitting upright again and resting his back on the wood calmly. "Have you heard from Itsuki?"

"Nope. And I don't think we ever will now that Sensui is gone."

"Good."

"Well," she said calmly, leaning forward and uncrossing one leg from the other, setting her feet firmly on the grass as she stood to stand. "I owe you one, whether I have to ask of your services or not." She gave a small smile at the male. "Hagiri, take care, mkay?"

"Same to you."

And with that, she turned and left the teen behind, hands finding the pockets of her jacket as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, adding more warmth to the air. After all, she still had work to do before returning. _*****_

~!**!~

"I seek the leader of your guild."

"You tell us who you are and what you want with him first."

The dark cloaked figure did not at first answer, and the prying eyes of the two demons guarding, or rather blocking the way forward could not penetrate the heavy cowl that completely cast the face behind it in utter darkness, the long robe preventing anyone from being able to tell what kind of figure the demon underneath them cut.

"My business is not with you."

The guard who spoke up had felt the concealed eyes considering him before saying anything.

"Unless you tell us who you are, you don't get to go anywhere. The leader doesn't make deals with worthless, low-life no-names who just rolled into town."

Granted, the entire city was abuzz with the arrival of this newcomer, who had strolled directly into the epicenter of the mercenary portion of town, a strange power rolling off of whatever remained hidden within the cloak.

"Then you can inform him yourself that I am not a 'worthless no-name.'"

The guard laughed, "Yeah, yeah, you and everyone else in the world. Look, he isn't interested in your job. Whatever it is."

"And what makes you so certain I come here with a job for him?"

"Then you tell us what your business is with him, and we'll decide whether it's worth his trouble, you hear?"

"I am not here to discuss anything with you." The tone of the voice, already steely and harsh, took on a darker pitch as the cloaked figure started forward to go inbetween the two guards, appearing almost to float along the ground.

The one who had been talking stepped over to block the way, looking down at the shorter demon with a glare.

"Move. I will not repeat myself."

The guard growled and started to reach towards the hood of the cloak, intending to flip the fabric back and reveal whatever hid behind it.

The other guard blinked and his partner was on his knees, howling in pain and clutching at his heart though there seemed to be no exterior damage.

The hood turned to him as the other fell over, screaming. He said nothing, did not so much as even look to see what had hit the guard as the cloaked figure began to step around the writhing demon.

"What's going on here?" A tall, wiry demon threw open the door and stepped up, eyes taking in the fallen guard, the silent guard, and the dark cloak. Curiosity blazed in his sharp face and his brilliantly bright blue eyes. "Well?"

"Someone to see you, sir." The standing guard gave a gesture to the other demon.

The guild leader let his gaze rest on the hidden figure.

"He's actually quite useful. I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill him." He requested mildly, giving this stranger a crooked, roguish grin.

The guard on the ground stopped screaming, but curled up into a ball and did not appear to be willing to get up.

"My office awaits," He stepped to the side and gestured for the demon to enter. Once the demon had passed him he began to shut the door, but glanced at the standing guard, "My thanks for not being foolish."

He closed the door and turned to see the demon had stopped near the other side of the room.

"What can I do for you?" His long legs carried him over to the desk and he sat down casually, making sure the three swords at his waist were out of the way as he did so, scratching a hand absently at the shadow of stubble on his face, and pushing a lock of white hair that had come loose from the low ponytail behind his ear.

The cloaked demon waited another beat, until the guild leader looked up again, then reached up and pulled back the hood, letting it fall away.

The guild leader sucked in a breath.

"_You_."

The dark-haired demon tilted her head downward slightly in a nod, green eyes regarding him with a hollow, gaunt expression.

"I offer you my services." Her voice was hardened, cold.

He only stared at her, taking in the scars that decorated her face and what he could see of her neck, the hair that was braided and had fallen out of her hood down her back.

Her eyes were like pits of darkness and he shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts from the macabre direction they had begun to take without his direct notice.

"Not the same services as before, methinks." The guild leader leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his chin with one hand as he rested his other underneath that elbow in thought. He could not help the brief stare one particular scar of hers warranted as it seemed harsher, deeper, perhaps _crueler_ than the rest of those on her face. It started at her scalp and wound down to disrupt her eyebrow, leaving a slight inconsistency in her eye-he could only image what her eyelid looked like when closed-as it continued to crescent beside her nose all the way to her lips where it cut down over them to leave a nasty partition and end beneath her chin.

"The end result will be the same."

He couldn't get over how remarkably _stark_ the difference was in even just the tone of her voice from when he had seen her all those years ago, walking down the streets of his city.

"If I didn't know it was you...I wouldn't know it was you." He said lamely, feeling how differently even the air was about her. "What happened to...where is your Champion?" The guild leader recalled the short, fiery demon who had accompanied her that day he rescued her from the lower-life demons of the city.

Her haunted eyes only stared at him and he thought he might get lost in that gaze until she blinked and broke the contact, looking down at the ground.

"Gone." The fierce cut of her jaw belied nothing of her feelings on the admission, her voice remaining just as rough as it had been when she first spoke.

The guild leader made a noncommittal sound.

"If you had offered only days after you arrived in the city that first time, I would have declined. Rae and her demons are still in an uproar about you, even this many years later, and even here in this city we feel her wrath. They know you're still on the Ninth Level, but they haven't been able to locate you." He regarded her with a neutral expression. "Now I know why."

He rubbed at his left shoulder, over the spindly tattoos there that disappeared underneath the sleeveless tunic he wore.

"I can honestly say that something _has _come up very recently that you would be quite useful in handling…" He finally replied with caution.

"If my presence ever became a burden, or my identity a compromise, I can assure you I would not stay here."

The guild leader almost shivered at how _wrong _her presence felt. Now that he knew what she had once been, the energy he read from her itched at the back of his mind.

He pulled himself to the present when he realized her blunt gaze waited for his answer.

Giving a sharp nod, the guild leader replied, "Welcome aboard." 3

~!**!~

A week and a half. That's how long she'd been at this, losing sleep constantly to get this over with, then regaining it during the daylight hours just enough to continue what she'd been doing. Of course, occasionally, Akari would leave the flat entirely and wander about Mushiori, find food or something that entertained her to help maintain her sanity.

And after she'd spoken with Hagiri, she'd made sure to spend much more time getting acquainted with herself than she had before, the memories passing and leaving behind less pain than the day, even less pain than the hour before.

Until she'd gotten back into the routine of sleeping nights and working during the days. Sure, she _dreamed _about those days, about the pain and about everything else, but she almost felt detached from it, on some level. As if it had happened too long ago to remember each detail as clearly as she used to.

There were still a few nights, however, when her dreams would be vivid concoctions of each moment, vivid mixes of memories that occasionally hurt more than anything else.

And it was one of those dreams that had her eyes flying open, her mind scattered and her breaths coming short as she stared up at the darkened ceiling. The ceiling that was… too dark almost..

The darkness moved, shifting slightly, and Akari was sitting up, sitting at the feet of the figure standing over her that, for a moment, had snuck in on her. Until she realized that the figure had no facial features, no matter how long she looked at it.

She gave a small sigh and tugged at her energy, intending to lull the shadow back into its original position, wherever it had come from. But it didn't move. It merely stood over her, its own energy licking about her skin and creating an other-worldly chill as it moved a step closer.

It wasn't attacking, but…

_Passive aggressive, are we?_

"What's stirred you?" she inquired, and at first, the only response she received was another wave of cold energy that sent her skin riddling with goosebumps, completely contrasting the sweat that had settled over her during her dreams. And still, she waited for an answer.

_We are not mere underlings. _

She raised a brow at the form. "I'm sorry?"

_No master._

This time, the chill that moved around her settled, the energy staying in the air around her. She understood that the unhappiness of this one was directed at her, likely even having stirred for quite some time. However.. She knew how to treat her shadow companions, her shadow helpers. She hadn't once-

"_I am your __**master**_ _and you will do as I tell you." _

Akari blinked, her mouth becoming the 'o' shape of shock. Had _she _said that?

"_Now remember, sweetheart," her instructor had spoken, voice gentle as she addressed the very young girl in front of her, "you must _never _deem yourself a shadow's master, a shadow's puppeteer, because once you've insulted them enough, they will consume you entirely." There was a pause as young Akari had memorized these words, then nodded. "And should you ever anger your allies, the sooner you apologize, the better. Understand?"_

Akari's eyes focused on the shadow looming over her again, taking in the way the edges of its shape moved with the emotion it gave off. She took in a deep breath and lowered her head in a respectable fashion, hands finding her lap as she crossed her legs. "I deeply apologize. I was not in my right mind then, and had I been so, I would not have said such a thing to you." She gave a small pause, feeling in the air that the energy around the shadow had also paused, as if waiting for more. "I am not your master, and never will be. Should you find it necessary, any strike you send will be accepted without any hesitation, and should you accept my apology, I will be in your debt."

The room became silent again, and for a moment, Akari fully expected to be struck by the energy she herself had served for her entire life, harvested when needed. But no attack came. Instead, the energy withdrew. _All forgiven. Never happen again._

"Of course." Akari mumbled as she looked up, just in time to see the shadow sink into the darkness of the room, not even discernible as being her own personal shadow in the darkness of the room. _*****_

~!**!~

"Shikiyoku. Look at me." Kyonshi grabbed for her arm, his eyes pleading that she turn her gaze upwards.

Shikiyoku kept her face cast down at the ground for a moment longer, not wanting him to be able to look into what she could feel most keenly were dull, haunted eyes.

She could vaguely recall the first time this demon had come up to her what had to have been decades ago at this point. He had asked to have her as his mate, complimenting her strength, and she had dismissed him as a fop from the Seventh Level, one of those demons who had invested too much interest in that 'Victorian' era of the humans.

Now, she learned he had been seeking her out ever since that day, finding her now as she finished up a job for the guild, and in this moment entreating that she come with him, join him, not even as a mate, but desiring to help her, and asking for her companionship.

"You do not want this." She said quietly, aware for the first time how sharp her voice sounded nowadays, how cruel and twisted it had become. _You do not want me._

"If you can see nothing else, see my sincerity?" He pleaded, searching her sharp features, her fierce face, so different from the one he proposed a union with all those years ago.

Shikiyoku still hesitated, then finally let her eyes come up to meet with his.

He smiled.

"Come with me. Please." Kyonshi shook his head slightly, "If for no other reason than to allow me to share in your company."

"I am no company worthy to be shared." She resisted looking away, and he had brought his other hand up to her chin, not letting her.

"I think you and I will have to agree to disagree." A small smile danced across his face as he released her chin and let a white-gloved hand trace a scar that started at her forehead and stretched down over her eyebrow, her eye-she closed both of them as he reached it-and curved down her cheek where it disrupted the line of her lips with its wickedness, making that portion jagged. "I don't think you understand just how much I fancy the macabre."

Shikiyoku let his voice wash over her while her eyes were closed.

"And I have yet to explain exactly what I would be getting out of this...companionship, besides your esteemed self." He leaned over and whispered into her ear, letting his lips brush against her skin in a way that at one time would have pleased her and now garnered no reaction from her at all. "You...have much demonic energy...and I...have a large appetite." 3

* * *

><p><span>Kyonshi<span> - Chinese "hopping vampire"; jiang shi; jiangshi; chiang-shih; reanimated corpse

_So, the slices of Shikiyoku's life in Demon World are intentional in how they are both disjointed and indeterminate insofar as how much time has passed between each scene that occurs. It's supposed to convey in that manner exactly how she is experiencing her existence-that is disjointed and without direct notice of the passage of time-where there are only specific moments where she even looks up and notices anything around her._

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	64. Episode 148 - The Final Stand

**A/N:** Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

Yeah, I've totally been neglecting going back and inserting in word meanings in case anyone has been following that. And on occasion I'll forget to do them in recent chapters, ha.

Anyway, this is another one of those weekends that I will be gone, so there will only be "bare-bones" chapters-without author's notes or 'previously'-for the rest of the month.

Speaking of which, starting in February I will be switching to a Monday/Wednesday/Friday update schedule, so there will not be a new chapter up this coming Sunday as that is the first of the month.

I also just want to say that I've been waiting, like, sixty-three chapters for you to get to this point in the story! Tee hee. Personally, I feel that the story, the plot really, doesn't start to take off until after these next couple of chapters (granted, there is a TON of important things that happen within the last chapter and onto the next few), and from an outside-reader's perspective, I'm always concerned that someone will come along and be all 'omg this has such a slow start,' and then won't give the plot a chance to really get going. My thanks if you have enjoyed our roleplay so far and have stuck it out this long!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

__As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis._  
><em>"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."<em>_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Kurama and Hiei discuss how long Hiei has been gone-only thirteen days passed in Human World,  
>whereas Hiei has lived through seventy-seven with Shikiyoku in Demon World-and<br>Kurama asks Hiei to see if he could find Maneshi, who has apparently gone missing.

The gang has taken to meeting up together at the Kuwabaras' apartment,  
>and Jin and Rinku show up for one such meeting, having come through the portal Akari had been at the opening of,<br>informing everyone that the others of their friends are also among the demons who came through.  
>Apparently all any of them knows is that they are to 'take back what was once theirs.'<p>

This leads to Genkai telling the others about the old legend of 'Sekaiju,'  
>that when the Kamis first created the world demons and humans lived alongside one another.<p>

Meanwhile, Akari has taken up residence at Sensui's old apartment to attempt to 'get over' her scars.

~!**!~

It takes years, but Shikiyoku goes through the torture put upon her by Renai,  
>King of the Ninth Level and formerly a pure demon of desire like herself,<br>and she comes to learn the ways of pain, which frees herself and Hiei of their pact,  
>as she no longer needs someone to protect her.<br>However, once in 'pain form,' she will be stuck there unless she has a Consort to change her back.

Shikiyoku then seeks out the guild leader that she and Hiei once met in Demon World,  
>offering her services to him.<p>

After years of working under the guild leader, she is found by Kyonshi,  
>the very demon who asked her to be his mate after her dance for the Northern Tribe.<br>While he does in fact merely ask now for her companionship,  
>it is also revealed that he feeds upon demonic energy,<br>and intends to do so with her should she join him.

~!**!~

A week or so after his return to Human World and Hiei finds his old clothes and the sword he stole  
>sitting on the counter in Toriko's house with a note that reads "With all my love, -S"<br>A few days before that and he felt the bond fading away from within him,  
>and he had not been for certain until that moment about whether or not she was still alive.<p>

Three more weeks pass uneventfully in Human World...

* * *

><p>Dragging feet lead to slumping shoulders, and slumping shoulders lead to a yawn, and eventually, Akari was exhausted all around.<p>

Walking from Mushiori to Kaidan was a much longer trip back than it had been the other way around. And, quite frankly, Akari had decided some time ago that instead of walking to her home, she'd stop by Kuwabara's first. Get caught up and.. whatnot.

"_You're stumbling."_

"Am not." she grumbled down at the dog, hefting the duffel bag on her shoulder higher as she moved down the street, able to see Kuwabara's apartment now. And as her eyes set sight on the stairs she'd have to climb, she groaned.

_I just want a dang nap. Is that so much to ask for?_

"_Maybe Loudmouth and his sister will let you sleep!"_

"I'm just stopping by to get caught up. That's all." she responded as she dragged her heavy legs, picking them up slowly to ascend the steps. Again, she had to adjust her hold on the duffel bag that continued to slip down her shoulder again anyways.

She didn't even bother knocking on the door, as she could hear a few voices inside already talking. She merely turned the knob and pushed the door open, pausing only to kick her shoes off with a yawn and scuffle her way through the house, eventually finding herself on a very, very comfortable couch.

She opened her mouth to say something to Kuwabara, though her eyes closed as she got comfortable, and in the end, she said nothing. Instead, she simply rested her head back and went to sleep, a nap much more important at the moment than whatever she'd been about to say. _*****_

The current talk had been of relocating to Genkai's lands for more intense training. Even Shizuru had to agree that she felt a fight coming on, despite the fact that Yusuke said he knew it in his bones that this wasn't over.

That could have just been his way of saying he really wanted a good fight.

It was almost December, and with no further word from Jin or the others, the group had gotten antsy.

Compound that with the female who had just walked in unannounced and taken up residence next to Kurama on the couch to fall asleep without so much as a by-your-leave, and it left the group staring at her, amazed at how quickly it appeared she could leave the waking world.

Shizuru just smiled at the sleeping girl.

"There's a mat set up in my room for her if anyone wants to carry her in there."

They all turned to stare at Kurama who only raised an eyebrow at them.

"It appears she's just fine where she landed."

Kuwabara gave him a look. "That's not very gentlemanly of you, Kurama."

"And waking her would be?" His expression had not changed.

In truth, he'd felt something stir inside him when the couch gave way to her weight as she plopped down next to him, and he hadn't had enough time to sort through his feelings on how she'd been gone for nearly three weeks only to return suddenly.

"As I was saying, there would be more than enough room for you all, and it would allow us to be within close proximity of one another when the time comes." Genkai picked up the conversation where it had left off.

"And you're certain you'll be able to feel when that is?" Kurama looked to Shizuru, who seemed to have gained even more of that same calm confidence she had always had.

She gave a nod, shifting the cigarette in her mouth over to the other side, "Getting to train for whatever...battle it is we're going to be in that I'm picking up is the most important thing right now."

"I'm not opposed to the suggestion, but I also no longer have to worry about attending the high school's classes either. I passed my exit exams about a month ago. I would only need make sure I was home in time to help my mother with the final preparations for the wedding."

Yusuke looked grim, "The school year doesn't end until March, and Keiko would kill me if I dropped out of middle school so close to the end."

Kuwabara gave the same sort of expression, "Sis and I have already talked about me testing out of the last few months. I know I can do it, and I...I want to go to high school, you know?" He peeked over at Yukina and turned a little red, "I'd need some time during the day to study if we were out there."

"There's nothing to say that you and dimwit both can't bring your materials with you. As long as you can pass those exit exams, they can't refuse you your graduation." Genkai replied.

Yusuke sighed, "It just means Keiko gets to be on my case about attendance again."

"It isn't like she won't understand." Yukina said quietly from where she sat next to Kuwabara on the floor.

"I guess that's true."

"As long as you've told her." Kuwabara added, glaring at him.

It was Yusuke's turn to turn a little pink around the ears. "I just...haven't gotten around to it, that's all." 3

No dreams. It was just the way Akari liked it, and quite frankly, she'd been having more sleep like this since… well, for about a week now, really. So, when she felt the darkness fading, turning into the feeling of artificial light against her eyelids, she shifted slightly, letting out a small huff of air at the prospect of leaving such a peaceful realm so quickly.

But, her internal clock seemed to tell her than an hour's worth of sleep was more than enough to recover from the trek she'd trudged from one district to the next. And, despite all efforts, her eyes opened anyway, as if commanded by an unseen force to do so, and she was staring up at a slightly familiar ceiling, blinking away the blur of sleep from her eyes.

She made a small sound as she shifted her head, testing the slight stiffness in her neck from the way she'd been resting her head against the cushion of the couch.

"_Akari's awake." _a small voice said, as if in warning, and the movement of Nabu by her feet was only indicated by the sound of his claws on the wood floor. "_Don't be loud. She'll attack."_

"Will not, Nabu." she grumbled in response, not surprised by the fact that the dog was talking to other people. She hadn't forgotten where she'd ended up, not even the slightest. _*****_

"Sleeping beauty returns to the land of the waking!" Yusuke exclaimed with a grin, "Without a kiss and everything! So much for the fairy tale." 3

"Now _you, _Yusuke, I have no trouble attacking." she replied easily, shifting again so that her back was straight when she lifted her head, turning calm eyes onto the detective.

And then around the room at the many people. Many more that she remembered being here. Or, now that she thought of it, she hadn't looked at a single one of them when she'd stopped by.

"Also, you're the dumbest person alive. That is all." _*****_

"Kuwabara, next time I _ever _say anything about missing Akari, punch me real hard in the face." Yusuke grinned as Kuwabara laughed, Genkai even shaking her head.

"It's good to know you're still around. We'll need all the help we can get." Kuwabara told her. 3

"Don't worry, I'll be honored to do that in Kuwabara's stead." Akari countered, lazily moving to cross one leg over the other, blinking once at Yusuke before giving a crooked grin of her own. "I still owe you, after all." And when Kuwabara spoke up, she raised a brow and turned to the larger male, smile gone. "Nice to know you thought I wouldn't come back. Love the faith." She paused, pushing the joking aside. "Whatcha got for me? What have I missed?" _*****_

"Thankfully, not much." Shizuru spoke up, eyes glancing to the others in the room, "We were just talking about how we are probably going to all pack up and head out to Genkai's for training. I've got a hunch there's going to be one last showdown for all of us." 3

Akari nodded, glancing about the room when Shizuru's eyes wandered to each person. She took in each face. And, when she found Kurama next to her, she blinked.

"Still unsettling." she said casually, referring to his lack of energy before turning back to Kuwabara and the others. "Well, I'm up for it. I still have to drop by home first though. I haven't had the chance yet, as I'm sure you've noticed." She gestured vaguely to the bag that had fallen on the floor when she'd plopped down earlier, a slightly lopsided smile sneaking its way onto her features. "Glad to hear I haven't missed anything too crazy. I'd hate to miss the fun parts." _*****_

"I wish Jin or Touya or somebody would be able to join us out there." Yusuke made a face.

Shizuru opened her mouth to say something, but paused and looked at Kurama.

The phone rang.

"It's your mother." She told him, standing up to answer, "She wants to know if you'd mind coming home early tonight to talk about the wedding."

"Tell her I'm on my way." Kurama got up and wove his way through those gathered on the floor, eyes only just alighting on Hiei before he slipped his feet into his shoes by the door and left.

"Meet up here tomorrow!" Shizuru called after him, "If you want to go out there with us!"

"I work," Kurama paused in the middle of the door, "And will have to until the end of the week. But I'll get out there as soon as I can." He closed the door gently behind him. 3

Akari waited until the room was silent before she gave a small sigh, unable to ignore the sound her stomach made. And without further prompting from her stomach, she decided to give in and pushed herself to stand. "Well, sorry to nap and run, but I've gotta get myself _and _Nabu something for dinner, and plenty other things I put off for two weeks. Thank you for catching me up, and not disturbing me." She gave a lazy wave to the room about her and picked up her duffel bag, ignoring anything anyone said as she slipped her shoes on and then slipped into the cold afternoon air, Nabu on her heels as she caught up with Kurama.

"So, your mother is getting married?" she asked casually, the conversation more of a spur-of-the-moment decision that she hadn't been able to keep from acting upon. She felt that he'd told her this before, but her two and a half weeks in Mushiori had her forgetting several things that hadn't been very pressing. _*****_

Kurama nodded, "Towards the end of December. She's very happy. Which is all I could ask." He hesitated, "I encouraged her to move it sooner, she was going to wait until Spring. But what with...whatever Shizuru is picking up…" He trailed off. 3

Akari kept one hand on the strap of her duffel bag to keep in in place, the other hand finding her hoodie pocket almost lazily as she let her eyes follow the puff of white that her breath created on the cold air. She hadn't been paying attention to the cold, and realizing she could see her breath suddenly had her rather joyous, though her expression betrayed none of that.

"Well, I'm sure it will be a wonderful union." she commented lightly, saying nothing more since she wasn't _entirely _familiar with wedding rituals. _*****_

Kurama chuckled, knowing that Akari likely didn't know what to say about the process.

"It will." He paused, thinking about it and bringing a smile to his face as he did so before he let his eyes glance in her direction, "Did you find what you were looking for?" 3

Akari gave a small sound that said she acknowledged Kurama's words of the wedding, along with the chuckle she _knew _to be aimed at her. But, for a moment, she let the silence stretch on.

It was odd how comfortable she suddenly felt, as if before, she'd always been tense around him for reasons even she didn't understand.

So with his question, she only glanced at him for a brief moment before turning her eyes to her cloud of air again, her lips parted for the soul reason of creating the wonderful cloud. "I wasn't _looking _for anything. I knew where everything was." she responded mildly, eyes never leaving the area in front of her face. "Hagiri is on standby, but he's only… a just in case thing. A reassurance, really." She stopped there, unsure of what to say next, if anything. _*****_

"I'm sure he would be welcome, though I am not entirely positive if he would truly wish to join us." Kurama thought about their upcoming training, amused at how she brushed aside his question. "And I'm glad you already knew where everything was. That must have made things easier." 3

Finally, Akari turned her eyes onto Kurama, a calm and level gaze staring at him unblinkingly for a moment. _It's because of you, you ass. Don't act like you aren't aware. _She made a sound of amusement and turned forward again, deciding against saying that.

"I'm hoping Hagiri won't be needed." she continued on, before giving a small sigh.

There was another pause before she decided to respond to his last words anyway. "Well, nothing comes easy with me, as I'm sure you already figured out." Her lips twitched and she blew out air, purposefully making a small cloud again. "But outside forces are always acting, I suppose." With that, she turned and altered her course, tossing a wave over her shoulder. "Have fun with your mother." _*****_

Kurama said nothing in reply, though he watched her go as she separated and headed for her own home, the wheels turning in his mind and suddenly wishing for the first time in a long time that he could feel her presence, wondering what else besides the look in her eye had changed. 3

"_Do you think he knows?"_

"Mmm, 'bout what?"

"_That he is such a big influence on you?"_

Akari sighed, "I have _no _idea what you're talking about." She rolled her shoulders a bit, releasing the leftover tension from her nap in an instant as she moved towards the ramen stand she hadn't visited in… three weeks, just about. Maybe longer.

"_I like him."_

"...Me too." _*****_

~!**!~

The winter months gave way into spring for those on Genkai's lands.

Both Kuwabara _and _Yusuke passed the exit exams for middle school. Kurama left for a week to help his mother with her wedding and to see the newlywed couple off for their honeymoon, but he returned faithfully to pick up where he'd left off.

Training continued almost constantly at the old psychic's house, each participant growing stronger under her patient tutelage as they wished, sometimes going off on their own to further themselves. Yukina patiently took care of those injured when her powers were required, though only when the injuries meant training would have to be postponed.

The others were impressed with Shizuru, who had long since mastered Reikibuki. Her versatility was unmatched, going so far as to having several forms her weapons could take and coming to be proficient in two or three of them. Yusuke's favorites were her spirit energy version of brass knuckles, but everyone knew he was biased.

It was one such night in March when Kurama went been off by himself, as he had taken to doing since they started training.

For the first time, he'd felt self-conscious about his lack of access to any energy, and he knew that he would not be able to at first keep up with the others, his reactions too slow even if his brain mostly maintained the same speed.

He had to get used to not only thinking through every step his enemy might use, but reacting to the first four or five of those steps seconds before he had been used to thinking as he lacked the hearing and the smell he had before so heavily relied upon. The lack of Youko's influence deeply disturbed him and he did not wish to be a burden to the others, so he would go off by himself, early in the morning, returning late in the night.

Kurama blinked the sweat from his eyes, the moonlight above only barely reaching down through the trees where he stood, deep within the dark forest that lay at the back of Genkai's lands.

He knew this was no time to be distracted by something so mundane as sweat.

A dark shadow skirted by his left, but he did not see it, did not feel it.

It did the same thing again, passing him on the right and only barely leaving a wind trail on Kurama's bare skin, stripped to the waist as he was.

Kurama moved forward several steps and turned, feeling the wind pass by the place he had just stood.

There was another reason why he wished to have no one else around.

A second low-level demon shot out of the nearby trees and Kurama only just managed to dodge, reaching up to block his face with his arms as he felt the angry swipe he accurately guessed would be coming gauging deeply into the palms of his hands.

He had acquired many new scars as he pushed himself.

Kurama lowered the block slightly, only to feel several more slashes across his back which made him ball his hands into fists as he refused to cry out in pain.

He reached up into his hair with his left hand as he took several strides forward again, making sure the seed was coated with the blood from his palm as he passed it to the right hand and feeling it pulse before extending into a whip out from his grasp which he used to lash out at the enemy who had cut at his back.

Another demon body-tackled him to the ground, and just before he hit the grass he had taken out the first demon with several well-aimed hits of his whip, turning at that point to block the mouth that had made for his head with his free arm and earning a solid bite of said mouth into his flesh, easily tearing through his skin.

The claws of the demon ripped into his bare chest even as he brought his right arm up and over with a snap to attempt to entangle the beast, two or three more such beasts joining the fray and starting to rip at Kurama's legs and face.

Without demonic strength, there was not much the human-Shuichi could do, but he felt the grass underneath his bloodied back erupt around him in his defense, cutting viciously through the beasts like so many blades and wrapping around Kurama as they did so in a green cocoon.

When the beastly demon on his chest finally stopped struggling, his head having been sliced off by the blades of grass, Kurama managed to throw the demon off of himself and lay there as he felt the blood of the others, dead now as well, seeping towards him.

Unable to stand, to so much as move what with his legs and torso and arms bleeding out on the forest floor, Kurama lay there staring up at the moonlight, his eyes finally shuddering closed as he felt his own blood leaking out from his body and creating flowers in the grass. 3

After being convinced by both Nabu and her own fighting thoughts on the matter, as the months passed Akari had taken to studying with Yusuke and Kuwabara during the day and training during the late night hours, usually with Genkai who occasionally left her either angry enough to walk away or tired enough to do nothing more than sleep where they'd been training.

But once she'd taken her leave for the exams and then returned, school out of the way entirely, she'd become a bit more centered around her own energy, her entire mind consumed with different abilities she knew that her own family had used, along with ones Genkai introduced.

She'd learned a lot during these months, and found that after a while, even the low-level demons outside of Genkai's temple were nothing more than pests, their blows doing nothing unless they were in huge groups and had some sort of ability that countered her own.

Though, she'd run into a few who were 'cousins' of the Aswang, their strikes including toxins. Needless to say, she'd found that she didn't appreciate the glower from Genkai as Yukina cleansed away the poisons from Akari's blood.

But as soon as she'd been able, she'd returned to the outside world and stayed well into the night at times, no matter what was suggested for her.

And it was one such night that Akari had found herself wandering through the trees, eyes wandering over the shadows in the area and toying with ideas, things she could put to use here. With the moon overhead as it was, there seemed to be a huge party of shadows dancing about, waiting for her to call on them and ask of their services.

At that moment, had Akari had her canine ears, they would have turned back to assess the sound of a screeching creature, and then lay on her head in annoyance as more sounds followed. Here she was, looking for one such group of demons, while another- likely Kurama, from the absence of energy- killed them all off.

So, she sighed and turned, going back the way she'd come before branching away from her first path and following the sound of fighting that, after a minute, died away, leaving only the smell of blood that wafted on the gentle breeze occasionally.

Just as she walked onto the scene, Akari became able to distinguish several different scents of several different creature's blood, all that overlapped and seemed to almost cover up the smell of Kurama's own blood that she could easily see now. She gave a small sigh and moved forward, finding herself unsurprised by the scene.

With steps that weren't meant to conceal her presence, she approached Kurama, and without even asking or announcing her presence verbally, she grabbed him by a portion of his torso that was _not _covered in cuts and blood, and lifted him from the forest floor, turning her back to him so when she stood, he was draped over her back, his arms over her shoulders.

She looked up, easily taking in the sight of a few demons running by her, a frown settling on her face. "_Now_ I can find a group of demons? Just _perfect." _She turned and began moving towards the temple, very aware of both Kurama's injuries and the amount of bleed that she could feel soaking into the back of her shirt.

So instead of wasting her time, like she normally would have, she simply let her energy snake out around her, creating a dark, dangerous barrier around herself and Kurama before she took off, not even taking note of the demons that made attempts at attacks and were promptly consumed by the shadows in the area.

And before long, she was inside the temple and looking about for Yukina, pausing only briefly to inquire Genkai of the girl's whereabouts before turning and heading to the Ice Maiden's room. _*****_

Kurama made no noise of protest when he felt himself lifted from the ground, eyes still closed. In truth, he was grateful for the assistance, if a bit displeased at not having recovered quickly enough to get back on his own two feet.

It wasn't the first time he would be returning barely conscious. Not since he had discovered Youko's demonic energy still flowed through his veins anyway. While he could not call upon said energy himself, all of it locked away from his direct contact, he found he could manipulate it after a fashion if his blood touched the flora first.

The day he had discovered it had been in a fight similar to the one that had just occurred and had left him out for at least four hours before he was able to rouse himself and return to Genkai's house. 3

Akari's energy, or the last of it that had surrounded herself and Kurama, tapered away as she approached Yukina's door, the quiet energy of the Koorime on the other side and already approaching the door. Without any prompting from Akari, Yukina's door slid open and revealed the calm gaze of the female, whose eyes widened when she saw Kurama.

"There's an extra mat on the other side of mine." she informed, and Akari didn't hesitate to move inside and maneuver around the blankets and such on the floor, before lowering Kurama down to the one Yukina had gestured to.

Instead of leaving as she normally would have, Akari moved to sit cross-legged on the floor near Kurama's head, reaching forward and poking him once with her index finger. "You're not gonna get very far if you keep this up." she grumbled at him with a sigh.

"Everyone is working so hard. I think they deserve a break soon."

Akari didn't reply to the girl who went to work as soon as she'd finished speaking. _*****_

Kurama knew as soon as Akari had entered the Koorime's room, not just by the soft, gentle, cool clove smell of the maiden which even he could pick up, but by the absolute calm that simply by stepping over the threshold placed one within it. That feeling seemed to permeate the entire room, a calm cultivated by centuries of her kind that seeped into the very cracks of the building wherein she resided as well as the hearts of all those nearby.

He made no sound as he felt himself lowered to the ground, only opening his eyes just a touch once his head was laying flat, shifting them over just in time to see Akari lean forward to poke at him.

"Unfortunately, there's no other way to do it." Kurama replied into that same air of peacefulness that had overtaken him once they'd gotten inside. "My attempts thus far at storing my blood for later usage have been entirely unsuccessful." Something he hadn't revealed to anyone else up until that point, he realized. 3

Akari frowned slightly into the eyes that found her, realizing for the first time just how… human the redhead was at this point. Sure, she knew his body couldn't heal as well, but… that was only one of the many things that having Youko sealed away seemed to have caused. One of the many things that could easily lead to a situation that no one wanted to face.

And if he had to continue to do this to himself, even during the real fight… He was going to end up bleeding himself dry.

"Take a break tomorrow." she said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting back against the nearest wall. "I think you need it." _*****_

"And fall further behind?" He replied with a small smile, "I think that would not be prudent at this juncture. I'm most certain I will already only be in the back for support, so whatever I can do now to increase my stamina will be that much more I can provide once the fighting begins."

He shifted around a little as he tried to get more comfortable on the mat as Yukina continued to work.

"Perhaps...perhaps I will endeavour to not go _quite _so far into the forest tomorrow, if that would ease your mind." 3

Akari's eyes slid closed. _How did I know you were going to say that? _

Verbally, she gave no reply to Kurama at all, because really, she felt there was nothing she _could _say to convince him otherwise. He'd do what he wanted, whether or not she had a say to it. And, really, who was she to tell him he couldn't better himself, even if the only way he seemed able to do so put him in _this _position?

"Just don't get yourself killed." she finally said, voice quiet and tone small. "Got me?" _*****_

Kurama opened his eye further to regard Akari with a neutral expression, taking in her face, her hair which he realized had been pull up.

His lips twitched as he tried not to smile.

"Mm. I'll..._try_." 3

"Ha ha. Very funny." she responded in the same tone as before, eyelids sliding open to allow her to stare at him with an even gaze. "But I mean it. Because I hope you know I'd personally hunt you down in Spirit World and kick your ass all the way back." _*****_

Kurama let out a pained chuckle and his eyes squeezed shut as the mirth shook his body just a little.

"Well, it's a good thing Genkai believes there won't _be _a Spirit World much longer should we fail. I won't have to worry about it, that being the case." 3

"Are you doubting my abilities?" she countered, lips suddenly twitching. "You don't know me very well then, I'm afraid." Her eyes turned to Yukina, who seemed to be smiling at their banter despite the concentration she dedicated to her handiwork. _*****_

"Oh? You're claiming to be able to pierce the beyond, then? To understand what even Spirit World has no control over? Bold." Eyes still closed, he allowed himself the smile that threatened to take over his features anyway. 3

"You never know. Something new could happen." she responded with her nose lifting in the air slightly. She went quiet again, slowly lowering her chin to watch Yukina's hands and the power that glowed as those hands passed over cuts and gashes, gently encouraging them to heal and pull together in the middle.

_This sucks. __*****_

"How are Yusuke and Kuwabara faring?" Kurama asked suddenly, eyes coming open again to look over at Akari.

He knew she'd be training with them and not only Genkai. 3

Akari shrugged nonchalantly at Kurama's answer. "They've learned that they don't like shadows anymore." Her voice wavered with an unissued laugh at the thought, but she became serious again. "Kuwabara's energy is starting to feel similar to when Sensui needed use of him again. I know he hasn't harnessed it yet, because there's been no reason for it, but he also seems to be fighting it… though not without his direct notice." She frowned as she voiced this observation; she hadn't told anyone else about her thoughts on the matter, mainly because she figured the only ones who could feel the difference were the ones who knew how to either help or squash that ability. "And Yusuke still fights without thinking about his opponent. I've wished more than once that _you _would give him that lesson, because he doesn't seem to take me very seriously." _*****_

Kurama gave another wry chuckle, "Yusuke tends to win his battles with more luck than skill or anything else. Though he _is _a force to be reckoned with, either way.

"And I had hoped seeing how much his sister has caught up with him might spur Kuwabara further. She's likely going to pass him soon, if she has not already, and I wonder how _that _will make him feel." 3

"Well, he's definitely putting in the effort to get a kick forward, it's simply that his Jigen Tō isn't a stable energy yet. He's trying, obviously, he just doesn't know how to call on it yet. And, quite frankly, I don't know how to push him hard enough to need it without trapping him inside another dimension and leaving him there." She gave another shrug. "Which, of course, would mean I'd have to call on Uraotoga." She shifted her weight, uncrossing her legs before they fell asleep. "You should see when they fight each other. It turns from training to a complete brawl." _*****_

"I'm sure Yusuke makes it a point to 'win' every time." Kurama replied mildly, "I'm also sure their days of training with Genkai give much more fruitful results." 3

Akari gave a hum of affirmation as she took to looking down at Kurama again, "I'm sure everyone has better results when with Genkai rather than on their own." She considered her own moments with the older woman, suddenly remembering something else she could request of later, when she was alone with the woman again. "How much longer do you think we have before the fight brews?" _*****_

"There's really no way to tell. All we have to go on is Shizuru, who has started to say 'soon' instead of 'closer.' Her own training has become even more focused of late, which may be the best sign out of anything." Kurama let out a little sigh. 3

Akari gave a small nod, but otherwise said nothing to the redhead. She continued to stare at him, her thoughts churning over several different things at once, none of them even remotely on the same subject as another, each one swirling around and around her mind in a dance that never seemed to end.

And after a bit, Yukina sat back and looked up at Akari before offering a small smile to Kurama. "I'm glad you got here sooner this time, Kurama." She looked up at Akari again and offered the same smile. "You're both working hard, so if there's anything I can do, please, don't hesitate to ask." _*****_

Kurama began to sit up, giving Yukina grateful smile and knowing that he and the Koorime had more than their fair share of encounters within the past few months where the avatar had known he would be unable to function for a few days and found the prospect unacceptable, enlisting her help to at least close his wounds so he could continue.

"And you, Yukina, are working just as hard as the rest of us. Don't _you_ forget to give yourself a rest once in a while." 3

"Of course," Yukina replied, her head tilting with the wide smile she showed Kurama. Akari shifted around, leaning away from the wall and pushing herself to stand after a moment, reaching a hand down to offer Kurama a hand up.

"Just so you know, I wanted that group of demons." she finally said, giving the redhead a small look of jealousy. "Thief." _*****_

Kurama took the hand, but aspired to an air of loftiness at her words while he stood up.

"You _do _realize you're speaking to what is the avatar for the most infamous kitsune in all of Demon World?" He didn't even look twice at her, sashaying past her and out Yukina's bedroom, only turning his head slightly with his nose lifted in the air to give a haughty sniff as he came to the threshold of her door, "You should feel _honored _to have had your prey stolen from you by me. Or at least _honored _that I didn't take anything else." He arched an eyebrow, gave a smirk, and finished exiting the room. 3

Akari huffed at Kurama, crossed her arms at him, then stuck her tongue out just a little. "Honored, my backside. You should be glad I didn't interfere sooner." She kept her brows raised at his last words, and before he got too far, she followed after him. "And what do you mean by _that_, sir?" she inquired, tone incredulous. "It isn't like you'd get far anyway. Not in that state." _*****_

"I would get just as far as you would let me." Kurama shot right back, his own tone never changing as he kept moving for the exit of the house and his face maintaining that same self-satisfied expression. 3

"I can assure you that it wouldn't be very far." she repeated, hands sliding into the pockets of the jacket she wore lazily. She wasn't sure why she still wore it. Perhaps it was just a habit now. _*****_

"Mm." Kurama intoned noncommittally, "I don't think you can accurately assure me of anything since I haven't actually tried. Even _you _wouldn't stand long against the wiles of a fox demon." 3

Akari rolled her eyes, catching on likely a little late, but… better late than never, right?

"Well, I _must _admit," she suddenly began, tone turning sultry, "I _do _touch myself when I think of you." She paused, eyes finding the back of his head. "Granted, it's usually my fingers rubbing my temples, because your presence creates the _worst _headaches. It's rather trying, really." _*****_

"Ha!" Kurama barked out a single, amused laugh, "The she-demon likes to play with twisted words, does she?" Kurama didn't stop walking, "I'm sure I could teach you a few things about being _twisted_." He tossed her a glance over his shoulder, turning so he could face her, going on a couple more steps backwards towards the door, "But in any case," he reached forward as if to brush her cheek with his fingers, "Progress is progress."

He stopped short of the door being flung open, turning to catch it as Yusuke stomped inside.

The dark-haired youth barely gave Kurama a glance, taking in the wicked scars across the avatar's bare skin and raising his eyebrows.

"Nice." He commented as he passed by, realizing that he'd never seen the other without a shirt, for good reason considering how many marks the fox had on his skin, but finding himself unsurprised that there _were _marks. He knew the kinds of fights Kurama got into and out of. 3

The twitch of Akari's lips was hard to fight, and after a moment of fighting the smirk, her lips ended up tilting up anyway, a crooked smile adding to the gleam in her eye of complete and utter amusement. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure what had made her think of it, but… Oh well.

"Glad you approve, though I didn't say it for the approval," she replied easily, arms crossed over her chest again as she eyed the hand that outstretched to her.

And then Yusuke was passing by, giving a single word comment to Kurama that Akari rolled her eyes at. *

~!**!~

It was not two days later that Genkai suddenly stopped in the middle of her lesson and Yusuke faltered in his steps, taken aback by the sudden severeness of her expression that was aimed just a little to the right and above his shoulder.

He followed her gaze and realized it led back to her home, then looked over at Kuwabara to see his red-haired friend have the same odd tilt of his head.

The pair took off towards the dojo without a word and Yusuke said nothing, sensing the heaviness of the air around them and running after despite his not realizing what had been the cause for their abrupt dispersal.

The three of them burst through the doors to see Shizuru sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, her eyes closed and her brows strained together.

Yukina looked up at them as they came in, standing over the human female with concern.

Shizuru's brown hair was a mess, falling out of the ponytail she obviously put it in before she had started, her feet bare and her skin glistening with sweat leftover from the moves she had been walking through, quite obviously having likely dropped into her current position directly out of her technique.

"What is it?" Yusuke asked desperately.

"It's time." Genkai replied, Kuwabara nodding absently, a far-away look in his own eyes.

"Something's happening." Shizuru said, her voice strained, "It's not _here_, not _Human World_. Not yet. But something." Her knuckles were white where she clutched at her ankles, the hardened muscles in her bare arms tense.

Kurama came in the other side of the dojo-Hiei trailing behind him-his upper body bare save for white bandages which he had obviously just finished changing that went from over his right shoulder down across his front to his waist, which had a few passes of bandages wrapping around his hips.

As he came closer, Yukina immediately turned to tend to him and he didn't protest.

"I know you said not to bother," She said patiently, reaching up to put her hands near his chest where she remembered seeing his wounds, "But you'll need all your strength." Her hands began glowing and he did not flinch away. 3

~!**!~

Darkness surrounded Akari, who merely sat within the odd space that she seemed to drift through, her eyes closed and hair moving with an unseen breeze. She took in a deep breath and let her eyelids slide open, her lips curling into a smile. She'd finally perfected the technique that was more often than not a rare specialty move among her kind, and even more so to those who were of mixed blood.

It only took two whole days and nights without sleep, some rest, and a few more hours of vigorous attempts at it before she'd been able to fall into the realm that consisted of nothing more than darkness and cold nothingness.

She slid her eyes closed again and willed herself to be released from her own energy, and after a few more minutes, she felt the chill of darkness dissipate and her feet touch the soft soil of Human World. She dug her toes into the grass before she opened her eyes, a smile dancing in her irises but not touching her lips in the least as she began moving to the form ahead of her, her prey.

She could take it by surprise if-

Akari paused mid-step and glanced behind herself, suddenly feeling each and every energy of the people on the grounds of the temple moving in the same, single location. Her own gut churned and her core leapt, and instead of turning back to the demon she'd been hunting, her body turned and followed the other energies towards the center of this property, leaving the lower-level demon unaware of the threat that had been on his heels.

She was easily able to foresee and avoid any and all obstacles, and within no more than a minute and a half, she was moving inside the temple, hands pulling her hair up into a tight ponytail that fell well down her back, almost brushing the hem of the white button-down shirt that was worn over the yellow halter underneath.

She was in time to hear both the end of Shizuru's words to whoever was listening and Yukina's words to Kurama. _So… it's time… _

She glanced about the room, waiting for… something to happen. _*****_

The utter silence in the room did nothing for the level of intensity that seemed to spike higher the longer the silence went on.

Shizuru's expression did not change, until a few moments had passed. Then, her eyes flew open.

Just to her left, a portal to Spirit World tore open in the middle of the dojo and the sounds of battle filled the room. Clashing steel. Cries of pain and others of triumph.

The view was difficult to make out, the portal widening suddenly until it stood taller than Shizuru-who had scrambled to her feet by that time-and at least three times as wide.

An older looking Koenma positioned himself half-in and half-out of the opening, his eyes carrying a hunted look that did not truly acknowledge everyone there, instead motioning frantically that they should come through and then disappearing back onto the other side.

Shizuru made no hesitation to barge into the portal, the others following quickly after.

Within Spirit World they found that the portal had opened them into the main offices, the castle, just inside the foyer which had demons pouring in from the entrance, met with resistance from the various denizens who made this their home.

While the smell of blood and sweat filled the air, there was no death, the demons making a point of simply knocking their opponents out as soon as they were able, leaving otherwise untouched bodies strewn about the floor.

In the lead, Shizuru took off after Koenma who started yelling over the din as he moved through both friend and foe, towards a deeper part of the castle.

"They've breached our forces! There are more inside!" His cape whipped wildly about his feet as he took off at a dead run.

Shizuru dual-wielded a pair of slim swords, bright green energy humming from her hands as katanas, with enough accuracy to fend off those who tried to take down the Prince, knocking them aside and even going so far as to change the weapons into a bo staff in mid-swing to slam the longer Reikibuki into a group that advanced on him, scattering them away, but spilling no blood herself.

The noise of the next room was confined to smaller brawls, but Koenma made no appearance to stop and assist, charging down the long hallway until turning right, the lights above them flickering inconsistently as if the very foundations of the palace were being disrupted.

He had seen what he took to be the main attacking force of the demons break through his people, but had been in the middle of attempting to open the portal and unable to assist.

He did not know what they were after, and the sparing of the people of Spirit World confused him, but he could feel his father in this direction, knew they had taken him somehow, and kept right on running down the corridor, taking turns and stairs that even he might have gotten lost in had he not been so desperate.

Koenma stopped only briefly to pull back the gigantic doors that led into one of the main office areas and went in head-first, stopping short with a skid when at least a thousand demons turned from the door at the other end of the hallway and started advancing on the newcomers, the intruders.

Shizuru lightly danced around Koenma and rushed forward, bo staff still in hand, "I'll make a path!"

"Don't kill them!" Koenma pleaded, unsure of what made him say so.

Shizuru turned to throw him a grin over her shoulder, keeping the lit cigarette clutched firmly inbetween her teeth, "What am I, new at this?"

She let out a chuckle and then her face closed with concentration, the bo staff growing longer as she dove head-first into the fray and started to clear the way for Koenma who had taken off just behind her. 3

Akari hadn't had time to think after the portal to Spirit World had appeared. She'd simply… followed as asked of her, eyes roaming as her ears stayed trained on the group that moved through the chaos that was… surprisingly… _clean_. No last breaths, no cries that tapered off into hollowed nothingness.

And with Shizuru in the front line, keeping demons away, Akari herself had only had to bat away a single demon who'd slipped by and made a grab at her. She'd merely done as she saw the rest doing and went for a pressure point, not even pausing in her run to follow after the group she trailed after.

She'd chosen to be at the end, for a very particular reason. From where she was, she could see anything and everything, and with the amount of shadows ahead of her, she'd have more fighting ability from her standpoint, should she need it.

But, it didn't seem she'd need it. Not at the moment, anyway, because for one, Shizuru had it under control. Two, their lives didn't seem threatened, aside from the panic that Koenma seemed to be consumed with that could mean otherwise.

She had her own thoughts on that, but for now, decided that Koenma was the main objective, the main person to protect, if there was even a remote possibility that Foko wanted _anything _to do with the prince.

So, when the group skidded to a stop one by one in a room filled with more demons than she could count, she _did _step up, fingers flexing and eyes gaging the nearest enemies while Shizuru seemed to simply _plow through _them.

Akari moved forward to lend a hand, slipping between the people she'd been originally trailing after and using her own energy to completely consume demons in her own shadows, dropping them into another realm for the time being when she thought they were either too close to the group or Shizuru. _*****_

As they sprinted their way towards the other doors, the group spread out around Koenma, keeping him in their midst and fighting back the demons who attempted to prevent them from continuing forward, the demons succeeding in slowing their progress when their numbers thickened around the circle of defenders.

With no threat of their lives being actually taken, it was easy to turn fist or sword aside, only fear of being overwhelmed an immediate concern.

When they reached the doors, it became a fight to get them open as the sheer number of demons who kept coming tried to push them back, making sure they were position so that the doors could not be pulled inward as they were meant to do.

Genkai slipped inside the circle next to Koenma who was up against the door, Kuwabara and Yusuke who had been on either side of her stepping over to cover where she had stood.

The old psychic began muttering under her breath, weaving her hands in a pattern in front of her body which seemed to enrage the demons around them who desperately tried to break through the protection the others maintained.

"_Kiai Cannon!"_

With the final words of the spell, a massive, if invisible, wave of spirit energy erupted from the old woman's body and blasted back those that were attempting to break through and keeping them from getting the doors open.

As soon as he saw they were free for the moment to move on, Koenma grabbed for one of the doors, Kurama reaching out to get the handle of the other and they pulled the doors apart so that everyone could slip through before the demons recovered, following their comrades inside and pulling the doors shut behind them.

Kurama pulled a small blade out of his pocket and without pause slashed open a palm, reaching the now-bleeding hand into his hair and then smearing the palm across the door just above the handles on this side, vines bursting out from underneath his hand and moving to entangle the handles together, as well as extending outwards until they covered a good portion of the doors as well.

He wasn't sure at first why no one had moved until he lifted his gaze and saw that King Enma himself was on his knees, doubled over with what was obviously pain on his face, kneeling in the direction the group now faced.

Not forty feet from Enma, to the King's right, was a familiar sight: a silver-haired fox demon who had also at some point crumpled to the floor, wearing a similar expression as the royalty next to him.

And inbetween them, standing in the middle of a short flight of stairs was a woman. A female demon whose wickedly fierce beauty cut across the room as she viewed the newcomers. Her aura was powerful, the very room filled with her presence so that it eclipsed that attention which Enma normally would have demanded.

The air was heavy with her energy, not visible with the eyes, but felt with the skin, with the soul.

Shizuru collapsed almost instantly to the ground, Kuwabara following after. Even Genkai dropped to one knee, and both Yusuke and Koenma wore strained expression as they all felt their energy within them rebelling and leaving them with the sensation that their very veins coursed with excruciating pain.

If one managed to see beyond wonderfully terrible figure of the female demon, there were two others at the top of the stairs on the platform, one with red hair, one with blue-Gashiru and Gekijou-who had their hands joined together across what might have been a table or a chest, their eyes closed. After a moment, after getting past the savage gaze and oppressive aura of the female demon, one could hear the twins' voices on the air, speaking unintelligible words to a ritual that obviously involved whatever was between them as it glowed with power while they spoke to weave the enchantment.

Besides that, there were other demons in the room, some who appeared unaffected by the power of the female demon, others who were dropped to the floor in pain, but all of them staring transfixed at her.

She raised a hand towards Koenma, "And so the child comes." Her tone echoed almost frighteningly across the room, intense but also magnificent, "Is it _he _who wishes to strike the final blow?"

"Let him go." Somehow, Koenma's voice seemed just as strong as hers, gathering himself up so that he might soon take a step forward.

"To what end? He will not leave this room alive." Her frankness of tone and ease with which she spoke of the King's death seemed in stark contrast to the pronouncement she just made. "Surely you know what a pathetic _worm_ he has become. If there was a time when he _was _worthy of the station, I know not of it."

Koenma did not this time reply. He...he knew of his father's actions of late, had discovered the awful things he had been carrying on about in secret. But...but he was _blood_. _Kin_. His very own _father_. He could not sit back and do nothing, no matter who deemed the King unworthy. Right?

Taking a small step, shifting her feet towards him, the demon across the room raised a single perfect eyebrow and lowered her hand.

"If you do not advance with the intent to take your father's life, you will advance no further, I can assure you of this."

Koenma said nothing, meeting the demon eye-for-eye, the look on his face one of utter determination as he finally managed to force his feet to take steps in her direction.

Kurama took three steps forward, reaching out as if to stop the teen-prince, but the female demon's eyes flashed and Koenma doubled over in pain, stopped in his tracks.

The avatar blinked, then turned his face up to her.

She seemed for the first time to falter in her surety as she gazed into Kurama's eyes, and he lowered his hand from Koenma, waiting a beat, and then took another deliberate step forward.

Her eyes narrowed when he dared keep coming, and suddenly the fake Youko was on his feet and in front of Kurama, clutching at true avatar's throat with claws that pierced Kurama's skin, making him bleed.

The two stared into one another's eyes and within the false Youko Kurama saw confusion and pain, as if simply standing there hurt him desperately.

"Free this one of his energy block." The she-demon seethed at someone out of sight, on the other side of King Enma, but maintained her eye-contact with Kurama, "I wish to see him _writhing _upon the floor."

"You...promised me...what I desire above all else." The pained response came from somewhere on the other side of Enma, but there was no mistaking the timbre of the voice unseen.

"And you betrayed me for my own kin, my own _children_." She bit back, turning her head to look at the blonde-haired, purple-eyed demon who had gotten to his feet somehow and moved into view, still doubled over and clutching both hands across his stomach.

Her eyes softened only a trifle when she glanced at the pair still chanting behind her. "My own flesh and blood." Her words came softer this time.

When she snapped her head back to regard Otento, her eyes grew colder than before if possible.

"Because..._you_ could not break her..." Otento seemed to find the thought funny, lifting his torso just enough that he could peer at her through his white-blonde hair that covered his face. "I only did...what was needed."

Otento let out a strangled cry and dropped to his knees, a single demon stepping up to stand next to him.

Terepo.

The presence of this demon seemed to make the female shift in place and she left Otento alone for the moment, tossing her gaze out over the other ones near the door and giving Kurama a look that would have made a lesser man quail.

"If I...will not have what was promised me." Otento began to stand up, straining as he did so and lifting his hands towards her, "Then you...shall not have what you desire."

Several things happened at once.

The female demon whipped her head back towards him and threw her hand out at him, her expression all of a sudden desperate, "KILL HIM!"

The aura of the room dropped its oppression completely as the demon of pain felt her core becoming locked away and Koenma began to run towards his father, the others taking longer to recover and only beginning to have their minds returned to them. The fake Youko let go of Kurama and disappeared to reappear next to Otento, Otento throwing an arm over the fox's shoulders as Youko helped him stay on his feet. Terepo stepped up underneath Otento's other arm.

Otento turned towards the twins and made the same gesture as before with his hand. The chanting faltered, caught in their throats as an energy that had started buzzing around them began to crackle strangely.

There was a flash of light over the body of Enma, who had started to stir, and then the King slumped over, dead on the ground.

At the sound of the chanting faltering, the she-demon's body flung around to face the twins with a frantic cry of, "NO!" as their hands released one another and they jerked about and let out cries of pain.

Knowing that they were lost, feeling the oppression of Otento's blockage of her energy, the demon let loose a banshee-like scream and practically flew across the stairs at Otento and the other two, brandishing a jagged knife and managing to plunge it into Otento's chest at which he let out another echo of pain into the air.

The fake Youko succeeded with his free hand in parrying her thrust just enough that it missed Otento's heart, the other demon, Terepo, making the four of them disappear in another flash of light just as the fake Youko's form began to melt away to reveal his true body.

Kurama felt his energy roar into his veins and he threw forward a hand, plants exploding from his palm as he tried to stop the other four from leaving, he himself having started to run at them as soon as the fake Youko released him.

A strange shimmering, incandescent envelopment of power burst from where the twins stood, consuming them completely as it moved outwards and through the entire palace, through the entirety of Spirit World and beyond, carrying with it the final shrieks of the two who died to unleash it.

And then...it was exceedingly quiet. 3

* * *

><p><em>So, I'll freely admit that the idea for Shizuru mastering Reikibuki comes from an awesome picture on DeviantArt showing her with a couple of different ideas for the types of weapons she might wield. CM and I agreed that we wished she had gotten to be a fighter in the anime, given that the ratio of male to female fighters is pitiful, and so that kind of culminates in the bit I write about Shizuru protecting Koenma, after which CM said something about Akari not really having to do much because Shizuru got her shining moment, ha!<em>

_The idea for Human, Demon, and Spirit World being one world at first actually originates in the crossfic idea that Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho take place in the same universe, with the 'future Japan' of Inuyasha being one in which the three worlds have been separated, as they are in YYH._

_As for Enma actually being a bad guy, that is taken directly from the manga! Most of the story-related things revolving around King Enma and how he was actually in cahoots with demons-like the Three Kings-and afraid of the more powerful ones, as well as the fact that he did steal demons from their homes and plop them in Human World, are things that we tried to remain true to here in our RP. _

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


	65. Next Saga! :: Ep 149 - New Beginnings

**A/N:** Hello once again, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

I'm just going to say, getting to write the back-and-forths between Youko and Shuichi (take note of the new italics rule included in this chapter!) are like one of my favorite things to do ever so I hope you all enjoy them too xD We blame Youko's new-found talkativeness to the lifting of Otento's block between them, maintaining that such a block actually caused a more distinct separation between the two souls, and woke Youko from his 'slumber' completely.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>__"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."__

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Akari has done as Kurama suggested and subjected herself to a rigorous training  
>in regards to 'getting over' her scars. After three weeks, she rejoins the others,<br>all of whom are at Kuwabara's apartment discussing relocating to Genkai's lands,  
>so that they will all be in the same place for whatever battle Shizuru feels is going to occur.<p>

The Winter months pass into Spring.  
>Kuwabara and Yusuke successfully tested out of middle school,<br>Kurama and Akari doing the same for high school.  
>Kurama's mother had her wedding at the last of the year,<br>and is currently on her honeymoon, leaving Kurama to train as he will with the others.

Unfortunately for him, his energy is still locked away with Youko,  
>but Kurama has discovered that the energy still flows through his blood,<br>he is simply incapable of accessing it.

Two days later and a portal from Spirit World opens up in Genkai's dojo,  
>Koenma motioning for everyone to come through.<br>Spirit World has been attacked by the false Youko's army,  
>but there are strangely no real casualties.<p>

Koenma leads them all deeper into the facilities,  
>and upon reaching one of the inner rooms,<br>they are all immediately accosted by the painful aura of Renai's mate.

Apparently, Otento is using Gekijou and Gashiru to instigate the ritual that will cause the unification of the three worlds,  
>and those twins are in fact the pain demon's children.<p>

In a flurry of events, Otento locks away the twins' power as well as their mother's power, King Enma is killed,  
>the pain demon manages to stab Otento near the heart, and Terepo teleports himself,<br>Otento, the false Youko, and, unintentionally, the pain demon away.

When Otento is stabbed, it releases the lock on Kurama's energy.

Our story picks up from Akari's point of view after Koenma gets them into the inner room...

* * *

><p>For a while, Akari had stood tall and proud next to Yusuke, despite every inch of her being screaming, crying for reprieve of pain that for years had been little more than simple echoes. She kept her knees locked, her feet planted, and eyes trained on the demon who caused this amount in pain, both within herself and the others in the room.<p>

She'd seen Enma, and quite frankly, hadn't cared save for the fact that he was _on his knees_. But, she'd decided weeks ago that Enma was not her concern, and his fate meant nothing to her. Not after her suspicions had been confirmed when she'd been caught up by the others.

He didn't _deserve _her pity, she felt. Or anyone else's might she add.

So as she stood and took in the scene, muscles twitching with the strain it took to remain standing, she decided that the only people here she even remotely cared for were the ones on the floor around her, and the pair who had broken away just slightly.

She made an attempt to concentrate on her energy, to make it move through her veins like adrenaline, preparing for whatever might happen, but even when she could smell Kurama's blood and Foko was a threat, she couldn't do much of anything except let the muscles of her knees make her legs fold beneath herself, bringing her to the floor with clenched teeth of both pain and anger.

_Simple emotions. Control one, conquer the other. _

She'd done it once, so she could do it again.

By the time she was forcing herself up again, a hand on the handle of the door Kurama had sealed, too many things were happening for her to keep track of. And by the time she was on her feet, the weight on the air had dissipated and Hiei was dashing forward, breaking away from the group with his sword in hand, eyes locked on the four demons that Kurama too was making an attempt to attack.

And it seemed neither succeeded as silence moved into the room.

At first, it seemed no one even dared to move, not even a muscle twitch. And the first to move was Kuwabara, who was also the first to speak. "Everyone's okay, right? I mean, aside from…"

Akari sent a severe look at him that told him to shut up, her eyes holding the same message that Shizuru's communicated just as effectively. Then her eyes trailed to Koenma, then to his deceased father who hadn't moved in… a few minutes now.

Akari moved with silent steps over to Kurama, her energy only just beginning to feel out the room around her and assure her that should something happen, she'd have full control over each and every dark mass in the room, each and every object that had even the smallest of shadows would be a source of power to her.

She looked at him with the silent question of '_are you okay?' _when she stopped beside him, eyes glancing at the blood trailing down his skin where Foko's hands had drawn the red liquid. And after he gave his answer, she turned her eyes to Koenma, expression neutral.

_My condolences, prince. __*****_

In the silence, even the demons seemed reverent, all eyes now on the body of the male who had been King. He seemed...smaller, somehow.

Koenma's steps had slowed once the attack had happened, taking no notice of any of the events around him as his vision appeared to tunnel in and only left him a path to the body that had once held the soul of his father.

It was no longer there, the soul. Koenma knew that much. As for where it had gone, he couldn't really say. They didn't understand everything about their occupation, what role Spirit World played exactly, and no one had ever been able to pierce the beyond that separated true death from the living once.

The former-prince's steps were slow and measured, quiet even in the exquisitely silent room. He blinked several times, but did not feel any tears in his eyes, finally coming to his father's side and dropping to both knees to sit beside the body.

When Kurama was unsuccessful in getting the four demons who disappeared, the avatar lowered his hand, plants dissipating and his eyes turning to take in the dead King.

He _felt _Akari come up besides him, _smelled _her rosemary scent that wafted from her hair when she stopped next to him and did not so much as have to look over to know what question she asked.

_[It is good to be back.] _A dry voice spoke out from somewhere in the back of his mind. _[I don't think you have any idea what to do without me.]_

The wounds Akari appeared momentarily to take in had already healed despite the little bit of blood that still snaked down his neck and Kurama did not answer her aloud, only...taking a step closer to her and looking on as Koenma fell to his knees next to his father, head bowed.

There was a banging on the massive door behind them, breaking the momentary vigil, and Kurama released the hold the vines he created had on the structure.

A small group burst in the door as soon as it was freed, among their numbers both Spirit World and Demon World residents alike, all with expressions of confusion and concern. At their front was George.

"Koenma-sir..." The ogre had felt, like all of those in the previous King's employ, the exact moment their master had fallen, and he would not have interrupted the new ruler's grieving if it had not been for...

"...Demon World is...breaking apart." 3

~!**!~

Despite the silence in the room, there was a loud roaring in Hiei's veins, a ringing in his ears and a pounding in his head. He'd been planning this moment for _months_, and what had he gotten? Crimson eyes stared at the space where his target had disappeared, where his prey had gotten away via teleportation.

He'd thought of everything, save for one, tiny aspect.

_Being unable to move. _He hadn't considered the enemy to have a demon of _pain_, otherwise he would have taken the correct preventive measures for _succumbing _to such pain. He would have _planned _to kill both the woman and the male who _deserved _nothing but a _slow, torturous _death.

He'd planned each strike carefully, planned each blow so that the demon's life would continue on just enough so that he'd feel each and every moment of pain, never receiving healing and just close enough to death to allow the _hope _to die.

And yet…

_And yet I failed. _

He ground his teeth, eyes still staring at the floor as he took in slow, measured breaths through his flaring nostrils, almost feeling as if he could physically spit fire from his jaw if he allowed himself to do so.

But instead, he calmed himself, steeled himself for another attempt at a later time, and turned to leave the scene entirely, not even glancing at Koenma or the dead King on his way out.

After all, he still had unfinished business.

He was halfway out the door, standing in the middle of the threshold when the blue ogre spoke, breaking the fragile silence of the room with words that brought his fiery eyes over his shoulder to inspect the room. If that was true, then Otento would only have _one _place to go from here. _One _world to hide himself in.

_As would Shikiyoku. _His mind spoke the words just as quietly as a shy child would have, making him pause mid-step for the second time. _Which would you rather find? _

Either way, he was not needed here. He'd come for one reason, and lost that reason within a millisecond to a teleporting demon.

The others could do just as well without him.

He continued on his way without a second thought.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes stayed trained on the prince with a kind gleam, a shine of understanding and empathy for the male who'd lost someone he cared for. She kept her arms at her sides, her weight shifting to one foot, leaning to her right slightly just before she was aware of Kurama's step towards her.

_It's going to be a long few days._

When the doors to the room opened and sound filled the room, she turned her head to peer over her shoulder, watching the creatures that piled in one after another, only falling silent when they caught sight of their dead ruler and mourning prince.

Except for one, who continued forward and spoke in a tone so low that had she had any less hearing ability, she likely would not have heard the words uttered. It was just as Genkai had predicted, and just as Akari herself had thought would end:

The three worlds were beginning to form into one.

She took in a deep breath, not happy about speaking up but doing so anyway. "Where do you need us?" she inquired, her voice floating through the room and indicating that she and the others were more than willing to do whatever he asked of them. After all, that was their job, their _duty_, right? _*****_

Without a pause, donning a mantle of self-assured calm that radiated outwards from his shoulders, Koenma stood and turned to walk towards the blue ogre who had made the announcement, only giving Akari a momentary glance, then a slight nod that indicated she should follow, turning back to George.

"Show me."

~!**!~

Teen-Koenma stood in front of the monitor George had summoned from the floor three rooms over in another one of the offices, and around him gathered a gigantic mixture of demons and humans and beings of Spirit World, their past conflicts forgotten as they all stared, those that were close enough, at what the sensors Spirit World had on the First Level of Demon World were transmitting. Sensors that, at this time, were tracking what appeared to be miniscule disintegration just at the outer edges of that level, but a disintegration that was rapidly, exponentially growing at a rate that left Koenma unsettled.

The demons around him were almost in a panicked frenzy, lamenting their homes, their families, certain that it was not only the First Level being affected, which the same sensors did appeared to indicate disturbances at lower levels.

Koenma appeared lost in thought, staring blankly at the readings the monitor fed them even as the noise around him grew.

"Koenma-sir! Koenma!" A voice rang out from above their heads. It was Botan, wheeling in breathlessly and nearly falling off her oar. "Look...at Human World."

With a few quick taps at the screen, Koenma switched the view to one of Earth and a shocked gasp went up from the crowd that could see, passing word along to those who could not.

Human World was...changing. To the eye of Spirit World's sensors, it was as if Human World was growing layers, though at a faster rate than-Koenma assumed-Demon World appeared to be losing them. And instead of the layers going only in one direction, like how Demon World grew deeper with its lower levels, they appeared to simply be superimposed on top of one another.

It meant...many things.

Koenma found a small smile forming on his lips, almost welcoming the change and the busyness he could sense coming from the next few months, if not _years_.

It would keep...other problems at bay.

Then he started issuing orders.

"George, you will delegate the re-opening of all portals between Demon World and Spirit World to those who can handle it the most efficiently. I want _you _to head to the main portal between Spirit World and Human World to get it up and running. You will be in charge of tracking those who make it through. On your way, get others to begin gathering those demons already here to prepare them for their transfer. In fact," Koenma turned to Akari, "That's something you can do. All of you." He looked at Genkai, Kurama and the rest. "We need to move fast and save as many of those living in Demon World as we can, and if we begin with those already here, we'll have something of a head-start.

"And if you see Jin and Touya and the others," He grinned, having spotted them sometime in the battle, "Tell them to start doing the same. They're officially employed under the new ruler of whatever is left of Spirit World.

"A-about that, sir." Botan came closer and the demons and others around him parted enough so that she could land. "...Spirit World is...breaking apart too."

The room went silent, Koenma blinking at her a few times as if he hadn't understood her before saying slowly, "Well, then...ask Jin if he'll help round up those here...for a _friend_." 3

Akari nodded at Koenma before turning to Kurama, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt and motioning with her head for him to follow, moving through the large crowd of creatures that parted enough for her to move through, reaching a hand out occasionally and grabbing random Spirit World creatures and uttering a few calm words to those who protested, all along the lines of "might as well get going. Panicking will save us no time, and no lives."

By the time she was stepping out of the room, Akari had seven others, not counting Kurama, following her lead as she stopped and rounded on the group, a calm gaze roving over each one before landing on Kurama. "I figured Koenma had enough to handle, so I suppose we'll be on our own for a while, hm?"

She reached out a hand, palm facing the redhead as she spoke up again, her energy moving through the small group in the empty corridor. "Now, you're going to lose your footing, so don't panic. It's faster this way." After a few moments, darkness seemed to envelop the floor beneath the group's feet, and Akari was the first to fall through, her energy the first to be accepted, the others falling soon after into the realm of shadows with various sounds of surprise even as they continued to fall.

Hazel eyes were focused downwards, as if waiting for a ground to land on, but really, her mind was seeing another place entirely, imagining the place she wished to end up, just as if she were teleporting.

And after another moment, likely nothing more than thirty seconds to the rest but several minutes to her, their feet hit solid ground and the darkness gave way to the bright glow of the Kekkai that was still dissolving, having begun in the middle and continued outwards, creating a hole just large enough for a mid-sized demon to fit through. Without pause, she turned her eyes back up to the others.

"Demon World is going to be chaos. There's going to be hundreds, even thousands of demons trampling each other to get through. Five of us will stay here, monitor the ones passing the Kekkai and directing them to Spirit World. The rest of us will be in Demon World, directing traffic here." She turned to Kurama now. "Do you want to split who goes and who stays, or should it be a matter of whoever decides where they wish to be?" _*****_

"I think," Energy shimmered around Kurama and it was suddenly the tall and slender Youko standing there next to her. His yellow eyes glittered as a sly grin broke across as quite the smirk over his lips. He gave his hair a slight toss, his voice now lower than before, "That I shall pick the _third _category, pup, and stray farther afield." He started moving through the opening in the Kekkai Barrier, pausing only long enough to speak to Akari again, "After all, who is going to argue with the infamous Youko when he tells them their level is about to fall down around their ears?"

He raised a slender eyebrow at her without expecting her to answer and turned tail, disappearing into the darkness. 3

"Well, it's good to see _you _too," she grumbled after the kitsune with a small huff and cross of her arms over her chest. "But who's going to believe you're with Spirit World?" she grumbled to herself, not caring if he heard or not.

Then again, what did it matter? His confidence wasn't exactly _misplaced_ now, was it? If he said he could get it done, then he'd get it done.

Perhaps quicker than any of them could.

"You guys handle this?" she asked of the others, who when she turned to, nodded once. "You," she pointed to the second-largest of them all, "Follow me. Youko's rounding up, we're keeping them straight. Got it?"

"I'm sure I can handle it."

"Good." She turned and lead the way through the Kekkai, taking in a very deep breath of the air that blew through the dimensional space from the open portal at the end. She launched forward, running through the rest of the space until her feet hit the soil of Demon World, the male behind her no more than a step and stopping at her side, arms crossing over his chest expectantly.

"We're going to be here awhile, I hope you know."

"I've had my fair share of sleepless nights. Worry about yourself and we'll be fine." _*****_

~!**!~

Things slowed down in Spirit World...eventually.

Six months later, while there was still an almost _constant_ flow of refugees from Demon World, things were not quite as hectic as those first few days had been. Thankfully it seemed as if Spirit World would take much longer to unravel, so time didn't seem to be a pressing matter. And Touya and Chuu and a few of the others had elected to stay behind and continue ushering demons through the portals in any case.

For his part, Yusuke _elected _to return home.

..that didn't mean the verbal beating Keiko gave him was any less harsh. After all, he _had _sort of just disappeared with everyone else without telling her what was going on. Again.

He chuckled at the memory and reached up to rub a hand absently against his cheek as he cleaned the counter of his small ramen stand with the other hand.

The boy had managed in the meantime to coerce her parents into letting him work for them for a while, and he had picked up the business quickly, moving on to open the stand on his own.

Yusuke leaned his hands onto the counter and looked out absently at the passers-by, left alone for the moment with his thoughts.

His vision blurred on him and he stood back up, blinking twice before resting a hand back down on the counter and squinting as he patiently waited for the shifting of his vision to stop.

Supposedly "New Human World" had nine layers to it now-Yusuke hadn't visited them all for himself, but that's what he heard-and it seemed to be a rule that as soon as a demon set foot in the newly unified world, he or she would find themselves on the 'correct' layer. That is, the equivalent of whatever level they had lived on in Demon World. And the layers remained exact replicas of the levels they had left behind, all flora and fauna and buildings intact.

Kurama suggested that this 'imperfect' unification was a result of Otento closing Gekijou and Gashiru off from their energy just as the ritual would have been completed. It completely anyway, obviously, but likely not in the manner it would have without Otento's interference.

_Like I have any guesses. _Yusuke grimaced as his vision shifted again, finally squeezing his eyes shut.

There weren't any passageways between the layers like there had been passages between the levels of Demon World. It was nice in a way because none of the 'intact flora and fauna' interacted negatively with any of the other layers. They were all sort of self-contained, almost like their own separate little worlds.

Demon World's First Level had merged directly with what humans called 'Earth,' though it actually made very few changes to the terrain, only causing a giant influx in the population of demons, all of those who had made the First Level their home.

Those demons were actually making the transition to coexisting with their human counterparts rather easily. Most humans were too weak to particularly notice or _see _the new inhabitants anyway. And almost universally demons were discovering that, where Enma may have pegged them all as soul-eaters or at least led everyone to believe as such, they could actually feed off of human _energy_-a much more easily sustainable resource than souls anyway-and that they had processed the energy from their food while in Demon World, or anywhere else for that matter, this whole time without knowing it.

There were of course still the occasional issues between demons and humans, but a few of Yusuke's old friends had been delegated into a new Task Force specifically instated to deal with these issues as they came up.

Members of this Task Force really only had to meet a single requirement in order to sign on: be able to shift between the layers.

Yusuke opened an eye and released a slight breath of relief when he found his vision returned to normal, rubbing at his forehead.

There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to _who _had the ability to shift between the layers, though most people Yusuke could name off the top of his head were capable of it. The numbers seemed few enough to not be a cause for concern.

For his part, Yusuke had picked up on the method of concentrating and willing himself through the layers rather quickly, but the double-vision that occasionally plagued him would sometimes leave him with a headache.

In truth, Yusuke found himself thankful that not everyone had acquired the ability. There were rumors of ultra powerful demons living on what was now the Eighth Layer, who had been rulers vying for power on the level anyway, who were apparently gunning for control of all nine layers.

While the prospect of facing those demons in battle charged Yusuke like nothing else, he found himself satisfied in seeking out others who would spar with him on the other layers of New Human World.

"Thinkin' deep thoughts there, boyo?"

Yusuke found himself startled to see Jin's grinning face sliding into a seat on the other side of the counter.

"The usual?" Yusuke couldn't help grinning back.

"Aye."

Yusuke started to fire up the food. "Come across any Lost Ones recently?"

Lost Ones were humans with high psychic awareness or strength who would occasionally shift through the layers without reason, finding themselves no longer at home. While it was possible to see higher layers if one concentrated-at least possible for those who could shift through them-the shift tended to just disorient the human, sometimes driving them deeper into the layers instead of in the right direction.

The Task Force dealt with this off and on. Most of the time if the human was older, they could simply be taken back to the First Layer and would stay there, but the younger ones had less control, and often were brought to Genkai's lands, where the older psychic had a well-established dojo for such children so that they might have a safe place to stay until they were aware enough to remain on their home layer.

"Nah, not so much. Been busier than a forewind chasin' after its tail."

Being one capable of sliding between layers, Jin had signed up on the Task Force, and almost all the members knew of his ramen stand and used it as sort of a 'home base.'

Inexplicably, the tiny establishment was one among the small number of extremely rare places that existed on all the layers at once, and any demon who knew the name 'Urameshi' had coined the place as the 'New Detective Agency.' Even humans dropped by with paranormal work for the teen, and he found himself rarely with a dull moment, the knowledge of the caliber of the food as well as the caliber of the one serving it spreading his fame farther than it had even when he worked for Koenma and Spirit World.

"Got a bit of a problem." Jin piped up as he watched Yusuke work.

"You never seem to drop by unless you do." Yusuke replied.

"I see what you're'a gettin' on about." Jin grinned, "The times are too busy for idle chit-chat. I'm lucky to get to see yah at all."

"Only when you have work for me." Yusuke repeated, gesturing at the wind-master with a cooking utensil.

Jin shrugged and didn't disagree, taking the bowl when Yusuke offered it and diving in, Yusuke leaving him to it while he cleaned up a bit.

"So, what's it about?"

"Well," Jin always talked with his mouth full, "Heard about somethin' new a few days back." He swallowed, "Somethin'...somethin' none o' us that I've talked to has ever even _considered_."

Yusuke fell silent at how serious the expression of Jin's face became, watching the other carefully as Jin even went so far as to glance to either side, then appeared to blur in his seat as he checked the other layers for listeners.

He leaned forward and Yusuke mirrored him across the counter.

"A _vampire_." He sat back as if satisfied that he'd delivered the news.

Yusuke opened his mouth and appeared to hesitate, "...aren't _all _demons something of a 'vampire' nowadays?"

Jin leaned forward again, "This ain't your everyday human-energy feeding demon-vampire, boyo. _This _vampire," He leaned closer, "Feeds on _demons. _A _vampire_-demon."

"What?" Yusuke replied flatly as if he hadn't heard correctly.

Jin gave a self-assured nod, "Sucks 'em dry o' their energy and leaves them where they fall. Never heard of no vampire's _vampire_ before myself." He gave a little shrug of his shoulders as he dove back into his food. He pulled back after a moment and stirred his utensils absently in the bowl, slurping in a few noodles as he appeared to grow reserved again. "It wouldn't be no-nothing of a big deal, but when I say 'sucks 'em dry'...I mean to say that those demons never get back up." He met Yusuke's gaze again and the teen took in a surprised breath, to which Jin nodded once seeing he understood.

"Likes to strike at dance clubs. Bars. Places where lotsa demons gather at one time. We haven't been able to catch 'em though. Moves too quickly. Can slip between the layers like you've never seen before and loses us every time, wouldn't you know it?"

Yusuke frowned. They'd never been confronted with something able to move between the layers that wasn't someone they already knew.

"And if _you _can't catch this...vampire, what makes you think I'll be any better at it?"

"Not sayin' yah would be." Jin pointed at him with his utensils again and giving him a pointy grin, ears twitching a little, "But you're the only one who can contact that fellow with the Jagan, if you be followin' me. He's quick on his toes, and even if the perpetrator goes to layer-sliding, with that Jagan and his speed, he'd be able to keep up. Capture whoever it is for us."

Yusuke raised and lowered one shoulder, "Hiei comes and goes as he pleases, but he has a knack for showing up when needed. If I happen to catch sight of him, I'll let him know what's going on."

"That'd be mighty fine of you, Urameshi!" Jin gave him another grin, "If he could keep his Eye out, I'd bet he could catch 'em faster than I can fly about the world!"

"Any ideas about where or when the next place to catch this...thing might be?"

"There's no tellin' really, exceptin' whoever it is seems to like the weaker demons. Mostly on the first layer. Doesn't often bother with anything else." He shrugged again, "Maybe it's easier because those demons don't put up a fight. Always at social places though. Like I said, where lotsa demons gather. Always indoors too. Never parks nor nothin' of the no-like.

"I would normally keep myself on it, but other demons are starting to take notice and beginning to talk. A demon killing other demons willy-nilly is a terrifying thing. The faster we can get the lid on this, the better it'll be for everyone."

Yusuke nodded, "I completely agree."

_A demon killing other demons...by consuming their energy. It's a new one on me. _3

~!**!~

Six months. Six _full, long _months, and the only thing he'd found were crap rumors about things that held no particular meaning to him, and quite frankly, the fire demon wasn't sure that he'd have the capability to continue doing this without knocking a few heads and making a few of those heads roll off the shoulders.

Because each and every rumor he caught, Hiei dismissed. There was absolutely _nothing _on 'the lover' or anything even remotely similar. There'd been, more often than not, rumors of completely contrasting abilities than the one he searched for, but he wasn't interested in _pain _and _suffering_. Especially not in others.

Unless it were Otento. And unless it were by Hiei's own hand.

That would be a _completely _different story.

Which, by the way, he hadn't found that one either. Not even a single sign.

Both demons he hunted, both trails, gone. It was almost as if the two beings no longer _existed_.

And that was probably the prospect that both angered and stressed Hiei the most. It was a thought that seemed to haunt him every time he thought he'd found a new trail only to find it go cold. A thought that haunted him each time he tried searching for Shikiyoku with his Jagan, and come up empty. Not even through trial and error did he seem to get anywhere.

So, for the past two days, he'd simply taken to traversing the layers of the worlds, moving whenever he felt restless and forcing himself to slow down, forcing himself to listen to the rumors again. There'd been one that had been a bit interesting, but really, he felt nothing over the fact that a demon was killing other demons via energy-stealing. It meant absolutely nothing to him, so he'd ignored it, gone on and taken to going from the deepest layers to the highest.

And when he'd reached the firstl, he'd been tracked down, pulled to the side by Yusuke, who'd passed the rumor he had already dismissed weeks ago. And when asked to be of service, to lend a hand because he was the _only _being within the layers to keep up, He'd simply sneered, told Yusuke to find someone else, and disappeared from that layer all over again, faster than he'd ever moved between the layers.

And yet, here he was, tracking the darkest energy he'd encountered in a while, and only because he'd happened to cross the demon's path entirely. At one point, he'd slipped into a small tavern outside of Yusuke's hometown, dead set on finding a new lead as he'd been pointed in that direction, and he'd arrived in time to feel every ounce of energy inside dissipate. When he'd stepped inside the tavern, he'd seen more with his Jagan than with his other two eyes.

A dark, almost muddy-yellow color had been the hue of the tendrils about the room, tendrils that released the last victim to the floor before returning to the heavily-cloaked figure in the room, who had already begun to blur out of the layer before he'd even turned to see who it was.

He'd felt something odd about the being, and after a few suspicions had crossed his mind, the fire demon had decided that maybe following this one, hunting this _one _demon down wasn't too bad. So he did. He followed, Jagan locked on the energy that seemed just fast enough to maintain the distance between himself and them.

~!**!~

"Are you a _superhero?" _

Akari's brow raised and lips twitched in response to the innocent question of the child who'd found himself on the second layer, completely and utterly afraid of the things he could now easily see walking the streets. She lowered herself to a crouch in front of the small boy, whose blue eyes followed her movements easily. "If I answer that question, then it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?" She glanced over at the demon who sat on the ground to her right, eyes on her but not seeing her. He hadn't attacked, but a large demon moving towards a small child was a rather scary thing for such a human.

So, she'd coerced him into sitting with a simple illusion, and he'd willingly complied to her request and sat where he stopped, legs crossed beneath himself and hands around his ankles.

"I won't tell!"

Akari grinned at the boy and stood up again, ruffling his brown hair with her hand as she did so. "Promise?"

"Yeah!"

She took another small sniff of the air and her eyes moved up, looking at the woman who was looking about, searching for.. something. She wasn't panicking, but…

"_What are we going to do?"_

She glanced at the dog sitting on her left and gave a shrug before turning back to the boy. "This is Nabu, my faithful sidekick." She waved a hand to the now fully-grown dog, who responded with a happy wag of his tail and loll of his tongue. "He helps me find people like you who need my help."

The boy hesitantly stepped towards Nabu, who responded with the lowering of his ears and head to allow the boy to pet between his ears. "His fur is soft!" He gave a laugh. "Nabu, I'm Kita!"

"Well, Kita, I have a very special, a very fun place to go, if you want to come with me. You can stay there while I look for your mother."

"My mommy was in a store, and I got lost."

"Don't worry, you'll be back before you know it!" She reached down and easily picked up the seven year old, moving him around onto her back until his arms circled her neck and legs were around her waist. "Ready?"

"For what?"

"Watch this," she said with a grin, "and hold on, okay?"

In the next second, her feet left the concrete of the sidewalk and dropped into the very familiar world of shadows, a world she'd been utilizing almost every chance she got. This time, though, she moved slowly, letting the child get a look of the illusion she'd coupled with this technique before she again let her energy slide away from herself, earning a small sound of surprise from the boy as soon as the illusion was gone and he was left staring at Genkai's temple.

"Whoa! You time travel?"

She gave a laugh. "One of my specialties," she said, though he wasn't _technically _right. She wasn't about to explain the ordeal to the child. "This, Kita, is a very good friend's house, who helps you become big and strong, so you can see your mommy real soon!" Even as she explained, her feet moved towards Genkai's temple, Nabu a few feet ahead to get the older woman's attention if she wasn't already aware of Akari's presence. _*****_

~!**!~

Shizuru opened the door of the dojo to see Genkai seated at the front, her newly acquired students cross-legged in the same position as she talked them through what they were supposed to be thinking and feeling.

The children were remarkably well-behaved considering the differences in their ages, from little ones just recently able to walk and talk to those having just reached their teens.

Genkai opened her eyes as she spoke, taking in the view which did bring a smile to her wizened old face, if only a little one.

_These _proud few could be among the next generation of fighters and psychics, the Lost Ones who had somehow broken through their home layer because of their strength. Some of them, most of them, would lose their sight as they grew older, return to the first layer and likely forget all they had learned. But among these few would be the even rarer jewel who would continue on to do great things.

Shizuru came up to sit down next to Genkai as her voice faded with her latest instruction.

"Another, mm?" The old lady started to stand.

Shizuru nodded and took up where Genkai left off, leaving the older teacher the freedom to go out and meet the newcomer, seeing Akari come up the lane hand-in-hand with a small child, Nabu galloping ahead to greet her.

~!**!~

Today, she had no patience for the bright lights and pounding rhythms of the clubs her prey so wonderfully gathered within for her. She had no wish to dance among them, to join in their supposed _joy_. Today, she was simply _starving_.

It seemed as if she needed to feed more and more often of late, seemed as if she lost her mind and forgot where she was with greater regularity, waking up among trees or asphalt with no memory of how she had gotten there. And the hunger...

Always hungry.

And it was like an insatiable hunger, one that she could only stave off, one that always came back, and came back in greater force. When had that started to happen?

Something else she couldn't remember.

She could _feel_ her energy weaving among them, at a level that these weaklings could not sense or see, and it took little concentration for her to ensure that every tendril of power she controlled wrapped about them. And when that had been done? When every single demon lay in her grasp, a thin string of energy entering each mouth unnoticed?

She simply...ended them. Sucked their very life force directly from their cores, their energy exiting their bodies to swirl up the tendrils of power and be absorbed into the shadowed and hooded figure in the corner. Their sacrifice dulled the ache that would pound in her veins when she went too long without.

Turning so that she could feel her dark cloak swirling about her feet, she phased between the layers-where she had picked _that _up was something she could not remember either-moving forward and sifting through every layer, through all of them, making for certain that she could not be followed by those reckless demons who had taken to hunting her down.

She...did not wish for conflict. Not with them.

Her head throbbed as she dashed away.

It wasn't enough.

It was never enough.

But she was tired. Exhausted. She could feel the sweat that had settled on her skin, could feel the fever that threatened to overtake her vision.

She just wanted to get home.

Yes, perhaps rest would help.

Though she would probably wake up hungrier for it.

The house she aimed for resided entirely within the first layer. A human home. One that she...felt connected to for reasons that she didn't understand. One that _almost_...felt like home. Or that it could _be _home. Or...something.

She stopped her running, finding herself in the middle of the living room of 'home,' and making her way slowly upstairs, throwing the cloak off into the bedroom as she walked past to get to the bathroom, leaving the light off, but moving to the sink to throw water on her face.

She caught her own gaze in the mirror as she looked up, droplets of water falling down her cheeks.

She didn't recognize herself. Ashen-grey skin with scars _everywhere_. Her face, a wicked one ranging from scalp to chin that stood out from the rest. Her shoulders, which her dark-tanktop left bare. Down her arms. Even on the skin that wasn't visible, hidden by the long dark pants that hugged her legs. A prominent one on her left arm she could see in the mirror. Beneath the others. Different. Circular. One she knew had come from _before_.

Her long, dark hair was up in a ponytail, kept away from her face, though bits of it had come lose to frame her hollow cheeks, her expression permanently fierce and dark. But it was the eyes...those eyes...

They were probably green. Had been green at one point. Were still green, but barely. They were so...empty. So...haunting. And very dull.

She looked away, hands on either side of the sink as she leaned forward.

So very...tired.

She wiped her face dry with a washcloth she tossed back on the counter, slipping off her shoes as she walked into the door of the bedroom and kicking them to the side, knowing she was safe as she kept the entire house completely locked, and padded silently across the carpet to the bed, not bothering to pull back the covers and instead collapsing on top of it all onto her stomach, cheek on the cool pillow, the dark circles under her eyes not lifting the cloud from her face even when she fell into sleep, beginning to wander through feverish dreams. 3

He wasn't sure _when _he'd begun suspecting who this demon was, but at some point, Hiei had begun to think that maybe the person he'd been _hunting _was actually the very same person he'd also been _searching for_. It made sense, went along with the energy tendrils he'd seen, the darkened color of that very energy that he'd laid eyes on a few days ago.

But what didn't make sense was the amount of darkness that twisted the presence that should have been anything but. He hadn't _entirely _decided, but deep down, Hiei seemed to have decided subconsciously on the identity of this one, even before he followed her presence from one layer down to the very bottom, then all the way back up, even before he found himself standing inside a very familiar house.

A house he'd raided several times for clues on this very person.

He stood at the front door, back just touching the wood where he'd landed himself almost perfectly. There was no one in _this _room, but…

His eyes turned up to look at the ceiling, at the place where the energy no longer moved, no longer seemed to want to leave, to run from him.

He moved silently through the living room and up the stairs, stopping at the door that was wide open and only glancing inside, his eyes finding the smaller, sunken frame of the female who lay on her stomach, with the back of her head to the door.

Without the hooded cloak, he could see that the hair in the ponytail had lost some of its sheen, her body had lost some of its mass. She was, in a word: small.

And he'd never used that word for her before.

Instead of disturbing her as he would normally have done, he moved towards the only other window in the room that was not by the bed she had taken residence up on. He shifted until he was comfortable, one foot up in the windowsill to support his elbow, eyes never leaving the woman's frame.

And they wouldn't until she woke.

~!**!~

Akari turned a smile to the boy as she dropped him to his feet, his hand taking quick hold of her own as he stepped closer with the arrival of Genkai. Nabu took to walking alongside the older woman, his deep brown eyes meeting Akari's for a moment before he looked up at Genkai. "_He was by himself. He wasn't attacked, but he __**was **__terrified of the demons who passed. She did the usual subduing trick."_

"Nice to see you again, Genkai," Akari greeted, continuing her way to meet the woman halfway. "Kita, this is Genkai. She's the person who _trains _us superheroes. She's going to help _you _too, so you can help me find your mother soon."

"Can _I _become a superhero too?" he asked in a shy voice, peering up at Genkai through his lashes just as shyly.

"_We were going to go meet Koenma when we found him. I think he has potential." _Nabu said as he again moved, this time away from Genkai and to sit beside the boy, just tall enough to look up and run his nose along the arm of the boy comfortingly, who broke away from Akari to wrap his arms around the dog lovingly.

"I hope you have room for another. They're starting to grow in numbers…" _*****_

Genkai sized the boy up with her usual frown, arms crossed over her chest.

"To become a superhero, you'll have to work hard and earn your keep. We don't take slackers in here, but if you learn well and can take instruction, we might just make a superhero out of you yet, boy.

Her eyes softened, "And get you back to your mother besides."

"This is Shizuru." The women had walked up behind Genkai while the older woman spoke. "She's going to be your big sister while you're here and you'll have to listen to everything she says as if it were me saying it, got it?"

Shizuru smiled at the boy and knelt down in front of him, "You ready to come inside?"

Genkai's ears perked at Akari's words and she stepped aside to speak with her more privately.

"I won't turn one away for something so trivial as running out of room. You know that. They can sleep under the stars and on the ground. It'll make them tougher. But as soon as you figure out what makes a building exist in every level, you let me know so we start construction, yeah?" Genkai glanced up at the dog demon with a gleam in her deep-set eyes. "And make sure this one's mother knows he's still around."

~!**!~

Her feverish dreams were frequented with darkness and running and pain and separation. But their direction relation to one another she'd never been able to sort out once among the waking world, if she even remembered them at all.

In her sleep, she growled and got up, eyes open in slits but not seeing anything other than what her mind held for her in dreams.

She stood, beginning to move to the free window next to the bed-staying on the same layer and giving off no intention of blurring into another-and upon reaching it, placing her palm against the glass and resting her forehead onto it.

Her body twitched as in her mind's eye she ran through forests of deep red and fell into traps with sharpened stakes at the bottom that pierced her arm and leg. The right hand that had moved to press against the glass fell down and clutched at the forearm of her left, rubbing at the old, scarred-over wound. A place on her leg began throbbing somewhere in the back of her mind and she shifted just enough to rub her other foot at the spot. 3

Hiei sat at his window, eyes carefully watching Shikiyoku's small, shrunken frame twitch occasionally, indicating that whatever dreams she was having did not call for a peaceful sleep. It made him watch her more carefully, taking in the marred skin he _could _see and only imagine the skin he _couldn't _see.

She was, to say the least, not the same person as before. Not the same demon he'd spent months in Demon World with, traversing the levels and staying with tribes. She wasn't the same demon who'd danced to bring tribes together, who had used her energy to coax large groups into a calm trance.

She wasn't, in a way, Shikiyoku at all. At least, not the Shikiyoku he had known.

Not the Shikiyoku who had desired to have a purpose while fulfilling others' desires. Not the same demon who seemed to _enjoy _being in his presence, when others wouldn't care unless they gained something from the _cursed child. _

When she moved, he shifted, readying to follow only to realize that, while her eyes were open, she didn't seem awake in any way. Her muscles twitched, her skin moving with miniscule movements that indicated flight from some enemy or another.

A frown pulled his lips downwards for a millisecond before he regained composure, his expression shifting to neutral observation over the female. He considered reaching out to her, considered the different things that could happen. She could likely make an attempt for his own life, if her wits were not about her.

Then again, who was he to say that she wouldn't make that attempt _with _her wits. He had, after all, been hunting her down for a few days.

His eyes followed the hand that she moved to her elbow, massaging at a scar he remembered the origins of, unlike the many others he saw littering her skin.

That's when he'd made up his mind.

His Jagan reached out to her slowly, at first merely brushing her consciousness before enveloping her in its presence, offering the image of himself seeing her floating towards him in the therapeutic waters that he remembered them floating in after the ordeal that had brought on the scar on her arm. He himself saw the memory, even as the Jagan played it out for her.

It had been a moment he'd thought about here and there.

But not near as much as their time with the Northern Tribe.

~!**!~

Kita broke away from Nabu to assess Shizuru with a shy gaze, only briefly looking to Akari before turning back to the other woman. "I'm Kita." he said to her after a moment, seeming to decide that he trusted these people. "And I want to have super powers too."

Akari smiled to herself before turning back to Genkai, having been listening to the older woman while she had watched the child. "I've… found two buildings like that so far, but when I look at them, there's nothing similar between them. Not that I can see or _feel." _She turned her calm eyes onto Genkai. "I was on my way to inform Koenma before running into Kita." She offered a small smile that said it was at the top of her list of things to do. "I'll update you when I find something."

She turned to Nabu, who had joined her to stand at her side. He looked up at her with calm eyes that seemed much, much older than he was. "_We still have to meet Juun."_

"I'm well aware. And I will." She turned to Genkai again. "Sorry to drop off and run, but I'm sure both of us have enough to keep us busy for a while. I'll see you again soon, I'm sure." She paused. "Take care until then."

And with that, she disappeared from the temple grounds and reappeared within the area of the only portal between Spirit and Human Worlds, stepping through that very portal with her best friend at her side and her thoughts straying for the moment to someone she hadn't seen in half a year.

_Maybe I'll pay him a visit soon. _

That was her lone thought before she relapsed into business mode again and made her way dutifully through the corridors of Koenma's castle. _*****_

~!**!~

"You have been..._most _helpful." Youko practically purred, releasing the bindings of plants that had been wrapped about the female demon, gazing covetously at the shiny artifact he now held in-hand.

The demon alighted easily on the ground away from the wall and sashayed up to him, pressing her body against his with her hands on top of his tunic and starting to finger at his bare chest, pushing aside the yukata as she batted up through her eyelashes at him.

"I've always heard the tales about your..._cold _and _calculating _indifference, Youko Kurama. You surprise me."

Youko took another second staring at the artifact.

_{Tch, typical.}_

The thought across his mind had the kitsune blinking and pulling his yellow-eyed gaze down to the demoness basically pawing at him, and at his notice of her actions, his eyebrows raised, a lewd smile spreading over his lips as he regarded her with an amused expression once his mind played back her words.

"Then obviously," He laced his tone with as much heaviness as she had hers, "You haven't talked to many of the females. Rumors like that are often spread by jealous males."

She made an intrigued noise, "Perhaps you'd care to...show me what I've been missing?"

_{No. No, we wouldn't, in fact.}_

_[Would you shut up for half-a-second?]_

_{You __**know **__I won't. Especially if you even so much as __**think **__about-}_

"Unfortunately for you, gorgeous, I'm otherwise engaged and have to run."

"Too bad." She left her fingers trace up to his neckline and Youko had to hold back a growl as he extricated himself from her grasp with his free hand.

_[You absolutely __**ruin **__all my fun, Red.]_

_{Ask me if I care.}_

"No, does in fact, mean _no_ this time, darling." He had both her hands by the wrists in his free one and he slowly lowered them until they were in front of her.

Youko turned tail and blurred through the layers, putting as many between himself and the female as absolutely possible, growling aloud once out of her earshot and his knuckles turning white where he clutched at the artifact.

_[Do you, in fact, care?]_

_{No. No, I don't.}_

Another growl, though he already knew the answer to the question before he posed it.

~!**!~

Her thoughts, her dreams rather, were suddenly filled with a warmth as she struggled against the stakes which had pierced her skin, and the dream shifted-as dreams will often easily do with minor suggestion-presenting her with another image, another setting.

This one threw her for a bit of a loop, as she realized she was not witnessing a dream through her own eyes, instead seeing herself through another, but-

...this wasn't her. Perhaps it was a product of the dream...was it...wishful thinking? How her skin practically glowed and her hair was, even while flecked with water, full of some inner shine?

...

Outside the dream, her body did relax, her hand no longer rubbing at the scar and simply holding on to her arm, even going so far as letting out a little sigh that passed through her without her direct notice. 3

Had Hiei's eyes been open, he would have _seen _the muscles of the female relax. Instead, with his eyes closed and mind on the memory he shared through the Jagan, he _heard _her relax, a small sigh only just audible enough for him to catch the end of.

He hadn't been aware of his own tenseness until his muscles relaxed as well.

Within the memory, Hiei stared at the wonderfully-colored hair that moved with the flow of the water, fanning out underneath the surface. He eyed the hands that stretched out to him, eventually curling about his shoulders until her head came to rest on one of them.

And the time seemed to stretch, that moment not seeming to end as he made a point to emphasize the calmness of the moment, the emotions she'd felt then.

He wasn't sure what had caused Shikiyoku to change from the person in this memory to the person in Toriko's bed, but… he wasn't sure what to do about her other than make at least _one _attempt to ease her consciousness.

Even if it meant she'd make an attempt at his life when she awoke.

~!**!~

"I see." The prince, who'd not stopped moving since Akari had found him, nodded once in a thoughtful manner as he continued down the corridor, cape moving about his ankles as his feet carried him to.. wherever he was going at this point. "Then, continue with your hard work. I'll look into it and-"

"I didn't come here to ask for you to _look into _it. I simply came to _update you, _Koenma."

There was a lull in the talk for a moment as the new king sighed.

"You have a million things going on. I simply wanted you to be kept up. Now, I plan on finding Juun and checking on section C. He's bound to have passed through every demon by now."

Koenma gave no reply for the moment as he spun on his toes and entered another room with a flourish, his cape whipping about frantically with the abrupt movement and stilling again when the kind too came to a standstill in front of his many monitors.

"I _would _file a formal report, but I'm sure you have enough paperwork right now to read and such, so I'll compile it all at the end, when things slow down just a little more."

"Much appreciated."

"I'll be back when I have an _update _for you, sir." she informed before turning heel and leaving again, moving through the portal in the room until her feet hit the first layer of Human World, where Nabu sat, waiting.

"_That was fast."_

"Well, it was only an update, Nabu."

"_You know who I want to see now?"_

"If it isn't Juun, then you're out of luck." she replied calmly as she closed her eyes, a hand reaching for the dog before she blurred from the lowest layer to the fourth layer, effectively bringing Nabu with her. She gave a sigh. "I know, Nabu. But, we don't have the time right now."

"_We can __**make **__time to see your friends, you know. It would be worth it, in the end. You're too… you're like a workaholic."_

"Shut up." _*****_

~!**!~

Her eyes slowly opened, automatically, as she awoke and she blinked twice, the warmth and absolute peacefulness of the dream she just left lingered in her thoughts, even as the remembrance of said dream faded with the waking world.

She leaned forward again, her forehead coming to rest against the glass of the window, unsurprised to find that she did not wake up in the bed she remembered falling asleep in. She...couldn't honestly remember the last time she had woken up in the same place where she laid her head.

Restless. Much too restless.

Another sigh. Deeper than the one she didn't know she released in the dream and her eyes slid shut again with the exhale.

Felt _beyond _tired. More like..._worn_ _out_.

Didn't really seem to feel hungry though. No more than the usual dull ache after feeding within recent memory. A small comfort. But a 'comfort' nonetheless. 3

Hiei let the memory fade away when he became aware of Shikiyoku's stirrings, his eyes sliding open to view the room around himself first, and then peer at the form whose back was to him. He watched even as her shoulders and chest heaved with a sigh that seemed much too large for her small body.

He stayed silent for a minute, his expression easily blank, neutral to his surroundings even as he chose his words carefully.

He hesitated only a moment before speaking up, his energy moving towards his body and staying close, to show he held no threat to her life.

"You're rather difficult to keep up with." he commented mildly, eyes staring at her evenly.

~!**!~

"_Well, you _are_. You haven't even stopped to relax in weeks."_

Akari shrugged at Nabu as she walked through the layer that was colored with familiar territory, territory that resembled her home level of Demon World almost perfectly. Though, the level and the layer number didn't match up, which confused her a bit. Apparently, there was more than one thing she needed to figure out before the end of this week. "You know why."

"_I also know that you're avoiding something."_

"Do you, now?"

The dog made a sound of irritation, a huff through his nostrils as she passed through another portal, this time her feet finding the dimension that would have, before this, lead to the Kekkai barrier. Instead, the only thing there was a small line of demons, all standing with their backs to the entrance and each facing the side that lead to the remains of Demon World.

Only one of them turned to look at her, and his teeth glimmered in the dim light. Pointed, sharp, like a shark's. "There she is. Were yer ears a-burnin'?"

"Only enough to make them disappear."

"Word-play suits you."

"You're annoying me." She came to a stop in front of the demon who stood a good two feet taller than she, his arms crossed over his bare chest and his black eyes looking down at her with a gleam of amusement. She had to actually look _up _at him to meet the teasing gaze, and to issue the frown meant just for him. "You're still here? I thought you said you'd be done by yesterday?"

"Well, a few things came up. We handled the problem, but-"

"You didn't kill them, did you?"

"Of course not. I sent them _back_."

"That defeats the purpose, Juun." She rubbed at her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Our objective is to get everyone to Spirit World _safely_. Not send them to their _deaths_."

"You and I both know that there's no proof of their _deaths."_

"A dimension disappears, so do they. Hence, they die. What was your reason?"

Juun's sharp jaw flexed slightly at her stare, and he turned so that his shoulder was facing her. "The demon reacted to the smell of blood. Rather violently."

Akari made a small sound and moved by him, walking up to the other three who had been talking amongst themselves. "Anything else happen?"

"Nope."

"No' that I know of."

Akari turned to Juun. "How did he react?"

"He grew, quite literally, ten feet taller and then proceeded to stomp his way through us. He yelled something or another about 'being free'?"

Akari sighed. "If you're asking me, then you aren't fit to be here."

He growled at her. "Then _you _stand here all day and all night and do _nothing_ while _I _go play detective and be the dog of Spirit World."

"Be my guest, if you believe you can handle _that _better than _this. _Oh, and let me know when you find out what makes a building exists on _every _level simultaneously." She paused, eyes forward as she sensed another energy approaching. "Also, on your way, tell Koenma that this section is about to be closed off. There's no more than three demons on the other side, and _I'm _going to go round them up." She gave another pause, this time to turn and look at him over her shoulder, her grin matching his previous. "While you're at it, find Youko Kurama and tell him I request a day of leisure, if he's up for it. Whatever he sees fit, though none of the _funny _stuff, as he likes to call it."

The demon sent a growl that was louder than before, bared his teeth at her as his eyes shifted from black to a deep burgundy. "I'm not your errand boy."

"I thought you _wanted _something to do." With that, she turned and left him to his tasks, only pausing to say one more thing. "If he agrees, tell him to find me in an hour. I'll be done by then."

The only sound she registered as she took off after that was the sound of snickering from the others in the area. _*****_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	66. Episode 150 - Reacquainting

**A/N:** Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction Realm!

Onwards to our chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>_"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

King Enma is dead, and Spirit World and Demon World are breaking apart.

While the implications of Spirit World ceasing to exist have not been explored,  
>Demon World has already joined with Human World, giving Human World a new total of nine "layers."<p>

Akari takes it upon herself to assist in moving the demons from Demon World into Human World  
>as soon as Koenma opens up the portals between Demon World and Spirit World once more.<p>

Six months later and the transition has slowed down.  
>Demons who step onto Human World soil automatically find themselves<br>on the corresponding "layer" that had once been their home level in Demon World.  
>There are a few people capable of traversing between the layers,<br>(the usual method of passageways between levels no longer works)  
>among whom are Yusuke and most of the people he knows.<p>

Yusuke has set up a ramen stand, which has come to be known as the 'New Detective Agency,'  
>and members of the Task Force assigned to help smooth the transition of unification<br>use his stand as a home base of sorts, as the stand itself exists on all the layers.

Jin, a member of the Task Force for New Human World, comes to Yusuke with a problem:  
>there is a demon going around the lower layers and killing other demons by sucking out their energy.<p>

While it's been discovered that what amounts to 'energy sucking' is how demons process their food,  
>and all are sort of considered 'demon-vampires' at this point, Jin asks Yusuke to set Hiei after this "vampire-demon,"<br>as whoever it is always manages to escape capture by moving through the layers too quickly to follow.

At first Hiei refuses, though when he comes across the demon and sees the devastation, he begins tracking after,  
>finally catching up when the demon stops for rest in Toriko's old home.<br>The demon is in fact a scarred and twisted version of Shikiyoku, and Hiei helps her move past her nightmares  
>and when she wakes up he notes aloud that she's rather difficult to keep up with.<p>

Akari is still assisting with transferring demons into New Human World, but she also occasionally picks up 'Lost Ones,'  
>humans (usually children) who accidentally shift layers and don't know how to shift back,<br>and takes a new one, a boy by the name of Kita, to Genkai's lands, which are now a sort of safe haven for such children.

She informs her underlings to find Youko Kurama and tell him to meet her for a day of leisure.

Youko has been entertaining himself by procuring new shiny objects,  
>much to Kurama's dismay. To be fair, Kurama isn't letting him have all the fun he wants,<br>and when Youko is told Akari is looking for him, he sets off to find her...

* * *

><p><em>[I'm only doing this for you, Red. I hope you're <em>_**happy**__.]_

Youko couldn't help the growl that originated from deep in his chest at a pitch too low to resonate as he blurred through the layers.

_{I'm absolutely over-joyed. You're so kind and thoughtful.}_

_[Your sarcasm is not lost on me.]_

_{Quite purposefully so.}_

_[Stop sounding so smug.]_

_{I learned from the best, silver-tail.}_

Youko let out a sigh that could have been either a groan or a growl.

_[I don't know why I put up with this.]_

_{Because you don't have a choice.}_

_[I didn't ask for your opinion.]_

_{And yet I freely gave it anyway.}_

Youko ran his tongue over his teeth in irritation, making a quiet sucking noise through his lips as he did so.

_{And you haven't given me control back, mm? Why would __**that **__be? Getting a soft spot are we?}_

_[None of your business.]_

_{You know what she'll do if you try something.}_

_[It's been six months. You have no idea.]_

_{Suit yourself. But I harbor no pity for the black-eye you'll likely be sporting.}_

_[Shut up.]_

One of Youko's tall silver ears flicked as he finished shifting to the first layer, stopping in place and tilting his head as if listening with an ear as he zeroed in on the energy signature he sought.

His tail flicked once in amusement as he took off towards it.

_[You're forgetting, Red.] _A wicked grin spread across his lips, revealing a pointy-toothed smile that would give even the most respectable female pause for thought. _[__**She **__asked for __**me**__.]_

~!**!~

She nearly jumped ten feet into the air when the silence broke, her entire body reacting with the startle-effect where it seized up, then she whipped around in the direction the voice floated from, pivoting on her right foot, her eyes darkening into void-like pools when, as she turned, flung with a hand a bolt of blackish yellow energy in the direction of the sound in an instinctive reaction which she had no time to think about.

As _soon _as her eyes returned to their usual dull-green with the release of the energy, her jaw dropped open in disbelief and she made noises as if she were trying to speak but kept forgetting how.

"I-It's you!" She finally stammered, the usual hardness of her voice making the words sound sharp instead of surprised, "Y-You...you're the..." She blinked several times, shaking her head a little as if she did not believe it and was trying to clear her vision, but he did not disappear, "The demon of my-" She shook her head a little again and corrected her wording, "_From _my dreams."

She reached up with a hand and pressed her palm against her forehead as if trying to fight away a headache, or possibly a hallucination.

When she lowered the hand and he still stood there, she frowned, etching her face with further severe lines, "What do you want?" She asked bluntly, appearing to have recovered from her initial shock, eyeing him like a mouse might eye a cat offering the former a meal. 3

Hiei wasn't surprised by the attack thrown at him, though he didn't _see _it. He did, however, _feel _it. The pain shot across his face, momentarily scattering his thoughts and making it very, _very _hard to maintain his composure. But just as quickly, the pain was gone, only a twinge in his twitching muscles.

He reached a hand up and rubbed at his chin, flexing his jaw as he recovered, his mind working as the Jagan's energy seemed to fluctuate around him a bit, allowing him to assess the pain without feeling it for a second time, along with several other things.

Ruby eyes stared calmly at the sunken face of the female who at first glared at him, and then recovered a moment later and settled for a less severe stare, though it didn't seem any less dangerous than the previous one. _There_, his mind spoke to him, drawing his eyes over a particular mark along her own features that seemed to stand out against the lackluster skin beneath. That was the pain she had inflicted on him. The sensation of the blade that had cut that particular scar across her face was the sensation he had just felt.

"Want?" he repeated, tone bored and eyes still just as watchful as before. "Absolutely nothing." He paused, dropping to the floor. "I was simply confirming a suspicion or two."

~!**!~

_I can't believe the idiot. _

Akari ground her teeth as she stood in front of the place where she'd exited the portal, staring at the entrance as it closed up slowly. She'd gotten the last three out of that level of Demon World easily, as they'd already tried passing through once before and was turned away, each for the very same reason.

_That giant, overbearing, dense, testosterone-filled idiot. _

She rubbed at her temples as the last demon who'd stayed behind to oversee the last moments of this portal said his farewell and parted ways. Her eyes slid closed and, absently, she offered a wave over her shoulder to the other in thanks for his service.

_You don't send away a demon for being free of their __**boss**__, you stupid-_

She took a deep breath.

The demon Juun had turned away hadn't reacted to the smell of blood, but to the smell of another _world. _The _blood _that had been mentioned had been _Juun's_. A taunt. A test made by the king of morons. _Demons don't eat demons anymore. What era do you think you're in, you dumbass? _

The demon had been fired up by the possibility of _freedom _from whatever mess he'd gotten himself into, as had the other two demons who'd been turned away for the very same reason. All had likely gotten mixed with an underground trade group or something, and had feared leaving. At least, that was her best guess.

It didn't matter, either way. The only problem had been the moron who'd turned them away in the first place. _Why did I leave him here to deal with this? _She'd known he hadn't been _fully _fit for the job, but…

Perhaps she'd hoped he wasn't as stupid as he'd played.

What was that saying again?

_Oh, right. "Stupid is as stupid does."_

She opened her eyes again to see the portal had closed up and she turned away, looking down at the silent dog that watched her with a curious tilt of his head. "We're going back to the first layer." she informed calmly, reaching forward and easily transposing both herself and Nabu to the very first layer of this world, her feet landing on soft soil outside a small pub that had been build by demons only recently. She regarded it for a moment before turning and moving away, deciding that a _pub _was not the best idea for a day with _Youko_.

She took in a deep breath, realizing somewhere deep in the back of her mind that he was already heading this way. So she turned and calmly began to saunter her way away from the wooden building, running a hand through her curls and removing her bangs from her eyes.

"_So you decided to see him anyway?"_

"Might as well, right? Everyone needs a break once in a while." _*****_

Youko pulled his energy in close around himself as he approached on silent feet once he smelled he had gotten close.

_{You'd better not ruin this.}_

_[Me?]_

_{That innocent tone does nothing to ease my mind.}_

The only response was smugness.

"You, pup, look quite lovely today." Youko stopped just behind her and leaned himself over her shoulder slightly to make himself known, his eyes following the curve of her shoulder and the scars that at first peeked out from under her sleeve and then continued the rest of the way down her arm to her elbow.

He reached up as if to trace a finger along one of them-

_{I wouldn't.}_

Youko threw a silent curse at the presence in his mind, but did stop before actually making contact with her skin.

~!**!~

She seemed taken aback by his response, her eyes shifting to a far-away view almost beyond or through him as she looked inward to remember.

"Strange..." She murmured slowly, voice nothing more than an absent mumble, but somehow for that instant losing the fierceness that her sharp features constantly held, "I always thought he needed?" The word didn't quite fit. "..._something_."

She blinked and the moment was gone, eyes back on the itchingly familiar demon before her who had brought life to the figure that often haunted what dreams she could while awake recall.

"How did you...get in here?" She demanded, fighting off a shiver, refusing to appear weak while she still did not know the intentions of this one, but aware that the heat of her fever now spread cold chills over her body, making the bits of sweat she felt here and there seem strange and out of place. 3

Hiei raised a brow only slightly at Shikiyoku's mumblings, but otherwise ignored her shift in demeanor for the moment and took to watching her movements, motions that were slightly jerky here and there and were more often than not highlighted by a slight sheen of light that reflected from the sweat he could see along her arms and face.

Had he not _known _this was Shikiyoku, he never would have seen her as the same demon as before. She was just so… different. Twisted, dark… A complete contrast to the demon of desire he'd known before.

"The same as you." he answered offhandedly, almost considering a shrug but not ever really making the gesture. He stared at her with a level gaze, not even so much as blinking. "Something bothering you, _lover?"_ he suddenly inquired, using the title simply to see her reaction of the word.

~!**!~

AKari hadn't even so much as jumped when Youko's smooth voice was in her ear, his presence suddenly very, _very _close to her. She did, however, pause and turn to look at him over her shoulder, expression almost curious as she raised a brow. "Do I?" she asked with a thoughtful hum. "I hadn't meant to be." And, the thing was, she was _completely _serious. She'd simply dressed for the season with the first things she'd found, decided the colors went well together, and went with it.

Her eyes slid to the finger extended to her, then up to the golden eyes of Youko. "Careful, _fox_." Her tone was even, but every bit a warning as if she'd growled it. She turned and continued walking on, glancing around with her eyes as if something had caught her attention.

Nabu had wandered away, but that wasn't unheard of. He tended to do that when business was done for the day, because, as he'd once said, _You work even in your sleep and it's frustrating. _

Apparently he felt he needed time away from her on occasion. The thought made her almost laugh aloud. _*****_

Youko let out a huff of air through his nose as Akari warned him and moved away, a single ear flicking in irritation at having already dealt with the presence in his mind telling him as much.

_{I told you so.}_

He didn't dignify the phrase with an answer. A kitsune was not so easily daunted. He would have to simply attempt..._other _means.

_{I can't __**wait **__to see what methods you shall employ.}_

Youko struggled to keep the growl from sounding, clenching his teeth together.

_{Give up yet?}_

_[__**Never.**__]_

_{Suit yourself.}_

Youko trotted to catch up with Akari, walking smoothly next to her and taking in a deep breath as if to fill his nose with the scent of the layer, instead filling his nose with rosemary and giving Akari a side-long glance.

"What did you have planned? Anything?"

~!**!~

She...she did not know there were _others_. _Others _who could...fold the layers around them and pass them over. It was-

The edges of her eyes flinched as if to narrow at him, but did not complete the gesture.

"I do not find your _joke_ amusing, demon." Her have a lover? Didn't he see how...unflattering she appeared?

It made her remember that she could not recall the last time she had laughed out loud.

...and there was this other side to her somewhere freaking out at the prospect, at not _remembering _this demon as her lover, as he appeared to claim. 3

There was a change in the eyes of the demoness who stared at him. It was a miniscule change, a flash of light that was gone just as quickly as he'd seen it, and with it came a sense of satisfaction from Hiei. There'd been a change, though what it was over, he didn't know. While the word, the term _lover _had been used in place of her real name, he hadn't actually _thought _it would create any sort of change.

"Joke?" he repeated, his own eyes narrowing at her slightly. "You should know, I do not make jokes, Iro." Again, he used terms she'd been called, but refused a single one that he himself had never enjoyed her being called. Seductress just did not...chime right within him.

~!**!~

Akari gave a simple shrug at Foko, her mind popping up with several different answers, some rather ridiculous and others being ones she wouldn't _dare _use to the kitsune, who'd very easily turn them on her. So, she settled for a mild, slightly sarcastic, "I thought the _men _arranged the dates?" She turned a taunting glance at him before turning forward again, "I hadn't had time to think of anything specific." _*****_

"I-" Youko put a hand to his chest, "-am no simple man. A _demon_ such as myself comes when a lady calls." He tilted his head slightly downward, smirking, "I am at your service. What would you ask of me?"

~!**!~

Again, he essentially called her _lover_, though she did not know how she knew the meaning of the term.

_Iro..._

Again, she remembered how long it had been since she had laughed, but her lips could not remember how to smile, and her brow turned down over her eyes in a frown instead. And instead of laughter, the sound came out as a scoff.

"Tch. If you do not make jokes, demon, then perhaps I addled your brain when I struck you. Have you looked at me?" 3

"Of course I have." Hiei responded without pause, eyes flickering over the many scars he could see. "Your transformation is a rather distinct one. Hard to miss, quite frankly." He gave a pause, his eyes finding her hair and the color of her skin. "It's repulsive."

He wasn't sure _what _moved within his core, but at his own words, he almost felt as if he himself would cringe. He would have never used that word for her before, but when faced with the simple change from the demon of desire to… whatever she was now… it was the only word her found suited the transformation.

Or, rather, what it had done to her.

"The scars, however, are… different."

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Youko, reaching a hand up to flip the ends of her hair at him in an almost dignified manner. Again, several responses came to mind, and again she took a second to consider those responses. Instead, she ignored his first words and continued on with, "I have nothing specific to _ask _for." She paused, turning to glance at him again. "Except maybe a little less sass." She flashed a smile. "Then again, it's amusing. Dismiss that."

Her hands tugged absently at the end of the scarf she wore, fingers toying with the seams out of habit. "Actually, I think it'd be nice to just _sit _and _be _for a while." She suddenly said, turning and altering her course with a sweet shop in mind. _And I'm hungry. __*****_

Youko only grinned at her when she asked for less sass, his expression unchanging when she just as quickly retracted the statement.

At her request for rest, his smile softened and he faced forward again, keeping the direction his mind had taken hidden behind his exterior countenance.

_{Not __**that **__kind of rest.}_

_[Don't like those thoughts, hm? Do they __**bother **__you?]_

"Doing nothing for once would be wonderful." He added a touch of wistfulness to his tone.

_{You're not fooling me.}_

_[Not helping, Red.]_

_{And whatever gave you the impression that I was meaning to __**help**__?}_

~!**!~

She didn't so much as flinch at his apt description, nor the way he appeared to take her in all at once. She stood there just as openly as before, letting him see what he pleased.

As if she didn't know the truth already. Did he assume to startle her? Was he fishing for a reaction? Like she had never looked at a mirror in her life. Avoided them. Maybe. Did she? Frankly, she didn't find that she cared most of the time. Ever.

"Transformation?" She absolutely did not understand his comment about her scars and so discarded it as unimportant, "You use strange words, demon. What are you to me but an intruder that I-" She was going to say _have never seen before_, but it wasn't entirely true. "-have only seen passing through my dreams." She had already admitted as much anyway, and suddenly had another thought occur. "You are likely a hallucination of my own making, in fact." It fit with her fever. She wouldn't be surprised at all to find that her dreams manifested themselves now. It was the only thing that really made sense. Fool. 3

Both of Hiei's brows rose now, and then furrowed at Shikiyoku. After a beat, he released the same sound she had earlier: a scoff. His sound, however, was a bit more harsh, a bit louder and accompanied by an unamused expression that was more than slightly irate.

_As If _he was a hallucination.

Had she lost her _entire _mind?

He scoffed again, this time to himself.

"You're rather foolish. I hadn't thought you a fool, but now I see you're just as dim as the rest." He took a step forward, expression never changing. "I can assure you, I am _no _hallucination. No product of whatever is eating away at you. At your mind. And I would gladly prove that to you, should you so much as _indicate _the desire to find out otherwise."

~!**!~

Akari stayed quiet for a moment as she walked, actually fighting the urge to just drop through her own shadow and reappear where she wished to be. After all, that would mean either grabbing Youko and pulling him with her, or leaving him behind and thus abandoning his company.

And, quite frankly, she was tired of using her energy. She'd used it excessively today, and it left her a bit worn.

"I hadn't actually thought the _infamous thief _took breaks." She paused, hands dropping to her sides again. "Find anything…" she thought for a moment, back to something Kurama had once said, "... _shiny_ enough to pique your interest yet?" _*****_

"I don't, hence..." He replied, waving his fingers a little as if to indicate the truth of his former words. "And it is constantly my endeavour to seek out and acquire whatever should happen to catch my eye. Therefore-" Here he meant to correct her, "-not simply 'shiny,' but rather, multiple 'shinies.'" His eyes gleamed.

~!**!~

She only blinked once as he spoke, letting him finish whatever miniature tirade it appeared her words had provoked before staring candidly at him in silence for a beat.

"You are much more annoying out here than you are in there." She informed him matter-of-factly. 3

Hiei leveled Shikiyoku with a glare. "As are you" he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest in a show of ire. He continued to stare at her for a moment before he decided she hadn't been convinced in the slightest. So he took another step forward. And then another, and then one more.

He held out his hand palm-up, and within a millisecond a small flame formed in his hand, though it didn't stay there long.

Instead, it moved towards Shikiyoku, clinging to the hem of her shirt and catching easily, the smell of burning fabric filling the room.

"Am I still a figment of your mind?"

~!**!~

Akari let out a laugh at Youko's words, a mental image of him sitting atop a pile of jewels sliding across her mind's eye and making it hard to stop the laughter that had bubbled up. After a moment, she took a deep breath to collect herself.

"Oh, well," she waved a hand almost dismissively, "and here I thought you were going to say something _charming _and say _I _had caught your eye." She gave another laugh. "Alas, I was proven wrong." _*****_

Youko appeared to at least get an impression of what first crossed her mind: a dragon with its hoard. He only smiled that same small smile.

"Whatever makes you think I was not also referring to _you_ when I spoke?" He replied slyly, "After all...I am here, am I not?"

~!**!~

She appeared almost bored, did not react to the flame, though her eyes did watch it appear. She let it burn, going ahead and lowering her head as if to watch with interest, though no such thing shone behind her eyes.

"Quite likely. Elaborate, I'll admit." Was her brusque answer, lifting her gaze to him after a moment, "It's rather twisted in there. You should know."

A violent shiver that she could no longer hide moved up her spine and her hands clenched together into fists, a wave of light-headedness causing her eyes to go out-of-focus briefly as a single drop of sweat fell along the side of her face, following the path of the rough patch of skin scarred to her jawline. 3

Hiei stared at Shikiyoku with a blank expression now, carefully controlling his rising ire. She was being exceedingly trying, and quite frankly, he almost considered leaving, giving in because it seemed a lost cause to some degree.

Instead, his eyes turned to the small flame that had begun to lick at her shirt, and instead of simply _letting it _continue on, he _added _a bit more energy, a bit more heat to the fire and watched as it moved at her clothing faster, destroying it quicker than before and even threatening to touch her skin. And he didn't even control it.

He simply let it do as it wished, his red eyes turning up to meet her dark, dull, once-green irises. And he waited, letting the fire do as it wished as if it had a mind of its own.

~!**!~

A small hum resounded in Akari's chest, amusement still evident on her features. "Smooth recovery." she taunted, not looking at him. However, a thought occurred to her and she felt her expression shift to match his sly one.

"It must be the jealous males who call you _cold and indifferent_, because quite frankly, you're about as cold and indifferent as a puppy finding a new friend."

She moved now into the crowds of the busy town, eyes finding her designated stop that was just across the street and to the right. It seemed empty from where she looked on, but she knew that there were others inside. Humans doing their jobs, whatever they may be. _*****_

Youko let out a mock-gasp, "A _**puppy?!**_" He exclaimed, "You would call a fox a _puppy_?" He huffed, "I'm nowhere _near _as cuddly as _you_."

~!**!~

She did not at first react, and even when she raised her eyes to him again after looking down at his handiwork, still appearing unbothered by it, her face seemed emotionless.

"...who _are _you?"

The words came out whispered, hoarse, something within that she did not understand pleading to know the answer, though she knew her face could no longer reflect whatever mental state she felt, hidden well behind her haunting eyes.

A small voice inside her piped up, "_Because if this is not real...if this is a dream..." _She wavered in place, still feeling the chills from her fever, "_I wish to never wake up."_

She felt an ache spread over her limbs, her legs giving out with overwhelming weakness, at their limit, and the ground rushing up to meet her as her vision of the demon before her wavered. 3

Hiei had already chosen how to answer the question she posed to him, long before she'd asked it. That didn't, however, make the sting from the question any less painful.

He moved forward as soon as he noticed the twitch in her muscles, as soon as he noticed her knees folding and her entire body going slack. His hands found her shoulders, the fire that had been burning away her clothing simply disappearing even before he lowered her to the ground and sat beside her.

"_I __**desire **__your __**presence**__." _The words were part of a conversation he'd thought about a million times over the past nine months, and with those words he was careful to show her how he'd seen her at the time. As someone who he _hated _to see in the mood she had been at the time.

"_But you __**hate **__me." The words came out of her lips slowly, almost in a fashion that said she was much more confused than she let on, and her eyes.. She hadn't looked at him for a bit. "You wish to be rid of me…. You don't __**want **__me."_

_At the time, he'd remembered something Kafu had told him, about telling her that she was not hated by him. He'd remembered it, used it to his advantage, in a way. "I would have killed you myself were that the case." he'd said. But, internally, he'd been… He hadn't been sure at the time, but internally, he'd been fighting to keep calm, fighting to do anything but growl at her and spit those words out, because he'd simply hated the mood she'd been in __**that **__much. He'd wanted her to… _smile.

_After a silence, her body relaxed and her lips moved again. "You only wish for my presence? For my...companionship? There is nothing else you would ask me to do for you?"_

Hiei let the memory fade from both his own mind and hers, though his Jagan never retracted from her mind. Instead, he finished by saying, "_Your Champion. Hiei."_

~!**!~

Akari let out a small noise of amusement as she crossed the street, eyes looking towards Youko out of the corners. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly changed what she was going to say and replaced it instead with, "If _you _think _I _am cuddly, then you've been talking to the wrong demon." She pulled open the door to the small shop she'd laid her sights on a while back and stepped inside without pause, turning her eyes to meet a human's, who waved and called for them to sit wherever they liked.

And she did just that, turned and chose a small booth by a window, where she could keep watch should something happen.

"_You're like a workaholic."_

Akari felt her lips twitch at Nabu's earlier comment before she turned to Youko again. "But you didn't deny my claim." _*****_

"I think you'd be quite surprised at how cuddly I could make you. How cuddly you could be if you'd only let yourself." Youko raised an eyebrow as he slipped into the seat across from her, his face completely void of smile as if he'd just said the most serious thing in the word.

He leaned an elbow onto the table and rested his cheek in a hand, gazing across at her. "But what claim would that be I am supposed to have denied?"

~!**!~

_Champion..._

The word echoed across her fevered mind as if from a great distance as her waking-dreams trickled away from the visions of once more running at a frenzied pace-this time through, what, a palace?-and into a state she recalled being similar to the latest dream she had-the same sudden warmth that was...of great comfort and felt strangely familiar-the one where she was seeing that other demon, the one that could have been her in another life. Maybe. She wasn't sure in even _her _wildest dreams she could have looked that way.

But what had he said? Transformation?

...wouldn't that be something someone usually remembered?

Like your memories have been all that accessible in...years? What was the last thing she remembered? Sucking the energy from those demons? How many days ago had that been? When had that started?

The wave of faintness passed, though she could feel that the chills had given way to the heat of the fever once again, and she opened her eyes though they felt heavy, seeing that the demon had not left, which struck her as odd at first.

She blinked up at him.

"When...when did you last see her?" 3

Hiei stared calmly down at the demoness whom he used to know, his red gaze never even wavering as she opened her eyes and peered up at him. _Such an empty stare. _

He raised a brow at her question, "You mean _you?" _he clarified, though he didn't wait for an answer. "For me, it's been a little under a year, I think." He paused to think, his mind making quick calculations. If she'd stayed on one level, it could have easily been…

"For you? At least a decade. Perhaps longer." He shifted where he sat, turning so he could stretch his legs out in front of him without kicking her. His eyelids slid closed as what he'd just said sunk in. _A decade. She could've been this way the entire time. _That single fact lead to many things passing through his mind, and made it much easier to see why she didn't remember him as he did her. Or even herself, it seemed.

~!**!~

A lopsided smirk pulled at Akari's lips, making the skin by her eyes crinkle in amusement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to _convince_ me to _cuddle_." Her eyes turned to the waitress who had stepped up to their booth, a pad of paper in one hand and a pen in the other.

"I'll have the Classic Sundae," she informed calmly, finding that for the first time in months, something _sweet _sounded appetizing, instead of her normal salty preferences. _*****_

Youko let his eyes flicker only briefly to their server, "Cherry milkshake?" He wasn't positive they could make one, "Or vanilla will do if not."

He turned his yellow gaze back on the demon across the booth, face still void of 'humor.'

"I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I only endeavour for you to at least take note of what others already know to be your...potential."

_{Ugh.}_

_[I thought you were going to let me work?]_

_{That was absolutely terrible.}_

_[Thank you.]_

~!**!~

Eleven months since he'd seen...

She let her gaze shift to stare at the ceiling, "Did you...did you miss her?"

Trying to associate herself with whom she assumed he was referring to, the demon she kept seeing, did not settle well with her, and she found maintaining the distance that it was another was...easier. 3

Hiei chose not to answer her, his eyelids staying shut and his lips passing a very small, inaudible sigh. He'd thought that finding her would release his tension, but… But it seemed that his tension had only magnified, doubled. He wasn't calmer, not on the inside anyway. How could he be, when the person he'd found wasn't the same person he'd once admitted to wishing to stay close to? The same person who'd been left behind…

The same person he felt he'd failed.

So, he didn't answer, because truthfully, she had asked a question that was a dangerous one to him, and the answer would never be… simple.

~!**!~

Akari noted the leaving of the waitress before turning back to Youko, watching him with gleaming eyes despite his humorless expression. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and made a small sound at him, though its meaning she didn't quite know herself. "_My _potential specifically speaking, or _my species _potential as a whole? You know, rumors of groups don't often include the individual differences. So, while my kind _are _normally filled with… potential, as you put it, I myself couldn't, quite frankly, care less. Though, your words are flattering." She gave a lopsided smile again, one that portrayed her continuing amusement. "Also, I'm quite aware of my own potential. I simply choose not to act on it." _*****_

"Shame to let all that potential go to waste." Youko mourned, his eyes glittering at her and letting out a melancholy sigh as he continued looking at her.

_{Don't say it.}_

_[Why on earth not?]_

_{Do I really need to explain?}_

_[Do you really an explanation would help?]_

_{No.}_

_[Then don't bother.]_

"So, before I completely lose my mind contemplating your potential, what have you been up to this last six months?"

A groan from the other occupant of his mind nearly had Youko breaking his expression of interest for an amused one.

Nearly.

~!**!~

She shifted around a little as if to get more comfortable, unaware of his silence in regards to her question.

"Hi-ei." She worked the two syllables around her tongue, her eyes closed. Hearing it move past her lips, hearing it in her own voice, made the edges of them lift in what was _almost _a smile. At least the faintest resemblance to one. The closest she could ever remember getting. "It...I like it."

_Why does his touch seem so familiar?_

Without realizing it, she had bent a single hand up to brush her fingers against the place on her shoulder where he'd caught her.

"I would bet she missed you." She recalled the _way _the eyes she had been looking through regarded the other one. There...would have been much to miss.

_I missed you._ 3

Hiei turned his head towards Shikiyoku again, a single eye opening to peer at her for a moment. Outwardly, he gave no reaction, as if her words meant little to nothing to him. As if he'd heard them a million times and learned to dismiss them as soon as he heard them.

Inwardly, he cringed a bit, and this caused him to turn his head away from her again and let his eyelids slide shut once more. He didn't know what caused her to be like this, but he wondered if there actually _was _a way to bring her back, the she-demon he once knew.

So far, he hadn't seen much change in her demeanor. He wasn't even sure she _could _change from this mindframe.

"The demon of desire promised her presence." He suddenly said, tone even as if he were merely talking about the weather outside or some rumor he'd heard. _Things change._

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes again, her smile fading and the gleam in her eyes only slightly diminishing. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure how to react to him, his presence overall despite her having been the one to call on him. But, really, she'd expected it to be the redhead. The only reason she'd said _Youko Kurama _was to make it easier for the _moron _to understand and-

She took a deep breath.

"Dealing with idiots." she replied after a minute, giving a shrug and completely waving away Youko's…. admittance. "Working." She turned her eyes to the window to view the outside world, her ears momentarily taking in each and every sound she could hear within a mile or so, her eyes looking for anything out of the norm.

If there was even such a thing at this moment. Hell, she didn't even know what was _normal _anymore.

As soon as she realized she'd slipped into working thoughts again, she peeled her eyes away from the outside world and focused on the world within this building, the smells and sights within her immediate range. "Nothing that'd be of interest to you, anyway. What about yourself?" _*****_

Youko appeared to brush off her interest a little, responding with a shrug, "I have only been contriving ways to obtain what I want, and occasionally following through with those plans as I see fit. As for you though, you'd be surprised at what interests me, I think. Humor me?"

~!**!~

_My presence is a poor replacement for-_

The word he used echoed in her ears and her eyes came open again.

That...that word it...it meant something...important. She couldn't remember.

_...desire..._

She scrambled up from the floor to a sit facing to him, leaning forward with vested interest and peering at his face, blinking, something fighting inside to break through the haze of her fever.

She had never cared before this moment, never so much as considered how she lost her own name somewhere along the way, but-

"Hiei...who am _I?_" 3

Hiei turned to Shikiyoku again, her question calling for a curious gaze from the fire demon who stayed quiet for a few more moments. He kept a single brow raised at her for another moment, and when it resettled into place, he turned his eyes away from her and instead took to watching out the window nearest him.

"You are Shikiyoku, once hidden behind a human personality named Toriko. Once a demon of desire who strived to have a purpose, purpose I was not fit to give you." He paused, thinking about the tribes they had visited. "You were well known for your rituals, which brought entire _tribes _together for merry celebration even I couldn't resist." He let his eyelids slide shut again. "You were once wanted by King Enma, but your warrant has been lifted with the death of the king and instatement of his son, who'd promised you that freedom."

"At least, that was you eleven months ago. A decade ago."

~!**!~

Akari sat back in the cushion of the booth, her hands landing in her lap and her fingers linking together as she watched a single ear atop Youko's head flick a little, either to brush away a strand of hair or acknowledge a sound in the distance. Her eyes lowered just a little, to meet his even gaze.

"I've been maintaining control over portals in several layers, two of which have closed recently, leaving only one to be monitored on occasion. Simple maintenance when something goes wrong or damage control when someone screws something up." She paused, thinking of Juun and having to fight the irritation that bloomed with the mere thought of the male. "Also helping Genkai when necessary."

She paused, eyes gaining a gleam. "Which, may I pick your brain for a minute?" _*****_

"Busy, then." Youko replied mildly, letting his head tilt to the side as he held back anything else he might have had to say in response and indicating for her to continue with her inquiry.

~!**!~

She closed her eyes as he started speaking, giving in to the visions of which he spoke that came unbidden to the front of her mind, his voice calling them forward and leading their direction. Were these...were these her-_My?_-memories?

_Shikiyoku._

The name sounded...foreign, but everything this demon said about...well about her-_About me?_-seemed to ring true.

She opened her eyes as he said the last words and looked at him again.

_I __**desire **__your __**presence**__._

She blinked at him, then looked down at her hands which were presed over her knees, the scars there nothing special, nothing she hadn't seen before. She lifted one of them and brought it to her face, slowly rotating it.

_Then...if that is what I was...how did it come to this?_

"I-Is..." She hesitated, still gazing at her blemished, ashen skin, "Is a Champion anything like a...Consort?" 3

Hiei didn't turn to Shikiyoku, didn't look at her when she asked her question. Quite frankly, there were several things he had to consider before answering. His initial reaction was to say no, but really… He wasn't sure what the word Consort would mean in relation to Champion.

If there _was _any relation.

"You would have been the one to know that." He answered calmly, actually shrugging just a little. "A Champion was… a sort of guard for a demon of desire. Or, likely, for any other demon who could manipulate types of emotions. A Champion's duty is to protect their… Ward- you- and be a source of…" Truthfully, he wasn't _entirely _sure about his own title.

Or, rather, the title he used to have.

"As to the relation between a Consort and a Champion, I do not know."

~!**!~

Akari nodded once at Youko before going on. "It's something I've been looking into for months, but quite frankly, it's a little… over my head." she admitted, giving a shrug. "There are a few buildings that I've noticed to exist on _all _of the layers at once, and I just so happen to need _use _of something like that. However…" She paused, turning her eyes to the side to peer out the window, as if slightly embarrassed to have admitted her inability to understand. "I haven't found anything that stands out to make such a thing happen." She turned her eyes again to Youko, almost completely ignoring the waitress who sauntered her way to their table, set down their orders and promptly left them to their conversation. "Any ideas as to what would allow something like that?" _*****_

"Initially? None. What makes it that you or I can blur between levels, but other demons cannot? Even ones stronger or faster than we?" Youko replied, "I have not bothered myself to notice any such structures, so direct sight and interaction with such a building might give me further clues or spark an idea of some sort.

_[Anything come to mind?]_

_{I have paid no more attention than you. We have both been too distracted by other things to notice.}_

"If you have need of one so badly, have you attempted _relocating _a building already doing so? Worse case scenario it loses whatever grants it that ability as soon as it is moved. You could test it prior by simply taking a piece of the building, like a brick used in the wall, and removing it, checking to see if it maintained the same properties as the rest of the structure when moved away."

_{Well put.}_

_[We were both thinking it.]_

_{We're both of above-average intelligence.}_

_[Are you insulting the lady?]_

_{No I-}_

_[Should I tell her what you said?]_

_{...Should I even bother to protest? You'll twist my words in any way you see fit, silver-tail.}_

_[I would __**never **__intentionally make you look bad in front of the woman you love.]_

_{I never said I love her.}_

_{Actions, or in our case, emotions or thoughts, speak much louder than words, Red.}_

_[Have I mentioned lately how annoying you are?]_

_{You know, I think it __**has **__been a while.}_

_[You're annoying.]_

_{Thank you.}_

~!**!~

"...of comfort." She found herself murmuring almost inaudibly as she looked at him. The idea pleased her for some reason, leaving something akin to peace settling across her core, though her face gave no sense of it.

She appeared to forget her original question, sitting back as something behind her hollow eyes tried to stir again.

"And you are her-" She struggled with something, "Are..._my_... Champion?" 3

Hiei's expression gave away none of his thoughts on the question presented to him. Truthfully, the answer would be _no_, he wasn't her Champion. Not anymore. But there was a part of him that _wished _to be, wanted to say _yes_. What caused the internal conflict, he didn't know, but he'd later think about it, when he didn't have hollow, blank eyes watching him, his every move.

"Not any more." He finally admitted, turning an even stare on to her that veiled his thoughts effectively, making him appear nothing more than the calm he wanted her to believe he was. "I _was_, before we were separated by the Kekkai, and the portals between Human and Demon world were shut down."

"_Forget me."_

He hadn't forgotten her, not even for a moment. It would have been easier to do so, he realized, but really, he hadn't been able to even _consider _it.

"I didn't forget you, like you asked of me."

~!**!~

Akari released a sigh. "I tried that. It diminishes the ability of the building to exist on the layers little by little, and after a while, the ability to exist on only _one _layer is all it does. It takes about a week and a half for it to happen, but still, it happens." She paused, thinking of the drywall she'd broken away from the home that had existed on every single layer, and of the wooden beams of the shed that did the same. It had happened to both structures, every time she tried it.

A thought hit her and she blinked, her eyes focusing on the ice cream that was now in front of her, her hand mechanically reaching for the spoon that was within the glass. _Is it only the building, or the land as well? _She couldn't remember, not even when she looked back at the memories of the area. _If it's the land, then maybe there's something special about the location. _

She stuffed the spoon in her mouth and let it hang there, her tongue rolling over the sweet strawberry flavor she'd chosen to pick from first. _Or perhaps… _

She pulled the spoon from her mouth after a moment and again turned to look outside, as if her answer lay just beyond the glass. Her eyes searched for something, though what it was she wasn't sure. And after another minute or two, she turned back to Youko again.

She gave a short laugh. "Maybe asking for your presence wasn't such a bad thing after all!"

Of course, she was only kidding. _*****_

_[Hear that, Red? She likes me.]_

_{I wouldn't go __**quite **__that far.}_

_[You wouldn't.]_

Youko watched her thoughtfully as she appeared to turn inward to her own remembrances.

"The only problem I have with the turn this conversation has taken," Youko sat back, milkshake in one hand and the other arm thrown over the back of the booth, taking a sip through the straw that had been provided with his beverage before going on, licking his lips of any stray liquid, "Is that we seem to be forgetting our time together is supposed to _not _relate to our work."

He tilted his head, his long hair whispering silkily against his bare arm, "So, I'm going to have to respectfully ask you to stop any work-related thoughts you have going through that pretty little head of yours."

~!**!~

She wished...she wished he _was_. Or perhaps...she wished they had not been forced to part.

Surely _this_-she glanced down at her hands again-did not happen until after they were separated. She felt a certainty about that particular musing. Surely he would not have let it happen.

Let what happen? You don't even know yourself. Demon of desire? Then what does that make you _now_?

"I am...not sure what drove me to ask you to forget me." She admitted, going further, "I tend to remember very little beyond the last day or so."

She didn't think it had always been that way. She thought it was probably whatever sickness she had contracted, though she couldn't remember who or what had caused _that _either.

When she met his gaze again, there was no disguising the relief that had relaxed her face, severe as she appeared, "But I find myself grateful to you for ignoring my stupidity and seeking me out anyway. If I ever thought I would thrive alone, if that is why I asked it of you, then I was a fool." Her lips twitched as if she wished to smile, "And you were right to let me figure it out on my own."

Her eyes shifted as if searching for the right words, sifting through the memories she could make no sense or order of, but feeling as if she was on the right path anyway, "My presence is likely poor substitute for what you once knew," She looked back to him again, "But if you can stand it," She shrugged, "I cannot deny I would appreciate the company." 3

This time, when Shikiyoku spoke, Hiei turned his eyes to her and _looked _at her. He saw the scars on her face that made her appear as a totally different person. He saw the lack of color in her skin that had once been radiant with an otherworldly glow, a glow she had once tried to hide. He saw the dim color in her eyes that, if he looked long enough, was _some _sort of green, though nowhere near their true color he remembered. They held none of the life they had before, held none of the happiness she'd shown him the night before they'd left the Northern Tribe. Her lips were thin and cracked, seemingly no longer able to show the wide smile, or part way for a laugh that he remembered coming from her mouth when he'd approached her that night.

Even if a fire were to be glowing nearby, it wouldn't even _remotely _resemble the person who'd sat by the fire that night. The glow would do nothing but highlight the _differences_, the stark contrast between the woman she once was and the demon she now was.

He didn't even go on to think about her hair, her energy, or even her voice. If he did, he would never be able to pull from those thoughts and respond to.. whatever she'd just said.

He had missed her. And when he'd suspected the demon who stole the energies of other demons, he hadn't suspected her to be _this _different. To not remember him when she had seemed so fond of him, so determined to keep him nearby and even desperate to do something to make _him _happy.

"I have no other place to be," he finally said, again turning his head to the side and his eyes to the window, as if expecting someone to be there, watching and listening. "My work, for the time being, is finished."

~!**!~

Akari raised a brow at him as she stuck the spoon into her mouth again, regarding him with a calm look before she spoke around the utensil and treat on her tongue. "You shtarted it." She grumbled at him before flashing a small smile. "You ashked, I anshwered." She repeated the motion of withdrawing the spoon, dipping it in her sundae, and sticking the spoon in her mouth before sliding it away again, eyes never leaving the fox demon.

"You," she said after she swallowed, gesturing with her spoon to him, "caused this conversation. So, don't be reprimanding me for continuing it." Again, her lips parted to flash her teeth in a smile. "So, choose another topic, mister _picky." __*****_

_{It really is your fault.}_

_[Must you __**both **__be against me at every turn?]_

_{Of course.}_

_[Cheeky.]_

"I think that might be rather difficult, pup." Youko replied mildly, "After all," He leaned forward onto the table in a confidential manner, "What have you done these past six months _besides_ work, mm?"

~!**!~

His answer was...unsurprising, she supposed, since she didn't feel like she knew what was 'normal' for him. He had nothing better to do, so why not? He would probably leave her whenever he pleased, or when he realized-

You know, funnily enough, she still didn't feel hungry. She'd had no close company in a very long time, or she had killed anyone who had been in her company for any amount of time. She couldn't really be sure. At any rate, she wasn't exactly salivating over the prospect of feeding on this demon's energy. Which was...progress?

Which was a good thing, since she still felt too weak to do anything else but stand and make it to the bed. And probably wake up half a mile away this time.

"Before you...truly decide to remain here, you should be made aware of-" She became distracted by a drop of sweat that pooled at the nape of her neck and slid down her back beneath the collar of her shirt, "I do not know if whatever illness I have is catching, but I understand if it is something you do not wish to risk by being nearby." 3

Hiei still didn't look at Shikiyoku as she spoke, as he'd already deduced as much about her… illness, whatever it may be. After all, it had muddled her scent, twisted it and made it… well, there was no explaining it other than saying it was unrecognizable. Just like everything else about her.

He made a sound in his throat that, had it left his lips, would have been a scoff at her. "I'll do as I please. Worry about yourself." he retorted, tone almost irate as if she'd struck a nerve.

But really, he had nothing else to say, because everything else was simply… unacceptable for him to say. He'd rather have her think him _cruel _and _indifferent _than _weak _and _simple-minded_.

~!**!~

Akari gave a hum, actually having to _think _about the question presented to her. Because, as of late, she'd done nothing _but _work, work, work. She'd visited Koenma at least once a week for updates, and was more often than not given a new objective that easily took her entire day away. And, as this morning, she'd sometimes find a child on the streets of the second layer and had to deal with _that _as well. Pile that on top of her researching the buildings that existed on all layers, overseeing portals and the crews who maintained them, and her basic day-to-day necessities…

Well, recently, she hadn't had any time to do anything _but _work.. And, now that she thought about it, it'd been that way for a while. _No wonder Nabu thinks I'm a workaholic. _

Instead of saying this, she turned up a sly smile. "I _would _say it's business in the front and party in the back, but I don't quite think that it's… _enough_ to describe my days."

She suddenly remembered Juun, who _had _invited her to a pub a few weeks back. The thought made her lips twitch and a sour feeling churn in her stomach. All of which she didn't allow Youko to see. _*****_

"So then...if work is all you're doing," Youko's eyes gleamed, "Then what is it you're _avoiding_?"

~!**!~

Her thoughts were muddled, but her shrug at least gave off an air of disinterest while her feelings remained locked away as she rubbed again at her forehead, trying to will away the dull ache of hunger and the more prominent aches of the fever.

"It is not my place to warrant your undivided attention, so I would not ask it, as I imagine you will come and go as you please." She made as if to get up and quickly decided against it when her vision wavered.

Did food make the fever lessen? She couldn't remember if she'd tried it before.

Well...not _food_, exactly. More like..._feeding_.

Did she dare try and sleep? If he left, perhaps. She would likely irritate him if he was a witness to her nightmares and her penchant for sleep...running.

She couldn't imagine _feeding _in front of him. What was he to think? Likely that she might feed upon him.

Though...she felt no desire to...3

Hiei didn't respond to Shikiyoku, not even with a glance in her direction. Instead, he shifted about, moving himself across the carpet until he was leaning against the wall, under the window he'd abandoned earlier. He crossed his ankles and folded his arms over his chest, eyes again closing as he made himself comfortable where he sat, designating it as his spot for the rest of his stay, however long that may be. He wasn't even sure himself how long he wished to be here.

"How many hallucinations have you had?" he suddenly inquired, genuinely curious. Perhaps if he was able to pinpoint the type of disease she'd contracted, he could… ease her out of it… somehow.

Likely call on Youko later, if he had to…

~!**!~

Akari paused with the spoon just in front of her lips and a brow raising high enough to hide in her bangs. "Avoiding?" she repeated, as if he'd asked the most _ridiculous _thing in the world. "Simply because I enjoy staying busy, you believe I have something to _avoid?" _she asked before sticking the spoon in her mouth.

She wasn't _avoiding_ anything. At least, not that she _knew _of. Not to her direct notice.

Except, maybe…

_Well, I wouldn't avoid __**that**__, as it's a minor thing and I've already prepared for that conversation._

Okay, maybe she _had _avoided it for a while, the offer she still had yet to talk to Kurama about. But, really, she'd just ended up _busy_. And rather enjoyed having something to do.

So, she shrugged at Youko. "Ever consider I _enjoy _being busy, rather than sitting around doing nothing or wasting my time chasing material things?" _*****_

_[How does that saying go?]_

_{I'm not helping you.}_

_[Too late.]_

"Methinks she doth protest too much." Youko murmured, "I mean, obviously you couldn't possibly have been avoiding us," He gestured to himself, "As if that were the case you probably would never have asked for the company."

He took another drink, "But I suppose if you aren't going to tell me, I'll just have to start imagining what it could be." His eyes flashed, "Though I have to warn you, my imagination has been running rather wild lately."

~!**!~

She felt a pang in her core that she silent told to go away. Now was not the time, after having been reminded of it, to be hungry.

"You, um, would have been the first." She replied matter-of-factly.

_No, stop it. Didn't you just eat? And a good many of them too. Or how long did it take to get back? And how long did you sleep? Maybe it was days. You don't rightly know._

"As far as I can remember." She quickly added, "But I'm still fairly certain the answer is 'none.'"

_Have I imagined him at other times? Or were those only in my dreams?_

_What I wouldn't give for a clear head. Then, maybe, I would know how to ask him..._3

Hiei nodded to tell her he acknowledged her words before he delved into his own thoughts, momentarily deaf to the world around him as he began to force his mind clear, force himself to ignore anything and everything that threatened his view of this person and who she was. He brushed away memories, brushed away thoughts on how she used to be and how she used to act.

Which, actually, wasn't too different from how she was now. Perhaps he need only to get past her exterior, her energy, and her voice to begin finding the similarities and _bring them forth_ to her. Maybe _that _would…. change a few things.

After her wrath had subsided and her curiosity, her thoughtfulness had taken over, she seemed… similar to the mindframe she'd been when he'd seen her last. At least, a little anyway.

When he came back to the world, came back to the room he'd made himself comfortable in, his lips moved without his permission, his mouth saying words he hadn't even known he was about to say.

"If you have something to say, simply _say it." _He wasn't sure what had called for that prompting, but he didn't look at her to find whatever had caused those words to be pulled from within.

~!**!~

Akari shrugged again, delving her spoon into the leftover ice cream and leaving it there, her fingers releasing the utensil and her elbows coming to rest on the tabletop, her chin resting in both of her hands. "What a _smart cookie _you are." she mused with a small smile. "I mean, it takes a _genius _to know I am not avoiding _you _of all people." She gave a small laugh before shrugging at him again, her tone calm when she spoke this time. "Well, _I'm _not the one inside your head, so your _imagination _has no effect on me whatsoever."

She let her eyes slide closed and a moment of silence pass from her before she spoke up again with heavy sarcasm. "Though, you were beginning to sound a bit like a shrink, and I was worried you'd make me tell you about my dreams for a minute there." _*****_

"If _I _didn't know any better, I might think you were patronizing me."

_{It's a good thing you don't know any better.}_

"And if you _want _to tell me about your dreams, I'm certainly not going to stop you." Youko took another drink, "I'd be particularly interested in any of them that concerned me."

_{Of course you would.}_

"Should I tell you of the ones _you've _had a starring role in lately?" He inspected his glass of milkshake, pulling his hand from the booth where it rested and reaching in without ceremony to fish out a cherry he spotted.

_{Just kill me now.}__3_

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	67. Episode 151 - Banter and Hunger

**A/N: **Hello once again, Readers!

Onwards to our chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>_"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Youko seeks out Akari, the latter of whom was looking for a day off and asked after him.

While exchanging distracting banter, Akari leads them to a store wherein they sit down  
>and order desserts, a sundae for Akari and a cherry shake for Youko.<br>Youko asks how she's been spending the last six months,  
>and they end up talking logistics about how a building is able to exist on all the layers.<p>

In an effort to converse about something other than 'work,'  
>Youko wants to know what she's been <em>avoiding <em>since it seems all she's been doing is work.  
>That leads to Youko consequently being awkward about dreams and asking Akari if she's dreamed of him.<p>

~!**!~

After tracking the demon who has been feeding on other demons,  
>Hiei is led to what had been Toriko's home, finding that the 'demon' is in fact Shikiyoku.<br>Sort of. She has no memory of him, and her appearance and her energy have become twisted as well.

After helping her through the nightmares she was having, she wakes up and Hiei begins speaking with her.  
>Initially she attacks him as he startles her, admitting that she has seen him somewhere in her dreams.<p>

Hiei continues to try and jog her memory, calling her both 'lover' and 'Iro,'  
>and while she gives a little indication of a reaction to him, she tells him she believes him to be a hallucination.<br>Slightly irritated at both this strange condition he has found her in as well as her lack of reaction,  
>Hiei sets her shirt on fire.<p>

Becoming overtaken by the disease she has contracted, she starts to collapse to the ground just as she asks who he is.  
>Hiei catches her, sending via the Jagan more memories and telling her he was once her Champion,<br>and lays her down gently while the two of them continue talking about who she was.

As she struggles with the desire to feed again, she attempts to think of other things to ask him,  
>and Hiei speaks up, encouraging her to say what is on her mind...<p>

* * *

><p>She shifted until she sat with her back leaning against the side of the bed, looking up only when he spoke, "What are you, a telepath?"<p>

Her eyes flickered to his forehead, expression perfectly serious, "And here I was thinking you'd been so vain as to arrange for cosmetic surgery for that extra eye. I suppose you _could _add a Jagan explicitly for the aesthetic qualities." 3

Hiei's eyelids seemed to snap open at her words, and the stare he issued to her was not a harsh one, nor a curious one. If anything, it was one of surprise as he recognized what she was saying, and almost immediately he recalled the first time he'd heard words very similar to those, from that same person.

And he found he didn't know how to reply, though it was likely due to his sudden surprise at her words.

After a moment, he regained his composure and gave a sneer. He took a moment to recall what he'd said then, what he'd replied with. He even went so far as to consult his Jagan, which easily, almost readily gave him his answer, and the words came rolling from his tongue rather quickly.

"If you so believe that my third eye is so beautiful, then you obviously need more time to observe. Indeed it has its value, but beautiful is not the word. I do not do anything that pertains to how I look merely because that is a waste of my time. I have no idea what Prosthetic Surgery is, but I can assure you that I have never experienced it, since it seems directly involved with how one looks. I hold no interest in experimenting with my looks, and I never will."

He wasn't sure if this would help, but perhaps repeating old times would… help.

~!**!~

"Mmm," Akai hummed out, eyes gleaming slightly as she considered a few responses, a few ways to twist the situation, but in the end she decided against it. "I guess you'll simply be disappointed then, because I can assure you _none _of my dreams feature you."

She watched his slender fingers dive into his glass and fish for what she knew to be a cherry, and she glanced at her own, her fingers plucking it from the top of her ice cream before she quickly leaned over the booth and reached for his as well, a sly smile finding her features. "But, I guess you could _humor _me." she said as she made a grab for his cherry as well. _*****_

Youko allowed her to have the cherry, though he only offered it after jerking his wrist just in time for her to miss, giving her an amused smile.

_[Should I tell her yours or mine, Red?]_

His counterpart gave out a sigh before responding.

_{I'd just as soon neither.}_

_[I dunno. You had a fairly heavy one a couple of nights ago.]_

_{That was __**you**__.}_

_[She doesn't have to know that.]_

_{You're impossible.}_

Youko leaned back in the booth again. "Mm, see the difficulty would be in choosing just _one_."

~!**!~

"Beautiful?" A single dark brow rose up her forehead, "That is a word of your own devising, though I will not disagree with the usage. A Jagan is very attractive to the right person." She leaned her head back against the bed and closed her eyes. "I would just as soon use the word _handsome _for yourself though." Her voice trailed off, "Why would every part of you _not _be attractive?"

She grew very quiet, taken by the odd sense of repetition of the moment, of reliving something that had happened before...3

"Perhaps one day you'll witness it for yourself, then." Hiei said easily, the Jagan feeding him exactly what he needed. However, instead of going on like he had before, he stopped there. He saw no reason to go on. So this time when his eyes turned to hers, they held a gleam of familiarity, and instead of seeing the _changes_ he saw the _similarities. _

_Progress is progress._

~!**!~

Akari sat back again when her fingers had hold of the cherry he'd allowed her to have, popping it into her mouth, stem and all. Using her teeth and tongue she separated the stem from the cherry before biting down on the fruit and savoring the flavor before swallowing it and taking to toying with the stem.

"I guess you have quite the problem then, no?" she spoke around the stem easily before falling silent again, her eyes turning to the window again to watch people pass by. _*****_

Youko sighed long-sufferingly, "You have no idea how much of a problem you are, do you? A welcome problem," He was quick to say, "A most wonderful problem. But a problem ever-the-same."

He held out another cherry by the stem between two long fingers, "Care for another?"

_{You're enjoying this.}_

_[Absolutely.]_

~!**!~

"Ah," It came out like a sigh, her eyes still closed as her head rested against the bed while she started to mutter further, "What are you doing to me, fire-prince? It seems I cannot make sense of my own thoughts, and that you know them before I can remember. Are you cheating? Is that Eye of yours lending a hand?" 3

"It isn't _cheating." _Hiei said casually, giving a pause to allow his sneer to form again. "Merely utilizing my resources." He continued to watch her, realizing that she'd called him _fire prince_, something he hadn't been called in what felt like a very long time. And it seemed to bring about a sort of calm to his core, a sense of peace and, dare he say, fondness?

"You'll remember soon enough. In your own time."

~!**!~

Akari turned eyes that gleamed with amusement at Youko again before she suddenly popped the stem between her lips, her index finger and thumb grabbing it and holding it in front of her face for close inspection.

The knot she'd formed was a tiny one, and she was easily satisfied with it despite the fact that she hadn't done this in a couple of years. So, when Youko offered another, she simply held her hand out for it patiently.

"I'm glad to be of service. I rather enjoy causing problems, especially when I can get away with it." _*****_

He _almost _released a growl at the sight of the knot and the thoughts it stirred within him, covering it by retracting the offer and placing the stem in his own teeth, cherry bouncing slightly against his lower lip.

_{What? Not having fun anymore?}_

_[You know __**exactly **__what.]_

The laugh that echoed at him in his own head was not a kind one.

"Tease me _too _much and you'll find yourself in a corner, pup. One that I will have backed you into _personally_." He grinned, showing the sharp teeth that firmly held the cherry.

_{You did it to yourself. By ordering the flavor in the first place.}_

_[I thought it would be funny.]_

_{She's not going to get it. She wasn't raised among humans like you were with me.}_

_[Too bad for __**her**__.]_

_{I didn't know foxes __**purred**__, but I would say that was a fairly good imitation of it.}_

_[Only when their counterparts get their hackles all raised about it.]_

_{Hmph.}_

~!**!~

The muscles at either side of her mouth twitched, "How did I know you'd think of it that way? _Resource. _Tch." When her eyes opened to stare at the ceiling though, there might have been a spark there that contradicted her tone if one was paying attention.

"Soon enough will never come soon enough." She complained softly. "You...you were _important. _My companion. My-" What had he said? Lover? ... Closer than a friend, perhaps.

_My what?_

"My Champion. How does one just _forget_ something like that?" 3

Hiei didn't reply to Shikiyoku's words, only continued to stare at her from where he sat on the floor. He shifted which ankle crossed over the other, effectively waking the first and causing an odd sensation to shoot up to his knee. He ignored it easily once he stopped moving.

Another moment passed and Hiei let his head rest back against the wall.

"I could help," he murmured, not really meaning to do so. The Jagan could help, but… "But it would do nothing for you, should this happen a second time."

_And it would only be for my own benefit. _

~!**!~

Akari's brows raised at Youko's retracting offer, her eyes following the cherry until it came to rest against his bottom lip. Her eye twitched slightly and she turned a disappointed look up to the fox. "Those are my favorite. You're a cruel, _cruel _demon." she said, resisting the urge to just _take _it from him.

Though, she had the sneaking suspicion that that was _exactly _what he wanted her to do. What _he _would gain from it, though, she didn't know. So, to keep her hand from making a grab for it, she put her elbow on the table and her chin in her dominant hand, huffing once at him. "Cruel." _*****_

Youko let out a chuckle, "Apparently you look and sound just like Nabu when you do that."

_{...}_

_[Your thoughts betray you.]_

The avatar within him just let out a heavy sigh.

~!**!~

She did not answer at first, trying to form words with the question, the only question, that popped into her head.

"And...and if it happened a second time...would you...do whatever it is for me again?" She pulled her head up from the bed. "I want to remember you." 3

Hiei resisted the frown his lips threatened to give her, resisted the urge to turn his eyes away from her again. "What would you gain if I did it _for _you?" he said, tone as calm as the mask his expression had become. "Nothing, in the end." He continued to stare at her, not saying anything else.

Because as much as he wanted to help her, it would do _nothing_ for her, and if it _did _happen again, then it would only lead him back to _here_. And while it would be _easier _to throw her a lifeline, his core was almost entirely against it. She needed to…. be strong enough to do it herself.

"I would, however, be near should you ask it of me." It had been his job once, and he wouldn't mind it being his job- no, his _privilege _to do so again.

~!**!~

"Do I now?" Akari mumbled, giving a one-shoulder shrug. Her eyes again trailed to the cherry, eyeing it thoughtfully. _What is the point of that gesture? _She figured there _had _to be a reason. If she knew _anything _about demons, it was that they did _everything _for a reason.

She just so happened to be the exception to that rule.

"Tell your counterpart I say hello," she said with a grin, eyes looking up to his again before she moved on. "I hope you know I _will _find another cherry." _*****_

"He can hear you perfectly fine. You can tell him yourself." Youko shrugged as if he'd thought she knew, his expression sliding into mock-disappointment, "Aw, you don't want to take _my _cherry?"

_{She may not understand all of this business with the cherries, but I do and-}_

_[I know. What, you think I'm only doing this for __**her **__benefit? I thought better of you, Red.]_

~!**!~

If her breath had come out her mouth, if would have been a scoff. Released from her nose made it a much softer reaction.

"You would deny us a moment of happiness then?" She appeared to be searching his face as if to understand better, "Even if it only lasted for the night? For the hour?" She continued, shaking her head, "And how can I ask something of you that can be nothing short of merciless for you to endure? How sadistic it must be- How _cruel _of me to ask that of you. Knowing that every time I look at you I see nothi-" Not _nothing_, "I only have a vague recollection that we were once-" She appeared at a loss for explanation, their previous relationship defying her current state of mind. 3

Hiei's expression gave way no reaction to Shikiyoku and her speech, his eyes regarding her calmly and only blinking at her twice. When she went quiet, he still didn't speak, still didn't even make that he'd heard her in any way.

Honestly, he felt as if _giving _her the answer would do more harm than good. That if he did it _once _he would have to continue doing it, over and over again, otherwise they'd _both _end up losing themselves.

"Think what you wish," he said calmly, "But whether you've noticed or not, you're already changing. Consider me cruel, I don't care, but I will not hand you the easy way out. Not when you have the capability to pull yourself out on your own."

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Youko. "You're defiled it." she stated simply, lifting her chin from her hand and pointing her index finger at him. "It's no longer _pure_, and quite frankly, I do not wish to _taste_ your saliva on the stem or your breath on the fruit itself." She shrugged and set her chin in her hand again. "But, don't get me wrong, it's a very _tempting _offer." _*****_

"Oh, as if driving the knife into my heart wasn't terrible enough, now you've gone and twisted it all around." Youko appeared _awfully _broken up about it, his expression dry, and he reclined back again, crossing one leg over the other. He made no further show of the cherry other than to deftly draw it into his mouth to eat it.

_{She guessed at you rather aptly though, I might say. Even if she doesn't know it.}_

_[Oh hush.]_

~!**!~

She rested her head against the bed again as if in defeat, "I meant it is _I _who would be cruel to ask you to be near while I am in such a state, fire-prince, not to imply your denying me what I _want_ to be cruel. You're stronger than I in that respect, I suppose." She started mumbling again, "Even if I _could _probably just torture you until you did it anyway." It took on a growlish effect as she grumbled, "You'd still be right in the end I suppose." 3

Hiei stayed silent as she spoke, eyes narrowing slightly at her words of torture. Honestly, he didn't see why she hadn't done so already, but he gave no indication of such thoughts. It wasn't as if he'd actually give in out of _pain _anyway. Especially not if the Jagan was well aware of both the source of the pain _and _the style of the attack, both of which he'd noted earlier.

Even when she admitted that he'd be right, he didn't speak up, didn't change his expression. He merely sat in silence, waiting for anything else she had to say, anything else she wished to _clarify_. Not that it would change anything.

~!**!~

Akari frowned when the cherry disappeared between his lips, disappointed. Maybe she _should _have made a grab for it when he'd given her-

_Not if he's __**giving **__you the chance, you moron. _

She huffed and turned to her ice cream, noting the last of it was entirely melted now and nothing more than a sloshy cream. She pulled the spoon from the glass and stuck it in her mouth, letting it hang there as she turned to Youko again. "It's payback for the cruelty of taking the cherry back." She finally replied, her expression matching his easily. "You're absolutely _no _fun." _*****_

"I. Am a bundle of fun, I'll have you know." Youko threw back at her, "I just get the feeling that my particular brand of fun is not something you wish at this juncture to dally in. You're really forcing me to make it up as I go along. I'm completely out of my element." His golden eyes gleamed.

~!**!~

Her core churned.

_I __**just **__ate. ...didn't I?_

Perhaps. But the demon across the room was starting to smell _wonderful_. And she wasn't talking about his skin.

_And you've been consuming larger amounts recently._

Fever makes me hungry.

_The sickness will consume you._

If I let it. That's why I have to eat more often.

Distraction.

"When...when was the last time I was happy? The last time _you _saw me happy?" Strange question. 3

"Eleven months ago." Hiei said without hesitation, the memory easily coming forth before she'd even finished asking him her question. "We were in the Northern Tribe," he began, not even aware he was speaking, not even seeing the room he sat in anymore. Instead, he was on the Ninth Level, watching a demon lean into Shikiyoku, who had turned to him with a smile and made to reach for him before the demon next to her leaned further into her.

"You'd danced, brought together a tribe in a way only you could do. We were there for a week, in the Northern Tribe's company and helping with daily endeavors. The last night, you had sat with several demons, joking, laughing, drinking."

He suddenly cut himself off, eyes losing the faraway haze and quickly focusing on the room again, staring at Shikiyoku for only a moment before his eyelids slid closed and he leaned back against the wall again.

~!**!~

"Glad to make you _think_ about it. It means I present a _challenge_ for the infamous thief." Akari turned her nose a bit higher in the air at him, her smile a smug one. "It wouldn't hurt to dabble in _other brands _of fun every once in a while, hm?" She let her teeth flash in a lopsided smirk. "I'd hate to be like the _other_ women you've encountered. It makes this all the more fun for _me." __*****_

"Oh, I assure you, you're nothing like the other women I've encountered."

_{Your wiles wouldn't work on me.}_

_[Well, then it's a good thing I'm not trying to woo __**you**__, then isn't?]_

Youko put his now-empty milkshake back onto the table.

"Would a _walk _please your majesty, or is that not _fun _enough for you?"

~!**!~

She had her eyes closed, but nothing was coming to her. How sad to not remember the last time one had been happy. Comforting, she supposed, to have one that did remember nearby. Her life of late had been from one meal and bed to the next. At least that was all she could recall.

Something else, then. To distract her.

_What else was there? _

She did not take note of the fact that she had begun to rub again at the old wound in her arm. Her fever had made it begin to throb, which she was used to, and the action was one of habit at this point. 3

Hiei heard the smallest of sounds in the room and peeled his eyelids open to glance at Shikiyoku, red irises easily finding the almost _too _quiet sound and locking onto the hand that rubbed at her arm, over a spot he'd seen her rubbing earlier, but hadn't particularly cared to take note of.

Now, however, he realized he recognized the scar he saw between her fingers.

"That one came from the Ninth Level as well. You fell into a pit after pushing _me _out of the way." His tone seemed almost nonchalant as he spoke again. "That lead to us visiting a friend of yours, Shubou. You danced for his tribe as well, though slightly reluctantly."

~!**!~

Akari took to turning the spoon over and over her tongue, a brow raised at Youko. _Sarcasm? Or seriousness? _Her lips twitched a bit more and she lowered her chin to her hand again, her other hand retracting the spoon from her mouth, though she made a point to give no reply to Youko whatsoever.

Though, at the idea of a walk…

She dropped the spoon lightly into her glass, ignoring the small clink sound it made as she shifted, a hand sliding into her back pocket and pulling out some cash that she put onto the table as she slid away from the window. "Suits me just as well." _*****_

"Only if you promise not to think about work as soon as we get out the door. I've been threatened to prevent you from doing that again. You're supposed to be taking some time _off_."

_{Don't drag me into this.}_

~!**!~

She looked up when he spoke, then down with surprise at her hand which had gotten over to the other arm. She moved her fingers to the side to stare at the scar shaped oddly in comparison to most of the others she had. Besides the fact that it was older and _beneath _any of the others.

She had a sudden revelation and turned to stare at her knee, moving her fingers over and touching the fabric of her pants lightly.

"Is that where this one comes from too?" 3

Hiei gave a short nod. "Both from a spike pit. It wasn't supposed to be triggered, but it had been, and _you _fell instead of _me." _He reached a hand up and scratched idly at the back of his neck, ridding himself of a bothersome itch in no time and resettling the way he'd been sitting all over again. "Both were healed in a hot spring a lur'mog had directed us to."

~!**!~

"Nice to know," Akari replied with a smile. "Only if you don't bring it up." She stood and stretched her arms over her head before letting her right arm rest atop her head, her left hand grabbing at her right elbow as she stood there, waiting on the fox to move as well.

She glanced at the waitress who had emerged from the back room with a smile, and Akari waved, then pointed to the table to indicate she had paid and wasn't simply skipping out.

Then she turned to Youko with a curious stare. "Lead the way, since you asked." _*****_

"With pleasure." Came the smooth reply as he slunk out of the seat and sashayed towards the door, stopping and turning part-way back, tossing something in the waitress' direction with a wink before continuing out into the day.

He peered up at the sky, gauging the time and how long it would take to get where he meant to lead her, pausing to wait for Akari to fall in step beside him before moving down the path.

~!**!~

"A...lur'mog?" She blinked at the strange word. 3

Hiei had to resist a sigh. "It's a creature of the Ninth Level," he said calmly, though really he didn't have anything more to say about it than that. So, he let his Jagan envelop her mind and showed her the memory of the creature writhing beneath his index finger, chattering and pushing at his index finger to stop the gesture the fire demon had once made.

The image faded after a minute. "They're fascinating creatures, really."

~!**!~

Akari didn't look back to see what Youko tossed behind them, only following him out the door and into the sunlight of the mid-afternoon, the bustle of the sidewalk thin since it was the middle of a work day. "And where exactly do you have in mind?" She inquired of Youko when she caught up, easily keeping in stride with the fox. _*****_

"Nowhere in particular." He replied easily, moving on silent feet down the road, his ears flicking every once in a while out of habit to check to see if they were being followed. "Does it matter?"

~!**!~

It became easier to see the memory when she closed her eyes, though it confused her and the warmth she felt intruding into her head distracted her.

"That was...you?" It looked more like his hands and she opened her eyes to glance over at them. "What were you doing?" 3

Hiei raised a brow, then his lips twitched, and his expression fell blank again. He struggled to find the word that described the action, suddenly realizing that she hadn't been awake for that. Or, not that he remembered. She'd been sleeping beside him.

"...tickling it." He finally admitted, the word finding its way on his tongue. "It was… amusing."

~!**!~

"Mmm, no. I was just curious, is all." Akari fell silent again, her own eyes turning about her surroundings almost curiously, taking in anything and everything they could as she passed. Her mind was, for once, void of any troubling thoughts, void of anything pertaining to business or anything to do with the recent events. Her muscles weren't tense, and she actually had the time to _feel _the breeze that blew by, that just brushed her cheeks and played with her hair.

_Nabu was right. I needed this. __*****_

Youko strolled along, taking particular notice of the tenseness that he had felt across Akari's shoulders melt away with the outside air. His silver hair and tail would pick up slightly in the wind or, more rarely, from his elegant stride.

"Feeling any better?" For the first time, he sounded genuine.

~!**!~

"Tickling?" She frowned. What the hell was _that _supposed to mean? He'd just been, what, pointing at it in what she saw? And such an action was amusing? Did one have to experience that to get that feeling? "Wait, were you doing that to it? Or was it tickling you?" 3

This time, Hiei didn't fight the sigh that left his lips and the slumping of his shoulders. _She's impossible. _"_I _was tickling the _lur'mog." _he emphasized, taking a hand and rubbing it on his temple, right over the vein that had begun throbbing. "It's…" he was at a loss for words. How would he _describe _something such as tickling?

"I can't explain it." he admitted finally with a shrug. "It's unimportant anyway."

~!**!~

Akari took in a deep breath through her nostrils, and for the first time since she'd called on Youko, she actually acknowledged _his _scent, which was, unsurprisingly, similar to Kurama's. And it was… enticing, pleasing to the senses, to say the least.

So it took a moment for her to respond, to even register Youko's question. Though, she did turn her eyes to him for a brief moment before turning them away. "Much, thank you." _*****_

"Let it not be said that a kitsune is anything but simply a master of distraction." Youko replied with a upwards turn of his lips, "Though, I hear you're quite the master of such things yourself."

~!**!~

She had no reason not to believe him, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to _think_ anyway.

"I, uh-" She tried to come up with another question, but her core was starting to rush in her ears, her vision darkening.

She didn't particularly _want _him to see her like this. Maybe she could lose him in the layers so he wouldn't _have_ to see.

She did try to stand, using the bed as a sort of prop to help her, but only getting far enough to sit on top of it, leaning over with her hands planted on either side of her hips on top of the quilt and feeling the weakness in her limbs from the fever that still had a glisten of sweat along her hairline.

_Distraction._

_I can't think of one any more._

_Not the hunger. Just go __**away**_.

It never listened. 3

When Shikiyoku did not go on with whatever she was going to say, Hiei turned his eyes up at her and watched, suddenly very aware of the tenseness in her weakened muscles, of the lines between her brows and the darkness that seemed to deepen in her eyes. And, most of all, the subtle shift in her energy. It began to thicken slightly, to permeate the air in a way he couldn't explain in any other word than 'frantic'. As if it were searching for something without her direct notice.

And he could _feel _the emotion that had begun to swell within her, _taste _it on the air and in the energy that had begun to swirl, unseen, about her body.

"What _do _you remember?" He asked in a calm voice, wondering if the chat helped at all. "Besides what I've shown you. What _dreams _have you had?"

~!**!~

"That's only when I have to be," Akari replied easily, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "And sometimes when it benefits me." This time, she turned glittering eyes onto Youko for a moment before turning forward again, feet still moving to follow wherever it was Youko went, whether or not he had a clear destination.

"And I must admit, it feels nice being on _this _end of the distraction for once." _*****_

"Most happy to be of service to you." Youko inclined his head a little, "It's quite wonderful to be appreciated in my own time."

He stopped in place, lifting his nose to sniff at the air.

"Up for a bit of a chase?"

~!**!~

"I..." She struggled not to give in for another moment, "I often forget my dreams upon waking. I...remember you being there, though I would not have recalled without meeting you." As she attempted to remember, the desperation was channeled away into her thoughts, but these were jumbled.

She knew she _had _dreams but as to their subject, she generally could not sort through with to any satisfactory clarity, except-

"Running." She whispered hoarsely, "Lots of running. To or from something, I do not know, whether under duress or of my own free will, simply...running.

"Lots of red. I am most often running surrounded by red." She shook her head, "But that is all I can readily pull from them of my own volition." 3

_Lots of red_. Couple that with the fact that she'd admitted to him being in her dreams as well, and it wasn't hard for Hiei to guess at the setting for most of her dreams. "Red is the dominant color of the Ninth Level of Demon World, where we spent a lot of our time." He could _see _the difference that idle chatter made for her, and he continued it easily. "We ran from level to level, and around the Ninth Level quite a bit. It's where we escaped Queen Rae and…" _What was his name? _"Her _prince_." _That will have to do. _"With the aide of Uryo, might I add."

~!**!~

"I'm always happy to _boost _someone's ego," she replied with no small amount of humor in her eyes. And then she noted his nose in the air, though she did not repeat the action for her own self. _I… Chase? _She gave a sigh.

"It isn't _working_ I suppose," she said with a shrug before giving a small smirk. "Why not?" _*****_

"Slight catch..." He lifted a single finger, his form starting to blur, and before he left the layer entirely he said, "You're chasing me through layers."

As he started falling, or rather folding, the next layer around himself, he went ahead and took off running in the same direction they had been traveling, giving Akari only a single glance behind.

~!**!~

She appeared slightly crestfallen when he mentioned names and she pulled nothing from her memories-her dreams.

She shook her head, "Did she...did I know many people?" 3

"Many more than I did. Then again, that level, I believe, was of your home." Hiei shifted a bit, uncrossing his arms and instead crossing his fingers behind his head, his eyelids sliding shut all over again. "Then again, you are vastly different from myself. Where you thrived among others, I did not."

~!**!~

Akari paused and gave a raised brow. "I'm _wha-" _she gave a small sound of confusion. "Why would-" and then he was taking off, his image blurring even as he ran down the sidewalk. And, suddenly, she was thinking many months back, blinking away an image of Foko playing this very game, though obviously not in this manner.

"You're a _child_." she grumbled with a small sigh that, without her notice, ended with the turning up of her lips. "Fine, I'll play along."

Her feet began moving towards where he'd disappeared, her own image blurring from one layer to the next while her eyes searched not only for Youko, but also for his shadow.

Because, quite frankly, she liked to cheat at games. _*****_

When he felt her sliding into the next layer behind him, he left that layer completely and wrapped himself in another, making sure she would at least sense which direction he was going before completely disappeared from it.

Though if she was anything like himself, he knew she would be able to see him no matter what layer he waded into, just as long as he ran slow enough for her to keep up.

~!**!~

_Home_.

She had such a place? Somewhere she had been born?

...it was all very strange, having a past and knowing nothing of it.

_How am I supposed to act when I know nothing of what I did before?_

_Who am I?_

"Then...why did you stay with me?" 3

Here, Hiei _did _hesitate a moment. _Why? _It was such an easy question, and he had the answer as soon as she'd asked, but… SImply saying it was a Champion's _job _did not seem like enough of a reason. He'd… _enjoyed _his time with her, despite the times she'd drove him almost into wanting to strangle her. Still..

"It's a Champion's job to watch over their Ward." He said anyway, giving a shrug. "And frankly, Demon World was rather entertaining." Again, he paused. Hesitated. When exactly did he start to _hesitate _when she was concerned? "The company was... intriguing." _To say the least…_

~!**!~

Akari traversed from the first to the second layers, eyes transfixed on Youko even as she ran, even as she followed him to the next layer, never having enough time to use her energy to her advantage. Not that _that _was surprising, in the least. She grumbled intangibly to herself as she made _another _attempt to get her sights on his shadow, and again was unable to do so.

Though, she was thoroughly amused that the _actual _fox thief enjoyed this game. _*****_

Youko never faltered, never paused, never did anything other than maintain his pace, which kept him far enough away from Akari to keep himself out of trouble.

He easily traversed two more layers, but did not commit to the last one, staying in the midst of five and six, in that inbetween place that meant he did not actually exist in one or the other.

It was in fact darker down here, time having passed on into evening, and Youko consulted his internal direction system for the final place he meant to lead her.

~!**!~

"My company? Or others?" She didn't _really _understand why he wouldn't have just up and left if she had led him to places he didn't enjoy, though he seemed to indicate to her that it was his work ethic that forced him to stick around, being someone who left no job unfinished.

Is that why he had not giving up on searching for her? Even...how long did he say?...six months later? 3

Hiei raised a single brow, but didn't open his eyes to view Shikiyoku. "Yours, mainly." he admitted without pause, "though there were a few others. I'm not one for crowds." _Or others, really. _He took in a long breath through his nostrils, easily able to distinguish Shikiyoku's scent now that he'd become more aware of it. It would become handy later, he supposed, if she went on another one of her escapades.

~!**!~

Akari followed through the layers, landing on the sixth and continuing to follow after Youko, realizing that he had no shadow, and no absolute form. She blinked to herself as she ran, and then growled when she realized what he'd done. "How in the _hell _did you manage to do that?" she called after him. _Stupid cheating fox. __*****_

"Hm?" His voice sounded distorted, only floating on half the air from the sixth level, more in the "inbetween place" as he had taken to calling it. Youko glanced back at her over his shoulder, his hair and tail streaming behind him with his pace. He could easily see her form existing on the sixth level.

"Oh. I only do it to confound chasing pups, really." He looked back forward and kept moving.

~!**!~

His response led her to a question she felt she had been searching for since he had caught her falling to the floor, and for the first time in the whole conversation, she felt...anxious about the answer.

Anxious was not quite the right word. Eager? No, too much in the _other _direction.

"Did she..." She shook her head slightly and huffed a grunt as she scooted up onto the bed with only a slight struggle to sit criss-cross.

_Feeding or sleeping, which do you prefer?_

_Find myself._

She scratched at the scar on her right brow, the one that curved down her entire face and stopped only after passing over her lips, and then dropped the hand back into her lap.

"Did I love you?" 3

This time, Hiei's eyes slid open to regard the female on the bed with an expressionless mask. How was _he _supposed to know that answer? _He _hadn't the first inkling of what many called _love_, and thus really held no answer-

Well, except the note she'd had passed along with his belongings, but it hadn't been a direct thing. And, actually…

He shifted about, his hands coming out from behind his head and reaching into a pocket, fishing out the folded up sheet of paper and tossing it over to her, deciding to give no verbal answer.

Because, really, only _she _knew the answer to that.

~!**!~

Akari had to struggle to catch the words that just barely reached her ears, had to struggle to make sense of them for a moment before she ended up huffing at him. _You and Kurama both. _Their odd desire to _taunt _and _mock _her seemed one and the same, no matter _which _one of them it was.

And it was the most _irritating-_

"You're lucky that doing that erases your shadow, otherwise I would have dropped you into a dimension of my own devising and _left _you there for however long I saw fit. No matter whether or not Kurama had a mother to return to." And, quite frankly, she meant every word. _*****_

"Oh?" Youko replied archly, "And you did not first think that perhaps it was the very _reason _why I did so?"

His next words sounded bored, though he was grinning viciously.

"_Do _try to keep up, pup."

~!**!~

She picked the note up from her lap, unsure of his silence at first, and unfolded it, taking note of how well it had been kept.

She struggled at first to concentrate enough that the kanji made sense, her mind resisting the knowledge. Finally the symbols unjumbled themselves.

_With all my love_

_~S_

S. Was that her?

_Me?_

Had she not _told _this demon that she loved him? What would her motivation behind doing so be?

Her eyes looked up and around the room, searching for something, but not finding it.

With purpose, she gathered strength and scooted back until she was against the wall at the top of the bed, breath starting to come more quickly with the effort.

She leaned over and pulled open the drawer of the bedside table, eyes alighting on what she wished to find.

Picking up the pencil, she began copying the words on the front of the note to the back, flipping the sheet back and forth to take note of how the symbols were written with a concentrated expression before using her knee as a desk and writing slowly until she was satisfied with the result.

They looked...the writing looked...very much the same, she decided.

She sat back against the wall and stared down at the note still laying against her leg, pencil held loosely in one hand that had fallen on top of the bed next to her after she finished.

Funny how amidst everything else she had forgotten, she knew what it meant to love. Surprising to consider that she felt most certainly that she could still do so, if given the chance.

_But did I love __**him**__?_

She didn't look up at him, starting to struggle to stay awake.

"Is this-" She lifted the note in her other hand, "Am I 'S'?" 3

Hiei watched almost curiously as Shikiyoku rummaged around, first shifting the way she sat and then rummaging through a drawer, only sitting back when she had a pencil in hand and was scrawling- albeit a bit slowly- on the flipside of the paper he'd given her.

He'd kept it with him because it had held her scent for a while. And, quite frankly, he didn't simply want to _throw it away. _Not when it was a reminder that she'd been alive after the bond had dissipated. It had, in a way, driven him further to hunting her down despite her last words to him.

Or, rather, next to last words to him, though he hadn't caught the _last _thing she'd said.

Nor had he lingered on it.

Shikiyoku pulled him from his thoughts, bringing his calm eyes up to meet hers, followed by surveying the note. He merely nodded once. "Shikiyoku."

~!**!~

"You know, dropping you into the dimension sounds more and more satisfying the more you talk." Akari's words held an underlying growl to them, her irritation peaking as she pushed her legs to go faster, to make a better attempt at keeping up with the demon in hopes that she would figure out how to do what he was currently doing, and then do as she threatened to do.

The mere thought was satisfying.

"You can't stay in there forever." _*****_

Youko almost made a sound meant to reprimand her as he felt her speeding up, keeping himself the same distance from her by simply matching her speed.

"I can stay in here longer than _you_. That will have to do for now." He sounded smug. His travels through the layers had been going on every day since he and his counterpart had become two fully separate consciousnesses and he had become quite proficient at a good many things regarded the transition between them.

They were getting close now.

~!**!~

_Shiki...yoku._

She looked at the 'S' again, lowering her hand to consider the name behind it.

"Shiki...yoku." She tried it. She hadn't particularly thought of herself as anyone. She couldn't remember having a name. He had said this before to her though, yes? Since he had arrived?

Her eyes closed, feeling heavy, and her voice lowered, "Why did you find me?" Her chin started to sink towards her chest as she fell closer to slumber. 3

Hiei's brow raised only slightly before he regained control over his mask. The sound of her repeating her own name was odd, as if she were a child hearing her name for the first time and learning to speak the syllables presented to her.

And, really, he wasn't sure how to answer her question. Why? _Because you're Shikiyoku. Because you were causing trouble. Because I was once your Champion. Because..._

There could have been an entire list had he gone on and on. And really, none of them seemed to suffice for a proper answer. So, he countered her question.

"Why did you stop running?"

~!**!~

"You know, I like the redhead better." She commented when she noted the fox easily matching her speed, keeping the distance between them ever-the-same despite her efforts. She fell quiet, eyes staying trained on the kitsune's blurred visage, taking in the way that despite the inbetween layer he was in, she could still make out the individual strands of hair that were affected by his speed.

She made a sound of amusement to herself as another thought passed, but she dismissed it just as quickly. _*****_

"Well, he likes you too." Youko replied with petulance.

_{Youko.}_

_[Using that warning tone of voice with me does nothing you know.]_

_{I know, but it makes me feel better.}_

Youko did begin to slow, making sure the speed reduction was measured enough that Akari would not be hindered behind.

Night time was almost upon them, the sun fading quickly into twilight over the trees.

He had brought her to a meadow, plain and grassy and wide and unadorned, open and free, and he finally came to a stop once in the midst of it, but remained wrapped between layers, turning to see her approach.

~!**!~

She had not fallen unconscious quite yet, though her eyes were closed and her head nodding a little, but in the middle of the waking and sleeping world, her dreams-her memories-started to drift past her with odd clarity and she became in those moments more like _herself_, more like Shikiyoku, than she had in over a decade.

_Why did you stop running?_

"Because-" She murmured, "-because I wanted you to find me. I stopped running a long time ago, but I had forgotten why. I saw you...today. And that's when I remembered." 3

Hiei wasn't aware of it, but his own expression shifted to a calmer one, an almost… softer one as she began to fall asleep, though continued talking. He became aware of the fact that _this _sounded more like the Shikiyoku he had once known, and her words… they brought about a sort of peace to his core that he hadn't known in a long while.

"Perhaps you should remember _this_, then." His own words were murmured, as if afraid he'd keep her from sleep. "Remember how it feels to remember." He paused, a line coming to mind that he gave no hesitation in speaking. "'Do what you're capable, and leave the rest to me.'"

~!**!~

"Yes, he's told me," Akari replied under her breath as she slowed a bit, frowning when she realized he was slowing but not leaving his in-between state. _But, quite frankly, I'm not sure to what degree. _

_Where on earth did __**that **__come from?_

Akari came to a calm meander when she noticed Youko had stopped in the middle of a field, her eyes looking about the calm area. She'd suspected he wanted to lead her somewhere, but… _here? _

She turned to him with a raised brow of curiosity. While the meadow was peaceful, she wasn't sure what _he _was thinking. _*****_

He only stood long enough to make sure she wasn't going anywhere else, then he plopped down onto the ground without further ceremony, laying on his stomach.

His legs were bent at the knees so that they occasionally kicked idly in the air even as he crossed them at the ankles, and he held himself up with his elbows, one arm firmly on the ground to help prop him up, underneath where his chest was lifted, the other hand reaching out to pluck a stem from nearby before he set the elbow onto the grass and twirled the plant in front of his face.

Once settled, his hair flowed like so much water over his shoulders and down his back, some of it long enough to make rivlets in the grass next to him.

He took a deep breath, staying right where he was between layer five and six.

He wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't drop him in his own shadow if he gave her half a chance.

~!**!~

"As you wish, my Champion." Came her soft reply.

"Hiei." Shikiyoku breathed his name after a moment of silence, a small smile on her lips and full recognition behind the use of it, and she paused before going on to revel in that fact.

"You're a strange demon. Has anyone ever told you that?" 3

Hiei felt his lips give the smallest of twitches before his expression was once again a genuine calm one, riddled only with slight amusement at her words. "Only here and there." he replied calmly, still watching her, recognizing that she was speaking to him as if she remembered _everything _that had happened.

~!**!~

As soon as Youko was comfortable in the grass, Akari gave a small sigh and made to join him, taking to sitting about a foot in front of him and watching the way his slender fingers toyed with the stem in his hand. And his staying between the layers was not lost on her; it even brought an amused smile to her lips. "I'm not going to drop you through your shadow." she admitted with a restrained laugh as she crossed her legs beneath herself and took to looking around the meadow instead of at him. "As tempting as it may be…" _*****_

He gave her a candid look. "You'll have to forgive me if I decide for myself when it is safe. We're not an easily trusting breed."

His gaze lifted with a reserved excitement as the sun finally started to disappear entirely and the whole sky, the whole meadow, seemed to hold its breath.

And when the stars above were just able to be seen, the field around them burst silently into bloom, stems unfolding to reveal that they had been hiding a particular type of flower that uncurled and glowed in the night, a soft bluish-green.

Youko said nothing, the stem in his hand acting like its brethren and unraveling as well, even as he gave it another twirl and then lifted his arm on the ground to rest his face in that hand as he watched it.

~!**!~

"I miss you." Her core ached with the truthfulness of the admission and her smile disappeared, though its effects on her face lingered, leaving behind the echo of its existence by peeling away some of the severity of her expression.

"It seemed like an eternity..." Her voice wandered off only to barely come back "...so much happened." 3

Hiei blinked once at Shikiyoku, his expression never changing and his eyes continuing to follow her movements, as few as they were at this point. "I'm not going anywhere," he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire planet. "Much can happen to a person in a decade," he said slowly, indirectly inviting her to talk about it, but not saying it was a requirement. He would listen should she speak, and and stay should she not. Either way, he wasn't leaving any time soon.

~!**!~

Akari hadn't been paying _too _much attention to the time of day, or the different blades of grass in the meadow or anything of the sort. She'd simply been sitting, drinking in the fresh air and the serenity of the area when it suddenly burst to life. She gave a start as darkness was thrown away by the soft glow of the flowers that opened up all around her, their color radiant and beautiful. She wasn't aware of it, but her jaw fell open and her eyes widened as she took in the changes going on around her, her eyes turning down when she noticed a flower rather close to her unfurling its petals and tossing its glow up at her.

And for the first time in a very long time- six months, to be exact- she was rendered speechless. And the only thing she found she could do was reach out and run a finger along the petals of the nearby flowers before turning her amazed gaze up at Youko. _*****_

When he'd sensed her distraction, her amazement, Youko relaxed and let his body settle onto the sixth layer, watching her happiness bloom in front of him like the flowers around him he meant for her to witness.

And when she looked at him, he only smiled that same small, mysterious smile that embodied him so perfectly.

_{Well done.}_

~!**!~

"I…" Shikiyoku appeared reluctant when she remembered their parting, felt amusement at how she had taken out her anger on the poor mountain whom she blamed for separating them. "I was lost. I don't know how long." Mentally, physically. Lost.

"You say only ten years? It felt like a hundred. It had to be a thousand. I-"

She remembered first seeking out Renai, to give herself up to his mate, the instigator of the entire situation that had started with her meeting Otento as Toriko so long ago. And instead of submitting, learning how to take on the aspect of pain and render herself useless. And also...the bond...useless.

"I need a Consort." She mumbled more quickly than her previous words, suddenly remembering and feeling her body fall deeper into sleep where she would not be able to talk to him, and not remember him when she awoke. "I...I am...stuck and-"

_Relax. Everything is okay now. Everything will be okay._

She let her body sink a little more.

_One last thing._

Shikiyoku fought the sleep off and licked her lips, parting them for the 'one last thing.'

"Don't forget _**me**_.

"...I love you."

If he answered her, she could not hear it, for after saying as much she fell beyond the waking world into sleep.

And not a blissful one, for her sense of self left her almost instantly and her dreams became haunting once more, nightmares that her body twitched within for she did not understand them.

Her hand clutched at the note he had tossed her.

She was running. And everything was red. 3

Hiei didn't respond to Shikiyoku, because really, he wasn't sure what to say. To _any _of it. He had no idea what a Consort was. And, it was _obvious _he wouldn't forget her. He'd already proven that, hadn't he? And as for…

"_I love you."_

It…

"_Don't forget me…. I love you."_

He..

She'd said that to him then. She hadn't told him to _forget_, she'd told him _not _to forget. And, those words he hadn't made out, those words that she'd tried to say that had come out muddled in his mind, come across weak and insensible, had been words he still didn't know how to respond to.

Luckily for him, she didn't seem to wait for a response. Instead, her mind was consumed with images that made her body twitch, her muscles jerk here and there as she again ran from whatever dreams she had.

His energy swept across the room, expanding enough to envelop the bedroom in warmth as if from a nearby campfire. Harmless, and meant to keep one warm. His Jagan swept across Shikiyoku's mind, presenting nothing but the peaceful blankness his own mind had become.

_Perhaps… _Maybe, helping her rest would be beneficial. Perhaps he could pull her back, just this once. And if not…

He'd figure it out, just as he'd said he would.

~!**!~

Akari's eyes left Youko as insects took flight from the grass and flowers, some full of colors, some too small to know if they even _had _color, and some… blinking with light that mirrored the color of the flowers that had bloomed. Her eyes followed the nearest insect that winked at her with its glow, her mouth finally closing and her lips pulling into a calm, fascinated smile as it hovered before her eyes, then took off and flew over her head.

She'd… never seen anything like this before.

"...thank you," she finally whispered, eyes still following the small insects that continued to rise into the air before falling down to take in the amount of flowers again, appreciating their soft glow. _*****_

He had a dozen speeches prepared, a dozen different ways in which he was going to expound prolifically on how he, how _they_, had planted the meadow nearly eleven months before, how this was the first time it had _ever _bloomed, that she should feel _privileged_ to be among the first to witness the results of his labor, but-

But at being enveloped by her joy which nearly radiated off of her seated form, Youko found himself staring more at _her _then at the beauty of the field around them.

_{It seems the silver-tail has lost his silver-tongue.}_

_[Oh, hush you.]_

_{Well done, indeed.}_

~!**!~

Not all at once, but slowly she felt pulled away from the dreams she didn't understand to a darkness which did not feel quite so unfamiliar. And, a strange thing, the darkness felt warm and comforting, hiding her from the view of the dreams which, the memories which-

"_Hiei." _She curled up in the middle of the darkness and relaxed, ignoring whatever colors or scenes of blurred trees or walls that threatened to pull her back under.

When she would awaken, she knew she would be driven by hunger, a hunger that even in her sleep she could feel growing steadily more powerful, fueled by her fever, by her sickness, in a way she could not control.

For now, though...she would remain blissfully unaware as best she could, drifting among the deeper parts of sleep inside the bubble of calm. 3

Hiei sat back- when he'd hunched forward, he didn't know- and rested his head against the wall again, inspecting the way Shikiyoku's body continued to twitch and move for a few more minutes, every ounce of his energy enveloping the room now without his direct notice. His energy seemed to wrap about Shikiyoku, the Jagan remaining locked on her mind even when his own eyes slid closed.

He wasn't threatened by sleep until he heard the shift in her breathing, heard it turn from short, panicked breaths to deep, calm ones as whatever nightmares she had were lifted.

He didn't know how long it would last, but for now, at least, she would have a reprieve.

And for the first time in eleven months, Hiei himself slipped into a dreamless sleep.

~!**!~

The soft glow in the meadow almost seemed to warm her to her very soul, as if the flowers that had opened up for her eyes to see were speaking words of peace to her. Their color was joyous, a color Akari had always deemed her favorite. So, it was almost impossible for her to turn her eyes away from the flowers and to the golden gaze that reflected the light just a little, to the person whose hair, ears, and even tail seemed to glow the very same color, shining almost _brighter _than the rest.

Normally, by now, she would have said something… snide or… sarcastic, but really, she couldn't find _anything _of the sort to say. So she settled for her thoughts on the location he'd lead her to.

"This is absolutely… beautiful." Her eyes again turned to the flowers near her crossed legs, a hand again reaching out to just _touch_, hardly even _brush _the petals with an index finger. _*****_

Youko still did not say anything, as he felt he might break whatever spell he had accidently woven around the two of them in the meadow that night.

Instead, he made a small gesture towards her, with the hand that held the flower he had plucked, intending for her to take it from him.

He slowly moved until he was seated, mostly still watching her reaction, but now and again gathering a flower into his hand from here or there near him, his movements slow and measured as if picking only certain ones that he thought were the largest or shining the brightest.

~!**!~

When she awoke, she found that she had at some point during her sleep slipped off the wall and lay on her side on her bed, curled up until she was very small.

As she sat up, arms almost shaking with the effort, she heard a small crinkle and her eyes moved to the piece of paper still in hand. Sitting back on her feet, she opened it again, looked at the words again, and then turned the paper over to where she remembered copying those words down. 3

Hiei's ears twitched slightly as movement somewhere near him pulled his mind from the sleeping world out of pure reflex, his mind awake even before the sound of crinkling paper brought his eyelids open to look about the room calmly. He'd _almost _forgotten where he was. _Almost _left as soon as his mind had become aware of movement.

Instead, he'd stayed for reasons that he understood only after waking and his eyes laying sights on the female sitting up on the bed now, eyes down on a paper in her hands. He didn't say anything, merely watched, observing how she reacted to her surroundings and the note in her hand.

~!**!~

Akari caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her gleaming gaze up to the fox again, hand still lightly fiddling with the glower nearest her ankles even as she eyed the flower he extended to her. She felt her smile widen just a touch as she leaned forward and reached for the outstretched offer, her fingers curling around the thornless stem carefully, as if afraid it would break under her touch.

When he didn't retract the offer, she plucked it from Youko's grasp and lifted the flower to her nose, curious of its scent. She took a small whiff of the flower, the scent teasing her nose and the petals reacting as if she'd sniffed harshly at the air about them, curling inward slightly and just brushing her nose. She gave a small sound of amusement and another experimental sniff, finding the scent pleasing, but… indescribable. At least, to her it was as such.

Finally, she looked up at Youko, and her eyes stayed steadily focused on him. "Did, uh, _you _do this?" _*****_

He nodded, paying little attention to how the glow was being reflected by his light-colored clothing, bathing him in a bluish-green light, and also not looking up from his work.

Youko had a good many flowers gathered now, and he had taken to weaving their stems together until their form became most obviously a crown, which when finished he lifted up to inspect for weak points, then leaned over without ceremony and gently crowned Akari with, taking only a moment to see how the flowers lit her copper hair in the darkness before turning back down to the rest of the pile in his lap and beginning again.3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	68. Episode 152 - Moon Flowers, Aversions

****A/N: ****Hello once again, FanFiction Enthusiasts!

Onwards to our chapter!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>_"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Youko and Akari continue exchanging banter,  
>and after a time he leads her to a meadow.<p>

As darkness falls around them, the moon beginning to rise,  
>the flowers of the meadow begin to open up and glow around them.<p>

Akari is speechless for a moment and Youko quietly begins weaving a crown from the flowers,  
>placing it upon her head and beginning to make a necklace.<p>

~!**!~

Hiei continues to speak with Shikiyoku, finding that he is able to remind her of certain things,  
>trigger responses from her when setting their conversation up to repeat previous ones.<p>

He passes her the note she gave him when she returned his cloak and sword,  
>and as she nears slumber it appears that the veil of her disease is lifted and she remembers everything.<p>

Momentarily she struggles against sleep to tell him she needs a Consort,  
>but she quickly falls into nightmares as she had before.<br>Hiei extends the Jagan into her mind to blanket her with darkness  
>in order to let her sleep undisturbed.<p>

Shikiyoku wakes up and seems to remember at least the previous day...

* * *

><p>She could still feel the disease coursing through her, still had a fever that had not gone away with the coming of night, and as she had thought, her hunger had magnified after sleeping.<p>

She'd never been forced to feed twice in one day.

Seems the sickness was moving faster now.

With a concentrated effort, she crawled backwards out of the bed on all fours, getting her feet onto the floor and walking evenly over to where Hiei still sat, thrusting the note out to him but not looking at him.

"You...should probably keep this. I'm likely to forget where I put it." 3

Hiei eyed Shikiyoku as she moved, his keen gaze taking in her gooseflesh here and there, the sweat that just lightly glistened in the darkened room, and the wobble of her muscles every once in a while. He noted that while she seemed to feel… weak, it seemed, she still _knew _who he was despite her earlier dream terrors. So, when she was standing over him, eyes turned away and hand reached out to him, he turned his eyes carefully down to the note she extended to him.

However, he didn't accept it.

He merely sat there, ignoring the offer as if he saw it as nothing more than _just _a sheet of paper.

And he still made no motion to move, to leave. Only watched her with a steady gaze.

~!**!~

Akari felt her lips twitch even more, tilting upwards in a soft smile as she continued to watch the fox demon as he worked on his personal project, which she found was not a surprising one once the circle of glowing buds was placed atop her head. For the second time this night, she realized that she would have normally made a joke here, but found nothing came to mind.

She opened her mouth to make as if to say something, but still nothing came to mind and she ended up slowly clamping her lips together, that same small smile on her lips as she lowered her head to inspect her flower crown from under her lashes.

And for the first time in months, she found she not only enjoyed _where _she was, but _who _was with her.

And that thought had her smile widening and her eyes peering up again to continue watching the kitsune. _*****_

Youko continued to let the silence between them remain, the only sound being a soft rustling as he meticulously wove the other flowers in his lap together. As with the crown, he manipulated the energy within the flowers to better fuse them together, while at the same time encouraging larger blossoms, growing the petals just big enough for there to be a noticeable difference.

This chain of flowers ended up longer than the first and, still refusing to even so much as whisper for fear of breaking the spell the meadow seemed to have woven about them, Youko only picked up the living necklace and held it out towards Akari, quietly asking her permission to place the creation on her person.

~!**!~

She made a sound of impatience and glanced with a huff from her nose in Hiei's direction when he did not immediately relinquish the note she offered from her grasp.

She knew she would forget where it was put should she maintain ownership of it, but perhaps it was too forward of her to think that he would wish to keep it.

Perhaps it meant nothing to him.

_Then why had he kept it in the first place?_

Whatever.

She dropped the arm that held the note to her side, giving him an unreadable look, and then pivoted away, starting to move towards the door, but couldn't quite bring herself to crumple the thing up even as her hand twitched as if to do so, this one little bit of proof that she _had _known this demon, this 'Hiei,' that he wasn't lying about her transformation, the only thing connecting her to all the things she couldn't recall.

What did it matter? She would likely forget about the note's existence anyway.

With only a beat of hesitation at the door to the room, she flicked her wrist back and let go as if she didn't care, tossing the note aside where it fluttered towards the ground near the bed behind her and she immediately continued passing through the doorway into the hall without giving the note a second look or consideration.

She hardly noticed how quickly her breath came as she kept going down the hall and stairs, unable to distinguish anymore as to whether it was from the effort of movement or from the hunger that felt as if it ate away at her insides.

How ironic, she thought, that only by feeding did she feel strong enough to feed.

She stopped once she got several steps away from the stairs, nearly forgetting where she was, how she had gotten there, and what she had meant to do by getting up.

Tired of running. Couldn't remember why she had been running in the first place. And had no idea if she had been running _from _or _to _something. Had she escaped it? Had she found it yet?

A hand went up to her forehead and she rubbed it down her face, feeling as if for the first time the numerous scars there and trying to ignore the discomfort of her hunger.

Oh right.

Food. 3

Hiei's focuzed gaze never left Shikiyoku's form as she first huffed, then left after unceremoniously tossing the note she'd been trying to hand him over her shoulder. Without crumpling it or tearing it, he noted.

Only when she was out of his direct eyesight did he move, finally stretching and leaning away from the wall to gauge his surroundings, searching for any sign that perhaps Maneshi had been _with _the female. And, as he'd suspected, there was no such sign to be seen, smelled, or anything of the sort.

He pushed himself to stand, silently turning and following after the female, leaving the note where it had fallen, despite his inner desire to snatch it up and stuff it in his pocket. He meandered to the top of the stairs, and simply took to looking down on the female whose feet he could _just _see.

Why was she stalling on… whatever she was going to do? _Feed, likely, as it seems she has taken to doing. _That was, honestly, the only way he could describe it, as it had been for Yusuke and, apparently, Jin. _Energy-stealing _simply wasn't… enough.

Without knowing he was going to do so, Hiei's mouth moved and his voice floated down the stairs with a question. "You said you were in need of a Consort. Why?"

~!**!~

Akari watched the meticulous work Youko wove into his new project, the way his hands moved and the way she could feel his energy fluctuating here and there to create larger blooms or, assumedly, weave the flowers together. And, really, it was something she found interesting to watch, because unlike other times when Kurama had done similar things, she was _able _to witness. Not asleep, or not in the middle of a fight.

It was funny how the male seemed able to take something so beautiful such as a flower and turn it into one's cause of death. Sort of...

She made a small sound of amusement as the word _poetic _came to mind, definitely _not _what she'd call it. And only after did she realize Youko was offering the necklace to her, and she quickly recovered and leaned forward, head ducked slightly to allow him to place it around her neck.

And again, she found it funny that such a decoration could likely be a weapon if he so desired. *****

Once he placed the chain around her neck, Youko admired his handiwork, and how the soft light glowed against her skin, and then dipped his head slightly to her and murmured, "Queen among the Moon Flowers."

For once, his eyes held nothing of the wry or mocking expression most associated with the fox as he lifted his head and finally smiled, "May your reign be as everlasting as your beauty."

~!**!~

What was she doing, again?

Hiei's voice drifted towards her ears and they twitched just the slightest bit in catching his question.

"I-" Her gaze shifted anxiously around the room, "I do not remember how to-" No, wait, that wasn't right. _Was it? _"I have forgotten-" She stopped herself there, as it was the simple truth, though she blinked as the words lingered, waiting for addition from her that she did not know with what to follow.

She made a quiet noise of frustration as her hand went up to her face once more, a pang of something resonating across her skull whose meaning she could not place. 3

Hiei frowned slightly now, having expected just a _bit _more of an answer than that. Oh well, what did _he _care anyway? It wasn't _his _job to watch after her anymore anyway. So he stuffed his hands into the pocket of his cloak- the very cloak that still smelled very faintly of how she used to smell- and moved down the stairs one by one almost lazily.

"I suppose it's in your best interest to _remember_," he said in an even tone, almost a bored one as he set foot on the last stair. "Otherwise, why would it strike you as important in the first place?"

Then he turned and headed for the front door, passing by her without glancing at her.

~!**!~

Akari's head lifted when she felt the flowers settle around her neck, seeming to line the thin scarf she wore as if they were _made _with it. She inspected them for only a brief moment before looking to Youko again, a brow raising as his words reminded her of something Juun had said once, though it wasn't as… _nice_ as Youko was being.

After all, she hadn't been very _nice _to the male either.

So his completely contradictory words had her raising a brow and her lips twitching upwards. And she _almost _said the words that sprang to her tongue, _almost _told him that a queen needed a king.

_Stupid._

It was likely what he wanted to hear anyway, and she was _not _giving him that.

So she settled for merely meeting his gaze with that same soft smile on her lips, same relaxed posture that said she'd rather be _here _anyday than _elsewhere. __*****_

_[Well. Now that she's been properly put off her guard, I do believe it's your turn.]_

_{What? Youko, what are you- Wait-}_

"Stop!" Kurama jolted into awareness in the middle of the field of flowers, immediately turning pink when he realized his words rang out in an echo over the hill.

_{I __**will **__kill you.}_

_[I look forward to it, Red.]_

It had taken but an instant for the silver-haired kitsune to switch places with his counterpart, and Kurama flung a string of curse words silently at the fox to which Youko responded with only laughter.

Kurama heaved out a sigh and shook his head, "Sorry about that."

~!**!~

She growled, mind as pitch black and empty as her eyes had become, a burning sensation at the base of her neck and spiking across her scalp starting to spread to cover the rest of her.

His smell as he passed had become too much, his core pumping precious energy through his body that made her nostrils flare, and she reached out to snatch a hold of his arm in a vise-like grip, stepping up to him with her fangs bared in a snarl as tendrils of energy began to snake up from her throat and past her lips. 3

Hiei hadn't pulled away from the grip that suddenly grabbed at him, but he _did _turn to face the person, his eyes narrowed slits and irises burning similarly to the flames he had _almost _instinctively released from the sudden attack.

And the gaze he met was… unsettling. It was a dark, colorless void of… nothing but what could only be described as anger. He'd noticed earlier the color of her eyes, but now he noticed the definitive _lack _of color, and it made his energy spark only slightly before pulling towards himself in preparation, his eyes shifting to the energy he could both _feel _and now _see _moving.

"_I can assure you, you will not live if you go through with that attempt." _His words were spoken both aloud and within her mind, more than a small warning coating his words. "_I am no measly low-level, as you've been consuming." _

And within the next beat, he let the image of his own fire energy tearing through forestry on the ninth level, the Jagan enabling him to give her the view as if she were standing behind him during one of his rampages.

~!**!~

Akari had let her eyelids slide shut for _just _a moment, and in that moment she was startled, giving a small start when a familiar, rather _loud _voice shouted a single word into the silence and effectively shattered it, even startling a few creatures nearby that scurried away to their respective hiding places.

When her eyes were focused on the redhead, whose entire being was now enclosed in the wonderful light of the flowers and moon, she gave a small laugh at his apology, though she only heard the first word. The color thrown onto him reminded her vaguely of the blacklights in a gaming center Yusuke had taken her to, and briefly she was a bit… distracted by the thought.

What had that game been called again? _Laser Tag?_

She dismissed the thought an instant later and waved her hand in front of her face dismissively. "I'd yell too if I was dumped on a random situation." _At least, that's how it seems it happened. _Her eyes turned away from his hair and clothing and took to noting the way the light bounced in his eyes, turning them from their normal emerald color to a lighter shade of… something wonderful. She promptly turned her eyes to look about their surroundings, as if something had grabbed her attention. "Good to see you again. It's been a while.." _*****_

Kurama had a little...trouble shaking the abruptness of Youko's whim, one of the many ways the fox had taken to exercising his strength over his avatar, but behind Kurama's typically serene façade it was nigh impossible to tell how truly irate the words he threw at Youko were.

For Akari, he only smiled, and at looking upon her felt...at least marginally better, his ire sliding away to be shoved down Youko's throat later.

_[I butter her up for you and __**this **__is how you thank me? With silence for her and a tirade of explicits for me? How, please explain, does that make any sense?]_

"It has." Kurama replied easily, ignoring Youko for now, "But I imagine we have both been kept quite busy."

He shifted around and stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his hands to take in not only the blooming moon flowers around them, but also Akari herself, bathed in their light.

~!**!~

It was not his words that brought her up short, for she was past their comprehension, and neither was it his pictures, for her mind was too far gone to understand what he attempted to show the dark miasma of nothingness which her thoughts had become...

Instead, as she did not hesitate to draw herself up almost against him, it was something else entirely.

A smell.

And not the one of his energy, which filled her with single-minded purpose: to _consume_.

Her lips drew slightly over her teeth as her mouth closed a little, and for the briefest of instances she winced, dropping his arm as if he had in fact burned her, the tiniest bit of green coloring her eyes before it became lost once more in the abyss of her hunger.

But she looked at him with an understanding she had not had before, even as she retreated a step or two, hunched as if he'd struck her.

And then she was gone, tearing herself an opening into the place between the layers and pulling it closed after her and dashing off, the quickness of her steps ripping from her nostrils the faintest recognition of what she had once known to be cloves and cinnamon.

Her entire existence tunneled into seeking out the nearest source of energy, demonic energy, and not that of the one she intended to leave unscathed behind. 3

The continued advancement in the steps of the woman had Hiei preparing for a counter, if there was one, and even preparing to blur through the layers if he had to. Several other routes had mapped themselves out for him in his mind, but it seemed that they were not necessary.

Shikiyoku's pause had even Hiei pausing, his narrowed eyes glaring down threateningly at the female that stood up against him now. Once, she'd done this with a different purpose, to back him into a corner and… well, he wasn't sure about that either. Likely for her own entertainment at the time.

But now, there was no banter, no underlying amusement.

And he noticed the change in her eyes, no matter how brief it had been, before she stepped away and simply disappeared from his eyesight.

It took a while after that for him to actually relax, his muscles staying taut for a few minutes before suddenly releasing their tension. Andinstea of chasing her as he had been doing for a while, he simply stayed where he was, basking in the silence of the room and the emptiness of the house.

~!**!~

A small hum of affirmation resonated behind Akari's lips in response to Kurama's words, the sound never leaving her mouth in a word or anything else. She shifted slightly, moving her legs closer to her body and crossing them tighter underneath herself, taking to placing a single elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand. She took in a deep breath of her surroundings, her eyelids sliding shut as the scent of the flowers around her tickled her nose, accompanied with the scent of Kurama's rosy scent as well.

And for once, the silence wasn't one of tension, as had become the norma for her. Her silence was not one that meant she was picking and choosing words, rifling through commands to give others and tip-toeing around annoyances.

She was comfortable. Relaxed.

Happy. _*****_

Kurama contented himself with gazing up at the dark sky, able to make out the stars scattered across the heavens above them.

He, for one, certainly had nothing on his side of things particularly interesting to share. He had opted out of attending college, instead having his stepfather hire him, and the mundane ins and outs of everyday human life would certainly hold no appeal to someone of whom he and Youko had heard rumors about her line of work.

_[Well, maybe I __**should **__have stayed out there. I could have impressed her with tales of my-]_

_{Youko?}_

_[Mm?]_

_{Shut up.}_

~!**!~

_He did not follow._

He would not see then, the dark shadow he did not chase slipping into existence nearly halfway around the world in the middle of a rough and rowdy demon bar, one of countless that had popped up on the first layer, meant to be a safe haven for their kind.

He would not have to watch as a drunk demon made a pass at her that she allowed, the lowlighting of the establishment swathing her and her presence in enough darkness that the poor demon did not know what he was in for when she flitted between bodies with the demon behind her giving chase until he had her backed into a corner, leaning over her as he slid his hands to her hips.

The demon only knew something was wrong when she touched him. The rough skin of the hands which she locked upon either side of his cheeks were meant to draw his mouth close enough that when she opened her own, the tendrils of energy Hiei had seen, but which those of this layer could not so much as sense, snaked out and down his throat.

If he struggled, she did not see nor did she care as she began murmuring the words to the spell that led to more of her energy released off her body to weave around the room.

The demon in her grasp slid to the floor when she released him, and all around the bar others began collapsing in a similar manner.

There was one demon sitting at the bar however, who merely waved a hand at the advancing sinews as if brushing away an annoying fly, taking another drink from his mug and frowning, lifting the same hand to bat at the energy which was not deterred.

This time, the energy appeared to make a little lunge and wrap itself about his wrist as he lowered it back down.

He regarded it with a raised eyebrow when his hand rested on the counter.

There was something very...familiar about it.

He let his eyes scan the rest of the establishment, now not only feeling but also seeing the bodies as they dropped to the floor, and spying the dark figure that appeared to be drawing the energy from their bodies and absorbing it.

He had known only one vampire-demon in his time, but to have another emerge from whatever pit they were spawned in now, at a time when the world was the most vulnerable-

Wait, shouldn't this one be stuck on whatever layer they-

Wow, whoever that is has the energy capacity of-

The dark-haired fire demon stumbled to his feet, mug in hand, and started staggering over to the figure, shaking off the energy around his wrist.

This power...it _could _be her, but it was twisted, a darkened shadow of what it had once been.

Her face was lost in the corner, her black eyes giving off no glint in the light as she raised them to consider the demon coming towards her, stepping over and sometimes tripping on the bodies of the fallen.

Here is one that would surely keep her satisfied for at least a week.

She slunk forward.

"There'sh no ush trying to be shneaky about it." Uryo waved his mug around before remembering it was in his hand and stopping to take a drink.

Behind him, her energy had finished with the rest of the room and now turned like eager attack-dogs to begin ribboning their way for the last demon standing.

Uryo's eyes softened as he looked at her, saw her and what she had become. He smiled.

"Sh'o, you felt like it had come to that, huh? And what did your Champion have to shay about it...hic?" Uryo frowned, "I guessh he'sh not your Champion anymore now ish he."

She was almost up to him now, surrounding him with her power as she stalked towards him.

"What did Renai call it? A Conshort?" Uryo looked down at her tiny frame as she approached, "You got one of doesh yet? I guessh not by the looksh of thingsh."

When she came to a stop looking up at him, Uryo dropped down to a squat, effectively bringing himself to her level so that he could peer into her eyes.

She opened her mouth slightly and he watched as tendrils of energy emerged from within and began moving towards his face as she closed the last bit of distance between them.

He shifted his weight a little, a bit of hair coming loose from the ponytail he still wore it in, but he did not look away from her, noting appreciatively the scars on her face, able somewhere in the back of his mind to analyze the type of strike, the direction, the weapon used...she had seen much since they last saw one another. She was staring directly into his crimson eyes, and he found that he did not want to look away. Let her read his soul. See what she thought of anything she found there.

She flinched as if startled by the black hair that swung down to the side of his face, her mouth starting to close as her eyes widened and recognition dawned inside her darkened mind.

_That smell..._

And she was gone, pulling the layers over herself like so many blankets and disappearing into them, leaving Uryo behind, still squatting and staring at the place she had just been.

Uryo felt a slight warmth come upon the inside of his arm and as he twisted it to look, he caught the last of what had been shafts of yellow light disappearing and leaving behind a symbol that left him staring at it for a long while.

It was, quite simply, a heart. 3

~!**!~

Akari sat still for a while, eyes closed and nose drinking in the scent around her, ears listening to every little sound in the area. The quiet was so welcoming, so calm and so blissful. Despite this, though, her mind ended up wandering, distracted by earlier thoughts of Juun, the complete idiot who was currently running loose on the fourth layer, likely at section E and-

She took in another deep breath of the night air. _Nothing I can't fix later. _

"The answer, in case you're wondering," Akari suddenly spoke, words muffled from the pressure her hand had on her cheek, "is no." It had been the most random of thought, but really, it was something that had cropped up with her thoughts of what others called _work_. The marks on her skin was often the first thing a demon saw, and while in the past she had been _afraid _of that, now she realized it gave her a sort of… _power_ over the other. She wasn't challenged very often, wasn't rebutted by a demon with the desire to be in charge. It wasn't something she understood really, but it was an advantage, and well…

She used her energy enough to traverse from the layers to the portal dimensions that she didn't think that, should a challenger arise, she'd be able to do anything more than what she'd threatened Youko with earlier: dropping them in their shadow.

And _that _took more energy than _traversing herself _through the dimensions, and even _more _so to _keep _one there.

She'd learned _that _the hard way. _Trial and error, right? __*****_

Lost in an argument with Youko, it definitely took longer than it should have for Kurama to both hear and understand what Akari had said.

"Is that so?" He finally quipped, "Well, I'm glad to hear you've finally reached a decision. Any final thoughts you wish to share on the matter?"

~!**!~

She shivered, but she didn't know why.

The bustle of the city around her did nothing for how alone she felt, but it was not the first time that denizens of the First Layer hardly gave her more than a glance as she walked along, hands clasped to her arms across her chest.

She coughed, stopping in place and having a human bump shoulders with her, giving little more than a murmured apology.

It was almost as if they couldn't see her. Well, they could. After that first bump, no others did so. But they could not see her scars for certain, their minds too preoccupied, too caught up in other matters, and frankly too weak to give her much notice.

And so it was with the same amount of indifference that they passed the collapsed form on the one side of the walkway, their minds placing a rock or a shoe where there was in fact a living being unable to stand back up.

There was one who could see her, but at first, with her bundles in her arms, she almost passed the body by.

Struck with a compassion that was as much her as any other portion of her personality, the teal-haired Koorime gave a little gasp and hurried over, setting her groceries and packages to the side before coming to her knees, her crimson eyes growing wide when she realized how many marks were upon this demon, but her eyes softening when she just as quickly came to find that the scars were all old.

_Warm. Fever. Chills._

She wasn't versed very well in the diseases that could ravage a demon, her healing usually restricted to wounds, but the gentle girl did put a hand to the over-hot cheek that trembled at her touch, her hand beginning to glow.

"Can you tell me your name?" Yukina wanted to know, seeing this demon's eyes flickering behind not-quite-closed lids. "Or where you come from?"

The demon under her healing shifted, eyes coming more open to stare blearily up at her.

All this demon saw were large, crimson eyes, eyes she had seen twice already this day.

Chills shivered down the demon's skin as she felt the hunger starting to come back. With her lips parted in a pant, little tendrils of energy started creeping out her mouth without her notice.

Yukina leaned further down, expecting the demon to speak through the parted lips and hoping to catch a word.

Her hair fell over her shoulder and the demon's mouth snapped shut, eyes squeezing closed in an effort to resist.

_That smell..._

Would she be unable to escape it today?

She heaved herself up, startling Yukina who scooted back to give her room.

"You are far from home, Ice Maiden." She spoke through chattering teeth, swallowing more energy that threatened to fulfill her need whether she meant it to or not.

Yukina's eyes crinkled a little at the edges with her smile as she looked into the darkened green gaze of the demon before her and shook her head a little, "I _am _home." 3

~!**!~

Hazel eyes were revealed as eyelids slid open lazily, the light reflecting in them glinting as Akari turned to look at Kurama. She'd delved into thoughts as soon as she'd been finished speaking, and even actually _forgotten _she'd spoken up until he'd asked for any comments.

At which point, she had to think back and recall what she'd said.

_Oh, right._

She shrugged at him nonchalantly, giving a lopsided smile of mischief as she sat up straight again, hands tugging at the scarf that had begun to make the back of her neck itch. "You're a pain in multiple ways, but thanks." she said as her hand unwound the scarf from around her neck and pulled it away from her shoulders, letting it drop into her lap before going to scratch at the itch the fabric had left behind. "Though, that's all I can come up with." _*****_

Kurama let out a light chuckle, but moved his gaze from Akari back to the sky.

_[You saw it, right?]_

_{Saw what?}_

_[...there's no point in trying to fool __**me, **__Red.]_

Youko had easily seen through Kurama's eyes the numbered tattoo near Akari's neck.

_{And what does it matter?}_

_[You aren't going to say anything about it?]_

_{She has spoken volumes without mentioning it simply by allowing me to see it, and quite possibly by revealing it to others, and you wish me to comment on it?}_

_[...]_

_[You're not as thick as I like to think, Red.]_

_{I'll ignore the insulting portion of that compliment.}_

_[Do that.]_

~!**!~

"But more importantly," Yukina stood up and started to help the other demon rise, "Where is _your_ home?"

The demon stood up, but froze in place as Yukina began to put one of the other's weak arm over her strong shoulders.

"I- It- You should stay away from me." The demon pulled back from the contact as if burned.

"Is it contagious?" Yukina asked mildly.

"Do you need some help, ma'am?" A human paused and gestured to the bags which had been set aside.

"Yes, please!" Yukina replied warmly and the human started to gather her things.

"Very." The demon interjected, wishing for nothing more than to be left alone, "By contact alone you could-"

"You're not a very good liar." Yukina informed the demon, once again gently-this time more firmly-pulling one of the other's arms over her shoulders to help support the weakened limbs.

The demon had not the strength to complain other than to make unintelligible noises of protest which Yukina very calmly ignored.

Deciding that Keiko would not mind the extra company, Yukina continued along the way she had been going, the human falling in step beside her and striking up a conversation that kept the Koorime's attention averted as the demon's eyes beside her began to darken.

Trying to fight it off, the demon desperately took a smell of the air, hoping to catch some more of that scent which she knew had earlier prevented other, stronger demons from being fed upon, but this time there were no familiar spices filling up her nose, only energy, and demonic energy at that.

The demon stumbled and drew Yukina's attention away from the pleasant human next to her, stopping as the demon bent over as if in pain.

"What's wrong?" She asked hurriedly, suddenly aware of some mist or another that was coming out the demon's mouth. Was this part of the affliction?

_No! No, please! Go away!_

Without the demon able to walk beside her, Yukina stopped and let the demon down to lean up against a building, bending over her and looking strangely at the mist which she did not notice breathing in herself until her body stiffened and her eyes lost focus, a panic instantly settling over Yukina's mind when she found her body would not respond to anything she told it to do.

_Please...please...no...someone... _Behind the black pools of hunger, the demon struggled against the energy that had started to enter her body, and instead of sucking it all away at once like she might have if she had not fed mere hours ago, she attempted to shove it away, to keep it out, only slowing the process to a crawl and finding no way to stop it. 3

Hiei stood in the kitchen of the house he'd stayed in, spoon in one hand and tub of sweet snow in the other, something he'd stumbled upon mere minutes ago and simply _delved _into. It wasn't as.. _yummy _as the Strawberry one he'd loved, but it… would suffice, he supposed. It was better than nothing, when he had actually felt a _craving _for something like this.

It was awfully plain. Probably what he imagined the Strawberry sweet snow to be like _without _the strawberries. Perhaps that was exactly what this was. He wasn't sure, but he slid the spoon in his mouth again anyway and leaned back against the counter, eyes not focusing on anything in particular and mind not really thinking about anything _specific_.

Not at first, anyway.

Sometime during his fourth spoonful, his mind turned to his sister, though at first he didn't really understand why. He'd kept tabs on here here and there, even been caught by her once or twice, but otherwise he'd been… preoccupied. So why was she sneaking into his thoughts now?

_Perhaps I'll check in._

He had time. Loads of it, now that he knew for sure who was behind the energy stealings. Now that he'd also found Shikiyoku, it didn't matter what he did. He could find Shikiyoku anytime he wished.

Again, Yukina came to mind, and this time with a sort of warning in the back of his mind.

He pause, spoon just touching his bottom lip as the Jagan slid open and began the routine search for the energies around the layer.

And when he found her energy, he also found a small spark, as if she were reaching out to him, _begging _or his attention.

Without further ado, without further inspection, he slid the open tub into the freezer, dropped the spoon on the counter, and moved through the house and down the street at a speed much too great for a human to catch. Not even a breeze.

He arrived to the scene, Yukina crouching in front of a darkened figure he knew well now, and his Jagan invaded the mind of Shikiyoku, his hands grabbing for her and pulling her from the ground.

"_You will cease." _His words were forceful, the Jagan avidly shoving his energy in front of Yukina's and into Shikiyoku's mind, without his consent throwing random images of the Shikiyoku he once knew into her mind's eye, one after another after another. "_You are __**this **__person. You are Shikiyoku."_

~!**!~

There had been words after the sentence she'd said about Kurama that she hadn't been willing to say aloud. _You're a pain in multiple ways, but thanks… Thanks for being the pain in my side that pushed me onward. Thanks for being there when it was too much. You don't know it yet, but you were there. _

She could have gone on and on with those thoughts, but instead she simply let them trail off into a calm nothingness, her eyes training on the redhead and her lopsided grin lessening to a soft smile. She opened her mouth to repeat two words that had often been silently given to the fox and not actually said aloud, but her voice… just wouldn't do her bidding.

Her hand fell to her lap to toy with the scarf, eyes following the motion to look at the blue cloth that had gone with the white shirt she'd chosen for the day.

"You know, I often nitpicked at you," she grumbled, her voice finally coming to fruition and forming words. "I knew it was a childish thing to do.." She let her words trail away, fingers toying with the ends of the scarf in her lap out of habit. "Thank you, for being patient with me." she finally voiced, though it… wasn't anything _near _what she had prepared herself to say over the past few months.

But, it would suffice, for now. _*****_

_[Do you hear __**that**__, Red? She never murmured such sweet nothings to __**me.**__]_

_{My ears are in good working order as you well know, silver-tail.} _

Leaving it at that, Kurama slowly lowered himself down to the ground as Akari finished, putting his arms behind his head to prop himself up from the soft bed of flowers.

"Well," Kurama began, "I can't let you off easy and say you weren't _trying _at times."

His lips did not so much as twitch, and he intentionally started to close his eyes as he felt that _there_, if nowhere else, is where one would see the glint of a tease.

~!**!~

Yukina suddenly came back into herself with a gasp as if for air, and not seeing the demon before her, whipped her head around to find that it was in fact Hiei who had intervened.

The intensity of his gaze had Yukina remaining quiet, though she desperately wanted to intercede on behalf of this broken demon she had only just met, but she did stand up, eyes trained on the pair quietly, searching for any change in either.

The darkness of the other demon's mind erupted into flashing images put upon the sick demon by an outside force, and she too made a gulp for air when parted from Yukina, the spell that had been pulling the Koorime's energy from her body interrupted.

Her eyes, which had shut sometime while she fought against feeding, flew open, greener than they had been upon first seeing Hiei, but still dull and woven with darkness.

His crimson eyes pierced through her, appearing even in this heated moment so much like the others of the day that she was struck dumb underneath both his gaze and the shining remembrances of what he claimed was her former self.

It took another moment for her to gather herself under his constant pummeling of her thoughts, and when she did so, she jerked her hands from his as soon as she was aware of his touch, lowering her head as if ashamed as she crossed her arms underneath her chest to hide her fingers beneath them.

First that Ice Maiden, now him. Such contact felt strange and foreign to her, contact initiated by another of their own volition.

She shuddered.

She did not raise her head to look over at Yukina, who had by this time taken a step closer, compassion still in her eyes for the other, but she in return took another step away, letting her head shake back and forth once.

"You- I said stay away." She said hurriedly, hoping to dissuade the girl from coming closer. "You should listen next time." 3

Hiei followed Shikiyoku's step backward with his own step towards her, a little longer than hers and bringing himself closer to her, red eyes still searching her face for the eyes he'd seen a minute ago, though his mind was completely consumed with the images that the Jagan continued to filter through their telepathic connection.

"She wouldn't have to _stay away _if you controlled yourself." He spoke in a low tone, voice meant only for her to hear as his Jagan suddenly decided that there was a single image he needed to focus on, a single image that he'd ignored three times already and passed along to another.

And suddenly he felt as if he was reliving it. Bright lights lit up the tiled floors, reflecting around the room and bouncing from the various types of jewelry the women wore, the decorations on the men's suits flashing occasionally with each turn they made with their partners.

The sounds in the room were that of heels clicking on the tiled floor, of dresses swishing against skin and other outfits, of music floating through the room and of quiet chatter between dancers.

And the warmth Hiei felt was not of his own, but of another's hand within his, of another being very close to him. And he too was moving in circles, moving in steps that he hadn't learned before this day, before he'd been forced to pluck them from from the very mind of the person he was looking down on again.

Except instead of in the darkened streets of the First Layer, they were in a ballroom, and Shikiyoku wore jewelry that glittered even more than the jewelry of any other in the room.

At least, that's how it felt to him.

And he was wearing the most ridiculous outfit that had a cloak that swished with his movements, brushing his ankles and making a small sound to fill the silence between himself and the female who moved with him.

And he'd never thought he would have missed this.

~!**!~

AKari huffed at Kurama, eyes quickly shifting from the scarf in her hands to give a glare to the redhead. _I was trying to be nice, you jackass. What, you want a kiss on the cheek and sparkling eyes and a heartfelt "thank you, prince charming!"? _

Her thoughts stayed stuck there and she gave a small sigh. "You're infuriating," she stated, tone betraying nothing of the thoughts she had and instead staying calm and even. _Maybe I should…_

_Forget it. _

She couldn't be mad. Why? Because she still, despite the irritation he seemed to provoke here and there, was _Kurama_, meaning that while he taunted and made attempts at getting a rise from her, he was still… there when needed, whether the person receiving his kindness knew it or not.

_Stupid fox._

She felt her gaze turn soft again as she stared at the male, whose feet were extended towards her. His eyes were closed, though she could just imagine the color behind the lids. The very color that had gleamed at her in amusement, glared at her in irritation, and even flashed at her when he'd had enough.

_Prince Charming, my ass._

She sighed to herself and shifted her weight until she was crawling on her hands and knees, moving until she was beside the male and lowering herself about a foot away from him, laying on her back and her eyes on the sky.

"You're _so _much better than Juun." she remarked with a smile of mischief to the stars overhead. _*****_

"Juun?" Kurama murmured good-naturedly, opening his eyes again to look at the stars, though they were still mischievously regarding the heavens above, "I would ask if I am supposed to be jealous, but you _did _just say I am 'so much better than' him."

_[Cheeky.]_

_{You're one to talk.}_

_[I thought you were ignoring me?]_

_{I am.}_

~!**!~

Memories started to stir at Hiei's words.

She _had _been able to control it.

There _hadn't _been anything to control.

This hunger.

It was new. It came with this...this sickness that fogged her mind, that plunged her into darkness where no light could penetrate and were she could become lost as if-

When she opened her eyes, it was to bright lights of hanging chandeliers high above her head, moments later music filling in the silence, and even though she knew for a fact she was standing, nearly broken, on a sidewalk with a fire demon who had gotten much too close for her comfort, she was instead _here_, doing something strange with her feet as if she had been born with the ability instead of unable to even recall the word.

She could feel the fabric hugging her skin, the skirts as they rustled around her legs, and suddenly she found she was very much _not _alone, for there were other bodies, all around her, doing the same thing as she. And for that matter, she realized, she was in the arms-even closer than he stood to her on the sidewalk-of this demon who had so bluntly called her 'lover' within minutes of meeting her for what she thought to be the first time outside of her dreams.

"_What...what __**is **__this?" _Her wonderment could no longer be contained, even as her eyes came to rest from the demons around her to the demon holding her, guiding her smoothly across the tiled floor. 3

Hiei's red eyes stayed trained on the female in his grasp, his entire being aware of their extremely close proximity as if he were in the moment for the very first time. Everything was just as he remembered it, but for once there wasn't the dread he'd felt, the duty and the drive to get away plaguing his mind. Now, there was no danger.

"_This is where we were a year ago. Dancing." _He didn't admit that he hadn't known at the time, because if it worked right, she'd _remember_ that part. "_The Ninth Level's Queen Rae had us escorted, and we were forced _here_, escorted by her own army from the Niiro Kaga."_

He gave her a small spin that he hadn't remembered giving her before pulling her back, .his next words calm and matter-of-fact. "_I hate ballrooms."_

~!**!~

"Mmmm, well," Akari began with a small hum and the widening of her smile. "He _does _have his strong points. His stubbornness, his drive, his motivation." She paused, letting her eyelids slide closed. _The only problem is that he's __**driven, motivated, **__and __**stubborn **__when it is in his _best _interest to be as such. Which… _This game was no fun.

"Let's just say that he's lucky Youko decided to accept my request, because he'd be dead tomorrow if you two hadn't shown up." She rolled to her side, propping her elbow on the grass and cheek in the palm of her hand. "So, you know how _my _past few months have been. Tell me about _yours._ Youko was boring on that subject." _*****_

_[Sounds a lot like someone __**else **__we know.]_

_{I cannot disagree with that sentiment.}_

Kurama shifted his head over that he might look at her when she moved, "Was he?" He replied evasively, "Well, I cannot imagine my comings and goings will be more interesting than _his_." He smiled at her, "I have been living a mostly human life myself, much to my counterpart's chagrin."

_[Now that isn't __**exactly **__true.]_

~!**!~

Her eyes, accustomed to hiding all her thoughts behind their dull curtains, for once betrayed her, revealing within them that same sense of wonderment that had overcome her and driven her to speak.

The room twirled gently around her before she found herself back in his frame, mind continuing to spin even though she had stopped.

"_Did __**I **__hate...ballrooms?"_ 3

Hiei gave a small raise of his brows. "_Not that I knew of." _he replied calmly. "_There were certain aspects of this you hated, such as Rae. However, I believe you enjoyed this part of it all." _He thought back, remembering her words of politics and the parts she'd said she enjoyed. He'd understood, and quite frankly, cared for none of it.

Not the way she did.

"_It was made more for you than someone like myself."_

~!**!~

"You're being…." Akari puffed her cheeks at Kurama, unable to come up with a word for it. It was _right there_, the word she wanted. So she skipped it and went on. "How's your mother and her husband? You're working now, so tell me about your job." She stopped there, deciding to give him a chance to answer at least _one _of those questions.

"Plus, your _mundane _life, as you put it, is more interesting than hunting down _shiny objects. _Remember, I'm a demon with not much knowledge of the _mundane." __*****_

_[Hey!]_

Kurama smiled and turned his own body to face her, propping his head up with his hand as he sat his torso off the ground a bit.

"Well. Which _thrilling _activity would you care to hear about first? Filing papers? Making copies? Using a stapler?" He said them with such fervent excitement that inside his mind, Youko had gotten over his initial bruised ego to laugh whole-heartedly at the turn the conversation had taken.

_[Trust me, pup. These things are __**nothing **__you're going to want to know about.]_

~!**!~

She shook her head.

"_That cannot be true. Or else this would not have been as easy as you make it seem." _Her eyes flickered to the demons around them who paid them little attention, for they blended in among them as if they belonged, "_One cannot so simply adapt to a challenge they were not, in some capacity, 'meant for.'"_ 3

"_I have my resources," _Hiei replied easily, "_I have had no experience in __**this**_ _before or since." _He turned her again, his eyes turning up to the chandeliers over their heads. The lights refracted from the crystals and were almost too bright for his eyes, so he turned down to her again.

"_I imagine if we hadn't been tossed here, you would have enjoyed yourself."_

~!**!~

Akari felt a wide smile color her features at Kurama's sudden shift, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She thought for a moment before her smile widened. "What about the _signatures_?" She made a small sound before she raised a curious brow. "What _kind _of work is it? Paperwork, I mean. What kind of business is it?" _*****_

"It's the most _enthralling _kind of business," Kurama went on, pausing a little for dramatic effect, "Because the paperwork...is about paperwork."

Youko howled with laughter.

"My step-father runs a supply office." Kurama further specified, "Only the most exciting work to keep the fox preoccupied."

~!**!~

She frowned for a moment, as if struck by something incorrect in his words.

"_That's...that's strange." _She looked up at him pointedly, face neutral, "_Because...because I think she enjoyed it anyway." _Her gaze dropped, "_Because...she was with __**you**__." _3

Hiei felt his brow raise higher on his forehead, almost hiding under the hair that occasionally blocked his view of the surroundings _above_ him. He needed to get it trimmed, he realized, but it was a brief thought. After the brief distraction he realized she meant that _she _herself had enjoyed this.

_She's remembering on her own. _

"_You mean __**you**_ _were with me." _he corrected, pulling back a bit before he decided one last turn was in order, the visage fading as she spun and being replaced with the actual surroundings where they'd been standing.

And as if he'd turned her again, he pulled her towards himself as if they were still within the ballroom, aside from the next steps that would normally be required.

~!**!~

Akari's brows raised high into her bangs, hiding for a moment before they furrowed, drawing lines of confusion. "Paperwork… about _paperwork?" _That made no sense to her. Why would one have to sign papers about signing papers?

Chain of command, perhaps?

_I guess it would make sense. _*****

Kurama gently reached over and took Akari's chin in his hand, shifting her face back and forth a little as if to further examine her expression.

"You're remarkably adorable when you don't understand what's going on."

~!**!~

Her eyes had squeezed shut at his words, her eyebrows coming together tightly over her nose.

"_It's...very hard to think of it that way, but..." _After a moment longer of resistance, she gave in, "_Yes. ...I...enjoyed it...anyway."_

Upon admitting it, she felt the tightness across her forehead slink away and she opened her eyes, finding that she no longer stood shivering by herself, instead feeling how warm the fire demon was because...well because they were rather close.

She stiffened, eyes riddled with confusion as she sat there, unable to even make enough sense of the moment to pull away as she desperately wished to.

She did, however, release a noise that mirrored her expression from her nose, a huff of air with no other sound behind it.

Without the lights and the bright room around her, the gestured seemed odd. Out of place.

"_What is the meaning of-...why do you do this?" _The terseness in her voice aptly communicated how uncomfortable she felt. 3

Hiei stared down at Shikiyoku calmly, despite her confused stare and question. He contemplated her question and the various ways to answer before he felt his brows settle into place and his expression turn to a calm, albeit a bit of an amused one.

"_What does this mean, woman?" _He moved his arms just a bit, to gesture to the closeness of their beings.

~!**!~

Akari pursed her lips at Kurama, blinking only once when he had grabbed hold of her chin and not resisting when he turned her head this way and that. Her arm kept her propped up, half of her torso lifted from the ground as her elbow dug into the grass and soil. And at his words, she gave a small smile and met his gaze.

"Same to you," she said teasingly with a grin, poking fun at his obvious knowledge of everything going on. "_Quite_ adorable." _*****_

He let go with a small smile, his hand lowering to the space between them, "You must remind me to look in the mirror the next time I appear to be confused. It happens so rarely afterall, I myself have forgotten the feeling, much _less _what I look like."

_[Lies. All lies. You're a terrible liar.]_

_{What I wouldn't give to land one solid punch on that self-righteous face of yours.}_

_[Wouldn't that be a little strange? A bit like punishing yourself or something?]_

_{You're going to haunt me forever, aren't you.}_

_[To the very end of your days.]_

~!**!~

She huffed again, aggravated that he had only answered her question by asking her the same thing, in so many words, and she took to glaring at him as he had not yet let her go.

Her teeth clenched together and her answer came back snipped, "_I don't __**know**__." _Otherwise, why would she bother asking? She continued with just as much heat to her response, "_It is many things..." _She blinked, ire melting with words she found bubbling up from somewhere, "_...for me." _Another blink, and then one of her eyes shut as if a headache had just sprung up behind it, the rest of her face pulling together. 3

Hiei felt the satisfaction begin to rise, but did not allow it to show in his eyes nor his features as he stared down at Shikiyoku, who flinched after a minute. His expression shifted to a neutral one as he waited, expectant eyes looking down onto her and not even blinking as she stayed quiet for a moment.

If she continued, then he will have achieved more than he'd thought he would. If she didn't, then…. He'd find something else. He could always _show _her, if he needed to.

~!**!~

"Maybe I'll take to carrying a camera, just in case." Akari leaned closer to him, amused eyes never breaking from his stare. "After all, a picture _does _last longer, and I'd rather enjoy seeing you befuddled for once, sir know-it-all."

Her lips pressed together for a moment as she eyed him, a sudden urge keeping her within the space she'd leaned into. She eyed him carefully before giving a smile rather similar to one Youko had flashed earlier and leaning away, rolling again onto her back and closing her eyes. _*****_

_[Oo, she __**is **__good.]_

Kurama almost released an imperceptible sigh.

_[You know, I think I could come to like her myself, Red. She's a fast learner.]_

_{You're absolutely unbearable.}_

_[It's why you love me.]_

"So, if this is your first holiday, you haven't really had a chance to enjoy the changes the merge has brought about, have you?"

~!**!~

She fought against...something, and whether she was fighting to get in or struggling to get out, she could not tell, but her other eye slid shut and she sat there for a moment, taking the time to actually relax, to release the hindrances of the sickness that constantly badgered her person.

They were still there, but she...accepted them for the moment, moved beyond them and found-

A memory.

It was incomplete. Broken and playing through her mind as only bits and disjointed pieces of recorded events.

_My touch is...my fondness...my affection._

Who had said such strange things?

She felt her heart sinking strangely, her stomach rising up to meet it.

_...__**cannot**_ _be anything other than these things...for I cannot kill another._

As if defeated, she felt herself sag.

She was no longer this person, these faded memories. How could she be? She could not count how many lives had at this point been taken for she could not even remember their faces or how it had happened.

Her touch...was not these things.

Her touch was used for-

She slowly started attempting to extricate herself from this fire demon before her, and she felt very...lost. 3

Hiei kept his hold on Shikiyoku, not allowing her to escape from him just yet, though he was not rough about it. He simply kept her there, calm eyes pointed down to her in curiosity. "_The only thing that's changed is that you now can fight. That does not mean you are no longer capable of those gestures. It's why you cut the bond; I was your fighter."_

He paused, head tilting only a bit. Odd how that sounded, going along with something someone else had said about him being the fighter and her the lover.

What had that demon's name been again?

It wasn't important at the moment.

"_You are still Shikiyoku. Just… a little different." People change. _He hadn't ever believed in that before he'd met the detective, but… "_Changes happen. If you deny those changes, you deny yourself." _

~!**!~

"M-mm." Akari hummed out a negatory, as she often did with Nabu. She took in a deep breath of the night air and stretched her torso just a bit, earning a nice pop from her shoulder and the feeling of the tension in her muscles being flexed until it dissipated. She could almost fall asleep, if she were even remotely tired.

Perhaps it was because she usually wasn't home until late.

_Nabu can wait. Or entertain himself. It doesn't matter._

"Why? What's on your mind?" _*****_

"It would...take much too long _now_, but there are many wonderful things the union has done to the world, if you pause and look around." His eyes lifted to look beyond her, over the sea of glowing flowers, "And if not for Youko, I myself would be much too busy to see them, but-" He raised and lowered one shoulder in a shrug, "We have an advantage, after all, that few other denizens of this new world do."3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	69. Episode 153 -Niiro Kaga, Relaxation

****A/N: ****Hello once again, Dear Reader!

In case anyone missed the memo: updates for this story will be on a M/W/F schedule until further notice!

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>_"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Youko and Akari enjoy a quiet moment together in the field of moon flowers,  
>Youko weaving a few of them together and placing them as a necklace around her neck.<p>

Youko then abruptly switches places with Kurama, after "buttering her up,"  
>and Kurama and Akari manage some strained small talk.<p>

With Youko complaining in Kurama's head, Kurama takes the following silence in stride,  
>silence that Akari breaks by finally telling Kurama the answer is 'no,'<br>she does not wish him to remove all of her scars.  
>Akari apologies for being a bit of a pain, and thanks him for being patient with her.<p>

Akari inquires after Kurama's life up to this point,  
>which has been filled with working for his father-in-law<br>who owns a supply office.

Kurama asks if Akari has gotten to venture on holiday yet,  
>to experience what the unification has brought about,<br>asking if she would want to do so with him sometime.

~!**!~

Her hunger overwhelming her, Shikiyoku nearly exercises her power on Hiei,  
>stopping short when his scent wafts over her senses.<br>She flees in lieu of feeding on him, and instead decimates the patrons of a bar.  
>Her energy tries to wrap around Uryo, who is also there,<br>but he is able to resist. He seems accepting of her changes,  
>and while she acts as if to attempt to feed of him as well,<br>Shikiyoku manages at the last to run,  
>leaving Uryo behind to contemplate the heart-shaped mark that appears on his forearm.<p>

Yukina finds Shikiyoku collapsed up against a building in the city,  
>and seemingly against her wishes, Shikiyoku begins feeding on the Koorime<br>who had only stopped to try and help.  
>This actions grabs Hiei's attention and he manages to intervene,<br>pulling Shikiyoku away and bombarding her mind with images of who she had been.

At the last, she questions his touch, as he grabbed her to pull her up and kept hold of her,  
>and she becomes more despondent as she remembers once speaking that her touch was only affectionate,<br>because she could not kill others with her energy. At this point she attempts to pull away from Hiei,  
>who keeps her in place and tells her that she is still Shikiyoku, just different. She is a fighter now,<br>whereas he had once been her fighter _for _her...

* * *

><p>Giving in, she stayed in place, but leaned forward and buried her head in his chest.<p>

"_I don't __**want **__to fight. I don't __**like **__fighting. I'm tired of it." _She realized her words took on an air of a petulant child, but at the core of it she did sound truly exhausted. "_It's just like running...doing it by yourself isn't any fun." _3

Hiei made a sound of amusement as Shikiyoku came closer, her head resting on his chest and her nose burying into his cloak. He kept his hands at her arms, where they'd moved when she'd tried to get away. Half of him was afraid that if he moved, she'd take it as an advantage and disappear. "_Then I suppose you should find someone to fight with." _he replied calmly. His eyelids slid shut and he took in a deep breath, feeling as if he was speaking to a person he _knew _now.

"_Quite frankly, I'm interested in seeing what you've learned, aside from the obvious."_

~!**!~

Akari gave a small shrug, rustling the grass and flowers around her. She reached up to adjust the flowers on her head, only just noticing that they were _still _sliding towards the ground and pulling at her hair. She wrapped her fingers gingerly around the decoration and moved it to rest on her stomach, her hand simply resting an inch above it.

"Then I suppose you'll have to find me when the mood strikes you, because quite frankly, I'd accept as soon as you asked." _Anything to get away from Juun and his group of idiots._

_Also, you're quite entertaining and… _

_And…_

_I missed this. __*****_

Kurama let out a sigh, "Finding the _time _is the issue. Slipping away at Youko's whim is one thing, and he thankfully lets me return so that I am not missed, but-" He shook his head, "A true holiday, like I am thinking, will consist of more than just a few hours of a single night, and I would not want to take advantage of my step-father's kindness and ask off for as much as I would _want_ for a venture such as this."

~!**!~

"_Who'd wanna fight with me? I'm a terrible fighter. I don' like fighting." _If she had spoken the words out loud, they would have been muffled in his clothes, and as it was they were grumbled regardless. "_-no business fighting with anyone. And there's no point unless you have someone to fight __**for**__."_

She started hearing other voices in her head, voices from memories she could not recall.

_I'm sure you could. I don't doubt your abilities, Lover._

...

_Temptress. Seducer. Courtesan. Allurer._

_Who am I?_

_Shiki-...Shikiyoku?_

_Iro. My Lady. 'Yoku. ..._

_Didn't she have a fourth one? Strange._

She let out a long sigh.

_All these memories, but none of them seem like_ _**mine**__._ 3

For a moment, Hiei wasn't sure whether he should peel back from her and look at her or not. He considered it, a single brow raised in his momentary contemplation. But her words had his brows raising for a different reason, and he let his arms fall to his sides, his head dipping towards her slightly.

"_You fought for yourself." _The words were in a small tone, as if hesitant to speak them. "_You had your reasons. Reasons I am not aware of, but reasons all the same."_

She always had reasons for what she did.

~!**!~

Akari, despite her efforts against it, gave a small laugh at Kurama. _How __**selfish**_ _of you, hm? _She turned her head away from him, not giving him the opportunity to see the smile on her face. _If only others were as __**selfish **__as you._

"Like I said, _you _find _me_. I can make time if I so desire." She turned her head to him, eyes watching him with a gleam. "Because, you know, I'm just _overseeing _morons. Just doing _damage control_." She gave a shrug, earning the rustling of the grass under her shoulders and the flowers around her neck. "_I _have time, whenever I _want _to have time. _You_ do what you have to. Though, a break every once in a while wouldn't hurt anything." _*****_

Kurama regarded her seriously before continuing, appearing to size her up.

"It could be a very long time," He warned.

_Hopefully it will be a very long time. _

If he had his way, it would be until his family had no more need of him. Until they had passed on blissfully.

"You may not want to anymore at that point." He finished.

~!**!~

She didn't answer for a moment, but after that pause her head moved back and forth just enough to indicate a negative response.

"_She did not think so." _It was a simple matter to comprehend her reasons, being this close to the source. "_She merely acted a part as those she was with required, but everything she-" _Another pause. A silent struggle, "_Everything...I...did was always for another. And...not because, at the last, she had always been that way. But because...she chose to. Because...I wanted to." _3

Hiei let his eyelids slide closed, his entire being focused on the person he was standing with and the words she said to him, her body hugging against his. Odd, how he didn't mind it.

Rather enjoyed it, actually.

But he didn't say anything to her. He merely stood there, silently giving her the choice to continue if she so desired. He merely gave a small sound of acknowledgement and stayed where he was.

~!**!~

Again, Akari shrugged. Several thoughts came to mind, some similar to _then I suppose we have a problem, _a couple along the lines of _you're right, I could be disinterested by then._ But really, she didn't feel like saying either of those things. Neither of them felt like something she actually _wanted _to say, because really, they weren't actually _true_.

She shifted her weight about until she was rolling onto her side, the flower crown falling forgotten for the moment as she reached over and just poked at Kurama's cheek. Again, she was struck by a small urge, a small temptation that kept her from rolling away again. So she contemplated.

"I'll get over it." _*****_

_[OH, could this GET anymore melodramatic. What ARE you, a sailor asking his bride-to-be to wait for him while he ventures over the open seas?]_

_{You've been watching too many movies.}_

_[Hmph. Says __**you**__.]_

_{You know we could just as easily visit her on those nights you wish to 'get away.'}_

_[True. Am I really that kind though?]_

_{You are if there is sufficient motivation.}_

"However-" Kurama went on, just wearing that same small smile as before and training his eyes onto her own, "That isn't to say we can't see each other until then." He went on, his smile growing just a little, "But I figured you could only stand a single evening of me every six months or so."

~!**!~

Her eyes blinked open to the dark fabric where she still had not moved. She could feel through the cloak his quiet strength as he let her lean against him, her arms still folded underneath her chest.

"_I am...so very tired." _She could feel the sickness sapping her bones, replacing their health with weakness. "_But I am so very hungry." _The desire to feed remained a constant ravaging across her mind. "_It makes it difficult to think. Or remember anything."_

She took a deep breath, filling her nose with spices, with the fire demon's scent, and feeling her mind clear.

"_...What...fire-prince, what is 'Ogre's Blood?'" _She questioned with the smallest hint of curiosity. Why would an ogre's blood hold any significant place in her mind? 3

Here, Hiei's brow raised higher, and he let his eyelids slide open to cast a curious, albeit slightly confused, stare onto Shikiyoku. "An ogre's blood?" He half suspected it to be a type of drink, though he felt that she wasn't really asking about anything like _that_. Though, he assumed there was a reason for her asking, a reason for this random question to fly into the forefront of her mind and out of her lips.

He thought for a few minutes, eyes staring at Shikiyoku but not seeing her for the moment.

_Ogre's Blood…. _It could very well be a literal thing, but something else about the way she asked about it had him shaking away the thought of it being in the literal sense, that the blood from an ogre's veins was _not _what she meant.

Suddenly he was thinking back, recalling something he'd learned… what felt like forever ago, during the dark tournament.

"It's a drink," he said suddenly, recalling Chuu's beverage of choice. His eyes focused on her again, curious. "Is it of significance?"

~!**!~

Akari rolled her eyes at Kurama and let her hand fall to the grass between them. She leaned away just slightly, suddenly recalling older times when she'd been sitting with Sensui while Itsuki was out, leaving her bored and doing nothing more than watching the television screen that the older male had been tuned into for several hours at a time. "You remind me of a soap opera," she commented with a small smile to match his.

And again a thought crossed her mind, and this time she gave a sigh and rolled closer to him, until she was all but crushing the crown of flowers beneath her and laying on her stomach. Before she could talk herself out of it, Akari leaned close enough to just touch her lips against his cheek, where she'd poked earlier, before she pulled away, eyes down.

And she found she couldn't bring herself to say what she'd wanted to say. _*****_

Ever calm, Kurama had taken her comment in stride, though somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what her interactions had been with soaps. His mother had never been fond of them.

And before he could let the response that welled up do much more than stir in his brain, she had closed the distance between them and planted the softest of kisses on his cheek.

Even Youko didn't have anything to say about that for a moment.

He lowered himself to the ground, bending his elbow back and laying his head on it as a pillow and merely looking at Akari.

"What was that for?" He murmured, the question quiet as if afraid to ask.

~!**!~

"I...I cannot say." Her words were a little muffled in his cloak, her eyes distant as she tried to remember. She would have stood up and away from him if she had thought she had the strength at that moment, but instead her contemplation took place while still against him.

She shifted her face so that her cheek lay on his clothes and her mouth was more free to continue.

"Only that...the drink? You said?" She flicked her eyes up as if she could see his face to confirm the question, "Is closely related to the phrase 'Demon's Fire.' ...and I...I think I want some." 3

Hiei's brow raised, and then he gave a scoff of amusement, almost even _laughed _at her admittance. Without thinking twice about the action, he reached up and just patted her head once, eyes turned to her with an amused gleam. "Well, answer this: do you remember the Niiro Kaga?"

~!**!~

Akari slowly slid away, eyes just as slowly turning up to the redhead as she settled on her back again, half tempted to turn her back to him entirely. She opened her mouth to respond with a genuine answer, found no words, closed it again and gave a soft sigh to herself.

Then a small smile crept onto her features. "You're remarkably adorable when you don't know what's going on. Too bad I don't have that camera, hm?" _*****_

Kurama actually let out a chuckle that filled the space between them with his amusement.

"I suppose I deserved that, mm?" He closed his lips over his teeth, but his wide smile remained.

~!**!~

_Red Flower...Bud?_

She made a noise of concentration, hardly noticing his contact with the top of her head.

She almost went ahead and admitted that she could recall nothing, but after a second longer she frowned, the echo of a voice passing through her mind. One that called her 'girl.'

"I...only that there is an old man." Her voice sounded slightly irked, her source of frustration being that a demon would be so forward as to call her a girl. 3

"Kafu." Hiei provided the name just as quickly as it had come to the forefront of his mind, his lips twitching into an even more lopsided, amused smirk at her ire. He supposed it was the barkeep's term of endearment to her, though it didn't seem she was aware of it at the moment.

He rifled through his own memories until he found one of Kafu, thinking on it for a moment as he considered the trek. Would it be fruitful? Would it be _worth _it?

He had to fight the shrug he almost gave as he stepped a bit away from her. "Ninth Layer, I do believe, if you want one bad enough."

~!**!~

"Very much so, might I say." Akari turned her head away from him now, her eyes taking to observing the expanse of the meadow to her left and the creatures that occasionally came forth in curiosity of the glowing flowers. Shadows danced, moving when the creatures did, when the leaves on distant trees swayed by the wind. And, there was only the quietest of birdsong in the distance, only the quietest of sounds.

_So… tranquil. _Why had she delayed saying hello to this person again?

Well, if she _hadn't _delayed, she likely wouldn't have ended up _here_ anyway. So what did it matter?

"It was a thank you, by the way." she finally answered, not turning to look at him. "An unplanned one, but a thank you nonetheless." _*****_

Kurama let his eyes closed, though they were still crinkled just a little at the edges of his eyes with the smile on his lips as he remembered how softly the gesture from her had been against his skin.

"I'll keep that in mind."

_[We should find out more things to cause her thankfulness.]_

~!**!~

She stood up finally as she felt him step away, hands still crossed so that her shoulders hunched forward a bit as she considered the information Hiei passed her.

She...she tried to remember if there had been any good feelings connected to the Ninth Layer-_or had it been Level?-_but only a darkness and a reeling sense of despair and...and also nothingness. A nothingness of depression.

And the knowledge that she had not set foot there in a long time.

She raised her eyes to him, face as neutral and inexpressive as ever, "...was the drink any _good_?" 3

Hiei raised a brow, then gave an expression that meant he was thinking back. He remembered several things about that night, several things popping up at the forefront of his mind almost instantly. He remembered Taka, the demon he found he _still _held a general dislike for. And.. a conversation he'd overheard. His mind lingered there for a moment before he finally refocused on Shikiyoku, his expression difficult to keep under control.

"You seemed to enjoy it." He didn't answer on _his _part, since she hadn't asked if he specifically enjoyed it. And if she asked, he wasn't even sure he'd answer her. Because, in the end, he didn't want her to know what he'd discovered that night, didn't want her to know what he'd heard and how he felt of it, even now.

_...you've still never called me cursed..._

"Though, why would you _crave _one now if you hadn't liked it _then?"_

~!**!~

"You do that."

This time, Akari turned her back onto him, rolling onto her left side and letting her eyelids slide closed. Nabu would likely be waiting at the house for her by now, as he'd taken to doing when they ended up separated. Surely he'd understand if she didn't come home for the night, right? If she slept _here_, where the soft glow of the moon and the flowers that radiated on her skin warmed her to the very soul? Surely he wouldn't be _too _upset if she explained.

She pulled her left arm up and under her head, propping her cheek on the skin near her elbow and up off of the ground. _He'll get over it eventually. It isn't like I haven't done this before. __*****_

A cool breeze swept over the meadow, gently sending the flowers waving as if to one another as it passed over the field.

Kurama opened his eyes to see that Akari had turned away from him now, and the night had deepened enough that now the flowers sent out a more muted glow, one that would lull him into sleep if he were not careful, what with the warm earth beneath his side and the expanse of the sky above them.

_[It is quite lovely here. Peaceful.]_

Kurama pressed his other palm against the soil, feeling the beating rhythm of the energy that flowed all about him, energy he could tap into. And he did so, spreading his power underneath the ground to the roots of the plants that led him upwards to burst out of the dirt into so many petals and stems, their interconnected networks as beautiful to him as the end result of their glow.

Slowly, and with no malice, the flowers on the other side of Akari began to rise from the ground, looking as if they were pushed out by their brethren as they silently shimmered upwards, Kurama weaving together into a single sheet a multitude of the flowers that rose like a tiny wave of greenery lit with the bluish glow over Akari's waist to rest upon the flowers blooming behind her.

It was a blanket, one that did separate from the field but served as such, thin enough to not be of a discomfort, as soft as the interwoven plants that created it, and it finally stopped rustling and moving once it had covered her other side.

_[Hmph. I would have covered __**both **__of us in it.]_

~!**!~

She raised and lowered one shoulder, "She could have been a masochist. I wouldn't know."

Looking into his eyes, she could see _something _stirring, but dismissed it as she did not understand.

"...would you take me there?" 3

Hiei made no indication that he heard her first words, only continuing to stare at Shikiyoku curiously. Would she be able to withstand something like a visit to the pub? The tavern could very likely be full of patrons at this hour.

However, he decided he'd do as she wished, given her sudden ability to remember a few things here and there.

"As I said. Ninth Layer." With that, he began to blur between the layers, crimson eyes still watching her as he moved from the first layer to the second, and continuing on.

~!**!~

Akari didn't move when she felt Kurama's energy fluctuate just a fraction, nor did she react when she felt the movement of the nearby plants, slow and harmless. She was tempted to voice her curiosity, to open her eyes and cast a glance over her shoulder, but she did none of those things, not even when she felt the very slight pressure settling over her.

"You're odd." she grumbled to the redhead, lips not even so much as twitching despite her small sense of amusement. _*****_

Kurama settled back into place, releasing his hold on the plants though still able to feel as always the hum of their inner life.

"And why would that be?"

~!**!~

As she had done countless times before, without so such as a single hint of effort, she wrapped herself in the layers as they stood there, easily manipulating them around her as she slid herself between them until she found the last one and came to a stop, waiting expectantly for Hiei to make the next move. 3

Hiei came to a stop on the Ninth layer and found that he didn't have to even wait for Shikiyoku, who had settled on the very same layer an instant later. He turned as soon as he noted her expression, taking to running at a speed he had used for her when they'd run through the levels together the last time.

It was odd, really, how he'd visited this layer so many times that he'd become acquainted with every threat, every step it would take to get to where he wanted to be. Where _she _wanted to be.

He'd visited Kafu only once, and hadn't stayed longer than to get the little information that had been given to him from a denizen inside. But it didn't make the trip any less easy for him to map out.

~!**!~

AKari took in a deep breath, giving a long, contented sigh into the night as her muscles became _very _comfortable in the position she was laying in, despite her definitive lack of her normal night attire. If she didn't move, she wouldn't be bothered by the jeans she wore or the blouse that occasionally caught on the grass and was tugged at.

These things were easily ignored after Kurama spoke up.

"Hmm… Should I start from the top of the list or…?" _*****_

"Humor me." Kurama intoned with a grin, "I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

~!**!~

Her entire body made a groan that managed to sneak past her lips when she saw him take off.

Running on the layers, in her condition, was not something she often took the effort to do.

Make that: she _never _took the effort to do.

Before he had gotten more than a few steps, she sighed and pulled the layers around her again, falling into their embrace which took her inbetween, where her body did not feel so old and her joints did not protest her movement.

Her forehead still felt hot with fever, but the toll it had taken on her limbs lessened once she stepped off the existing layer again, blurring her form insubstantial. Here her hunger also muted, and she stood straighter.

Even with her doubled vision, seeing both the eighth and ninth layer of the world at the same time, it was easy for her to make out the direction Hiei dashed off in, and she calmly followed, with only a few strides catching up so that she was just behind and to the right of him.

For her, it seemed only a slow jog, as she almost did not herself move, instead shaping the two layers around her in such a way that they themselves almost pushed her forward with little struggle on her part. 3

Hiei continued moving, his feet carrying him at a simple speed through trees, through streets that he'd run a hundred times in the past few months. His eyes stayed trained forward, his mind easily creating the easiest route through the layer so that it only took a few _minutes_ for him to traverse his way through the many hues of red and into the city he occasionally told himself he still loathed.

And another few minutes later, he was standing outside the Niiro Kaga, stopping at the door to turn and look at Shikiyoku with a blank expression, to see what she thought of the place that looked completely unchanged from the last time they'd seen it.

~!**!~

"Well, first off," Akari began in that same, half-asleep mumble that her tone had turned to being, "you're unnaturally colored. Your hair is extremely bright- it sometimes burns the eyes- and your eyes are like actual gems. I am half surprised someone hasn't mistaken them for emeralds and tried to gouge them out." She gave a shrug. "Also, that combination reminds me of something I once saw on a television show: a holiday some humans somewhere else celebrate that has the colors of red and green."

She gave a small sigh, another shrug to the flower blanket that now rested over her shoulder. "There's also- wait, no. I like that. Never mind that." _*****_

Kurama's shoulders shook with silent laughter as he opened the green 'gems' that were his eyes and took to looking at Akari's back.

"Oh, now you _can't _just say something as alluring as _that_ and then _not _go on."

_[Agreed.]_

~!**!~

When he stopped, she let her last step take her from the inbetween place and onto the gravity of the last layer, feeling immediately the difference of being nearly hidden and then fully existing in the one. Her shoulders tensed back up and the constant dark circles under her eyes appeared now even more prominent.

She gave Hiei another expectant look when he paused and turned, but then lifted her eyes to see the hanging red-wood sign over the door of the building made of the same stuff with the image of a red flower painted upon it.

She considered it thoughtfully, and it _did _seem familiar. And it wasn't wrapped up in any of the dark emotions that usually bombarded her thoughts when she thought of this layer.

"Interesting..." She murmured to herself, taking in the outside of the establishment, the two-stories, and the few demons that were milling about the streets of the city. 3

Hiei waited, gauging her reaction with a keen gaze as she looked up at the building, then about them, then back up at the tavern. He saw a flicker of familiarity, albeit a bit of confusion muddling it, but otherwise she gave no indication that she even _remotely _knew of this place. And her one-word description of it seemed to be mirroring his own thoughts of _her. _

With that thought, he turned and headed inside, a hand pushing the door open and even keeping it open for her to enter if she so desired. His eyes, however, turned up to search for Kafu almost curiously, knowing the barkeep would be watching the door.

~!**!~

Akari's eyelids slid open, but still she did not turn to look at Kurama, despite the feeling of his eyes on her back. Her lips twitched up, the skin by her eyes crinkling in complete amusement at him with the smile that colored her expression.

"There's also the fact that you seem to…. wait, not that either." She gave a pause. "Your list is shortening little by little!" She turned her head now to cast a gleaming glance at him before she turned forward again.

"And I suppose you'll just have to _figure it out _on your own, hm?" _*****_

Kurama let out a long sigh, "Whatever am I to do with you?"

_[I can think of a few things?]_

_{Shut __**up.**__}_

~!**!~

The bartender's eyes weren't the only ones that looked up when the door swung inward.

Being the time of night that it was, things had slowed down and the current patrons were of the more subdued kind, turning back after a moment of staring to continue their murmured conversations that settled back over the building with a constant, if soft, lull of noise.

As he always appeared to be doing when he had the moment to breathe, Kafu had a mug in his hands, standing about in the middle of the bar behind the counter, and was wiping it dry.

He gave an inviting nod to the fire demon whom he'd seen a while back, fully expecting Hiei to join him at the bar. His face upon seeing the demon with Hiei stayed as unchanging and stoic as ever when she stepped past Hiei and into the room, her eyes a little wider as she took it all in, slowly coming inside as if she hadn't the slightest idea of what she was meant to do next.

He noted her scarred face, her almost complete lack of exuding energy-_almost as if she isn't really even there-_and waited for the pair to approach before speaking, though a pitcher from over his head started to make its way towards him, and he let go of the tankard he cleaned to reach for two others and place them near his hip behind the countertop.

She stepped cautiously into the room, her eyes darting around to see that more than a few of the demons in the area had let their gazes linger, but more upon the demon behind her than herself. Something in their eyes agitated her, and her ears twitched as she started to pick up snippets of their conversation, which revolved not only around her, but also around the curs-

"A drink, lady?" He asked mildly when she was close enough.

He appeared to have startled her, though she was difficult to read, but she recovered quickly and gave a small nod, climbing into the chair in front of him and frowning.

"I- I would like-"

"Demon's Fire. I'm almost positive." Kafu's lips turned upwards just a little as he had already placed his rag and mug down to pull out one of the tankards from near his side and fill it swiftly with the pitcher, placing the tankard in front of her.

She gave a little nod and reached for the drink to stare at the contents.

"Anything for you, Hiei?" 3

Hiei allowed the door to shut on its own after Shikiyoku had passed him, earning a creak from the wood and a loud slam to echo through the room that had silenced for a moment at his entry. Even as he moved to the bar, he didn't spare a glance towards the others in the room, didn't allow himself to listen to their talk because he already _knew _without a doubt their topic.

And his temper was _much _too uncontrollable for that now. While he'd gained control over it long before his first visit here, he'd long since lost that control when he'd…

He let the thought trail away as he slid into a seat at the bar, eyes trained on Kafu and giving his own nod of greeting even as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the countertop.

He couldn't even bring himself to glance at Shikiyoku for the moment.

He contemplated the question the bartender aimed at him, contemplated the drinks he could see beyond the bar, and he finally lifted a hand and shook his head in negatory. "Not yet."

~!**!~

Akari shifted around just a little, pulling her legs closer to her chest and curling her arm under her head even more. Her eyelids slid shut again, and this time, when she stilled, she was much more comfortable than before.

And it took an extra second for her to realize Kurama had spoken, and a little longer than that to say anything, though she wasn't aware she was speaking.

"Whatever you wish, I suppose. If you wanted, you could kill me in an instant, or just let me take a nap. Either way." _*****_

Kurama at first couldn't even make _sense _of the eruption of volume Youko just splattered across their mind, and he grimaced, closing his eyes and almost growling at the fox, whose comments were most certainly _not _ones Kurama felt he would particularly _want _to sort out the meaning of.

_{I am __**not **__moving.}_

_[Reeeeeeed, you're so boooooooring!]_

_{And I shall remain that way for as long as it continues to confound you.}_

~!**!~

She had by that time taken a sip, but she could not shake the unrest she felt come over her.

"This is...strange." She looked down at the tankard and gave a sniff, then took another drink.

"How so, lady?" Kafu inquired, picking up his mug and continuing where he had left off.

"You have..." She struggled for the description, "Influenced this beverage in some way. It is not only alcohol within here."

Kafu said nothing, smiling down at his work. 3

Hiei sat in silence, ears carefully tuned into the conversation nearest him and eyes forward, staring at but not seeing the bottles that lined the wall, the glasses that occasionally shifted when Kafu had need of them. He'd forgotten what it felt like to sit in one place with other demons, what it _sounded _like on occasion. Low murmurs and small laughs here and there.

After a moment, his red eyes turned to Kafu, a brow raised in curiosity at the conversation he'd been listening to. His own eyes turned to the drink in Shikiyoku's grasp, eyeing it as if he'd be able to detect the difference, if there was one.

Though, for some reason, he couldn't remember the original taste nor smell of the drink.

~!**!~

Akari's breathing had slowed, she noted, and her entire being had relaxed into the grass below and the warmth of the glowing flowers over her. She was so comfortable, so relaxed that she almost missed the slight change in the air, the charged energy nearby that was not demonic, but… simple tension energy.

Her lips twitched.

"Aw, is _Youko _bothering you?" She gave a small hum of empathy. "You handle it so _well. I _certainly couldn't." _*****_

"Bothering me?" Kurama replied as if he hadn't the slightest idea what she was talking about, taking care to release the pressure around his shoulders and relax. "Whatever gives you that idea?"

~!**!~

Another drink.

"It is not only made of...liquid, is it?" She commented after swallowing, letting the taste stand on her tongue.

Before Kafu could answer her, one of the waitresses silently slid a mixed drink to her elbow, and she only gave it the barest of glances, but the waitress caught the bartender's eyes and something passed between them before she turned and left, moving quickly.

The drink sat where it had been placed for only a second before Kafu reached out and took it from her, drinking it himself and then putting the glass behind the counter, his eyes flashing as he looked out into the room, finding that not a single one of the demons would meet his dangerously flinty gaze. 3

Hiei's eyes followed the motion of the newcomer, having seen the waitress step up before he'd actually even been aware of her presence. He eyed the drink that was placed on the bar top, curious and suspicious all at once. He knew demons often bought drinks for another in a tavern, normally to show interest, but this one was oddly… different.

And that suspicion was confirmed when Kafu stole it away from Hiei's eyesight, the fire demon turning and following the gaze of the barkeep and finding the same as the other: no eyes pointed to the front.

So he turned back to Kafu, then turned to Shikiyoku with a casual raise of his brow.

"What's mixed in?" he prompted, deciding to keep her preoccupied for the moment.

~!**!~

"Mmm, I dunno…" Akari mumbled, her lips just barely letting the words form, not even twitching to show her amusement that was completely shrouded with her sudden desire to sleep. "Maybe it was.." The rest of her sentence trailed away into incoherent mumbling, her lips no longer cooperating as her mind began to fall into the darkness of sleep.

"-fox." she finished, the lone word escaping her mouth before she took another deep breath, and gave in to the bliss of dreamless sleep. _*****_

It was blessedly silent for a moment.

_[She's dangerously perceptive you know.]_

_{I was enjoying the peacefulness.}_

_[Too much. Just a little too much.]_

Kurama huffed and turned onto his back, putting his arms behind his head again.

_[You aren't really going to stay, are you?]_

He let his eyes close.

_{The office isn't open tomorrow. Maybe I will.}_

~!**!~

Her eyes, even as dull as they had become, were sharp enough to catch the end of the steely gaze Kafu released on the rest of the room, but when he turned back down to look at the mug in his hands, the expression was gone.

She considered the drink and Hiei's question, "It is not..._precisely _his energy, for that would delude the flavor. I...I think he imbues it with his _essence_."

Looking up through her curtain of hair, she examined him more closely as she talked; not a single white hair was out of place on his head, his strong-jawed face as serene as ever, but the upper part of his arms, revealed as they were from his rolled up sleeves, were tightened severely, making the well-formed muscles there prominent, and while she thought it was a trick of her eyes, she would have sworn she saw the last of what could be yellow shafts of light dissipating just shy of the edge of the sleeve on his left arm.

"That is how," She never missed a beat, "It tastes different with nearly every sip." She finally raised her head. "Are you an empath?"

Kafu did not get a chance to answer as a drink slid onto the counter between her and Hiei, just within Hiei's hand's reach. Her eyes narrowed and her world tunneled in on its contents.

Without hesitation, she snatched the drink and whipped around, but the waitress had already disappeared, and none of the bar appeared to notice her infuriation. She felt her jaw clenching, her eyes taking on a similar gleam to the deadly one Kafu had worn earlier, when a drink had been set at _her _side.

"Do you do nothing about the scum you serve?" She spoke through tightened teeth.

Kafu made a noncommittal sound, "Should something _happen_, perhaps it would whip into shape my other clientele, lady. These are not the most...desirable of patrons here this evening. Things have changed greatly since the merging, but... My hands, you must understand however, are...tied."

"Then the _pleasure_, is mine." Her scowl had deepened and she pushed her seat back to hop down to the floor, beginning to feel a burn starting at her scalp to envelop her entire body.

"Stay...behind me." She advised, just managing to growl out the words coherently, eyes rippling deeper into the blackest abyss of color as she took a single step away from the bar.

For a second, a few of the other patrons looked up, having heard her move her chair back and her feet land lightly on the ground, but the entire building-it seemed-felt like it was holding its breath.

With the giant influx of her power, however, _everyone _stopped what they were doing, the space around her growing darker as her energy started licking of her skin in an aura that steadily filled the space around her.

"**You wish to stare?"**

So what if his blood was that of fire and ice, two 'conflicting' elements? So what if he was the bastard child of an Ice Maiden? What did it matter?

"**Then I will give you at which something to stare."**

She herself now was akin to his hybrid state, two opposing ideals living simultaneously in one body, if more pronounced than his state, and perhaps that's what made the anger more _personal_, but...she knew that was not true.

"**You want to talk?"**

Why anyone would set before him a drink meant to use him should he wish, to mate with him, but to never keep him, to never _become _his mate for fear of watering down their own power-

"**Then I will give you about which something to talk."**

Her wrath manifested within her energy, making ripples shudder outwards, the entire room overcast with the veil of her power.

"**You desire to see **_**cursed**_**?"**

Her face had darkened, making her scars appear to stand out more on her skin, her voice eclipsed by the same shadow of emotions that fired her veins.

"**Then I will show you which one of us is truly **_**cursed**_**!"**

Dark tendrils of energy that had at one time been yellow erupted from her body, too numerous to keep track of, and shot forward, almost instantly finding their way around the necks of those previously gossiping patrons in the room who could only stare as their deaths approached them.

Unable to draw air to speak or scream, the demons struggled silently as the ribbons of energy lifted them into the air, the waitresses in the room having all disappeared except for one who had backed up against the bar, holding her tray to her chest, eyes wide as she could do nothing but watch.

Once in the air, the energy tightened and the demons began to struggle harder, groping at their throats in their attempt to get themselves free.

She did not relent and the energy easily started to snap necks broken, a handful of the demons having their heads popped clean off to spray blood into the air.

It was not until the other demons had stopped struggling, until the last one of them had suffocated and died, that she released them, dropping their bodies unceremoniously to the floor, her energy winding back towards her, leaving her looking much the same as she had when she entered the establishment, grey-skinned with too many scars covering her face, breathing heavily with bits of her hair stuck to her neck from the sweat that had manifested under her effort, barely able to stay on her feet, but surveying the rest of the room with a rather blasé expression. 3

Hiei had sat back for a brief moment, arms still on the counter of the bar and eyes momentarily shifting with the consideration of glancing back at the room again, to give a warning glare at a conversation he hadn't truly meant to overhear. But instead his eyes were drawn to a drink being set beside his hand, within his reach if he so desired of it.

And he didn't even contemplate it for longer than a second. He wasn't thirsty, wasn't interested in any _freebies_ that came his way. It was probably something he wouldn't enjoy anyway, so why bother?

Shikiyoku, though, seemed to have different thoughts on the matter. While they were slightly parallel with his own, they were also.. magnified, more intense than his own towards the drink for reasons he didn't understand.

And her reaction, coupled with Kafu's when Shikiyoku had received a free drink, made him suspect that the _freebies _weren't exactly… _free. _

He turned a curious stare briefly onto Kafu before he turned in his seat to watch Shikiyoku, who was now standing, giving her own words to the room that seemed to be filled with the same venom, the same darkness that had become her.

He blinked only once when the words _cursed _came from her lips, but otherwise his expression gave way none of his thoughts.

Thoughts that were conflicting one another, swirling about in a frenzy that had him unable to keep from watching the scene.

And yet, he wasn't exactly _registering _his own thoughts. Merely witnessing the events unfolding before him with a blank mind and a stare to match. Even as silence befell the room, he hadn't moved an inch, hadn't found anything to say or anything to do.

_She's not __**cursed**__. _After a moment, his eyelids drew closer, narrowing to slits that allowed just enough red to be seen to be thought of as either a warning or contemplation. Again, she'd said _he _was not _cursed. _

_Hiei, _the fire child born from an Ice Maiden, was not a _curse. _

Had anyone else said it, he would have likely given a bitter scoff and proved them just how wrong they were. But Shikiyoku…

How could he do that when _she'd _called _herself _cursed?

Finally, he shifted in his seat and faced forward again, as if he hadn't even noticed the dead bodies and pools of blood in the room, as impressive as the show had been.

"I'll take a Demon's Fire." _*****_

She shivered in place, arms clutching to one another underneath her chest, suddenly wrecked with the effects of her disease in an even greater amount than before. And so she stayed in place for a moment, watching as the waitress next to her appeared to multiply into innumerous copies and calmly begin cleaning up the mess she had made, just as unceremoniously as she had dropped the bodies dumping them outside.

"My thanks, lady." Kafu's voice floated over the countertop and to her ears.

"Don't mention it, old man." She replied hoarsely, her knees slowly bending as she slid to the floor and ended up sitting on her feet.

All of her anger had drained away, and she truthfully could not remember the cause of it save for those who had once inhabited the bodies now being carried out calling Hiei some blasted word or another that had set her off in the first place.

What had it been?

_Cursed?_

Foolish demons. They did not know what cursed meant. They had likely never even seen a curse before in their lives, only associating it with a hybrid for reasons they had likely forgotten themselves.

_What, like __**your **__curse?_

Yes, like my curse. Do you not see how it has ravaged my mind? How it now consumes my body? Whatever I once was...I am only a shadow of it. A passing shadow at that. One not likely long for this world.

Another shudder as the chills crept to her scalp and stayed there. 3

Hiei waited until a tankard was in his hand and he'd had a drink before he turned to glance at Shikiyoku again, this time with an unwavering stare that gave way only a few of his thoughts.

For one, her show had been rather impressive. Highly amusing, even.

Two, the waitress cleaning up the mess made it even better.

Three…

_That's twice now. _Twice she'd said he was not cursed. Both had happened in this very tavern, though she hadn't been aware of his presence the first time. And this time, she'd called _herself_ the cursed one.

_How foolish. _

_What a foolish, foolish woman. _

Such a title was not something she was to be called, if he had a say in it. Because, really, he felt it wasn't true. She was not _cursed _in any way that he saw. Simply… _struggling. _

Going through a rough time, to put it mildly.

He reached down with his tankard, tipping the chair sideways just enough to allow him to stretch and close the distance, just touching her arm with his tankard in an offer.

"I am not in need of this."

~!**!~

Akari's sleep had remained dreamless throughout the night, as odd as that was for her. For the first time in weeks, she hadn't dreamed about work, hadn't dreamed about things that stressed her, hadn't dreamed about the numerous things she needed to remember to ask Koenma about.

She merely… slept.

So, when that blissful sleep was interrupted, she was _not _a happy camper.

Akari shifted slightly, pulling away from the person she hadn't realized she'd been sleeping up against, rolling onto her left side in the grass as the breeze picked up again, a voice carrying on the energy that had caused it to move in the first place.

"_...Aka…"_

"Shut up." she grumbled to the wind, eyes still closed and mind only half between the waking and sleeping world. If she so desired, she could deem it as the beginnings of a dream and brush it away.

But _no._

That wasn't how things worked, was it?

The wind stirred again around her face, making her hair tickle her nose and lips. "_Akari…"_

"I said, shut _up_." she grumbled, this time more force.

"_I apologize about disturbing, but-"_

"If you were _sorry_, you wouldn't _call on me._ Whatever it is, _handle it."_

"_-someone is here, asking for you at sanction E and-"_

"I'm not even alive."

"_-they say it's important."_

Akari growled as the wind shifted about her face. She batted at it, eyes closed still, but of course earned no budge from the slight breeze about her.

"_He says he needs-"_

"Tell him to kiss my ass and go back to hell."

"_It isn't __**Juun**__, Akari. He says his name is…" _There was momentary silence. A silence that stretched on. And on. And on.

She almost thought she'd be going back to sleep. But _just _as the darkness of sleep began to welcome her again:

"_He's resisting giving information. Only… drilling us and-"_

"God _damn it_, Lou! What did I _say?!"_ Akari was sitting up now, snarling and eyes open to stare at the space in front of her face as if someone stood before her. "_One day! _Or, hell, _a few peaceful hours to sleep in! _You can't handle a simple _curious demon?!" _She couldn't help the words she spat, almost quite literally, at the wind that she could _see _moving in front of her face. "I am _not _the only _capable _being on the nine levels! _You _are able to-"

"_Akari, I understand you're angry, but this is out of my hands. He __**evades**_ _my attacks. Aside from myself, the only person I've ever known able to see them is __**you**__, meaning he is not __**from **__the fourth level."_

Akari gave a snarl and promptly turned onto her back, rolling again until she was laying on her right side, comfortably up against the person she hadn't realized had stayed. "Find another lackey of Spirit World who gives a shit before dawn."

"_It's midday here.."_

"Like I said." _*****_

"Tell them there's a problem on _this_ layer and you can't leave until it's taken care of." Kurama murmured, still half-asleep and moving his arm over Akari's shoulders as if to prevent her from getting away again.

~!**!~

She barely moved her head, just enough to see what Hiei had offered her, and reached up with shaky hands to take it from him, only just managing to set it in her lap before the strength of her fingers gave out.

And she stared at it with empty eyes, somewhere in her mind still laying true curses upon the bodies of the dead she had been instrumental in causing.

Now they could say they had seen a curse. And now that they had seen her, they had been disposed of. Quite satisfactorily.

That _was _cause for a drink.

But she found she couldn't so much as raise it to her lips.

...maybe it wasn't cause for a drink, then. 3

"_You do not have to do that every time I am called 'cursed'. It holds no effect on me. You're wasting your time anyhow." _Hiei released the tankard and turned to the bar again, simply sitting there just as calmly as he had before. His eyelids slid closed and he thought back only briefly to her quick work of the demons who'd once been inside this bar.

He found it odd that in all his life, this was probably the only demon he'd ever met who had done something of _this _magnitude simply for the word he'd been called. "_Rather foolish."_

~!**!~

Akari took in a deep breath and, without thinking, hugged closer to the person who had spoken and draped an arm over her. Her mouth opened to relay the very message, but the wind around her stirred with "_I heard that."_

There was a pause as Akari blatantly ignored the energy, and the demon communicating behind it seemed preoccupied for the moment, until his voice suddenly floated through the clearing again, in a much lower, much quieter tone than before, as if afraid to be heard. "_What if it's _the big man_?"_

Akari didn't even miss a beat. "Koenma would not ask _you _where I am. He'd simply _find _me. Or, rather call."

"_Should've known better than to use that again."_

Another pause and Akari was comfortable, giving a sigh of content and burying her face in the soft fabric that smelled of roses. "Contact me when something _important_ comes up, no?"

"_...I didn't want to say, but it's the fourth time this week he's been here."_

Akari finally let her eyelids slide open. "Repeat that."

"_Must I really?" _When she didn't reply, a sigh floated on the air. "_HE's come demanding for your presence for four times in the past six days. Today, he is more persistent and has not left in hours."_

"Description."

"_tall, dark hair."_

"That helps." With a growl to accompany her sarcastic tone, she shifted a bit again. "Anything _else?"_

"_Nothing that would actually be of help, as he says you do not…. care enough to notice such things."_

Akari could just make out some rambling in the background of what could only be described as a type of call, almost similar to a communication mirror allowing another's voice to float through a microphone. Though, she understood none of what the words were.

"_He's disrupting the flow of things. Greatly." _

"Can you deal with it for…" she thought about the time difference, the way the time passed on the fourth layer in direct contrast to the sixth. "an hour?"

"_Affirmative."_

"Stop talking like that. I'll be there."

Of course, she gave no motion to move away from the person she had _yet _to realize she was still laying on, her arm draped over his waist and head on his chest. _*****_

A very fox-like growl had been rumbling in Kurama's chest until the communication cut off, a deep vibrating noise that did little else but settle into a low sound that never came up past his lips.

"I could _very quickly_ become a problem even _they _would not be able to handle." The only reason it did not come out as a snarl was because he sat too far into the sleeping side of the world.

~!**!~

"_I know better than to believe your claims, Hiei Jaganshi." _She responded with a sense of finality, of declaration. Not affecting him. Ha. "_You, dearest prince of fire, are not cursed. Having hybrid blood is nothing more or less than just that." _She sighed, thinking of her own duality, thinking of the audacity of the drink that had been set next to him. "_And they crossed a line besides." _The fragment was accompanied by a growl.

"_They will come to understand what being cursed truly means. Or they will perish." _Strange how quickly she had found something to fight _for_, when only admitting it to be a necessity not all that much earlier.

...she really should invest some time in learning a few good curses. _That _would likely prove more satisfactory than just plain _killing _them.

Oh, I'm _so sorry_, did you enjoy being able to eat? How _is _it that you came to be incapable of feeding yourself? Missing with a utensil every time like that? Finding your plate or your meal mysteriously to the left of wherever you decided to plunge your face towards it? Pity. 3

"_...You're a fool." _

Hiei gave no words _against _Shikiyoku's claim. He sImply.. didn't agree either.

The fire demon took in a long breath through his nose, releasing it in the same fashion as he leaned forward just a bit, his upper-body weight now on the countertop. He stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating the silence in the room from the few remaining.

And then he thought of the effort it must have took for Shikiyoku to pull off such a thing as killing each and every demon the way she had.

"Can you move at all?"

~!**!~

Only now did Akari realize she was up against another, and quite comfortable being as such might she add. She drew in a deep sigh and patted her hand against his chest in slight protest. "Shh. I can't _sleep_ when you're threatening lives. Just five minutes." _Five minutes, and then I'll go kill them all myself._

_Or trap them in a shadow. Starve them all and-_

_Oh hell, it isn't worth the energy. _ _*****_

Kurama held back the next string of his actions, where he would be perfectly content with meticulously disemboweling the lot of them, and only shifted slightly, turning his head to the side and letting himself fall back down into the darkness of sleep.

~!**!~

She was breathing.

Did that count as moving?

"I'm perfectly fine." She responded, voice as blunt and forward as ever with that same seriousness she always seemed to have. "The floor is simply much more comfortable than those chairs."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kafu had not moved from his spot, even during her outburst, still cleaning glasses as calmly as ever. 3

"I know better than to believe your claims." Hiei said calmly, repeating her earlier words nonchalantly as his hand snaked out to take her previous tankard, deciding he needed a drink after all. Her's was only half full, but it would do. He had decided a while ago that he didn't want much of anything anyway.

So he took a sip. And then another. And then simply downed the whole thing before touching the mug to the countertop and sneering.

"Quite the show, though."

!**!~

Akari waited until Kurama's breathing evened out again, his mouth closed and no more growling emitting from his chest. She waited until she was absolutely _sure_ he was asleep again, and even waited just a bit longer, out of precaution.

Only then did her eyes actually open, flashing at the field around her in irritation as the sun's rays began to peak over the horizon in the distance, casting a light glow over the trees in the distance.

_I hate this job._

Akari began to slide away from Kurama, careful not to let her hair fall over her head and into his face. _I can't believe you stayed, you moron. __*****_

_[She's leaving, Red.]_

_{I know.}_

_[...and you aren't going to do anything about it? We were __**so **__comfortable.]_

_{And what would you have me- You know what, don't answer that.}_

_[How well you seem to have caught on.]_

...

_[...well __**I'll **__still be interested to know if she says anything or not, regardless of your...attempt at hiding your disappointment.]_

_{Silver-tail?}_

_[Mm?]_

_{Shut up.}_

~!**!~

_You don't know. You're not down here._

As if to prove him wrong, she stood up and moved back into her chair.

She _did _cheat though, phasing inbetween the layers in order to be able to do so.

And, naturally, immediately regretted the decision as she was hit once more with the brunt of her exhaustion and found that she leaned into her elbows on the counter more than normal. Much more.

Her knuckles, the ones of the fingers that clutched at the tankard, were white, and she closed her eyes, trying to find comfort in breathing steadily.

She could _feel _that she had much more power within her than what she had just exerted, but the fever, the sickness within her, told her she had nearly _died_. 3

Hiei glanced over at Shikiyoku when she was firmly seated in the chair she had vacated earlier, a brow raised in her direction in slight amusement and curiosity. He hadn't _meant _to challenge her, but.. Oh well.

_Why is it that when I issue a __**direct**_ _challenge, you ignore me, but accept the smallest, most __**meaningless **__of challenges? _Again, he had the urge to call her a fool, but really, who _was _the fool here?

He turned away from her and took to watching Kafu's motions, though he didn't really see the bartender in any way. His eyes were a million miles away, as was his mind, his thoughts on different times when she'd bested him without even seemingly knowing she'd done as such.

~!**!~

Akari shifted, and shifted, and shifted until she was successfully out of Kurama's reach, eyes glancing at him briefly before she turned away with an inaudible sigh. _I was so comfortable… _She glanced around, looking for anything that she might have dropped on the ground during the night, such as the mirror, and when she found nothing, she gave an audible sigh of discontent.

_Well, back to work, I suppose… _

Her eyes turned to Kurama for another moment before she let herself fall through her shadow, effectively traversing two layers and ending up within a portal's dimensions within seconds, her calm, serene expression now replaced with a severe one as she set foot in the darkened between dimension, her feet moving towards where the Kekkai used to be.

"Now, explain to me _what _you can't handle again, exactly?"

Two demons turned, one male, one female. The one that spoke was the owner of the voice that had awoken her in the first place. "He's on the other side of the portal. Said to let you know he was waiting."

"He's blocking traffic." the female explained with an exasperated sigh. "I tried, really, but he isn't _prone _to manipulation like most others."

"Well, at least you tried." Akari grumbled as she continued moving past the pair. "Prepare to escort a body to Spirit World."

"You don't think she's serious?"

"I guess we'll see." _*****_

~!**!~

With the entire reason for his lethargicness at leaving gone, it took little effort for Kurama to sit up once she left, his motivation one of returning home, perhaps before his parents knew of his absence.

After all, he hadn't exactly _planned _on sleeping next to Akari all night.

Not...not _exactly_.

~!**!~

Feeling her head becoming more and more heavy, she reached up and settled her cheek into her other hand, not even at this point bothering with the tankard she still held, though her eyes would on occasion shift longingly towards it.

It was never worth the effort, though.

She didn't particularly want to sleep, though it tugged mightily at the edges of her vision.

If she slept, she might forget. If she slept, she would wake up hungry once more.

And after all, the bodies still being carried out behind her had not been _worthy _of having their energy removed.

_Let them rot. How __**dare**_ _they._

Another single flame of ire had her eyes opening again to stare off at the shelves behind Kafu.

_He is most __**certainly **__not 'cursed.'_3

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star<p> 


	70. Episode 154 - Memories

****A/N: ****Hello once again, Fellow FanFiction Fanatics!

This chapter consists entirely of interactions between Hiei and Shikiyoku. Akari's doing boring work and Kurama is also doing...boring...work. Heh.

**Symbols Guide:**

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei  
>3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for TorikoShikiyoku and Youko/Kurama  
>~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authorscharacters.

As__ a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts._  
><em>Unless it's used in a sentence like _this_, which merely indicates emphasis.  
><em>[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to ShuichiKurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]__{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}  
><em>_"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."_

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!<strong>

Kurama and Akari discuss a distant point in the future when they will venture out into the unified world together,  
>the both of them agreeing that no matter how much time has passed they will definitely do so.<p>

Akari ends up kissing Kurama on the cheek in thanks for putting up with her.

The both of them eventually fall asleep side-by-side in the meadow,  
>though they're given a rude awakening by a colleague of Akari's.<p>

After the conversation, Akari pretends to fall back asleep in Kurama's arms,  
>but slips away once she thinks he's slipped back into slumber.<br>Kurama is of course aware of her departure and he leaves for his home soon after she is gone.

~!**!~

Though she is still struggling to remember who she is,  
>Shikiyoku remembers the Niiro Kaga, of rather she remembers "Ogre's Blood," the drink,<br>and Hiei leads the way down to the Ninth Layer.

Once there, a waitress eventually sets a drink near Shikiyoku,  
>but before she can notice, Kafu the bartender snatches it up,<br>drinks it, and glares at the other patrons.

A few minutes later, a drink is set down near Hiei,  
>and this time it is Shikiyoku who notices,<br>though her reaction is much more severe than Kafu's.

Such drinks mean something, and Shikiyoku turns to the rest of the room,  
>whom she had heard gossiping about The Cursed Child when she and Hiei entered,<br>and decimates the clientele under the indifferent eye of Kafu.

The attack exhausts her, so much so that it is a struggle to get into her chair,  
>and she nods off in her seat while still seething with irritation at the demons she just killed...<p>

* * *

><p>Hiei hadn't been paying attention, really. Hadn't been listening to the room around him in any way. He'd simply been lost in a couple of thoughts, one running right after the other and demanding his attention, such as what to do next. Now that he found Shikiyoku, what would he do? How would she remember him and <em>everything <em>else she'd forgotten, however much that may be? Was it even a possibility? How had she gotten sick in the first place?

What was she sick with?

That last one had his eyelids sliding open, his irises turning to her to inspect the definitive lack of color in her skin, lack of energy she seemed to have when it came to moving about too much. Even sliding into a chair had been quite the effort, he'd noticed.

Enough so that she was…

...

...sleeping. Sitting upright at the bar, chin in hand and eyes closed, mouth slightly ajar. Sleeping.

The fire demon turned to Kafu with a calm expression. He seemed to have found himself in need of… a room and a bed. And he just so happened to be near one such thing.

"It seems we require more than drinks." he commented casually, almost allowing his amusement to flash in his eyes. _*****_

"So it would seem." Kafu acknowledged, letting his eyes slip a peek at the sleeping form of the demon who had changed so very much since the last time she had darkened his door.

He noted that the sheen of sweat she had worn earlier was gone, though he could feel the heat from her fever radiating from her body still, even though she shivered occasionally as if cold.

The ashen-grey skin, the scars...the absence of shining luster from her hair...he knew these things came from the change within her, knew that Hiei no longer sat next to her as her Champion. And he wondered briefly _why _the Champion had still decided to sit next to her.

"The same room you used before is unoccupied. Perhaps it will...help to restore her mind."

"Mm, don' push yer luck, old man." Shikiyoku mumbled, her words very steeped in slumber, besides being partially garbled by her hand, and coming from her as if she simply spoke to Kafu in her dream and the words happened to leak out between her lips.

"I wouldn't dream of it, lady." 3

Hiei didn't move for a moment, still simply sitting there as if indecisive about moving her, her reaction to such a thing being inconclusive to him. While that was indeed a _part _of the reason he stayed, it was not his _entire _reason for hesitating. For waiting and listening to the very brief conversation between demon and demoness.

It was not his job to care for her anymore. It was not his _duty _to ensure she was well, unharmed, even… happy. It was not his responsibility to look after her anymore.

And yet, here he was. Unable to walk away, unable to extract himself from her presence.

She was fully capable now. She had displayed her ability to take up for herself mere moments before. She didn't _need _him as she had before.

He lingered on that thought, that _fact_ for a minute longer before he shifted in his seat, setting his feet on the floor and, without further hesitation, making easy work of sliding Shikiyoku from her own seat. He was met with absolutely no resistance, surprisingly enough to him.

Actually, he was surprised when Shikiyoku wrapped an arm behind his neck and over his shoulder, her other hand simply laying on her stomach once she was settled in his arms. He glanced briefly at Kafu, gave a nod of appreciation, then turned and wordlessly meandered his way towards the stairs, feet carrying him almost mechanically up each step and through the hallway, as if he'd done this hundreds of times before.

In reality, he was following a path he remembered clearly, almost _expected _Shikiyoku to be leading him to the room she'd stormed into the previous time they'd been there. He could almost just _smell _the scent he'd followed that night, _hear _the heavy steps of irritation she'd stomped around.

It was easy to extend a hand to the doorknob of the vacated room, easy to push the door open and then gently nudge it shut with his foot. It was easy to move towards the mattress across the room, to stand over it and map out the easiest way to lower her so that he may leave without her knowing.

But what _wasn't _easy was actually _laying _her down and taking his leave. Instead of settling down as he'd thought she would, she kept a firm hold on his cloak with one hand, her other arm even tightening around his neck as if afraid to release him.

_You don't need me, fool_. He gave a small twitch of his brow as she resisted further, her fingers not even budging from his cloak when he pried, her entire body shifting when he made an attempt to uncoil her arm from his shoulders.

After another moment, she grumbled incoherently and shifted again, and he simply gave in. He wouldn't be able to leave her without _waking _her first. And, as much as he felt she didn't need him…

"_...affection.."_

He gave an inaudible sigh and hooked his arms under her again, lifting her and turning until he was able to sit on the small bed, shiting until he was in _just _the right position that when he leaned back, he was reclining with his shoulders against the wall and Shikiyoku laying into him, arm still curled around his neck and hand still holding his cloak.

So much for _that_.

Then again… what damage could _this _do anyway? _*****_

~!**!~

Kafu stoically continued to clean the mug in his hands as the fire demon carried her away, but as soon as the pair disappeared up the stairs he stopped, staring blankly at the rag and cup in his hands and finally lowering them to the preparation counter he stood over when he realized he wasn't drying anything.

He let them go and leaned into his palms, still not really seeing the red-wood underneath his hands.

"Problem, Kafu?" The other waitresses had disappeared again now that the Niiro was empty of...patrons, and the mess looking to have never been there, so only the one with her lone tray walked up and leaned onto the counter. "And you're not allowed to say 'no' this time. Because I know that face." She looked pointedly at his expression.

Kafu let out a huff of amusement, but remained with his weight on his hands.

"You can go home, now."

She blinked at him, studying his features, then finally gave a shrug and a sigh, standing back up, "How long have we known each other and you _still _won't talk to me?"

"Not long enough." Was his amused reply.

"Fine, fine. I'll be here bright and early." She gave him a wave as she started to walk out, tossing the tray up towards the shelves behind him where, as usual, one of the invisible hands easily caught it and set it up high where it belonged.

He waited until even she had left before looking over to his left arm, standing up and lifting the edge of his rolled-up sleeve to reveal a tattoo that had not been there earlier that day.

It was just a heart, lightly embellished with a few curving swirls, and in black ink, but as he lowered the sleeve back down he let out a noise akin to a sigh and rubbed his fingers across the bridge of his nose before putting his face in his hand.

_Problem indeed. _

~!**!~

She let out possibly the most contented sigh she ever remembered releasing in her entire life.

Funny how it happened while in the arms of someone who was no longer forced to be her Champion. She would never have considered being able to exist without one.

...and never would have _wanted _to exist without one if she had a choice in the matter.

But when it had come right down to it, between life or death, when she had so many times before wished to be free of the mortal coil...she'd chosen life. And at the time, she hadn't really understood why.

It was clearer now.

She only shifted slightly, enough to let go of the cloak and slide her hand up to his shoulder, enough to let her forehead bury itself in his neck and smile.

And then she actually fell beyond her own awareness, into nightmares of the unknown where her memories started haunting her, where she did not understand them. She ran through red forests with faceless creatures. And she ran alone. 3

Hiei had become comfortable after just a bit more shifting, both from himself and Shikiyoku, and instead of closing his eyes and waiting for sleep, he took to watching Shikiyoku as best as he could, his eyes trained on her from the corners. He felt rather than heard the sigh she released, noted the momentary release of tension in her entire being.

After a few minutes, he was aware of the tension returning to her muscles, which occasionally twitched with the dreams that plagued her mind. Dreams he decided were likely the very same as the ones she'd been having the night before.

He thought for a moment, rifling through his own memories until he found a simple one that was of nothing more than he himself and Shikiyoku settling down for a calm night between cities on the second level, having agreed to take a few hours' rest before finishing the trek to the first level.

And as he accessed his Jagan, goaded it to transfer the image from his own mind to hers, he realized that while she may not need him for _protection, _she very likely needed him for _other_ reasons. And probably didn't even know it.

So he let his eyelids slide closed, watching the quiet memory of the two of them sitting in front of a fire, saying nothing but not uncomfortable with the silence. And he too would find himself falling into a calm sleep. _*****_

~!**!~

"Do you ever sleep, Kafu?" The brown-haired demon made quick work of the distance between the door and the bar the bartender stood behind as he always did, though Kafu's hands seemed preoccupied with something _other _than cleaning the countless glasses.

"Do you ever think of coming in while we're open, Taka?" Kafu replied without looking up, rolling the sleeve of his left arm back down to match the location of the other.

Taka waved a hand dismissively as he slid into the seat that Shikiyoku herself had been in not a few hours ago, "It's never stopped me before."

"I can't argue with that."

Taka leaned onto the counter and waited expectantly, but the barkeeper did not oblige him in the silence, instead turning to lift a rag from the prep counter and beginning to dry a glass as usual.

"Are you gonna serve me a drink?"

"Are you going to ask me for one?"

"Ice Wind." Taka provided without prompting, beginning to watch the ingredients coming down towards them.

Kafu apparently couldn't be bothered with even mixing the drink as it did so for itself in mid-air before landing neatly in front of the other demon.

Taka threw back a large gulp and then let the other half of the drink set declaratively back down on the counter where he took to staring at its sea-foam colored contents. He absently lifted a hand and rubbed at the right side of his neck, a move which did not go unnoticed by Kafu, though the bartender did not have to look up to notice it peripherally.

"You've got one too?" Kafu spoke up mildly, unsurprised.

"Hm?" Taka's eyes focused back in on the bar around him, and he blinked once before actually seeing Kafu again.

His grin grew sheepish, "Noticed it, huh?"

On the exact spot which Taka had been rubbing was a tattoo which Kafu very much recognized, though the black ink did not stand out quite as much on the bird-demon's darker-brown skin.

"It...it showed up about a month ago." He reached up to touch it again, and his voice lowered to almost an incoherent mumbled, "I-I hadn't even so much as _thought _about her in decades."

Kafu's eyes shifted briefly to the stairs, but with his head down, Taka did not see, preoccupied with his thoughts.

"Then you know what it means." Was all the bartender said.

Taka raised and lowered one shoulder, "I...not really. Just have suspicions about it."

Kafu let out a breath from his nose that could have been a 'hm' if he'd wanted it to.

Taka peered forward, trying to catch the other demon's eyes, "What do _you _know about it?"

"Nothing that you won't figure out yourself." Kafu lied with as much ease as ever.

The points of Taka's ears twitched, but he knew that tone and knew he wouldn't get anything else out of the old demon, so he leaned back, working his tongue around in his mouth before deciding to stay quiet, finishing his drink and standing up.

He hesitated before turning away, "How am I to figure it out?"

Kafu stopped what he was doing and lifted his head, meeting with Taka's gaze for a pause, "Patience. You'll know."

Taka grumbled and kept moving towards the door, "I hate waiting."

~!**!~

It wasn't until she woke up that she realized she'd slept peacefully, and when her eyes slid open to find _who _she'd slept peacefully with it-

Well, it didn't seem to bother her.

The first time he had reached out to her, she had been uncomfortable, because who in their right mind would _want _to, after all, knowing what she could do, what the scars meant she could do. But he'd done so seemingly without hesitation-twice? three times now?-regardless of how 'repulsive' he had claimed her to appear. Without thinking of how whatever disease she had might pass along to him.

She desperately hoped it would not.

And he was warm.

Warm enough that he kept her chills at bay, even though his neck felt uncannily cool compared to her forehead which pressed up against it.

..._what was his name again?_

In a moment of desperation, she frantically scoured her mind, wondering if she would perpetually be take two steps forward and one back until she found it again and her eyes closed in relief.

_Hiei_.

There was something else too. Something else she had called him.

_Flame-boy._

_Fire-prince._

The first amused her, as the memory of the name was usually tinted with annoyance. The second seemed more...well whatever it was, it was kinder. ...perhaps the first had evolved into the second, as perhaps their relationship had, in the same manner, changed from 'annoyance' to...fondness?

Hm. 3

Hiei wasn't sure when, but sometime in the middle of the night, he'd taken to dreaming up old dreams, old memories and his mind rifled through them one by one, slowly. Each one held a different element: irritation, calmness, anger, desperation, fondness..

Silence.

His eyelids twitched as if to open, but really, he wasn't awake. Instead, he was traversing layer after layer, following a lead he'd gained and was heading to the seventh. He was running, eyes set forward as a demon evaded him after having found out the _cursed child_ had learned of her intel.

And when he'd caught the female who'd been rumored to have seen the one he'd been hunting, Hiei found himself once again disappointed. Angry. She'd simply thought it would be _fun _to gain the attention of the _champion_, not having realized said _champion _was a _cursed being_.

He'd let her live, but she was very likely to never forget the encounter.

And the tenseness of the memory had his mind waking, his eyelids sliding open to stare at the wall across from him, the muscles in his face twitching for several different reasons.

"_I bet she doesn't even __**need**_ _you anymore. She's likely __**dead.**_"

His eyelids slid shut again. _*****_

She had felt, somewhere in the back of her mind, a strange tautness to muscles she did not own, even lost in her thoughts trying to sort through memories she could not find.

As she neared slumber again, lulled back towards the sleeping world by the quietness of the moment, from within her memories welled up what felt to her like another demon entirely, filled with everything that was the antithesis to herself, but one that she gave into gratefully if it meant escaping her fears and misunderstandings for a while.

"What is it that troubles you, my prince of fire?" She murmured, the words coming out softer and warmer than she had ever thought her own lips capable, and she found herself carried off somewhere, body relaxing as if at any moment she could drift off to sleep. 3

Hiei didn't jolt, wasn't even remotely surprised by the voice that floated to his ears, the question voiced in a manner that sounded much more like Shikiyoku than she had since he'd found her. His eyelids stayed shut and he drew in a calm breath, his muscles forced to relax as he became more aware of his surroundings, eventually remembering where he was and _who _was with him.

She was warm. Too warm, he noted.

But really, there was nothing he could do about that.

So instead he decided to bat away her question. Less worry meant less stress, right?

"Nothing of consequence." _*****_

She let a gentle noise hum against her lips, which smiled even at her negative response to his dismissal.

Shikiyoku shifted a little before speaking again.

"I am more troubled that you would not tell me than I would be should you simply do so, Hiei." 3

"Hn."

For a few moments, that was Hiei's lone response. He gave no indication that he would continue, gave no hint that he was even _considering _telling her of what had plagued his mind for months at a time. The singular thought that had driven him to continue his search even when he felt as if doing so would end fruitless.

Sure, he'd realized at the time that when the bond broke, it had not been due to her demise. After a week or so, he'd realized that the bond would have _warned _him of such a dramatic thing, would have _screamed _at him if her life had been on the line, no matter the separation.

But that meant nothing for the time _after_ the bond broke. And it had drove him almost insane lingering on that possibility.

To this day, he still wasn't exactly sure _why _it had- no, while it _still _mattered. And it occasionally lead to moments like this, where he'd forgotten someone had spoken to him and he was left contemplating his own thoughts over the matter.

Only when he shifted a bit did he remember her presence, her question and her prompting for his answer. And he continued to contemplate anyway, not really sure _what _to say on the matter. So, he said the simplest thing he could think of:

"Dreams of old travels that mean next to nothing now." _*****_

In his own way, she understood, he was still dismissing her, but...he _had _tried, and that is what kept her smile on her lips as she accepted his response this time.

Her grip on his shoulder tightened briefly as a thought crossed her mind, and she had trouble saying it, her brows furrowing together and the smile disappearing.

"I-" She swallowed the lump that had somehow come to rest in her throat, and her words came out hoarsely as if she could just barely manage to say them, "I thought I had been cursed to walk the layers alone, to never see you again-"

Her voice broke and she fell silent, her fingers at his shoulder pulling part of the fabric of his dark cloak into her grasp for a tense moment before it passed and she released her hold, if only slightly. 3

Hiei finally let his eyelids slide open and he turned to glance at Shikiyoku form the corners, expression calm and collected as she spoke. Normally, he would have given a glare for that word, would have said something against it and… well, he didn't even know. It was a word he _loathed. _

But at the same time, her words did not bring on the ire that normally would have erupted at the very _beginnings _of the word she'd said. And he supposed it was because he _understood. _On some level, he realized he'd felt… similarly to how she admitted to have felt.

Even when she'd fallen silent, and stayed that way for a moment, he didn't seem to have anything to say. His eyes shifted to the wall across from him again, staring blankly at the surface. He understood.

Because _he'd missed her too._

He opened his mouth only slightly, as if to speak, but found no words on his tongue and shut it again. He took in a breath through his nostrils, eyelids sliding shut again.

Finally, he found something to say.

"Seems you were wrong." _*****_

It was too weak to be a laugh, but the breath that came out her lips, cold air that brushed across his neck, released the emotions that had been gathering over her face.

"I have never been more thankful to be wrong in my entire life." She finally managed to say. "I thought I'd lost you. Forever."

She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the moment that she knew would not last: one where she could remember. 3

Hiei felt his lips twitch just slightly, not in amusement or ire, but… cheer? He released a calm breath through his nostrils and took to staring down at her in calm curiosity, though he did not voice his curiosity over what had driven her into this state, into breaking their bond. He didn't ask why she'd severed their connection after they'd already been separated by the worlds.

He didn't ask what she did to keep busy for ten years, because really, her scars held answers to that unvoiced question.

Instead, he shifted about again, lowering himself the rest of the way down until his head touched down on the pillow he'd been leaning on previously, having no immediate plans to extricate himself from her or the room itself any time soon. _*****_

He may not have asked it of her, but her mind lingered on the events that brought about her power over pain, even as she move her legs to lay down next to him, placing her head over his chest where she could feel the energy pumping through his veins from his core.

The desolation of being separated from him, knowing that she could either die to bring the three worlds together or live and remain stuck in the Ninth Level for eternity, or at least until the Kamis saw fit to let her die, had led her steps to Renai, and even then, when presented with her death or her other option, why had she chosen to sever their connection and save her own life?

_Because of __**this **__moment right here. The one you'd never truly stopped hoping for._

The door to the room slammed against the opposite wall and in an instant, before it even hit, Shikiyoku had shot up, eyes black and an unfocused wave of dark energy in the hand that did not hold her up.

"Iro!" The figure at the door announced with unhidden consternation after the entrance had shook the walls of the room and stomping inside and over to the bedside.

With the light shining in from the hallway, she couldn't make out the demon until her eyes adjusted.

"Remove this...this _mark _from me at once!" The short demon's brown hair was frazzled, the matching red slices of color on either cheek drawn downwards in the frown that plagued the demon's lips.

"Shubou?" She asked kindly, her eyes softening as their darkness melted away, finding that still her memories-for the moment-remained intact.

"I have been unable to get you out of my mind for _weeks_, and I _know _ it _has _to be related to this _ridiculous _mark you've somehow seen fit to _bestow _upon me." Shubou stood inches from the edge of the bed with arms interwoven together, feet apart and expression cross.

She _almost _laughed, but it had been so long since her muscles had done so that it only came out as an amused sigh that hummed from her lips.

"And where is it, pray tell, this mark you seem to think I have given to you?" She asked him, eyes dripping with innocence.

Shubou only made an angry noise at her, barely containing ire as a growling from the throat.

Of course...there was a heart-shaped 'mark' staring at her from Shubou's forehead.

"You know _perfectly _well _where _this mark is." The demon seethed through clenched teeth. "Now take it _off_!" Shubou's eyes squeezed together, hands dropping down as a single tiny foot stomped in a miniature temper-tantrum that appeared to suit the child-like size of the demon before her. "As if it isn't hard enough for the rest of the clan to take me seriously, now you've gone and-"

Once Shubou had his eyes closed, Shikiyoku calmly moved over to the edge of the bed and sat cross-legged with her hands in her lap, head tilted just a little to consider the little demon.

"What." Shubou had stopped upon realizing she stared and bluntly questioned her.

She hesitated, lips parting, "I can..." She actually appeared concerned, "I can certainly _try_, dear one. But I cannot make any promises that it will work."

_I've never done this before._

Shubou's eyebrows met together in a deep frown, arms crossing together again.

"Well...try anyway, woman!"

Shikiyoku let out a sigh that seemed to travel the entire length of her body, her back sagging from the weakness she felt traveling along by the disease unchecked.

"Come closer, then." She reached out a hand, voice tired and low.

Shubou's eyes grew wide, pressing right up against the bedside and feeling Shikiyoku's hand move to the demon's chin.

Tilting Shubou's face up towards her gently, Shikiyoku leaned down and put her lips upon the mark, pulling away again to see the demon blinking at her expectantly.

She regarded the mark with guarded eyes, and as she opened her mouth to say something about having tried, the black outline glowed softly, changing to yellow and causing little shafts of same-colored light to further outline the heart until the color seemed to lift right off Shubou's skin and dissipate into nothingness in the air.

"Better?" She asked hoarsely, dropping her hand which had suddenly felt very heavy.

"Much." Shubou said without pause, turning to go. Upon reaching the door, the demon hesitated in mid-step, hand on the door frame.

"Thank you, Iro." Shubou quietly murmured before reaching over to close the door while stepping back out into the hall.

In the silence, Shikiyoku lifted her hand, reaching into the place in the air where the light had disappeared. 3

Hiei hadn't moved even when Shubou stormed into the room, hadn't even twitched a single muscle as if he'd been expecting someone to come barging in. He merely lay there, glancing at Shubou, the mark on his forehead, then let his eyelids slide closed to keep from staring at it. It was an odd thing, the tattoo on the other's forehead that was painstakingly obvious.

He was curious, to be honest, what the mark meant and how _Shikiyoku _was involved. What it meant for _her_ to see such a thing.

A _heart_, no less.

What? He wasn't _incompetent_ when it came to things like that. Simply didn't _care _for them.

The air seemed to become charged for a moment, causing the fire demon's red gaze to fall again upon the demon who'd entered the room and created a scene. The one who'd effectively ended their peaceful moment, who was now without the mark on his forehead and was taking his leave.

Hiei turned his head away from the door again even as it slid shut, taking to staring at Shikiyoku with an unblinking gaze.

Though, he didn't _voice _his question about what had just happened. _*****_

_Strange._ She thought.

She stared at the place where she had last seen the bit of yellow.

_I never knew a piece of me was missing. ...but why do I feel worse somehow, now that I have it back?_

Without a word, she shuffled herself back around and made as if to lay down next to Hiei again.

Before lowering herself down, she leaned towards him and pressed her lips briefly against his cheek in a similar gesture to the one she had just made upon Shubou's brow, settling her head onto the other pillow maybe a foot or so from the one he lay on.

"...thank you." She murmured sleepily to him. 3

Hiei let his eyes follow after Shikiyoku as she shifted around, settling next to him again after a small, gentle and warm kiss to the cheek. One he took note of, this time. He raised a brow at her, confused. What was she thanking him for?

"For what?" he finally inquired in a quiet murmur, as if unsure if she were still awake.

If she wished to sleep some more, he wouldn't stop her. _*****_

She had her answer, but floating inbetween waking and sleeping, it took longer to get it out of her mouth.

"I...know it's you."

Another pause.

"...in my dreams. ...helping me...sleep." She faded off, the last word coming out as a mumble, and as if she struggled to say something else.

"...but I can never...remember." 3

Hiei turned his head away from Shikiyoku as she spoke, eyes turning to the ceiling over their heads. He felt his expression shift, turning to one he didn't recognize, mirroring an emotion he felt well up within him for which he had no name.

Odd, how this _one _person could cause unnamed emotions to come forth in him. Emotions he didn't understand.

He let his eyelids slide closed, his lips turning upward in the very slightest way as a small breath left him in a very soft, almost inaudible hum.

He wouldn't say it aloud, but he'd do it a million times, whether she remembered or not.

"Go back to sleep, woman." _*****_

She smiled sleepily at him.

"Only if..."

Her smile started to fade as her muscles relaxed further.

"...I get to dream with you." 3

Hiei felt his lips twitch even more, and he didn't even have to look at Shikiyoku to know she was smiling too. It was in the air around her; she seemed much more relaxed than she had since he'd found her again.

_Of course._

That would have been his answer, had he said it aloud. Instead, he merely wracked his brain for another memory, searched for something else to show her that he thought would be of use, would be _worth _remembering if she chose to deem it as such.

And he knew the perfect one.

His mind's presence brushed hers calmly, his own eyes sliding shut as he relayed the memory of his hands on her cheeks, his eyes staring directly into hers as blood dripped from her nose, as her energy began to spazz against what she'd wished to do.

It was probably the most powerful moment- no, the _first- _powerful moment they'd shared, when their energies had intertwined for the first time. And it had been the moment he'd recalled a million times before now, and would continue to recall a million times in the future. _*****_

"_Don't move." She managed to tell him, her breathing labored._

She did not even get a chance to fall far enough into sleep to find herself among blurred visions of red trees, instead finding a memory from a time that seemed so long ago floating across her dreamscape.

Wordlessly, face in his hands, she recalled what she had shown him, what she hadn't the strength to say.

The Palace. On the Ninth Level. Where they would go after that, and where she met her fate later when he was not there.

Visions of Renai passed over her mind, knowing now as she did that he and his mate had been the source of the attack on her family.

Her mother whisking her away to a back room, opening one of the many hidden tunnels that went underground and came back up way out of their lands.

"_Look at me, Princess."_

She hadn't wanted to.

"_You will run. And you will hide. You __**must **__stay away from everyone, or you will die."_

"_You are hereby __**exiled **__from these lands." Her eyes shimmered again. "And you may __**never **__return."_

"_Go! Now! Run!"_

She had been mesmerized by her mother's bright green eyes, a spell placed on her that in her mind was forgotten somewhere along the way between dancing for her first Champion and that moment when she'd been knocked out of the tree at the edge of her former homeland.

...and that remembrance, where she had needed to just _be still_. To have a chance to fight against her own mother, centuries later.

_He _had been with her. Enveloped by the warmth of his hands, of his mind. She remembered what it felt like, his wrists beneath her fingers, her eyes gazing into his own.

_...-useless..._

_...not useless…_

_What she_ _**needed**__, what she __**desired**_ _with every fiber of her existence was standing before her in the form of a fiery demon. In the form of her Champion._

In the form of this fire demon who had come back for her.

_Companion._

The realization that he embodied..._everything_ for her had brought such a release, one that she would only replicate later when he finally came to tell her that the _one _thing she wanted of him...was the one thing he wanted of her.

But in that moment, for her, standing in the tree...the spell had been broken. 3

Hiei allowed the memory to play through, watching it with Shikiyoku as if he were reliving it from his own perspective again. He himself did not fall into sleep as he had considered, since he did seem rested enough to not need more sleep.

Instead, he let the memory play through, and by the time it came to the moment where they'd dashed away, towards the castle again, he let the memory fade, transition smoothly into the night when she'd danced for the Northern Tribe, starting at the very beginning when she'd emerged from the flames, allowing her to see her from _his _view. _*****_

Somewhere not quite at the forefront of her dreams, she remembered thinking how _odd _it was to see herself from another's eyes.

_And while he was indeed entranced, he was also able to think clearly, assess her state and read her expression. After a few minutes, he could see the sweat glistening in the glow of her energy and the fire, and while her eyes were closed, he could sense the tension behind the lids, see the tension between her brows as she obviously struggled..._

_And his own energy slowly, discreetly, began to seep from his body and move through the crowd, unseen, unnoticed, and towards her. It stretched enough to allow it to just brush her skin, inviting and warm should she have need of it soon, but not demanding. Calm, warm and only meant for reassurance. For now._

The moves came back to her, surrounded by his energy in a calm and self-assured bubble.

These were steps she had done a thousand times, a thousand _times _a thousand.

And suddenly, it was not the fire demon in the crowd, but the _other _one. The first one. And he was not out in the circle looking in and watching her, but at her feet, seated on the ground.

She danced around him, movements steady and true, and as he played the instrument in his lap, his energy, brown like the earth, came whispering from his fingers, came to coil around her.

She _tried _not to shy away from it, but it felt sickly and nasty to her skin and she shivered.

"_Pay attention, __**Iro**__." _He had sneered under his breath to her, using her name as he always did, as an insult. As a jab at the control he exerted over her. "_You will __**never **__find someone with __**that **__look on your face. Who would __**want **__you, lover?"_

He began to sing once she released the tension around her shoulders, a feat considering how he goaded her onwards, as much as she wanted to run from the tendrils of his power that looped around her long and lithe arms and legs of her true demonic form as she moved through and with them. The strings of energy left her skin feeling dirty as they sensuously curved about her. His song empowered the air as always, the words ones he himself had arranged as always, but these not for entertainment, instead meant for weaving their power together, so that she might draw all there together under his rule.

It did not take long for her to tell it wasn't working, even as her energy, entwined with his, left her to loop around the ones who had come. Her stomach convulsed inside her as she could not stop, could not tell him to end it, her power being sucked away, out of her control.

And then the screams started.

Her eyes were forced open.

The circle was in turmoil.

And she could not stop.

Brother was fighting brother. Sisters were killing fathers. Demons were on the ground, eyes wide with death, and she could not so much as wipe the blood from her bare skin, did not even shudder as her Champion's mouth opened and words did not come out, but blood hit her bare skin when she passed him by.

She could see clearly the bones of his fingers where he was being forced to pluck at the strings, and she suddenly realized she had no idea how long they had been at it. His blood streamed down the instrument that had served him so well, and still he played.

It was only when the spell had finished that she stopped moving to dance, frozen in place and barely alive, but able to see the atrocities the demons gathered there continued to commit to one another as her energy, as the ritual, had mistakenly driven them mad.

She could hear the battle around her, the fighting, the ripping of flesh, and even louder were the noises her Champion attempted to make, himself unable to move, his throat gurgling with blood that seeped from his eyes, his lips, his ears.

The fighting continued, but a few of the demons had spotted her, and though there were tears falling down her cheeks at the destruction the one called _Lover _had caused, in their own gazes was no mercy nor pity. Nothing but rage.

She finally cried out when she felt the swipe of claws down her back, the abrupt physical pain collapsing her knees and then dropping forward onto the ground, feeling now her own blood beginning to seep out from the deep wounds to join the blood of others that stained the ground.

A shadow fell over her and she wished for death, but the death that came was not her own, only given to all those who tried to come close.

The last sound she remembered hearing was that of her Champion's head falling with a thud to the grass and her mind screamed within the bond that had been so viciously and abruptly severed.

A large, rough tongue began running itself up her back, over the claw marks that cut into several layers of skin.

She could feel the air vibrating with speech, but she was lost in her own head, weeping over the scene and the absence of the bond.

The last thing she remembered feeling was soft fur underneath her, strong muscles carrying her on its back away from the smells of sweat and battle.

And even as she relaxed into the darkness of unconsciousness that graciously enveloped her, she stained that dark fur with tears that did not stop flowing for a long time. 3

Hiei's energy linking with Shikiyoku's in front of the Northern Tribe had been one of his favorite moments. If he had to choose, it would likely have been his _top _favorite moment. Which was probably the main reason he'd decided to show her _his _view of that night.

But he hadn't expected it to take the turn it did. He hadn't expected that he himself would not have control over what images were being passed along, what the Jagan accepted to be relayed between the two of them. He hadn't expected to witness what he could only describe as a massacre, a ritual gone wrong.

She'd told him that she'd lost a champion in this fashion, but he hadn't _quite _been able to picture what she meant. What she'd been afraid of at that time.

But as he blinked the image away and he was able to see the room he lay in again, he came to realize just how _afraid _she had been that night, and it completely explained why his _pushing her_ to do what _he _wanted her to do had made her react the way it had.

He turned a glance onto Shikiyoku briefly before his eyelids slid closed. _His _way of doing things didn't work for _her_. More harm than good came from it, not that he'd realized he'd been aiming for the _good _in the first place.

His eyelids came open again to stare at Shikiyoku, and really, he wasn't surprised to see the tears that flowed in rivers down her face and into the pillow.

But instead of asking the Jagan to lend its power again, instead of sifting through memories as he had been doing, instead of chancing the Jagan allowing her to see another memory like that instead of the peaceful ones he'd meant to show her…

He simply reached over with his left arm and wiped at her face, removing a few tears from her cheeks that had fallen in the meantime before he turned away again and took to staring blankly at the ceiling.

If there had been _any _chance of him going back to sleep, it was long gone now. _*****_

Darkness at first, and then a voice called to her.

"_Do you still trust me?"_

_When she opened her eyes, he seemed almost afraid of her answer._

As in the dream, she reached out to him, but here pulled herself closer until she lay up against him, head buried in his arm.

"_There will be a time when you go along with a decision __**I**_ _make, and you will be hurt, and I will almost kill myself with guilt because of it, much as I think you have __**this**_ _time."_

And he _had _gone along with it. Except...not exactly by choice. She had thought he'd been lost forever for her, chose to break the bond-instead of by her death which would have ravaged his mind-in what turned out to be the most discreet way possible.

...and she _did _almost kill herself with the guilt for the answer she chose. 3

Hiei didn't dare to even so much as move a single muscle, his eyes still up at the ceiling even as the Jagan allowed Shikiyoku the ability to show _him _one of her own memories. For some reason, he couldn't exactly recall at the moment what had brought about the conversation he now heard again.

Perhaps it was because he wasn't really paying full attention to the memory itself, as if afraid that if he did so, it would shift again.

But it didn't, and even as Shikiyoku pulled herself up next to him, to lay against him, he still didn't even move aside from the closing of his eyelids. _*****_

"_But you did what you thought was __**right**__, what you thought was __**best**__. How could I __**not**_ _place my trust in you for even just that reason alone?" _

Had she really said that? How profound it seemed.

And how idiotic from the other side of it.

_She watched with interest as the fire demon moved and eased himself into the water that her legs dangled in, then turned and held out his arms, making a small smile come onto her face as she reached out with her good arm and planted it firmly on his bare shoulder, letting him lift her down and into the cold spring. _3

After a moment, the image in his mind became clearer than it had before and he found that he was watching himself.

Which was quite an odd thing, since he'd never been able to do something like _this _before.

Through her eyes, he seemed much calmer than he remembered being. Had something like this been shown to him before he'd met her, he would have scoffed and likely beheaded the poor fool who thought Hiei Jaganshi would _ever _extend his arms out to another, ever _ask _another if _he _was trusted.

It was odd that he also found a sense of _warmth _from this perspective, as if it were his _own_.

He remembered what he'd been thinking here, what he'd been refraining from saying at the time. The internal battle he'd been fighting.

And every single bit of it had been about the being he now lay beside. He hadn't realized it until now. _*****_

Her vision shifted, blurring as if passing through time until it landed on something she had never once thought about, never once knew had in her mind existed...

_He coughed and glared at the bowl as if it had in some way offended him, then he turned those same smoldering-gorgeous-crimson eyes on her person._

_Her hair was up in a bun, her glasses thick, and her ears were twitching with the tiniest bit of aggravation at the response she had just seen the fire demon give her. _

"_If you don't __**like **__it. __**I'm **__eating it." She made no hesitation in reaching over to take the bowl from him._

_He possessively scooted the bowl farther away, and she noticed his eyes darken, daring her to try._

_She tried not to smile, and since she still felt a little irritated with him, it was easy to resist._

"_What __**is **__this ridiculous substance?" He had demanded none too kindly of her._

_It seemed more like a statement than a question at the time._

"_Ice cream...but it always seemed more like 'sweet snow' to me."_ 3

Hiei had… _I'd done that? _

The fire demon watched the new scene with curiosity, as if he didn't even recognize himself or what was going on. It was as if, somewhere along the way, he'd forgotten moments like _this_, where he hadn't been too far from the way he'd been _before_, but not exactly who he was _now_. He'd forgotten, somewhere along the way, that Toriko had been a factor somewhere. He'd forgotten how irritated he'd been with the human side of Shikiyoku at times, how he'd thought he hadn't cared at all, and then promptly took to pulling pins from her hair or glaring at her over a bowl of sweet snow, as he was doing in the image here.

How had he forgotten those things? How had he forgotten the _beginning _of it all? _*****_

_She stomped down the stairs, unsure of what had her in such an uproar of emotions, until she found herself thinking about the fact that she tried __**not **__to use her powers around Kurama because it was the first time she had a friend that wasn't being nice to her because of her energy._

_She came into the kitchen and practically ripped the drawer with the silverware from its hinges, snatching a spoon, then directly tromping over to the refrigerator where she flung the freezer open, unceremoniously grabbing the plastic container within and dropping cross-legged to the floor. She ripped the lid off and promptly began drowning her anger in the cold, sweet treat, which stung at her teeth and head with her first large bite._

"_Is this how you cope?"_

_She __**refused **__to look up at what had been the source of her anger, her lips twitching down at the container before her._

_Her answer was to fling the spoon at his face, following it with a heated, "You should try it."_

"_How ridiculous."_

_He must have caught it, but she only reached over and grabbed another spoon, balancing the tub on her knee as he slid down to the floor next to her to help her demolish the chocolate ice cream within. _3

Another _Toriko _moment. Not a _Shikiyoku _memory, but one from the counterpart she'd created within herself for protection, self-preservation. At the back of his mind, he wondered what this meant, if perhaps the two beings had become one whole being again, but at the forefront of his mind was amusement.

He remembered plucking the spoon from the air with ease, even fighting the slight amusement that had bloomed from her gesture at the time.

But that amusement held _nothing _to the amusement he felt now, his lips twitching upwards and his throat humming out a sound he hadn't made…. for as long as he could remember. _*****_

Even in her sleep, she felt a smile peeling back her lips and her head shook back and forth a little against Hiei's arm.

_Stupid girl._

As if to show her how 'stupid' she herself had once been, her vision shifted again...

_She was hungry._

_**Starving **__in fact._

_Had that scrawny weakling never fed their body?_

_It wasn't hard to discover the secret of the white box in the kitchen, but only because it had handles that she instinctively pulled at, surprising herself with how easily it came open._

_Nothing._

_She crinkled her nose in disgust as she peered in and pronounced everything within sight inedible, even though she flung a few things in plastic containers at the floor after checking them to make sure._

_Defeated by the lower thing, she let go and stood up to open the upper one, the other door swinging shut silently when she released it, but banging against her legs as she stood in the way._

_She pushed past a heavy plastic container with a hand, but knocked it out onto the ground as she tried to rummage further._

_Curious, she closed the white thing's doors and sat down on her feet, towel wrapped around her torso coming further up her thighs. _

_She tilted her head first one way, then another. She lifted it up in both hands, finding that the same chill that struck her when she opened the place it had been sitting was inherently held within the plastic, and she rotated it a bit as the cold stuck to her hands._

_It smelled good, once you got past the plastic. Which she had no idea how to do. _

_She tried gnawing at a corner, but her teeth were not sharp enough any longer to make much of a dent. _

_She growled at her human form._

_Confounded, she plopped the container back down on the floor and crossed her arms over the towel covering her chest, glaring at it as if it could be intimidated into revealing the secret of its contents._

"_It's upside down."_

_She'd nearly scoffed, thinking 'and what do __**you **__know about it?' until he promptly came over to flip it, pick it up, and pop the lid off to the amazement of her wondering eyes._

"_Sweet snow." He'd provided, holding it out as if for her inspection, which she obliged by sitting up a little straighter to peer over the edge at the contents. "With bits of...strawberry."_

"_Straw...berry." Her tongue and lips curled around the strangeness of the word. "And you __**eat **__it?" She sounded incredulous at that thought. "How?"_

"_With spoons."_

_He'd tossed her one._

_Duh._

_She watched him carefully, intending on replicating his every movement as he showed her 'how,' tilting the tub to her once he had his spoon in his mouth._

_Her lips were drawn together, waiting for him to fall over as if poisoned, but the smell was too great of a temptation and she relented, mimicking the manner in which he had dug some of the substance out and after scrutinizing what was on her spoon, putting it in her mouth._

_She coughed and glared at it as if it had offended her person, turning that same glare up to Hiei as if __**he **__had something to do with it, sticking her tongue out as if that would warm it up faster._

"_It __**burns.**_" _She declared accusingly after drawing her tongue back into her mouth, eyes narrowing slightly at the amusement she caught gleaming in his stoic gaze when he looked back at her._

_He had __**not **__told her __**that**__. _3

Another one of those _hums _of amusement left Hiei's lips, this time a little louder than before at the accusation he'd heard declared in her mind. For a moment, he compared her reaction to his own, noting that they were very similar in the initial reaction, both accusing the other of not having warned.

He knew that after the initial reaction, they'd both come to enjoy the frozen substance of Sweet Snow. He also remembered their escapade after the sweet treat had been consumed entirely by the both of them, the trip to the store they'd taken.

Briefly, he wondered what the others would think of him if they knew of that escapade. However, the thought was gone in an instant, replaced again with his growing amusement. _*****_

The memory faded, jumping again, and when it came back into focus, she was glaring at him in her former rooms at Rae's palace.

"_You-" Her eyes narrowed further at him as she held back almost painfully her initial desire at Hiei's destruction of the clothing, which had been to throw her arms about him and kiss him soundly, "-have just earned my undying devotion. And if you don't burn as many things as possible like that while we're here, I'll consider it a slight upon my very person."_

_Her eyes flickered towards the last of the tiny ashes that seemed to disappear into the air, trying very hard to keep under control the smile twitching at her lips._

_..._

_Her stomach had lurched frightfully when the sudden realization dawned that Hiei would have had no training in court arts whatsoever._

_And yet, he had surprised her, continually, that night._

"_Clever demon." She murmured to him, lips pursed coquettishly as she settled into his arms once he had expertly taken the lead._

_He had pulled her close-much __**too**_ _close for proper dancing in public-whispering in her ear._

"_One must be as clever as the person leading them, no?"_

_His breath had moved across her skin, setting it tingling and rendering her speechless at his 'audacity,' which in truth pleased her somewhere behind the blush that had crept up her neck._

"_I've learned from the best."_

_There was another lurch in her stomach, but this...was not from fright._

"_I think," She was breathless, cheeks burning, barely able to form a thought in her mind, left completely off-guard in his arms by his previously unprecedented actions. Something like that had not...had __**never **__happened before. "At least in this case, your cleverness far surpasses my own, flame-boy." _3

Hiei blinked as he saw himself through her eyes this time, and thoughts that were not his own seemed to float through the memory Shikiyoku had begun to shift through. Memories he'd thought of continuously, but not… not the way she did, it seemed. His initial reaction when he thought of Rae and Ballrooms and dancing was irritation, ire at its peak because he'd been _forced _into it. _Forced _to play another's game and abide by their rules, for _her _life had been, the way he saw it, in danger. All he'd been ready to do was get out of there, destroying everything on the way out if he had the time.

But the thoughts Shikiyoku had, ones he now had access to as she replayed the memory from her standpoint, were very different than his. Instead of anger, as he'd been displaying, or even mild irritation, she'd spent her time _enjoying_ the things he'd done specifically to keep them out of trouble, to keep _her_ out of trouble that he himself would not have been able to handle.

While he'd been searching for ways _out_, she'd been wrapped up in _him_, content to spend that time _with _him.

And her narrowed eyes at him that day had been for an entirely different reason than he'd suspected that day.

Which, by the way, he didn't know how to take. He didn't know what to think, because really, he'd never met someone who'd ever _had _thoughts like that towards him, no one who'd ever actually _cared _about _him_ and not his status as a 'cursed' being. Not in such a way as she did, any way. _*****_

In the midst of her slumber, she moved her head over his shoulder to meet her nose gently with his cheek to nuzzle at him sleepily before pulling away, breathing softly out her smiling lips.

This time, the memory was clear, the emotions raw...because this time the memory came from the most recent of events, where she stood daring every last demon in the room to come at her...

"_**You wish to stare?"**_

_Her eyes narrowed into slits, unable to see anything but the drink that had slid onto the counter at Hiei's elbow._

_Within an instant, in spite of the disease that clouded her mind and disrupted her natural thought, she remembered __**exactly **__what that drink meant, what the intricacies of each ingredient stood for. And it made her angry._

"_**Then I will give you something to stare at."**_

_She had heard, when they entered the bar, the whispers about the Forbidden Child, the Cursed Child. But it was not until this very moment that she became enraged, for their whispers had not been meant to insult her-which she had at first assumed and would withstand- but were about him-which she would __**not**__._

_He was 'forbidden' by Koorime law, birthed out of a union the Ice Maidens had banned long ago by restricting their interaction with the outside world. But they also called him 'cursed.' As if they had __**ever **__been cursed; as if they knew what the word actually meant._

The fury of that moment had her, outside the dream, beginning to growl low in her chest, recalling her anger and starting to pull herself inadvertently back towards the waking world, stirring where she lay.

"_**You want to talk?"**_

_He was not cursed, it was __**they **__who were cursed. Cursed with idiocy. Cursed with foolishness. Cursed __**blind**_ _by their unwarranted hatred. Any of them-__**all **__of them-who saw him as somehow 'less' of a demon simply because of the circumstances of his birth-when the truth was she knew him to be a demon greater than any of them could ever dream of aspiring to, and knew also that he was not yet done achieving his greatness-made her furious._

_They were cursed with __**jealousy**__._

_Or they should have been, if they could see past their stupidity._

"_**Then I will give you something to talk about."**_

_The drink._

_That __**drink**__._

_It infuriated her beyond reason._

_The demon wished to __**use **__him-not even simply mate with him-not keep him. Never keep him. Never become his life-mate. Throw him away. The contents of the glass made it perfectly clear that he was not worthy, off-limits, of being anyone's 'mate,' even a prospective one, due to the conflicting elements in his blood. He would have been nothing more than a moment of a thrill, to thumb her nose at everyone by having had the bastard child of an Ice Maiden in her bed, nowhere near valuable enough to have as a companion. She was proud of her strength, wouldn't want to 'risk' watering it down with his questionable background, for surely any offspring of their mating would be weak._

_Because after all who would risk their power-the one thing all demons covet-with one of both fire and ice; who would jeopardize any children with one like __**him**__._

_Nonsense. Utter nonsense._

_Why the __**hell **__is that an issue? Could they really not see how infernally __**attractive **__he was? Did that one thing alone, that by itself not make them as frustrated as she had been at times-blasted bond-for not getting to bed him herself?! As if it hadn't been bad enough that __**she **__could not at that time mate with him, that __**she **__had been forced to restrain herself, __**now **__they dare __**insult **__the demon who was her former pact-mate? As if she __**wouldn't **__have chosen, if given the choice, anything less than the picture of perfection that he was!?_

_She saw within that one drink the entirety of Demon World mocking him, attempting to lay a true curse on him, and the worst curse of all. A curse that he should wander the lands __**alone**__. Too dangerous even to innocently share in his company._

"_**You desire to see **_**cursed?**"

_May the Kamis __**damn **__you all._

_And if they won't do it..._

_I will._

"_**Then I will show you which one of us is truly cursed!"**_

_And she did. By offing every last one of them._

_Their opinions wouldn't matter much when they were dead._

Why the **hell **did their opinions matter anyway?

_I dunno, but it __**pisses **__me off. _3

* * *

><p><em>It's kind of an asidemoot at this juncture, but I did want to point out a little thing that was extremely intentional on my part: If you go back and look at Hiei and Shikiyoku's interactions since he's found her, you'll notice that I never actually use the word 'Shikiyoku' to describe what she is doing. It's always just simply 'she.' This is happening because Shikiyoku doesn't identify herself as 'Shikiyoku,' since she's lost her memories. You'll notice that anytime it **does **actually say 'Shikiyoku,' it's in a moment of clarity when she is able to remember._

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star


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